Girls postseason basketball action continues this week

Staff report

After an unusually light day of action on Saturday, the high school girls basketball tournament heats up tonight with action at eight of the nine sites with Valley teams.

Eighteen teams, more than one-third of the schools in the area, are in action tonight. Two of them are No. 1 seeds making their postseason debut.

Salem (15-5), which completed its regular season on Saturday with a 45-35 win at Cardinal Mooney, will take on Niles (0-20) at 7:30 p.m. in the Division II tournament at Austintown Fitch.

That game will follow the Struthers-Crestwood matchup. The Wildcats (15-5) are the No. 2 seed at Austintown, while Crestwood of the Portage Trail Conference is 9-11.

In the Div. IV tournament at Hubbard, defending district champion and No. 1 seed Lowellville (17-3) tips off tournament play against Inter Tri-County League rival Jackson-Milton (1-19).

That game follows another all-ITCL game between Tier One member Columbiana (8-12) and Southern (4-15) of Tier Two.

Another doubleheader with all local teams will take place at Mineral Ridge, in the Div. III tournament.

In the opener, Ursuline (9-9) will face Girard (6-14) at 6 p.m., followed by LaBrae (10-9) against East Palestine (8-12).

After Boardman’s successful tournament opener — a win over Canton Timken — in the Div. I sectional, Canfield and Chaney continue the area’s participation at Alliance High School.

Canfield (13-7), the No. 5 seed which won nine of its last 10 games of the regular season, will face No. 4 seed Massillon (17-3). That game, at 6 p.m., will be followed by Chaney (5-15) against No. 2 seed Canton McKinley (17-2).

Boardman next plays Massillon Perry on Thursday at 6 p.m.

Postseason play will continue for area schools on Wednesday, with action also scheduled for Thursday and Saturday.

Next week will feature district semifinal and championship action.

All of the tournaments will have their semifinal games on Thursday, with the exception of the Div. I tournament at Alliance, which will be played on Wednesday.

All district finals are scheduled for March 6.