Rachel Roberts: Strong competition emerging for girls hoops districts

With three games remaining in the regular season, the Centennial High girls basketball team has locked up the No. 1 seed in the 5A District Three Tournament.

But once district play starts Feb. 2, there’s no telling which team will emerge as the conference’s No. 1 seed at the state tournament.

Top-seeded Centennial (13-4, 13-2 5A SIC) swept No. 2 Capital (12-5, 10-5) and No. 3 Eagle (10-6, 9-6), but its two league losses came against No. 5 Vallivue (10-7, 8-7) and No. 7 Mountain View (8-9, 7-8).

Even more troubling for teams at the top is the emergence of last-place Boise (2-15, 2-13) and No. 9 Borah (5-12, 4-11) in the past few weeks.

The Braves knocked off Vallivue on Jan. 12 and only lost by 10 to Centennial on Jan. 14. The Lions, meanwhile, have posted back-to-back wins this month over Capital and Vallivue.

The top eight teams during the regular season qualify for the district tournament, but both Boise and Borah are still in the hunt to steal the last spot from No. 8 Timberline (7-10, 5-10) should the Wolves falter.

Only the top four teams in district play are guaranteed a spot in the state tournament, which runs Feb. 16-18 at the Idaho Center in Nampa. District Three’s fifth-place team must win a play-in game against the District Five-Six runner-up on Saturday, Feb. 11.

Two-time defending state champion Middleton (17-0, 13-0 4A SIC) appears to have wrapped up the 4A District Three Tournament’s No. 1 seed with three games left on its regular-season schedule.

The top two teams advance to state, while the No. 3 finisher must win a state play-in game against the District Four runner-up.

Skyview (13-3, 10-2) has a shot at earning the No. 2 seed in the district tournament if it can win out, but Bishop Kelly (13-3, 10-3) will move to No. 2 if the Hawks lose, because the Knights swept Skyview during the regular season.

GIRLS DISTRICT TOURNAMENTS AT A GLANCE

5A: Feb. 2-10 at Boise and Borah high schools. Championship game is at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, at Borah. (Top four teams advance to state plus a play-in team.)

4A: Feb. 1-9 at higher seed and Skyview High in Nampa. Championship game is at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9. (Top two teams advance to state plus a play-in team.)

3A: Feb. 2-9 at Treasure Valley Community College, Ontario, Ore. Championship game is at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7. (Top two teams advance to state.)

2A: Feb. 2-9 at higher seed and Parma High. Championship game is at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9. (Top two teams advance to state plus a play-in team.)

1A Div. I: Feb. 2-9 at higher seed and Emmett High. Championship game is tentatively scheduled for 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9. (Top two teams advance to state plus a play-in team.)

1A Div. II: Jan. 31-Feb. 9 at higher seed and McCall-Donnelly High. Championship game is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4. (Top team advances to state plus a play-in team.)

Rachel Roberts: 377-6422