As all five area teams enter with hopes of taking home the trophy, only one club from each side of the brackets can say they won the District 14 Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball Tournaments, which tipoff on Monday evening at Warren Central High School.
From Monday to Friday, fans from all ages will fill the Dragons’ gymnasium to cheer on their respected teams and use their voices and hands to try and lead those squads to victories night in and night out, which is often referred to as “Surviving and Advancing.”
Here’s a rundown on both tournaments for the week of star-studded basketball:
Boys’ Seeding:
1. Bowling Green
2. Greenwood
3. Warren Central
4. Warren East
5. South Warren
Girls’ Seeding:
1. South Warren
2. Bowling Green
3. Greenwood
4. Warren Central
5. Warren East
Girls’ Tournament Schedule:
- Mon., Feb. 20 – No. 4 Warren Central (11-16) vs. No. 5 Warren East (4-23) – 6 p.m.
— Warren Central swept the season’s series against Warren East, winning 50-37 and 41-24, respectively. The Lady Dragons are led by Zakoria Hill, who averages 18.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. As for the Lady Raiders, Cressida Duncan carries the load with 14.5 and 9.5 showings nightly. It doesn’t get easier for the club that wins, as it’ll have to face top-seeded South Warren.
Tyler’s Pick: Warren Central 48, Warren East 35
- Tues., Feb. 21 – No. 1 South Warren (19-8) vs. No. 4 Warren Central/No. 5 Warren East – 6 p.m.
— The Lady Spartans, as previously stated, get the victor of Central and East. South Warren, who carries a two-game winning-streak into the tournament and swept both the Lady Dragons and Raiders in the regular-season, will be too much for either opponent to handle. South is led by Amaya Lasley’s 18.0 points and 4.8 boards per game.
Tyler’s Pick: South Warren 59, No. 4 Warren Central 32
- Wed., Feb. 22 – No. 2 Bowling Green (20-7) vs. No. 3 Greenwood (16-14) – 6 p.m.
— Besides the title game, Greenwood vs. Bowling Green will be the most intriguing matchup of the tournament. Although the Lady Purples swept the season’s pair of meetings, in the most recent contest between the two sides on Feb. 6, the Lady Gators gave BG all it could handle, as they fell just short, 73-65 in an highly-motivated affair. Keely Morrow (21.6/BG)) and Rose Mary Jackson (18.4/GW)) combine to put 40 points on the scoreboard per outing.
Tyler’s Pick: Bowling Green 66, Greenwood 59
- Thurs., Feb. 23 – Championship – 6:30 p.m.
— As Bowling Green and South Warren will most likely meet in in the District 14 Girls’ Tournament championship for a fourth-straight year, it’s safe to say that the Lady Purples will be seeking revenge after falling to the Lady Spartans 67-66 in last season’s title game. In the previous three meetings, Bowling Green holds a 2-1 record, but South swept both contests in this past regular-season.
Tyler’s Pick: South Warren 62, Bowling Green 57 – Both go to Region 4 Tournament
Boys’ Tournament Schedule:
- Mon., Feb. 20 – No. 4 Warren East (12-15) vs. No. 5 South Warren (6-23) – 7:30 p.m.
— Although the two sides split the season’s series, it uncertain what will happen in the postseason between South Warren and Warren East. The Spartans have dropped four-straight while the Raiders haven’t won in their last five outings, but that will change on Monday night.
Tyler’s Pick: Warren East 64, South Warren 58
- Tues., Feb. 21 – No. 1 Bowling Green (27-2) vs. No. 4 Warren East/No. 5 South Warren – 7:30 p.m.
— The winner of East and South will be handed the task of upsetting top-seeded and extremely-hot Bowling Green in their ensuing game. The Purples, who haven’t suffered a loss since Dec. 20 in the prestigious King of the Bluegrass tournament, won’t let anyone get in their way on their road to an anticipated state championship trophy. Austin Peay signee Tery Taylor leads Bowling Green with 17.6 points and 11.9 rebounds per game.
Tyler’s Pick: Bowling Green 92, Warren East 59
- Wed., Feb. 22 – No. 2 Greenwood (18-12) vs. No. 3 Warren Central (17-13) – 7:30 p.m.
— The two teams split the two regular-season meetings, but only side can win the tournament edition of the matchup and continue to play. Although Greenwood had been playing great basketball, without senior leaders Dawson Crump (17.6 ppg) and Chris Agro (10.5 ppg), who are both suspended from the team through the tournament, it’ll be very tough for the Gators to beat Warren Central and Skyelar Potter (20.2 ppg).
Tyler’s Pick: Warren Central 61, Greenwood 49
- Fri., Feb. 24 – Championship – 6:30 p.m.
— As Bowling Green and Warren Central will most likely meet in in the District 14 Boys’ Tournament championship for a fourth-straight year, it’s safe to say that the Dragons will be seeking revenge after falling to the Purples 67-65 in last season’s title game. BG went 3-0 against Central in the previous trio of title game meetings and swept the Dragons in this past regular-season.
Tyler’s Pick: Bowling Green 80, Warren Central 63 – Both go to Region 4 Tournament
For complete coverage of the District 14 Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball Tournaments, be sure to follow 
@SportingTimes and @RealTMansfield on Twitter and watch LIVE on STBNTV.com, a part of the Sporting Times Broadcast Network.
–Follow Sporting Times High School Insider Tyler Mansfield on Twitter @RealTMansfield—
