GIRLS
Centennial (Las Vegas) vs. Reed (Sparks)
Many fans in Nevada believe this is the real state title game as it features the top two teams in the MaxPreps rankings. No. 1 Reed (26-0) dominated the Northern Region, while No. 2 Centennial (30-1) is looking for its sixth state title since 2002.
MaxPreps Nevada girls basketball playoff rankingsThe Raiders went largely untested this season, winning 24 of their 26 games by double digits. The only close contests for Reed were a 60-59 win over Miramonte (Orinda, Calif.) in late December at the West Coast Jamboree and a 45-40 victory over Galena (Reno) in the region final last week. Reed advanced to the state final last season, but could be even better this time around behind the trio of
Micah Walker,
Nyasha Lesure and talented freshman
Gabrielle Williams.
The Bulldogs, meanwhile, also manhandled in-state competition with their only loss coming to Southern California powerhouse Narbonne (Harbor City) 60-48 at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona. Centennial forced 33 turnovers and rolled to an 82-50 win over Bishop Gorman in the Sunset Region final. Senior guard
Courtney Hayes signed with Louisiana Tech, but the Bulldogs are a matchup nightmare thanks to their scoring balance.
Ashley Klemz made seven 3-pointers on the way to 27 points against Gorman and any one of about three or four players could lead the team in scoring on a given night.
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) vs. Liberty (Henderson)
The other semifinal is getting most of the attention, but this game is no slouch, either. No. 3 Gorman (24-6) is the defending state champion, while the No. 4 Patriots (26-2) are back in the state tournament for the second straight season.
The Gaels bounced back from their beating at the hands of Centennial in the Sunset Region final to rout Foothill (Henderson) 61-31 in the state play-in game on Tuesday.
Amber Lane led the way with 19 points, while
April Rivers (12 points) and
Zhane Dikes (11 points) also reached double figures. Gorman will need a similar performance to earn a chance at reaching the final and defending its state title.
Liberty rolled to the Sunrise Region crown with a 52-42 win over Foothill as Oregon signee
Amanda Delgado led the way with 19 points while post
Alena Evans added 18 points and 12 rebounds. The Patriots have been overshadowed in the Vegas valley for most of the last two seasons, but a win against perennial power Gorman would be a huge lift for the upstart program. Liberty fell to Reed in the state semifinals last season, but should be much more prepared this time around.
Predicted champion: Centennial
David Schoen works at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and is a former Associate Sports Editor and Turn2 columnist for the Oakland (Calif.) Tribune. You can reach him at ByDavid1@aol.com.
