Down To Six: Girls Basketball – March 10

The Michigan High School Athletic Association's Girls Basketball playoffs have now reached the Regional stage, and six area schools are still in a quest for state titles.

In Class A, the Lakeview Spartans will continue to their momentum after winning their first district title in school history. They will take on the Maroon Giants of Kalamazoo Central, who they have lost to twice this season. The Giants were eliminated in the regional semifinals last year, but will look for their farthest run since 2001.

In a blockbuster battle in Class B, the Marshall Redhawks will travel to Hopkins to take on the Plainwell Trojans. The Redhawks are two years removed from their state quarterfinal run, while the Trojans are in their first regional since 2009.

Concord is the site for two area schools in Class C, as the Rams of Galesburg-Augusta takes on the Manchester Flying Dutch. Galesburg-Augusta will look to reprise the 2009 state runner-up run, while Manchester hope to return to the Breslin Center for the first time since 2013, where they were Class C state champs. The perennial powerhouse Dutch fell in the regional semifinals last year.

On the other side of the bracket, the Homer Trojans will be in a familiar Big 8 gym to take on the Pirates of Napoleon. Homer won their first district since 1982 and are looking for a deep run in the postseason. Napoleon will have a chance to advance to their first regional final since 2009.

In Class D, the Athens Indians make their way to Mendon to take on the Titans of St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran. The Indians won their seventh straight Class D district title (nine overall) and are back in familiar territory. The Titans return to the regionals, but will face the same Athens squad that eliminated them in 2013.

Also in Class D, the St. Philip Tigers head east to Morenci to take on the Orioles of Morrice. The Tigers have had several appearances in the regionals, but it's their first since 2010. It's been a longer wait for Morrice, as the Orioles are in their first regional since 1998, when they won the state title in Class D.

Girls Basketball – Regional Semifinals
Class A @ Portage Central – Lakeview (14-8) vs. Kalamazoo Central (19-3) - 8pm
Class B @ Hopkins – Marshall (22-1) vs. Plainwell (22-0) - 5pm
Class C @ Concord – Galesburg-Augusta (16-6) vs. Manchester (20-3) - 6pm
Class C @ Concord – Homer (19-4) vs. Napoleon (16-6) - 8pm
Class D @ Mendon – Athens (16-6) vs. St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran (19-1) - 7:30pm
Class D @ Morenci – St. Philip (17-5) vs. Morrice (19-3) - 6pm