Class 1A, 2A, 3A girls? pairings announced

The official pairings for the small class girls? basketball postseason tournament were released on Monday afternoon, and with the pairings, at least two area teams will be playing when the second round of action rolls around.

Keota, WACO, IMS, Columbus, Highland and Mid-Prairie all learned where they will be playing their first playoff game of the postseason, while Washington will learn its postseason fate on Feb. 1.

The matchups are listed below.

Class 1A, Region 4

Keota at WACO

In a rematch from earlier this season, WACO and Keota will meet up in the first round of the postseason, playing on Feb. 11 in Wayland.

The Warriors earned a 36-21 victory at home against WACO earlier this season on Dec. 12, and based on the latest results posted, sit at 6-6 on the season.

Keota is currently searching for its first win of the season, standing at 0-16 on the year, and has struggled offensively this year. The Eagles are averaging 21.6 points per game, and are shooting 27.5 percent from the field.

The winner of this game will advance to face top-ranked Burlington, Notre Dame on Feb. 16.

IMS at Lone Tree

IMS is still looking for its first win of the season, but the postseason was where the team made some noise last year.

In the 2014-15 season, IMS came into the postseason with four wins, but earned an upset victory over Keota to advance in the playoffs. This year, their goal will be to knock off Lone Tree on the road on Feb. 11.

Lone Tree currently sits at 11-5 this season, including a 49-28 victory over IMS at Hillcrest Union on Jan. 5.

IMS is led by freshman Suzanna Yoder, who is averaging 7.6 points per game, while sophomore Rachel Miller is putting in 6.3 points per game.

Yoder is also the team?s leading rebounder, averaging 5.7 per game, in front of senior Jess Bender, who grabs 4.3 per game.

The winner of this contest will advance to face the winner of Easton Valley and Midland at Lone Tree.

Class 2A

Wapello at Columbus

In Class 2A action, the Columbus girls? basketball team will face a familiar opponent in the first round of the playoffs, hosting Wapello on Feb. 13.

The Wildcats stand at 6-10 this season, with two of those victories coming against the Arrows, by a combined 11 points.

In the home contest against Wapello, Columbus picked up a 43-35 victory, while recently holding off Wapello in a 55-52 road win.

The Wildcats lost a key senior early in the season, and after the injury went on an eight-game losing steak.

However, a pair of juniors have stepped up this season for the Wildcats, with Shania Boyd and Bailey Stroud each averaging more than 15 points per game.

If the Wildcats win, they will have a tough test in the second round, taking on No. 3 ranked Pekin on Feb. 16.

Highland vs. Danville/West Burlington

The Highland girls? basketball team has posted an impressive record this season, going 14-4 to this point, and earned a first-round bye in the postseason.

In the second round, Highland will host either West Burlington, whom the Huskies defeated 69-42 back on Dec. 7, or Danville, who holds a 9-8 record.

The Huskies have a number of strong contributors this season, with four girls averaging at least six points per game, led by junior guard Kelsey Hora?s 16.7 per game.

Cheyann Adamson has notched 15. 4 per game, while Aly Stokes (9.8) and Brianna Davis (6.4) round out the top spots.

As a freshman, Stokes has made her biggest impact on the rebounding battle, averaging 11.4 per game, while Adamson, a senior, is averaging 4.2 assists per game.

If the Huskies advance out of the regional quarterfinals, they will most likely face Pekin, who has handed them two of their four losses this season, by an average of 29.5 points.

Class 3A

Albia at Mid-Prairie

The No. 15 ranked Hawks will host their first game of the postseason, when they see Albia come to town on Feb. 13.

Mid-Prairie currently stands at 9-6 on the season, but all six of their losses come against ranked teams, with two coming to Class 2A, No. 7 ranked West Branch, and two to Class 2A, No. 2 ranked Regina.

The Hawks are led by a trio of double-digit scorers, with junior Ali Butters leading the way, averaging 12.5 points per game.

Sophomore Addison Rath averages 11.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, while senior Alex Rath notches 10.1 points and a team-best 4.7 rebounds per game.

The one outlier for the Hawks is that most of their scoring comes from the inside, as they are only averaging 1.5 3-pointers per game this year.

If the Hawks can pick up the victory, they would travel to Donnellson to face the winner of Davis County and Central Lee. Central Lee was recently ranked No. 14, until suffering a loss to Washington earlier this week.