Class 1A Regional Semi’s: Grainfield-Wheatland/Grinnell, Hill City

After getting underway Monday, the first round winners of the Grainfield-Wheatland/Grinnell and Hill City Class 1A regional tournaments will hit the floor again Thursday night, Feb. 21, to play for a spot in sub-state. Semifinal winners will meet at 6 PM Saturday evening, Feb. 23, to play for their respective regional championships. Let's take a look at the match-ups and the key players. <h3><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Grainfield-Wheatland/Grinnell</span></span></h3> #1-seed Weskan (16-3) v #4-seed Quinter (7-10) -- The Weskan Coyotes, from the Western Kansas Liberty league, received an opening round bye. The Quinter Bulldogs, from the Northwest Kansas league, advanced with a 60-44 win over Wallace County. The teams have have not met this season. All of Weskan's wins but one have been by double figures. Two of their three losses were by double figures to #6 ranked Golden Plains. They are led by a difficult to stop scoring point-guard and 6'4" center. Quinter lost six seniors from last year's class 1A-II state championship team. This team does not have much size but has a great deal of tournament experience, averages more than 11 steals per game, and has gotten to the line 251 times. Quinter is not a good perimeter shooting team. Unless they can make Weskan turn the ball over a great deal I think Weskan can win by 20. #2-seed Dighton (12-8) v #3-seed Wheatland/Grinnell (9-10) -- The Dighton Hornets, from the Northwest Kansas League, advanced with a 54-22 win over Western Plains. The Wheatland/Grinnell Thunderhawks, from the Western Kansas Liberty league, reached the semi's after defeating Greeley county 45-35. The team's have a season split. Dighton owns a 41-22 win on a neutral court. Wheatland/Grinnell evened things with a 53-47 home floor win in January. The Thunderhawks live and die by the three. The are shooting 30% from beyond the arc on 109 makes. Four players have made more than 20. The Hornets have only made 28 the entire season. Dighton gets to the line substantially more than the Thunderhawks. The latter is shooting 71%, v 55% for Dighton. However, the Hornets have shot 287 times versus only 209 for Wheatland/Grinnell. The outcomes of the two previous games were decided on whether Wheatland/Grinnell gets the perimeter game going. When they didn't, they got waxed. When they did, they won a close game. I do not expect the Thunderhawks to make 11 threes on 48% shooting in this game. If Roberts can stay on the floor and Cramer can hit from the perimeter at all the Hornets will make it to sub-state. Both of these teams will give Weskan trouble in the finals but for contrasting reasons. It will help substantially that Wheatland/Grinnell is playing on their home floor. <strong>My Picks</strong>: Dighton upsets Weskan in the finals by 5. <span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Hill City</span></span> #1-seed Thunder Ridge (15-2) v #4-seed Stockton (7-10) -- Northern Plains league winner Thunder Ridge Longhorns' only losses were to 15-2 St. Johns/Tipton and, by a point, 11-9 Plainville. The Stockton Tigers, out of the Mid-Continent league, lost to Plainville by 26. In a nut shell that shows the unlikelihood of an upset. Thunder Ridge generates many turnovers off of their 3/4- court press and runs the floor well off the missed shot. The team has size and speed. This could be a 40-point game. #2-seed Lakeside (11-8) v #3-seed Osborne (10-9) -- Lakeside and Osborne split their first two meetings this season and this looks to be a real toss up. Lakeside's guards carry the load and the team lacks size. Osborn's roster is not available to me, making it difficult to call a winner. In the finals I do not think it matters who plays Thunder Ridge for the regional championship. I expect the Longhorns to run away from either team.  <strong>My Pick</strong>: Thunder Ridge. <h3><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Players</span></span></h3> Josie Purvis, Weskan, 2019, 6'4", C - Catches and finishes well inside Jenna See, Weskan, 2019, 5'4", PG - 3-pt threat. Gets to the hole and finishes or dishes well, ability to create her own shot Andrea Charles, Quinter, 2019, 5'6" G - 10.3 ppg, 8.7 rbg, 3.6 spg Evie Gruenbacher, Quinter, 2019, 5'5" G - 10.7, 3.2 apg Ella Roberts, Dighton, 2020, 5'10" F - 12.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg Gentry Shapland, Dighton, 2019, 5'6", PG - 8.5 ppg, 3.4 apg, 3.2 spg Tracie Cramer, Dighton, 2022, 5'7", G - 6.2 ppg, 2.6 spg, 44% 3p% Justice Barton, Dighton, 2019, 6'3", C - 5.4 rpg, 4.4 rbg, Jessi Berbneck, Wheatland/Grinnell, 2020, 5'6", G - 10.3 ppg, 3 apg, 2.6 spg 26 made threes, 46% 3p% Angel Mong, Wheatland/Grinell, 2019, 5'4", G - 6.4 ppg, 24 made threes, Nicole Holaday, Wheatland/Grinell, 2019, 5'10", F - 7.9 rpg Brennan Kirchhoff, Thunder Ridge, 2020, 5'6", G - three point threat, quick, fast in transition with the ball, shoots quickly Layne Pettijohn, Thunder Ridge, 2019, 5'3", PG - three point threat, quick defensively Elizabeth Hardacre, Thunder Ridge, 2021, 6'1", C - athletic with good transition speed and defensive quickness including shot blocking Jana Griffin, Stockton, 2020, 5'7", PG - 17.5 ppg, 25' three-point range Olivia Dix, Stockton, 2022, 5'10", F -- Primary inside presence, ability to score with her back to the basket Adrianna Bergman, Lakeside, 2019, 5'4", G -- 8.6 ppg, shooting 35% 3p% with 39 makes Megan LaRoque, Lakeside, 2019, 5'5" G  -- 8.8 ppg, sees the floor, boxes out well, good offensive rebounder