Updated State Tournament Watch: Teams That Could Make The Trip(2)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> <em>A couple of weeks before the season kicked off, I took a look at some teams across the state and put together a list of some programs that have the potential to make a deep postseason run. Below, I'll highlight three teams from 3A and 4A that could make their way downstate by the end of the season</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":1} --> <h1 class="wp-block-heading">3A</h1> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Washington</strong> - This is a very young squad, and it's clearly worked in their favor—you can tell these girls have been playing together for a while. The juniors on this team are all standout players individually, with names like [player_tooltip player_id='728413' first='Becca' last='McDougall'], [player_tooltip player_id='728033' first='Avery' last='Tibbs'], [player_tooltip player_id='840240' first='Dani' last='Guedet'], and [player_tooltip player_id='728415' first='Mazzy' last='O'Brien'] leading the way. While they excel at team ball, each of these players can fill up the box score without hesitation. With no losses on the season (20-0), it's safe to say they're well on their way to securing a conference championship.<br></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Quincy Notre Dame</strong> -In the Super Sixteen last season, QND was knocked out from advancing— by just 1 point to a team that eventually made it to the state finals. This year, they've been on a determined revenge tour. Drury commit Sage Stratton has been the anchor and glue for this team, consistently leading by example. She's also received significant support from the younger talent on the roster. With their poise, depth, and determination, QND has all the pieces needed to make it downstate and potentially bring home a first-place trophy.<br><br></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":1} --> <h1 class="wp-block-heading">4A</h1> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Benet</strong>- Every year Benet is one of the more competitive teams in the state, regardless of the class. This year everything seems to be clicking. There's production coming in from all players and that's been a huge issue for opponents. Whether it's [player_tooltip player_id='335792' first='Aria' last='Mazza'] and Lindsey Harzich or [player_tooltip player_id='407517' first='Bridget' last='Rifenburg'] lighting it up from all over, or [player_tooltip player_id='419726' first='Emma' last='Briggs'] being a threat at the rim. Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='626814' first='Ava' last='Mersinger'] has been a huge piece as well, especially being a starter for this program as a sophomore. It's a consensus vote around the state, that the Redwings will be a lock in for a downstate trip.<br></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Lyons Township</strong> - There's no team in the state with a harder Big 3 to stop than Stanford commit [player_tooltip player_id='419468' first='Nora' last='Ezike'], [player_tooltip player_id='514945' first='Emma' last='O'Brien'], and [player_tooltip player_id='773817' first='Gwen' last='Smith']— in my opinion. With only one loss on the season, this team has shown countless times that they can outscore opponents by 15+ on any given night. Each spot on the floor is covered by their Big 3, and on the defensive side is where the support staff makes a huge impact. LT has a strong shot of going downstate, as well as winning their first state title.<br></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->