District playoffs start Feb. 22 against JFK; Whitfield looms

 
By Steve Bowman
Editor, The Brentwood Spirit
Email: bowmansj@sbcglobal.net

The Brentwood High School girls basketball team has completed its second consecutive year of dominance in the South Central AA Conference. Last week it beat Valley Park to end up 8-0 in the league for the second year in a row.

How much better is Brentwood than the other four schools in the conference? Valley Park entered the game in second place, with a 6-1 record. Brentwood beat them by 41, and that’s lower than BHS’s average margin of victory of 49 over South Central teams.

South Central AA Conference
2015-16 final standings
Brentwood 8-0
Valley Park 6-2
Crossroads 4-4
Hancock 1-7
Bayless 1-7

The night after Valley Park, the Eagles ended their regular season by beating Orchard Farm by 15. They’re 18-7 and on an 11-game win streak heading into the district playoffs at John Burroughs. On Feb. 22 they’ll face Kennedy, a team they beat by 26 three weeks ago. The winner of that will advance to the semifinals, most likely playing top-seeded Whitfield, winner of 15 of its last 16.

In the district playoffs last year, Brentwood beat JFK by eight points in the first round and lost to Whitfield by eight in the semifinals, though they led the Warriors by 11 as late as the third period.

Seeding for Class 3 District 4 playoffs
Records were at time of seeding
1. Whitfield, 21-2
2. John Burroughs, 15-9 (beat BHS by 16)
3. Principia, 11-13
4. Brentwood, 16-7
5. John F. Kennedy, 5-17 (lost to BHS by 26)
6. Valley Park, 12-11 (lost to BHS by 36 and 41)
7. MRH, 3-19 (lost to BHS by 67)
8. Cleveland, 1-11

Feb. 17: beat Orchard Farm 53-38
In its closest game in three weeks, Brentwood led by only six in the fourth quarter before putting it away with a 17-8 run. Key stats: The Eagles shot 53 percent from two-point range and made 16 steals. BHS leaders: Nija Price, 22 points (9-15 FG), 7 steals, 3 assists; Sophia Rivera, 13 points (6-10 FG), 8 rebounds, 3 blocks; OF leaders: Jamie Hopkins, 15 points.

Feb. 16: beat Valley Park 64-23
Valley Park’s hope for a piece of the conference title was quickly extinguished as Brentwood took a 15-point lead in the first quarter and stretched it with a 17-2 run in the second. Key stats: The Hawks committed 34 turnovers and had 10 fewer offensive rebounds than the Eagles. BHS leaders: Sophia Rivera, 16 points (7-15 FG), 10 rebounds, 5 blocks; Maggie Callihan, 12 points (5-11 FG), 6 steals; Marshelle Franklin, 12 points (5-11 FG), 6 assists; Nija Price, 10 points (4-7 FG); Abby Harper, 8 steals, 5 assists. VP leaders: Daja Hayes, 9 points (4-10 FG); Eva Gonzalez, 6 rebounds.

Brentwood’s Results — 18-7 as of Feb. 21
Nov. 30: lost to Timberland 50-29 at Orchard Farm Tourn.
Dec. 2: beat Orchard Farm 41-40 at Orchard Farm Tourn.
Dec. 4: lost to Fort Zumwalt North 48-17 at Orchard Farm Tourn.
Dec. 7: lost to McKinley 41-38
Dec. 9: lost to Lift for Life 32-22
Jan. 4: beat Soldan 52-50 at John Burroughs Tourn.
Jan. 6: beat Roosevelt 51-16 at John Burroughs Tourn.
Jan. 8: lost to John Burroughs 39-23 at Burroughs Tourn.
Jan. 11: lost to Clayton 55-34
Jan. 12: beat Crossroads 51-16
Jan. 13: beat Trinity Catholic 47-38
Jan. 15: beat Villa Duchesne 37-35
Jan. 23: beat Liberty Wentzville 54-49 at Affton Tourn.
Jan. 25: lost to Clayton 51-36 at Affton Tourn.
Jan. 26: beat Windsor 46-45 at Affton Tourn.
Jan. 29: beat Valley Park 56-20
Feb. 1: beat Kennedy 57-31
Feb. 2: beat Crossroads 61-18
Feb. 3: beat Hancock 81-11
Feb. 5: beat Maplewood-Richmond Heights 79-12
Feb. 8: beat Bayless 79-16
Feb. 9: beat Hancock 74-13
Feb. 12: beat Bayless 73-33
Feb. 16: beat Valley Park 64-23
Feb. 17: beat Orchard Farm 53-38
Class 3 District 4 playoffs at John Burroughs:
Feb. 22, 8 p.m., vs. JFK
Feb. 24, 5 p.m., vs. Whitfield (if beat JFK)
Feb. 26, 6:30 p.m. final