1A Galva Regional

Team to beat: 1 Sterling Newman (21-6)

Pairings: Saturday - Game 1: 9 Stark County (14-15) at 8 AlWood (10-13), 11:30 a.m. Game 2: 13 Morrison (1-30) at 4 Bureau Valley (21-9), 3 p.m. Game 3: 12 Galva (6-19) at 6 Polo (19-9), 2 p.m. Tuesday - Game 4: Newman vs. Winner 1, 6 p.m. Game 5 - Winners 2-3, 7:30 p.m. Friday - Championship: Winners 4-5, 7 p.m.

Worthy of note: The Storm have won 12 of their last 14 games, falling to No. 8-ranked Abingdon-Avon in Wednesday’s Lincoln Trail Conference championship game. They have reached the 20-win mark for the first time since the 2009-10 regional championship season. “We would have liked to only need one win to reach a regional championship, but we’re excited to have another home game opportunity,” BV coach Jon Henegar said. “Newman appears to be the favorite to win our regional. We’re familiar with them from competing in the TRAC, and we would welcome that challenge. Our team is playing its best basketball of the season, and we’re looking forward to making a strong postseason run.” ... The Comets look to take the next step after falling in last year’s regional finals. They took a stumble in their final conference game at Kewanee last week, still finishing atop the Three Rivers East at 9-1. Newman was ranked 12th in this week’s AP 1A Poll.

Last year’s regional finals: River Ridge 48, Newman 43

BCR pick: Newman over BV.

Next: The winner advances to the Eastland Sectional to play the Hanover Regional winner at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24.

2A St. Bede Regional

Team to beat: 2 Rock Island Alleman (14-17)

Pairings: Saturday - Game 1: 10 Monmouth-Roseville (5-23) at 7 Kewanee (17-12), 1 p.m. Game 2: 11 Rockridge (7-18) at 6 St. Bede (17-13), 2:30 p.m. Monday - Game 3: 2 Alleman vs. Winner 1, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday - Game 4: 3 Princeton (21-8) vs. Winner 2, 6:30 p.m. Thursday - Championship: Winners 3-4, 6:30 p.m.

Worthy of note: The Tigresses were off to a program-best 14-0 start, but have gone 7-8 since senior standout Camryn Driscoll sustained a season-ending knee injury on Jan. 8. Keighley Davis, who has become Princeton’s all-time leading scorer, has picked up her game since she lost her running mate, averaging 21.5 ppg and shooting 34.6% on 3s in her next 13 games after averaging 15.9 with a 17.4% clip in her first 13 games. Along with breaking Tiah Romagnoli’s career scoring record, she has also broke her single-season record with 528 points. Sophomore center Payton Brandt has had a pair of season-high 19-point games with an uptick in scoring as well from 11.5 ppg to 12.8 ppg. The Tigresses face a tough challenge with the likely road ahead facing a much-taller St. Bede team (6-1 Hannah Waszowiak, 5-11 Savannah Bray) on its home court and Alleman once again. The Pioneers defeated Princeton without Driscoll earlier this season (54-42) as well as in each of the past two regional championship games by a combined 44 points. “Our goal is to be ready to play anybody,” PHS coach Tiffany Gonigam said. “St. Bede (would be) a tough draw. They’re a very good basketball team. Our goal is to be as good as we can at that moment. We’re ready to take on whatever team is in front of us.” ... St. Bede moves up to Class 2A two years removed from placing fourth in the 1A state tournament. The Bruins will be a tough out playing at home, where they are 10-2 behind recent 1,000-point scorer Lily McClain. They had won four straight and eight of 10 before losses this week to Winnebago and Rockford Christian. "It’s always nice to host the regional being in a familiar setting," St. Bede coach Tom Ptak said. “This is a very competitive regional. I don’t care what the seeds are in the postseason, because anything can happen. Our goal is to be playing Tuesday night against Princeton, which should be a fun environment.”

Last year’s regional finals: Alleman 40, Princeton 27; Monmouth-Roseville 44, Sherrard 41

BCR pick: Alleman over Princeton

Next: The winner advances to the Mendota Sectional to play the Somonauk Regional winner at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24.

2A Riverdale Regional

Team to beat: 1 Riverdale (26-3)

Pairings: Saturday - Game 1: 9 Hall (11-19) at 8 Erie-Prophetstown (14-10), 11 a.m. at Erie. Monday - Game 2: 1 Riverdale vs. Winner 1, 6 p.m. Game 3: 4 Mercer County (22-7) vs. 5 Sherrard (18-9), 7:30 p.m. Thursday - Championship: Winners 2-3, 6 p.m.

Worthy of note: Riverdale is a prohibitive favorite playing at home. The Three Rivers West champions have defeated Sherrard (52-50) and Mercer County (46-41) as well as Alleman (54-46) and Princeton (54-33) from the subsectional’s other regional at St. Bede. ... Hall enters the postseason have lost 14 of its last 17 games. The Red Devils snapped a 5-game skid by defeating Putnam County on Thursday. Hall dropped both conference games to E-P by a total of 17 points and coach TJ Orlandi said it will be a tough matchup for the Red Devils with the Panthers size. The Hall coach doesn’t understand the logic behind sending Hall to the Riverdale with a regional site in its backyard at St. Bede. “It’s kind of silly that St. Bede hosts a few miles from us and we get sent an hour and a half away to Riverdale while Mon-Rose and Rockridge are going to St. Bede. We’re playing an 8-9 game (seed wise) and we’re traveling an hour and a half to play. At this point, they might as well call it something else besides a regional.” ... Mercer County has a signature 45-39 win over Alleman on Dec. 16. ... Sherrard finished 8-2 in the Three Rivers West, in second place.

Last year’s regional finals: Monmouth-Roseville 44, Sherrard 41

BCR pick: Riverdale over Mercer County

Next: The winner advances to the Mendota Sectional to play the Winnebago Regional winner at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24

Other area regionals

At Amboy (1A): Team to beat - 2 Parkview Christian Academy (27-3). Others - 3 Amboy (23-8), 5 Dwight (20-11), 7 Ottawa Marquette (9-19), 10 GSW (8-22), 11 Putnam County (2-28). BCR pick: Parkview.

At Serena (1A): Team to beat - 1 Midland (23-7). Others - 4 Yorkville Christian (17-11), 6 Serena (16-15), 8 Henry-Senachwine (8-16), 9 Earlville (10-18), 12 Newark (2-25). BCR pick: Midland.

At Somonauk (2A): Team to beat - 1 Byron (27-2). Others - 4 Rockford Lutheran (19-11), 6 Somonauk/Leland (14-13), 8 Mendota (10-19), 9 Rock Falls (3-25). BCR pick: Byron

At LaSalle (3A): Team to beat - 2 Sterling (21-9). Others - 3 Ottawa (18-9), 6 Plano (18-13), 7 La Salle-Peru (13-14). BCR pick: Sterling.

- Kevin Hieronymus