By JOE PALLADINO
It’s time to crown some basketball champions. This is why we endure the snow and ice, to get here, and here it is. Let us hit the highlights. All games are 7 p.m. tips, and all records are league or divisional records, unless noted:
The one certainty
The St. Paul Catholic girls are the NVL tourney No. 1 seed. That’s it. You know what we know.
BL girls
This is it. The Housatonic girls have been on a BL rampage, but no title is won until the Mountaineers navigate the next three games. Housy (14-0) plays the BL’s three top teams in succession. On Tuesday Gilbert (10-4) comes to Falls Village. On Friday Housy goes to Lewis Mills (8-6), and then the big one, Housy visits Northwestern (13-1) on Feb 12. All championship questions will be answered.
NVL divisions
Staying with the girls — and really, aren’t the girls more fun? — St. Paul can clinch the Iron division with a win on Tuesday at Watertown. If the Indians pull off the upset, it would set up a three-way free-for-all with Naugatuck.
Seymour can clinch this week, but the Wildcats have work to do. Seymour (4-1) is at Oxford (5-2) on Tuesday and Ansonia (5-2) on Thursday, both at 6 p.m. Win two and the Wildcats are Copper champs.
It is simple for Sacred Heart. The Hearts (8-0) need only beat Holy Cross on Thursday to win the Brass. Ah, but Cross (6-1) has won 11 of its last 12 games — the one defeat was to Sacred Heart — so expect something good at Alumni Hall.
NVL girls hoop tourney update |
||
|---|---|---|
| Through Feb. 5 | ||
| (top 8 qualify; remaining NVL games) | ||
| School | NVL rec. | Schedule |
| 1. St. Paul | 17-0 | N |
| 2. Sacred Heart | 14-2 | HC K |
| 3. Holy Cross | 12-3 | C SH Ox |
| T-4. Ansonia | 12-4 | S Wol |
| T-4. Naugatuck | 12-4 | StP K |
| 6. Seymour | 11-4 | A Wood WCA |
| 7. Watertown | 10-6 | Ox C |
| 8. Oxford | 9-7 | Wat HC |
| Non-qualifiers | ||
| 9. WCA | 7-9 | Wil S |
| 10. Crosby | 6-9 | HC K Wat |
NVL girls tourney
Much of the drama is over, except for the eight spot. Oxford (9-6) seems safe, but the Wolverines must play Seymour, Watertown, and Holy Cross. Get a win and get in. However, Waterbury Career has hope. The Spartans must sweep three games, and one is against the red hot Crusaders.
BL girls tourney
We have dates and locations. The girls open BL tourney play on Feb. 16, with first-round games at the court off the higher seeds. Game times TBA. Then the tourney moves to Northwestern for the semis on Feb. 19 and the final Feb. 22.