MANSFIELD — The girls basketball tournament is playing catch-up after Mother Nature made a mess of things last week.
A winter storm forced the postponement of several sectional semifinal games last week, resulting in the delay of the sectional finals. Those games will be played Monday at various sites around the region.
In Division II, top-seeded Shelby will play No. 14 Galion at 5:30 p.m. Monday at Bucyrus. The Whippets, who won the Associated Press Division II poll championship, beat No. 13 Tiffin Columbian 60-32 last week. A win over Galion would send Shelby to the district semifinals at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Ashland against either No. 4 Sandusky Perkins or No. 6 Vermilion. The Pirates and Sailors play at 7:30 p.m. Monday in Bucyrus.
On the other side of the Division II Ashland district bracket, No. 3 Clear Fork will play No. 9 Kenton at 5:30 p.m. Monday at Bucyrus in the sectional final. The Colts advanced with a 57-43 win over No. 12 Clyde, while Kenton knocked off No. 5 Norwalk 49-46.
In the late game Monday at Willard, No. 7 Mansfield Senior will take on No. 2 Bellevue at 7:30 p.m. The Tygers pounded No. 8 Oak Harbor 56-32, while Bellevue roughed up No. 15 Ontario 69-35.
In Division III, second-seeded Crestview already punched its ticket to this week’s Shelby district and will play No. 6 Upper Sandusky at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The Cougars advanced with a 31-27 win over Wynford, while Upper beat No. 3 Kansas Lakota 38-35.
In Division IV, No. 4 Mansfield Christian advanced to this week’s Willard district tournament with a 54-36 win over No. 6 Norwalk St. Paul. The Flames will play top-seeded Buckeye Central at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The Buckettes advanced with a 72-25 win over Plymouth.
Also in Division IV, No. 2 seed Loudonville will take on No. 4 Columbia at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Norwayne district semifinals. The Redbirds beat Kidron Central Christian in the sectional finals.
