The Catalina Foothills andย Salpointe Catholic boys basketball teams may have gone into their sectional tournament games against Tucson High last week a little too confident.
Don't expect the either to do the same on Thursday night.
Tenth-seeded Catalina Foothills hostsย No. 23 Queen Creekย in the first round of the Division II state tournament whileย 15th-seeded Salpointe takes on No. 18 Tempe Marcos de Niza. Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Falcons and Lancersย are two of six Tucson-area teams in action on Thursday night, with the winners moving on to play in Saturday's second round.
Here's a look at the local first-round matchups:
No. 23 Queen Creek atย No. 10 Catalina Foothills, 7 p.m.
Where: 4300 E. Sunrise Drive
Player to watch: Catalina Foothills junior guard Jared Irwin
By the numbers: The Falcons are 11-0 when holding opponents to less than 50 points.
Why they can advance: An upperclassmen-driven team that will play defense the entire game.
No. 21 Nogales atย No. 12 Tucson High, 7 p.m.
Where: 400 N. Second Ave.
Player to watch: Tucson senior guard Parker Trujillo
By the numbers: Nogales senior point guard Jose Estrada leads Division II in scoring with 25 points per game. He's also averaging 7.8 assists and 2.3 steals per game.
Why they can advance: Tucson escaped with a 84-83 win against Nogales on Dec. 17 and has plenty of momentum coming off back-to-back upsets to win its section championship.
No. 19 Peoria Sunrise Mountain atย No. 14 Cienega, 7 p.m.
Where: 12775 E. Mary Cleveland Way
Player to watch: Cienega senior guard Isaiah Murphy
By the numbers: The Bobcats have shot 43 percent from the field over their last three games.
Why they can advance: Cienega is 8-2 at home this season and has beat four Division II playoff teams in the regular season.
No. 18 Tempe Marcos de Niza at No. 15 Salpointe Catholic, 7 p.m.
Where: 1545 E. Copper St.
Player to watch: Salpointe senior forward Ethan Parkhurst
By the numbers: Junior point guard Cameron Miller has averaged 17.8 points over the last four games.
Why they can advance: Salpointe coach Brian Holstrom had his team in the state final just three seasons ago.
No. 17 Rincon/University atย No. 16 Avondale La Joya Community, 7 p.m
Where: 11650 W. Whyman Ave., Avondale
Player to watch: Rincon senior center Brendan Rumel
By the numbers: Rumel is averaging 24.7 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game. He posted double-doubles in 23 games this season.
Why they'll advance: While on a three-game winning streak, the Rangers have shot 53 percent from the field.
