Six Tucson-area girls basketball teams qualified for the Division II state tournament and four remain heading into the round of 16.
Ninth-seeded Cienega, No. 12 Ironwood Ridge and No. 13 Sahuaro all took care of business at home in the first round. Now, they’ll hit the road Friday as underdogs. The only game in town will be Sahuaro playing at No. 4 Tucson, which had a first-round bye.
Here’s a look at the local second-round matchups:
No. 13 Sahuaro at No. 4 Tucson, 7 p.m.
Where: 400 N. Second Ave.
Story line: The Badgers traveled to Sahuaro in early January, winning 54-48. Tucson outscored the Cougars 33-22 in the second half.
First-round recap: Seniors Reazsha Benjamin and Sydney Harden both posted double-doubles to help the Cougars claw their way past No. 20 Scottsdale Notre Dame 42-38. Sahuaro has been in the playoffs every year since 1987.
Players to watch: Tucson is led by senior Alexis Cortez and junior Alize McCormick. They are averaging 26.6 and 11.6 points per game, respectively.
No. 9 Cienega at No. 8 Maricopa, 7 p.m.
Where: 45012 W. Honeycutt Road, Maricopa
Story line: The host Rams have won 10 of their last 11 and kick off their title defense against the 2014 state runner-up Bobcats, who reached the quarterfinals a year ago. Cienega has won 14 of its last 15, including eight straight.
First-round recap: With the help of a 10-4 third quarter, the Bobcats held on against No. 24 Marana 48-40.
Players to watch: Cienega’s balanced scoring attack showed up again on Wednesday night, with five players finishing with five or more points, led by 14 from junior Senida Sotelo.
No. 12 Ironwood Ridge at No. 5 Mesa, 7 p.m.
Where: 1630 E. Southern Ave., Mesa
Story line: I-Ridge fell just one game short of reaching the state championship game a year ago and will take on a Jackrabbits team having their best season in over a decade.
First-round recap: The Nighthawks had little trouble with visiting No. 21 Goodyear Desert Edge in the opening round, rolling to a 59-45 win.
Players to watch: Senior Lexy Ram and sophomore Natalie Bartle are both averaging more than 16 points per game. Bartle scored a team-high 22 on Wednesday as Ram finished with 14.
