BCR sectional girls basketball preview

Class 1A Hinckley-Big Rock Sectional

Tuesday, Feb. 25

Game 1 - (4) Yorkville Christian (20-8) vs. (2) Elgin St. Edward (23-8), 6 p.m.

Game 2- (1) Chicago Morgan Park Academy (22-6) vs. (2) Amboy-Ohio (25-7), 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 27

Title - Winners 1-2, 6 p.m.

Worthy of note: The Clippers beat Marquette 47-29 to win the St. Bede Regional. Ohio junior Jillian Anderson is a starting guard for the Clippers, who seek their first sectional title since 2019. ... Yorkville Christian knocked out Serena, a 2024 sectional finalist, 48-41 for the regional title at Indian Creek. The Mustangs beat Elgin St. Edward 61-58 before Christmas. Yorkville lost to Marquette 64-47 in December which has lost twice to Amboy. ... St. Edward beat Amboy 55-27 in November. ... Morgan Park lost to St. Bede 75-25 in the sectional semifinals last year.

BCR Pick: Elgin St. Edward over Amboy.

Next: Winner advances to Elgin Harvest Academy Supersectional to face the Chicago Orr Sectional winner at 6 p.m., Monday, March 3.

Class 1A Midland Sectional

Tuesday, Feb. 25

Game 1 - (1) Cissna Park (27-5) vs. (8) Flanagan-Cornell (12-20), 6 p.m.

Game 2 - (1) Roanoke-Benson (27-5) vs. (2) Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley (27-5), 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 27

Title - Winners 1-2, 6 p.m.

Worthy of note: Roanoke-Benson won the Tri-County Conference championship at 7-1. ... Cissna Park was tied at No. 3 with Pecatonica in the final AP 1A Poll. ... With the exception of a 54-28 loss to Class 2A No. 7 ranked Deer Creek-Mackinaw, GCMS has lost its other four games by a total of 16 points, including a 73-67 defeat to Cissna Park. R-B lost to Deer Creek 58-37 and twice to Class 2A regional champ Seneca.

BCR Pick: Cissna Park over GCMS.

Next: Winner advances to the Farmer City Supersectional to face the Arcola Sectional winner at 6 p.m., Monday, March 3.

Class 1A Monmouth United Sectional

Tuesday, Feb. 25

Game 1 - (1) Abingdon-Avon (28-4) vs. (2) Havana (22-10), 6 p.m.

Game 2 - (1) Illini Bluffs (20-10) vs. (2) Wethersfield (26-5), 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 27

Title - Winners 1-2, 6 p.m.

Worthy of note: A-Town and Wethersfield finished 1-2 in the Lincoln Trail Conference. The Tornados were ranked No. 8 in the final AP Class 1A Poll with the Flying Geese at No. 8. A-Town beat Illini Bluffs 53-43 at the end of December. ... Illini Bluffs beat A-Town 44-37 in last year’s sectional finals and went on to finish as the state runner-up. The Tigers bring back just three points by senior Brenna Davis from their 48-36 loss to Okawville from the state championship game.

BCR Pick: A-Town over Wethersfield.

Next: Winner advances to the Brimfield Supersectional to face the Sterling Newman Sectional winner at 6 p.m., Monday, March 3.

Class 2A Herscher Sectional

Tuesday, Feb. 25

Game 1 - (7) Braidwood Reed-Custer (15-5) vs. (2) Watseka (27-4), 6 p.m.

Game 2 - (1) Kankakee Bishop McNamara (25-7) vs. (2) Seneca (26-8), 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 27

Title - Winners 1-2, 6 p.m.

Worthy of note: Seneca, which finished second behind Roanoke-Benson in the Tri-County Conference, beat Manteno 50-34 for the regional title at Beecher. ... Watseka (9) and Bishop Mac (4) both received votes in the final AP Class 2A Poll. .. Bishop Mac beat Watseka 54-42 in November.

BCR Pick: Bishop Mac over Watseka.

Next: Winner advances to the Tolono Unity Supersectional to face the Paris Sectional winner at 6:30 p.m., Monday, March 3.

Class 2A Rock Falls Sectional

Tuesday, Feb. 25

Game 1 - (1) Stillman Valley (30-1) vs. (2) Riverdale (21-9), 6 p.m.

Game 2 - (1) Rock Island Alleman (24-9) vs. (2) Byron (31-2), 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 27

Title - Winners 1-2, 6 p.m.

Worthy of note: Alleman beat host Princeton 40-27 to repeat as regional champions and is the defending sectional champions. Players have adjusted to new roles with the graduation of key players on last year’s Elite 8 squad, which lost to eventual 2A state champion Peoria Notre Dame at the Bureau Valley Sectional. ... No. 4 ranked Bryon avenged a 45-40 loss to No. 5 Stillman Valley just before the new year by defeating the Cardinals 42-38 on Feb. 6. It is Stillman Valley’s lone loss. Hall alum Eric Yerly coached the Tigers to back-to-back state titles in 2016 and 2017.

BCR Pick: Byron over Stillman Valley.

Next: Winner advances to the Bureau Valley Supersectional to face the Mackinaw Sectional winner at 6:30 p.m., Monday, March 3.

Class 3A Rockford Boylan Catholic Sectional

Tuesday, Feb. 25

Game 1 - (1) Sterling (28-5) vs. (2) Crystal Lake Central (22-9), 6 p.m.

Game 2 - (1) Maple Park Kaneland (24-9) vs. (2) Dixon (28-5), 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 27

Title - Winners 1-2, 6:30 p.m.

Worthy of note: Dixon beat Kaneland 47-38 on Dec. 2. Both teams have lost to Sterling, Dixon by 26 points (44-18). ... Sterling has lost to Class 2A regional champs Byron and Stillman Valley. Sterling senior Maddie Austin, who will play for Illinois State next year, recently scored her 1,000th career point.

BCR Pick: Sterling over Dixon.

Next: Winner advances to the Rochelle Supersectional to face the Ottawa Sectional winner at 6:30 p.m., Monday, March 3.

Class 3A Ottawa Sectional

Tuesday, Feb. 25

Game 1 - (1) Washington (31-1) vs. (2) Galesburg, 6 p.m.

Game 2 - (1) Morton (24-6) vs. (2) Ottawa (24-7), 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 27

Title - Winners 1-2, 6:30 p.m.

Worthy of note: Washington avenged its only loss of the year to Morton (46-45) on Jan. 14 by defeating the Potters in their last meeting 67-50. Washington also beat Morton 44-40 on Dec. 28 and has defeated both Ottawa (54-17) and Galesburg (61-44) this season. ... Morton knocked out defending 3A champ Lincoln 48-40 for the Peoria Regional title. The Potters won three state championships in 2015-17 with another in 2019 ... Ottawa beat host Kankakee 36-33 for its first regional crown since 2013. The Pirates have never won a sectional title.

BCR Pick: Washington over Morton.

Next: Winner advances to the Rochelle Supersectional to face the Rockford Boylan Sectional winner at 6:30 p.m., Monday, March 3.