Girls basketball preview: 4A-6A tournaments set to begin

By Jacob Seliga

Lead Writer

The first two rounds of the girls' Open Division basketball tournament have finished. With that, the 4A, 5A and 6A Conference brackets have been filled in.

Twenty-four teams that made the Open Division fell back into their respective conference brackets. And just like the open division, each of these three brackets are wide open with multiple teams that can win a championship.

Division I talent is spread throughout, which coincides with deep talent pool of both teams and players we have in the state. 

4A Bracket

Round One

No. 1 Estrella Foothills vs No. 16 Rio Rico

No. 8 Cactus Shadows vs No. 9 Sahuaro

No. 5 Paradise Honors vs No. 12 Peoria

No. 4 Eastmark vs No. 13 Amphitheater 

No. 3 Flagstaff vs No. 14 Walden Grove

No. 6 Prescott vs No. 11 Agua Fria

No. 7 Douglas vs No. 10 Mingus

No. 2 Mica Mountain vs No. 15 Ironwood Ridge

Quarterfinals

No. 1 Estrella Foothills vs No. 8 Cactus Shadows

No. 4 Eastmark vs No. 5 Paradise Honors

No. 3 Flagstaff vs No. 6 Prescott 

No. 2 Mica Mountain vs No. 7 Douglas

Semifinals 

No. 1 Estrella Foothills vs No. 5 Paradise Honors

No. 2 Mica Mountain vs No. 3 Flagstaff

Finals

No. 1 Estrella Foothills vs No. 3 Flagstaff

Out of the three brackets on the girls' side that haven’t started yet, the 4A Conference tournament could be the most entertaining. 

There’s a case to be made for each of the top six seeds to possibly bring home the championship, but with how the matchups lined up, it could be straight chalk.

Estrella Foothills enters the tournament as the presumptive favorite led by senior forward Eva Amenhauser, who holds the school record for both boys and girls basketball with over 1,000 career rebounds and counting.

On the opposite side of the bracket is a familiar face in the 4A tournament as the 2023 champion Flagstaff returns as one of the favorites to play at the Coliseum on March 6.

5A Bracket

Round One

No. 1 Kellis vs Chaparral/Fairfax

No. 2 Catalina Foothills vs No. 15 Willow Canyon

No. 3 Canyon View vs No. 14 Buckeye

No. 4 Pueblo vs No. 13 North

No. 5 Campo Verde vs No. 12 Arizona College Prep

No. 6 Sunrise Mountain vs No. 11 McClintock

No. 7 Notre Dame Prep vs No. 10 Nogales

No. 8 Horizon vs No. 9 Flowing Wells

Quarterfinals

No. 1 Kellis vs No. 8 Horizon

No. 2 Catalina Foothills vs No. 7 Notre Dame Prep

No. 3 Canyon View vs No. 6 Sunrise Mountain

No. 4 Pueblo vs No. 5 Campo Verde

Semifinals

No. 1 Kellis vs No. 5 Campo Verde

No. 6 Sunrise Mountain vs No. 7 Notre Dame Prep

Final

No. 1 Kellis vs No. 6 Sunrise Mountain

As has been the case for close to a decade, it appears as if the 5A Conference girls' bracket is the bracket of the Westside. 

For the early stretch of the run, it was always Millennium’s championship to lose.

Now in recent years with the beginning of the Open Division, it has progressed to Canyon View, Sunrise Mountain and Kellis fighting for a championship.

This year the clear three favorites are those teams and each brings their own flare to the title race. Kellis brings a run-and-gun style that can produce turnovers and quick baskets and create insurmountable leads, which the Cougars have done against every Arizona team they’ve faced besides Valley Vista.

Sunrise Mountain enters the bracket with arguably the best duo in the conference as Savanna Dotray and Addison Wiemann’s 1-2 punch has dominated against quality competition, including the two combining for 21 rebounds and 27 points against O’Connor in the first round of the open division.

Canyon View enters as the defending champion and has gotten better since its loss to Sunrise Mountain in early January. Since then, the Jaguars have found their identity  as the hardest working team on the court behind their heartbeat and enforcer Jaila Flowers.

6A Bracket

Round One

No. 1 Gilbert (Bye)

No. 8 Chavez vs No 9 Higley

No. 4. Williams Field vs No. 13 Basha

No. 5 Sunnyside vs No. 12 Casteel

No. 3 Hamilton vs No. 14 Rincon/University

No. 6 Perry vs No. 11 Liberty

No. 7 Mesa vs No. 10 Red Mountain

No. 2 O’Connor vs No. 15 Highland

Quarterfinals

No. 1 Gilbert vs No. 8 Chavez

No. 5 Sunnyside vs No. 13 Basha

No. 3 Hamilton vs No. 6 Perry

No. 2 O’Connor vs No. 10 Red Mountain 

Semifinals

No. 1 Gilbert vs No. 5 Sunnyside

No. 2 O’Connor vs No. 6 Perry

Finals

No. 1 Gilbert vs No. 2 O’Connor

In terms of quality of the bracket, no tournament may be as talent-laded as the 6A.

Each of the top five seeds hosted a first round open division game with four making it to the Sweet 16 of the tournament.

Gilbert has been one of the stories of the season behind head coach Savannah Bix, who came over from Poston Butte and led the Tigers to the No. 3 seed in the Open Division. Aspen McClees and Isabella Ivy have had a stellar 1-2 game that can beat teams on both the perimeter and the outside.

Hamilton is led by Perry transfer and future division one player Sage Henry who has brought a jolt to the program since becoming eligible at Nike Tournament of Champions.

O’Connor is the defending 6A champion and possesses one of the deepest lineups in the state and they are led by Gatorade player of the year candidate Audrey Bhesania.