WDA Tournament Preview
Playoffs?!? We talking about playoffs? We are in fact talking about the playoffs. The regular season is over at the Class A level in North Dakota. Now we turn our attention to the postseason where the WDA and EDC conference…
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Continue ReadingPlayoffs?!? We talking about playoffs? We are in fact talking about the playoffs. The regular season is over at the Class A level in North Dakota. Now we turn our attention to the postseason where the WDA and EDC conference tournaments will take place next week.
With four teams from each league getting spots in the state tournament, the competition will be fierce.
Here’s what you need to know about the WDA Tournament:
Favorite: Bismarck Century
This one is fairly obvious as Bismarck Century has been the dominant team in North Dakota for a while now. The Patriots rolled through the regular season, going undefeated and winning just two games by less than 10 points.
Lily Keplin and Lauren Ware form the best duo in the state as the two combine to average 39.4 points per game. Ware is a walking double-double, averaging 18.4 points and a WDA-leading 11.2 rebounds per game.
The Patriots have the league’s most efficient offense as well as a stifling defense. If there’s a weakness on this team, nobody in the state has come all that close to finding it yet.
Next Up: Mandan, Bismarck Legacy
The Braves are the only team to keep games with Bismarck Century within 10 points and if there’s a team that can beat the Patriots, Mandan might be it. Megan Zander is one of the best bigs in the state averaging 19.2 points and 10.3 rebounds. Kennedy Harris is one of the best guards in the state, averaging 15.8 points and a WDA-leading 4.1 assists and Lakyn Darras gives them a third solid scorer at 11.2 points per game.
Bismarck Legacy earned the No. 3 seed in the WDA, going 15.6 in the regular season. The Sabers did it by playing elite defense while getting terrific balance offensively. Taryn Allmaras led the team in scoring at 12.9 points per game but there are four others that averaged 8.9-9.9 a nigh.
Fighting for a spot: Bismarck, Jamestown, Bismarck St. Mary’s
Jamestown was one of the bright spots this year in the WDA, going 11-10 despite ending the year on a four-game losing streak. The Bluejays have a very good young core of players including Grace Hegerle and Ella Falk. Courtney Peterson and Kameron Selvig provide steady play, combining to average 27 points per game. Peterson leads the team in rebounding as well, averaging 7.9 per game.
Bismarck earned the No. 4 seed in the league, going 14-7 on the year despite having just one player average double figures in scoring. The Demons allowed just 47 points per game on the year though, holding opponents to just 33 percent shooting from the field.
Bismarck St. Mary’s had an up and down season, finishing 11-10. The Saints certainly have the talent to make a run though, and they’ve shown the ability to stick close with some of the best teams in the WDA. The junior trio of Maria Mann, Abbi Kopp and Hailie Schweitzer lead the way, each averaging double-figures in scoring. Mann also averages 11.1 rebounds per game.