District 11 boys and girls basketball tournament schedule announced

Talk about an act that is difficult to follow.

With six title games played across three venues over nearly 27 hours, the league tournament was breathtaking.

Held Thursday night at the PPL Center in Allentown, the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference brought high drama to the arena known for ice hockey, concerts, and monster truck shows.

The EPC Women’s Championship went to overtime as Allentown Central Catholics beat previously undefeated Easton 52-49.

In the EPC Boys’ finals that followed, ACCHS took a 16-point lead and regrouped to a 3-point lead to win 61-54 over the Pocono Mountain West.

That doubleheader was tempting, but it could have won the Colonial League Twin Bill at Freedom on Friday night and the Schuylkill League championship game at Martz Hall in Pottsville.

At Freedom, Northwestern Lehi defeated rivals Palmerton, 31-30, to claim their third consecutive title.

That was followed by Notre Dame-Green Pond, who went into double overtime to beat an upset Saukon Valley team 45-42 to claim their first gold medal in the league since 2014.

In Pottsville, North Schuylkill defeated the Marian Catholics 56-52 in the women’s game, while the Blue Mountains beat North Schuylkill 57-54 with Aidan Grace’s 3-pointer in the final seconds.

These are six league championship games with a total of 21 points.

So it might be nice to have nearly a week of no games before the District 11 tournament begins. Because players, coaches, fans, and everyone involved in high school hoops probably need to catch their breath.

After this long-awaited break, 71 teams (38 men’s and 31 women’s) will compete for the district or sub-regional title. A sub-region is when schools outside the district participate in the mix because there are fewer within the district.

In addition to competing for the gold medal, teams will attempt to secure one of the 33 state tournament berths available.

In the men’s competition, 3 teams advanced to 5 out of 6 classes. Only two people advance in 2A.

The women’s tournament only advances 2 teams in 5A and 3A, and 3 teams in the other divisions.

No pigtail round games are required before the quarterfinals, as there are no brackets greater than 8 teams.

As in previous years, the tournament will follow a Friday-Tuesday-Friday pattern for the 2A, 4A and 5A Men’s brackets and the 6A, 3A and 1A Women’s brackets, with the 6A, 3A and 1A Men’s brackets Saturday-Wednesday. -Follows the soil pattern. 2A, 4A, 5A Women’s tournaments.

The previous men’s champions were Parkland (6A), Pottsville (5A), Bethlehem Catholic (4A), Executive (3A), Shenandoah Valley (2A) and Nativity BVM (1A), while last year’s women’s champion was Parkland (6A). ), was a Bethlehem Catholic. (5A), Jim Thorpe (4A), Palmerton (3A), Minersville (2A), Marian Catholic (1A).

As has been the case since the pandemic, all ticket sales will be done online by visiting https://districtxi.hometownticketing.com. No physical sales. Tickets are $7. Seniors aged 65 and over can enter for free upon presentation of proof of age.

Brackets are:

Class 6A Boys

Losses: No. 1 seed Emmaus (19-5), No. 2 seed Freedom (15-8).

Quarterfinals, February 25

No. 4 Liberty (14-9) vs. No. 5 Allen (11-11) at 6pm in Easton

No. 3 Parkland (15-9) vs. No. 6 Northampton (10-12) at 7:30pm in Easton

Semifinals, March 1

Emmaus vs. Liberty/Allen winner, time and location to be announced

Freedom vs. Parkland/Northampton winner, time and location announced

March 4 finals/repechage

Opponent, time and location TBA

Class 5A Men

Byes: No. 1 Pocono Mountain West (20-5), No. 2 East Stroudsburg South (17-6)

Quarterfinals, Friday

No. 3 Southern Lehi (16-7) vs. No. 6 Bangor (13-10), 7:30 p.m. Katasoka

No. 4 Whitehall (11-11) vs. No. 5 East Stroudsburg North (11-11) at 7:30 p.m. in Pleasant Valley

Semifinals, February 28

Winner of Pocono Mountain West vs. Whitehall/ES North, time and place TBD.

Winner of ES South vs. Southern Lehigh/Bangor, time and place TBD.

Championship, March 3

Team, time and location TBA.

Class 4A Boys

Byes: No. 1 seed Blue Mountains (20-5)

Quarterfinals, Friday

No. 2 Allentown Central Catholic (17-8) vs. No. 7 Northwestern Lehi (11-11) at 7:30 p.m.

No. 3 North Schuylkill (20-4) vs. No. 6 Pottsville (11-13) at 7:45pm at Blue Mountains

No. 4 Bethlehem Catholics (15-7) vs. No. 5 Wilson (13-10) at 6 p.m.

Semifinals, February 28

Blue Mountain vs. Becahi/Wilson winner, time and place TBD.

North Schuylkill/Pottsville winner vs. ACCHS/Northwestern winner, time and place TBD.

Championship/Consolation, February 3

Opponent, time and location TBD.

Boys Class 3A

Byes: No. 1 Executive Education (18-4), No. 2 Notre Dame-Green Pond (21-3)

Quarterfinals, February 25

No. 3 Saucon Valley (19-6) vs. No. 6 MaST Community Charter (13-9) at 3pm Catasauqua

No. 4 Palmerton (17-5) vs. No. 5 Panther Valley (13-9) at 2:30 pm at Whitehall

Semifinals, March 1

Executive vs. Palmerton/Panther Valley, time and location TBD.

Notre Dame – Green Pond vs. Saucong Valley/MaST charter winner, time and place TBD.

Championship/Consolation, March 4

Opponent, time and location TBD.

Class 2A Boys

Byes: No. 1 Mahanoy Area (18-4).

Quarterfinals, Friday

No. 2 Tri-Valley (18-5) vs. No. 7 Nativity BVM (10-12) at Marts Hall in Pottsville at 8pm.

No. 3 Schuylkill Haven (18-5) vs. No. 6 Lincoln (14-8) at 6:30pm, Marts Hall in Pottsville.

No. 4 Minersville (14-8) vs No. 5 Marian Catholic (14-9) at 5pm at Marts Hall in Pottsville.

Semifinals, February 28

Winner of Mahanoy Area vs. Minersville/Marian, location and time TBD.

Winner of Schuylkill Haven/Lincoln vs. Winner of Tri-Valley/Nativity BVM (location and time TBD).

Championship/Consolation, March 3

Opponent, time and place to be determined.

Class 1A boy

Byes: No. 1 Notre Dame – East Stroudsburg (13-9), No. 2 Forest City (12-10)

Quarterfinals, Saturday

No. 3 Bethlehem Christian (12-8) vs. No. 6 Susquehanna Community (5-17), Catasauqua at noon.

Times are announced for No. 5 Lehi Christian (7-12) and No. 4 MMI Prep (6-16).

Semifinals, March 1

Winner of Notre Dame-ES vs. Lehigh Christian/MMI Prep, time and place TBD.

Winner of Forest City vs. Bethlehem Christian/Susquehanna, time and place TBD.

Championship/Consolation, March 4

Opponent, location and time to be announced.

Class 6A girls

Quarterfinals, Friday

No. 1 Easton (24-1) vs. No. 8 Stroudsburg (13-10) at 7:45 pm at Whitehall

No. 4 Emmaus (14-10) vs. No. 5 Nazareth (12-11) at 6pm Katasauka

No. 3 Parkland (15-8) vs. No. 6 Northampton (12-10) at 6pm Whitehall

No. 2 Pocono Mountain West (20-2) vs. No. 7 Liberty (12-10), 6 pm at Pleasant Valley

Semifinals, February 28

Easton/Stroudsburg winner vs. Emmaus/Nazareth winner, time and location TBD.

Parkland/Northampton winner vs. Liberty/PM West winner, time and location TBD.

Championship/Consolation, March 3

Opponent, location and time TBD.

Class 5A Women

Semifinals, March 1

No. 1 Bethlehem Catholic (15-9) vs. No. 4 Whitehall (7-15), time and place TBD.

No. 3 Pocono Mountain East (10-12) vs. No. 2 Bangor (17-5), time and location TBD.

Championship, March 4th

Opponent, location and time TBD.

Class 4A girls

Byes: No. 1 Allentown Central Catholic (22-3), No. 2 North Schuylkill (22-2)

Quarterfinals, February 25

No. 3 Northwestern Lehigh (24-1) vs. No. 6 Saucon Valley (8-14) at 1:30pm Catasauqua

No. 4 Blue Mountain vs. No. 5 Jim Thorpe, 2:30 p.m. at Marts Hall, Pottsville

Semifinals, March 1

The winner of ACCHS vs. Blue Mountain/Jim Thorpe is TBD at a time and place.

Winner of North Schuylkill vs. Northwestern Lehigh/Saucon (time and place TBD).

Championship, March 4th

Opponent, time and place to be determined.

Class 3A Women

Byes: No. 1 Palmerton (20-4), No. 2 Notre Dame-Green Pond (17-6), No. 3 Penn Argyle (19-5).

Quarterfinals, Friday

No. 5 Executive Education (12-9) vs. No. 4 Pine Grove Area (13-11) at 6pm at Blue Mountain

Semifinals, February 28

Palmerton vs. Executive/PGA winner (time and place TBD).

Notre Dame GP vs Penn Argyle (time and place TBD).

Championship, March 3

Opponent, time and place to be determined.

Class 2A Women

Byes: No. 1 Marian Catholic (22-2), No. 2 Minersville (18-5)

Quarterfinals, February 25

No. 4 Northern Lehigh (13-10) vs. No. 5 Panther Valley (12-10) at 1 p.m. Whitehall

No. 3 Tri-Valley (18-5) vs. No. 6 Moravian Academy (10-12) at 1 p.m., Marts Hall in Pottsville.

Semifinals, March 1

Winner of Marian vs. Northern Lehigh/Panther Valley, location and time TBD.

Winner of Minersville vs. Tri-Valley/Moravian Academy, location and time TBD.

Championship, March 4th

Opponent, time and place to be determined.

girl in class 1A

Semifinals, February 28

No. 1 Mountain View (16-6) vs. No. 4 Weatherly (7-15) Time and location TBD.

No. 3 Salem Christian (10-11) vs. No. 2 Nativity BVM (6-16) Time and place TBD.

Championship, March 1

Opponent, time and location TBA