DOVER – Cape Henlopen High earned the No. 1 seed as nine downstate teams made the 24-team field for the DIAA boys’ basketball state tournament that was announced this afternoon.
No. 5 St. Thomas More was the highest-seeded squad among the seven downstate schools that made the field in the 24-team girls’ bracket.
Both tourneys begin next week with the top eight seeds in each receiving first-round byes.
Three Henlopen Conference boys’ teams earned first-round byes: No. 1 Cape Henlopen, No. 3 Smyrna – the defending state champion – and No. 6 Sussex Tech.
Neither Thursday night’s Henlopen Northern Division playoff game, in which Smyrna beat Cape, or tonight’s Henlopen championship game between Smyrna and Woodbridge count in the state tournament point system.
The fight that broke out during the Smyrna-Cape game on Thursday night also did not affect either teams’ status in the tournament.
The dates for the first three rounds of the state tournament are a little different this year. The boys’ tourney begins on Tuesday, Feb. 27, and continues on Thursday and Saturday.
The girls’ tournament starts on Wednesday, Feb. 28, with the tourney continuing on Friday and Sunday.
All first and second-round games start at 6:30 p.m.
In Tuesday’s boys’ opening-round games involving downstate teams, No. 13 Caesar Rodney hosts No. 20 Appoquinimink, No. 12 Lake Forest hosts No. 21 Christiana, No. 15 Dover hosts No. 18 Wilmington Friends, No. 14 Woodbridge hosts No. 19 Indian River and No. 22 St. Thomas More travels to No. 11 Mount Pleasant.
In Thursday’s second round, Cape Henlopen will host the winner of the opening-round game between No. 16 Newark Charter and No. 17 Newark, Smyrna will host the Woodbridge-IR winner and Sussex Tech will host the St. Thomas More-Mt. Pleasant winner.
In Wednesday’s first-round girls’ games that involve downstate squads, No. 16 Woodbridge hosts No. 17 Delmarva Christian, No. 9 Sussex Tech hosts No. 24 Laurel, No. 18 Caesar Rodney plays at No. 15 Wilmington Christian, and No. 22 Sussex Central plays at No. 11 St. Georges.
In Friday’s second round, No. 5 St. Thomas More hosts the winner of the first-round matchup between No. 12 Newark Charter and No. 21 St. Mark’s.
BASKETBALL
DIAA state tournaments
Boys
First round
Tuesday, Feb. 27
Games start at 6:30 p.m.
17-Glasgow at 16-Newark Charter
24-Newark at 9-St. Elizabeth
20-Appoquinimink at 13-Caesar Rodney
21-Christiana at 12-Lake Forest
18-Wilmington Friends at 15-Dover
23-St. Mark’s at 10-Red Lion Christian
19-Indian River at 14-Woodbridge
22-St. Thomas More at 11-Mt. Pleasant
Second round
Thursday, March 1
Games start at 6:30 p.m.
Newark Charter/Glasgow at 1-Cape Henlopen
St. Elizabeth/Newark at 8-St. Georges
Caesar Rodney/Appoquinimink at 4-William Penn
Lake Forest/Christiana at 5-Caravel
Dover/Wilm. Friends at 2-Salesianum
Red Lion Christian/St. Mark’s at 7-Sanford
Woodbridge/Indian River at 3-Smyrna
Mt. Pleasant/St. Thomas More at 6-Sussex Tech
Quarterfinals
Saturday, March 3
At Carpenter Center
Semifinals
Thursday, March 8
At Carpenter Center
Finals
Saturday, March 10
At Carpenter Center
Girls
First round
Wednesday, March 28
Games start at 6:30 p.m.
17-Delmarva Christian at 16-Woodbridge
24-Laurel at 9-Sussex Tech
20-Dickinson at 13-Archmere
21-St. Mark’s at 12-Newark Charter
18-Caesar Rodney at 15-Wilmington Christian
23-Concord vs. 10-Padua, at A.I. DuPont
19-Appoquinimink at 14-Tatnall
22-Sussex Central at 11-St. Georges
Second round
Friday, March 2
Games start at 6:30 p.m.
Woodbridge/Delmarva Christian at 1-Caravel
Laurel/Sussex Tech at 8-Howard
Archmere/Dickinson at 4-Hodgson
Newark Charter/St. Mark’s at 5-St. Thomas More
Wilm. Christian/Caesar Rodney at 2-Sanford
Padua/Concord at 7-Ursuline
Tatnall/Appoquinimink at 3-Conrad
St. Georges/Sussex Central at 6-St. Elizabeth
Quarterfinals
Sunday, March 4
At Carpenter Center
Semifinals
Wednesday, March 7
At Carpenter Center
Finals
Friday, March 9
At Carpenter Center
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