Path become known on Monday

Girls basketball teams across the state found out their regional pairings on Monday evening.

Area schools have to like the home-cooking that could be in their future as well as their chances to advance.

North Tama (13-2 going into tonight and No. 11 in the latest IGHSAU rankings) is the only ranked team in Region 4. The Redhawks was able to avoid having some of its highly ranked geographical neighbors – No. 1 North Mahaska, No. 3 North Butler and No. 5 Lynnville-Sully – in their path.

The first round, quarterfinals and semifinals will be held in Traer. North Tama’s opener is against Central City, the same school that knocked them out of the 2011 regionals.

Three Iowa Star Conference schools join the conference-leading Redhawks on the bottom portion of the bracket. The top half has Colo-NESCO, second place in the Iowa Star South, and the private schools of Des Moines area.

Two ranked teams will join a pack of five NICL West squads in Class 2A Region 6.

No. 7 Gilbert is undefeated going into tonight’s games at 15-0. If the Tigers advance to the regional semifinals they will see the last team standing between East Marshall (8-8), Gladbrook-Reinbeck (10-4), BCLUW (3-12) and West Marshall (11-5).

Teams already with double digits in victories on the top half of the bracket include Hudson (10-6), Grundy Center (12-3), Iowa Valley (10-6) and No. 15 North Linn (15-2).

South Tama has followed up its first 5-on-5 state tournament appearance last winter with a 14-1 start to the 2011-12 season. The sixth-ranked Trojans are in Region 3 and host Nevada in the quarterfinal round. A win keeps STC on its home court to face the winner of Saydel and Ballard, the same Ballard team that defeated the Trojans last season at state.

No. 15 Waverly-Shell Rock is on the top half of the bracket. The Go-Hawks were defeated by STC earlier this season.

The Class 4A Region 2 final is slated to be held at Marshalltown’s Roundhouse on Feb. 21. No. 6 Ames and No. 13 Cedar Falls have the byes to the semifinals in the region. Marshalltown travels to Cedar Rapids Jefferson for a pairing in the quarterfinals.