The first area high school basketball team to step up to take the floor in state-tournament action is Central Plains’ girls.
The Lady Oilers are the Class 2A No. 1 seed at 23-0 this season.
Today at 3 p.m., Central Plains takes on Pittsburg-St. Mary’s Colgan at Manhattan’s Bramlage Coliseum.
The Lady Panthers are the No. 8 seed at 14-9.
St. Mary’s Colgan entered its 2A sub-state as the No. 3 seed, beating West Elk (8-14) in the first round 46-29.
The Lady Panthers had to take out the No. 2-seeded Pleasanton (13-8) 53-36 in a semifinal game and the No. 1-seeded Sedan (17-5) in the championship game 44-40.
St. Mary’s Colgan struggled early on in the season, losing four of its first five games.
It also lost three of its final four regular-season games, but turned things around at the right time to make it to Manhattan.
The Lady Oilers, who are ranked No. 2 in 2A in the final Kansas Basketball Coaches Association poll, haven’t lost since last year’s sub-state tournament.
The No. 1 team is Jefferson County North, which is the No. 2 seed at the tournament at 23-0.