The quest for the Golden Basketball begins Wednesday as the Section 1 girl's basketball championships commences with out bracket games in Class AA and Class A.
The winning team in each of the first classes -- AA, A, B and C -- receive a golden basketball trophy.
Championship week at the Westchester County Center, beginning with the semifinals in each class, will kick off, Monday, Feb. 27 and conclude, Sunday, March 4.
Ossining (Class AA), Pearl River (Class A), defending state champion Irvington (Class B) and Alexander Hamilton (Class C) received the top seeds. Peekskill, the 2011 Class A state titlist is seeded eighth and will play John Jay-Cross River in a first-round game, Friday. A Peekskill win would mean the Lady Red Devils would play top-seeded Pearl River, the team they beat in the sectional final last year.
Class AA will have two out bracket games while Class A features seven. The most intriguing out bracket game is No. 23 Lakeland at No. 10 Rye. Rye and Lakeland are perennial powers and frequent qualifiers for the County Center.
First-round games will begin Friday in Class AA and Class A. The quarterfinal games in Class AA will be hosted by the higher seed, Tuesday, Feb. 22 and Class A and Class B will have their respective quarterfinal games, Wednesday.
Fourth-seeded Haldane will host fifth-seeded Palisades Prep in a Class C quarterfinal, Tuesday, Feb. 21. The winner will face top-seeded Hamilton in a semifinal, Tuesday, Feb. 28, The other semifinal that day will be No. 3 Keio vs. No. 2 Solomon Schecter.
Class AAWednesday, Feb. 15Outbracket
No. 18 Mamaroneck at No. 15 Fox Lane, 4:30 p.m.No. 17 Clarkstown North at No. 16 Mahopac, 4:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 17First roundNo. 17 Clarkstown North-No. 16 Mahopac-C. North winner at No. 1 Ossining, tbaNo. 9 Horace Greeley at No. 8 North Rockland, 6 p.m.No. 12 Ursuline at No. 5 Mount Vernon, 4:30 p.m.No. 13 Scarsdale at No. 4 John Jay-EF, TBANo. 11 New Rochelle at No. 6 White Plains, 4:30 p.m.No. 14 Suffern at No. 3 Our Lady of Lourdes, TBANo. 10 Carmel at No. 7 Clarkstown South, TBANo. 18 Mamaroneck-No. 15 Fox Lane winner at No. 2 Arlington, 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 21Quarterfinal round
At higher seed
Class AWednesday, Feb. 15utbracketNo. 18 Eastchester at No. 15 Poughkeepsie, 4:30 p.m.No. 19 Harrison at No. 14 Saunders, 4:30 p.m.No. 21 Nanuet at No. 12 Hen Hud, 4:30 p.m.No. 22 Panas at No. 11 Beacon, 4:30 p.m.No. 23 Lakeland at No. 10 Rye, 4:30 p.m.No. 17 Pelham at No. 16 Nyack, 4:45 p.m.No. 20 Yonkers at No. 13 Brewster, 5 p.m.
Friday, Feb 17First roundNo. 17 Pelham-No. 16 Nyack winner at No.1 Pearl River, 5 p.m.No. 9 John Jay-Cross River at No. 8 Peekskill, 5 p.m.No. 21 Nanuet-No. 12 Hen Hud winner at No. 5 Somers, 6 p.m.No. 20 Yonkers-No. 13 Brewster winner at No. 4 Albertus Magnus, 6 p.m.No. 19 Harrison-No. 14 Saunders winner at No. 3 Ardsley, TBANo. 22 Panas-No. 11 Beacon winner at No. 6 Sleepy Hollow, TBANo. 23 Lakeland-No. 10 Rye winner at No. 7 Byram Hills, TBANo. 18 Eastchester-No. 15 Poughkeepsie winner at No. 2. Tappan Zee, TBA
Wednesday, Feb. 22Quarterfinals
At higher seed
Class BOpening roundNo. 16 Pleasantville at No. 1 Irvington, 4:30 p.m.No. 9 Valhalla at No. 8 Putnam Valley, TBANo. 12 Edgemont at No. 5 Woodlands, TBANo. 13 Hastings at No. 4 Kennedy , TBANo. 14 North Salem at No. 3 Dobbs Ferry, 5 p.m.No. 11 Rye Neck at No. 6 Briarcliff, 5 p.m.No. 10 Westlake at No. 7 Croton-Harmon, 5 p.m.No. 15 Bronxville at No 2 Blind Brook, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 22Quarterfinals
At higher seed
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