basketball

The Sigourney Savages and Columbus Wildcats will look to move one step closer to this year’s girls’ basketball state tournament when they take the court tonight, as Sigourney faces Martensdale-St Marys in the Class 1A Region 3 semifinals and Columbus takes on North Mahaska in the Class 2A Region 6 semis.

The Savages will be looking to continue a phenomenal season, as a 70-37 victory over Pekin in the Region 3 quarterfinals Monday make it 13 straight wins that have raised their record to 19-4.

Senior Carly Goodwin leads the way by averaging nearly 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals per game, while junior Josephine Moore controls the low post with an average of nearly 10-and-a-half points and eight-and-a-half rebounds per contest.

Junior guard Ava Fisch and senior forward Erin Dawson have also been key contributors for a Sigourney team that has been stingy on defense, allowing less than 33 points a game.

It’s all added up to a Savage squad that has not lost since December, but now comes their toughest test of the season in Martensdale-St Marys, a perennial powerhouse who is 16-6 and finished the regular season ranked fourth in the state.

Meanwhile, Columbus will also head out on the road looking to extend a superb season. A 45-39 win against West Burlington not only punched the Wildcats’ ticket to the Region 6 semis, but it also improved their record to 15-6 in their first winning season in seven years.

Point guard Ariana Vergara is the leader of the pack and is putting up nearly 13 points, six rebounds, three assists and four steals per game. Fellow juniors Frannie Sosa and Aracely Garza have also been key to Columbus’ success, as well as sophomore Isabel Rendon.

The Wildcats will be looking to take down 13th-ranked North Mahaska, who is 18-4 after winning 11 of their first 12 games. Class 1A and 2A regional semifinals will tip off this evening at 7 o’clock.