WIAA Div. 2 sectional half-bracket The Div. 2 Medford sectional

WIAA GIRLS BASKETBALL PAIRINGS

In this half of the Medford sectional, it’s hard to envision anyone but Lakeland and New London meeting in the March 2 semifinal, but it’s tournament time and you just never know.

Top-seeded New London is 18-3 overall and 10-1 in the Bay Conference. The Bulldogs have a winner-take-all conference championship game at West De Pere on Friday. They lost at home to the Phantoms 48-47 last month.

But New London is 5-0 against sectional teams, including a season sweep of conference rival Shawano and a 54-45 season-opening win at Mosinee.

Lakeland was a sectional finalist a year ago and built its non-conference schedule around preparing for the tournament. The Thunderbirds will waltz through the GNC at 12-0, barring something really unforeseen at Northland Pines Friday, and they are 16-6 overall heading into Wausau East tonight. The T-Birds are 10-0 against the sectional teams they’ve played and are led by the fine sister duo of Julianna and Kristina Ouimette.

Third-seeded Merrill did not play either team. Fourth-seeded Mosinee lost both of its games to Lakeland by more than 30 points. Whoever emerges between New London or Lakeland has a good shot at winning the final, set to be played in Medford on March 4.

The other half of the bracket is not overwhelming. Menomonie is the defending sectional champion and top seed. The Mustangs are 15-8 overall and 7-6 in the Big Rivers Conference. New Richmond is just 11-11 as the two-seed, but is tied with Menomonie in the BRC and beat the Mustangs 55-52 on Feb. 3. Onalaska is the three-seed and is 12-10 overall and 7-4 in the Mississippi Valley Conference.