Girls basketball tournaments tip off at BV, Princeton on Monday

There will be a new twist to tip-off tournaments for Bureau County girls basketball teams this season.

Bureau Valley created its own tournament this season, bringing in Erie-Prophetstown, Rock Falls and Riverdale. E-P followed the Storm from the Princeton tournament.

The tournament tips off Monday at the Storm Cellar with E-P and Riverdale playing at 5:30 p.m. followed by the Storm versus Rock Falls at 7 p.m.

The Storm will come back with games at 7 p.m. on Wednesday versus Riverdale and E-P on Friday.

There will be a F-S tournament playing in Storm Gym with the game times flipped from the varsity contests each night.

At Princeton: Princeton hosts its long-standing tournament beginning Monday, taking in newcomers Hall, IVC and Lowpoint-Washburn to join holdovers Henry-Senachwine, Midland, Putnam County, Stark County and Mendota, which joined last year.

Streator, Bureau Valley and E-P all departed this year.

The teams will be grouped in three pools to start the tournament with Princeton, PC and Henry in the Blue Pool, Hall, Stark County and IVC in the Gray Pool and Mendota, Lowpoint-Washburn and Midland in the White Pool.

After three nights, the teams will be shifted into the Bronze, Silver and Gold pools based on their records for the medal rounds.

The Tigresses are the defending champions.

There will also be a F-S tournament with pool play at Mendota and Putnam County with the finals at PHS on Saturday, Nov. 23.

At Pontiac: St. Bede will draw the same opening day assignment as last year, facing Peoria Notre Dame at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Pontiac Tournament. The Irish beat the Bruins 85-20 in the 2023-24 opener and went on to win the Class 2A state championship on a last-second shot. It all worked out for the Bruins also, who made their first state appearance, placing fourth in 1A.

The Bruins, who have a new, but familiar coach in Tom Ptak, will also have games against Limestone at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and Pontiac at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21.

Boys basketball

The boys teams will open the season a week later on Monday, Nov. 25.

Princeton will return to the Dean Riley Shootin’ the Rock Thanksgiving Tournament at Ottawa with pool games against L-P, Oak Forest and Streator.

Bureau Valley will be back at the Wally Keller Invite at Wethersfield, opening with Stark County on Nov. 25. They will also play Annawan, Putnam County, Wethersfield and Elmwood.

St. Bede is pooled with Woodland, Flanagan-Cornell and Ridgeview in the Route 72 tournament at Woodland.

At other sites, LaMoille will be at the AFC Thanksgiving Tournament and Hall will play in the Serena Thanksgiving Tournament on Nov. 25-30.