Girls basketball playoff preview: Centennial favored in 5A

As expected, the Centennial girls basketball team is the top seed entering the Class 5A Southern League playoffs.

The Bulldogs begin their quest for an eighth straight state championship Monday as the girls playoffs begin for 5A, 4A and 3A. But their path to the title won’t be as easy as in previous seasons.

Here’s a look at how the playoffs shape up:

Class 5A

Favorite: Centennial

Until the Bulldogs are beaten, they’ll be the favorite. Centennial’s athleticism and depth have played a crucial role in its pressure defense being so effective. Liberty will likely be the Bulldogs’ toughest competition for the title. Centennial’s closest game in league play was a 72-56 win over Liberty on Jan. 21.

Dark horse: Coronado

Besides Liberty, the Cougars were the only other 5A team to be within 20 points of Centennial. The Bulldogs pulled away for a 60-43 home win Jan. 24. Coronado has one of the top scoring guards in the city in Kaylee Walters, and forward Ashtyn Wick gives the Cougars an advantage inside.

Potential first-round upset: Spring Valley over Faith Lutheran

Faith Lutheran beat Spring Valley 60-51 in its regular-season matchup Jan. 11, but the Grizzlies held a 10-point lead early in the first half. Mia Ervin and Gia McFadden make up one of the top backcourts in the city, and they are high-scoring threats who could carry the Grizzlies to a road playoff win.

Class 4A

Favorite: Desert Pines

The Jaguars have run through their competition on their way to a 23-3 record. Their only losses have come to out-of-state opponents, as they finished undefeated in the Mountain League, arguably the toughest league in 4A top to bottom. With how the bracket lines up, Desert Pines wouldn’t face Las Vegas, another title contender, until the title game.

Dark horse: Palo Verde

The Panthers handed Las Vegas its only loss in league play with a 37-36 home win Jan. 18. Palo Verde lost out on the Sky League title to Las Vegas on a tiebreaker of head-to-head points allowed after the Wildcats beat them 51-46 on Jan. 31.

Potential first-round upset: Rancho over Basic

The Rams start the playoffs on the road after finishing third in the Desert League behind Clark and Cimarron-Memorial. But Basic is only 5-5 at home.

Class 3A

Favorite: Pahrump Valley

The Trojans rolled through the Mountain League and enter the playoffs riding a 14-game winning streak. They are allowing just 26.4 points per game this season, and they also have wins against the Desert League’s top two teams, Moapa Valley and Virgin Valley, earlier this year.

Dark horse: Virgin Valley

The Bulldogs gave Pahrump Valley a good game, losing 31-24 on Jan. 11, and they finished as the top-scoring offense in the 3A Southern Region, averaging 48.7 points per game. A rematch with Pahrump Valley is likely in the region semifinals.

Potential first-round upset: Somerset-Losee over SLAM Academy

The Tigers lost a close one at SLAM Academy on Jan. 11, 57-51. They showed improvements throughout the season in the tougher Desert League, including stealing a win against Virgin Valley.

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on Twitter.