In one county clash, second-seeded Mountain Ridge (20-3) hosts third-seeded Allegany (15-7) at Frostburg, while top-seeded Southern (19-3) hosts county foe and fourth-seeded Northern (14-8). The start times of those two area semifinal contests are 6 p.m. On Wednesday, the higher seed will host the area finals.
The defending region champion and 2022–23 Class 1A state runner-up to Pikesville, who has won three consecutive state titles, Mountain Ridge is the top-ranked team in the area poll and shared the Western Maryland Athletic Conference title with Southern.
Win for mountain ridge
Both sides are coming into this game on eight-game winning streaks. Avery Miller leads Alco with 18.7 points per game. Like Snyder, Miller reached the 1,000-point mark in his career this winter. The junior Miller has double digits in scoring in 20 out of 22 games.
As of tonight, Allegany has made 128 three-pointers, or 5.8 per game, more than any other team in the area. Mountain Ridge is at 98, Southern is at 87, and Northern is at 99. At the foul line, Mountain Ridge holds the advantage, making 273 of 415 shots (65.8%), compared to Allegany’s 212 of 326 (64.8%). The two best foul-shooting teams in the WestMAC are playing in the other semifinal.
With 35 made 3-pointers and 16.7 points per game, Abby Nelson leads the team in scoring. Just two weeks earlier, the sophomore erupted for a season-high 35 points in a 59-44 victory against Rockwood. Lydia Nelson leads the team with 38 made three-pointers and provides 11.0 points per game.