Area Teams In Holiday Basketball Tournaments Before, After Christmas Day

Nothing keeps teens busier than holiday basketball tournaments. These events provide the number one form of entertainment between Christmas and New Years for fans and players alike.

Ladue-Frontenac Patch teams, both boys and girls will see plenty of made shots, rebounds and turnovers before all the championship trophies are handed out.

The area’s top two girls teams St. Joseph’s Academy and Incarnate Word Academy won opening games easily over the weekend in the opening-round of the 37th annual Visitation Academy Christmas tournament. St. Joe dispatched Rosati-Kain with ease while IWA trampled Notre Dame in the 16-team field.

Both winners are in Phoenix for four days in the prestigious 64-team field Nike Invitational. St. Joe meets Archbishop Ward in the opening round while IWA plays Riverdale Baptist in an opposing bracket. The tournament championship is set for Thursday night.

Upon return, St. Joe meets Cor Jesu in a quarterfinal game on Monday, Dec. 26 at 8:30 p.m. while The Red Knights of IWA face Principia Dec. 26th at 5:30 p.m. December 26.

Other quarterfinal games feature Kirkwood and Lafayette; Fort Zumwalt West and host Visitation Academy, upset winners over Nerinx Hall in the opening.

For the first time, the annual Mary Institute Country Day Holiday Invitational will include an eight-team girls’ bracket. Organizers picked up the competitors of the folded Lutheran South tournament plus Westminster Christian Academy. On Thursday in the opening round, Villa Duchesne, seeded fifth, faces fourth seeded Francis Howell on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. In the opening round on Friday December 23, Host MICDS, the two seed meets Clayton, seeded seventh at 1:30 p.m. The girls championship will be contested Friday, December 30 at 6 p.m.

The Ladue girls were hoping to get into the MICDS field. With the field already filled, the Ladue Rams return to Hancock for a defense of their crown over the course of three days.

In the 16-team boys tournament at MICDS, Ladue, seeded fifth meets St. Mary’s in a first round game on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and MICDS, seeded seventh faces Career Academy, seeded 10 at 3 p.m. on Friday.

The championship game will be played Friday, December 30 at 7:30 p.m.

John Burroughs boys will be in the field at the Chaminade Holiday tournament. The Bombers first pool play game with Mehlville will be Tuesday, December 27 at 7 p.m.