Aquinas, Arcadia, Bangor Melrose-Mindoro open state tourney

The WIAA high school girls basketball state tournament gets underway today in Green Bay.

Four teams from the Coulee Region are playing, including back-to-back Division 4 state champion Aquinas.

The No. 1-ranked Blugolds have beaten third-ranked Melrose-Mindoro the past two state title games.

That could likely be the matchup again on Saturday.

The Blugolds (23-3), who have now been to four consecutive state tournaments, will, first, have to get by 10th-ranked Crandon (21-4).

Before becoming a WIAA member, Aquinas won back-to-back WISAA Division 2 championships in 1996 and 1997 and finished runner-up in Class A in 1985 and 1989.

Aquinas-Crandon begins at 6:35 p.m. Right after, Mel.-Min. (25-1) takes on fourth-ranked Mischicot (23-3).

In Division 3, Arcadia makes its first trip back to state since 1998. The Raiders (23-3) play at 1:35 p.m. today against top-ranked Platteville (25-0).

In Division 5, third-ranked Bangor (25-1) takes on No. 2-ranked Clear Lake (26-0), following the 9:05 a.m. opener.

This is the third trip in the past four seasons to state for the Cardinals, who last won a state title in 2018.