The Women’s Blue Chip Basketball League will hold its Midwest Regional Tournament on Saturday at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center in East St. Louis.
In the first semifinal game, the St. Louis Surge (7-0) will take on the Missouri Arch Angels (0-8) at noon. It will be followed by the second semifinal between the host Illinois Shooting Stars (4-4) against the Kansas Nuggets (3-4) at 2:30 p.m.
The two winners will meet for the regional championship at 5:30 p.m. and a berth in the WBCBL National Tournament, which will be held at the University of Missouri-St. Louis from August 2-4.
The Kansas Nuggets defeated the Surge for the regional championship last year at UMSL. Both teams advanced to the Nationals in Miami with the Surge finishing second and the Nuggets third.
The Surge enter the tournament with a 7-0 record after their 86-53 victory over the Arch Angels last Saturday in the regular-season finale. The Shooting Stars and Nuggets met on the opening day of the season with the Shooting Stars taking an 80-73 victory.
St. Louis features a balanced scoring attack with four players averaging in double figures, led by Ali Schwagmeyer, Jaleesa Butler (Alton) Shanika Butler (Gateway Tech) and Jasmine Bailey (Normandy). The Shooting Stars are led by former Hazelwood East standout Channon Haywood, who averages more than 20 points a game.
Admission for all three games is $7, but if you bring a school supply, the admission is only $5.
