The MIAA released its pairings for the 2019 boys and girls basketball tournaments Friday afternoon, and a number of area teams are in the hunt for state championships. Lynn will sport eight teams between the boys and the girls, including a pair of No. 1 seeds.
One of those No. 1 seeds will be in Division 1 North, where the English boys basketball team went 18-2 on the year to earn a first-round bye.
The Bulldogs will play the winner of No. 8 Lawrence vs. No. 9 Lexington in the quarterfinals on March 1.
Also representing Lynn in Division 1 is No. 7 Classical, who went 14-6 in the regular season. The Rams take on No. 10 Medford (13-7) at home on Tuesday.
St. John’s Prep also made the cut in Division 1, getting in as the No. 15 seed with a record of 10-10. The Eagles will have a tough test against No. 2 Lowell (19-3) Tuesday.
The other No. 1 seed comes in Division 3 North, where the St. Mary’s boys went 20-2. The structure of the Division 3 bracket means the Spartans don’t get a first-round bye, and they will take on No. 16 Saugus (4-16) at home on Tuesday.
Swampscott got into the Division 3 field as well with a 9-11 record, good enough for the No. 13 seed. The Big Blue will go up against No. 5 Newburyport (17-3) Monday.
Also on the boys side, the KIPP Academy Panthers earned the No. 2 seed in Division 4 North with a record of 15-5. After a bye in the first round, KIPP will face the winner of No. 7 Snowden vs. No. 10 Bishop Fenwick (11-9) on Thursday.
The Crusaders will go up against Snowden Monday at Madison Park.
Winthrop (6-14) also made it into the Division 4 field with a No. 12 seed. The Vikings go up against No. 5 Maimonides (10-4) Wednesday.
In Division 2 North, the Salem boys (14-5) earned a No. 3 seed and will face No. 14 Malden Catholic (9-11) Tuesday. Gloucester, Beverly and Danvers also made it into the Division 2 field.
On the girls side, Peabody went 19-1 and earned the No. 2 seed in Division 1 North.
Peabody will play No. 15 Chelmsford in the quarterfinals Tuesday night (7).
Revere (11-9) earned the No. 12 seed in Division 1 North, while English (10-9) earned the No. 13 seed. The Patriots play No. 5 Reading Monday night (7), while the Bulldogs take on No. 4 Andover (7:30).
Beverly (10-10) also made its way into the Division 1 North field at No. 16, and the Panthers will play No. 17 Everett for the chance to take on No. 1 Belmont in the quarterfinals.
In Division 3 North, St. Mary’s earned the No. 4 seed with a 14-6 record. The Spartans will have a bye in the first round and then face the winner of No. 5 Shawsheen vs. No. 12 Watertown in the quarterfinals on March 1 (7).
Lynnfield (12-8) earned the No. 6 seed in Division 3 North, while Bishop Fenwick (11-9) earned the No. 8 seed. The Pioneers will host No. 11 Charlestown Wednesday night (7), while Fenwick will play No. 9 Austin Prep at St. John’s Prep Tuesday (5).
In Division 4 North, the KIPP girls (10-10) snuck in with the No. 10 seed. The Panthers will face No. 7 Minuteman Tuesday night (7).
In Division 2 North, Swampscott, Saugus, Classical, Marblehead and Danvers all made it into the field. The Big Blue earned the No. 4 seed after going 15-5 earning a first-round bye. Swampscott will play No. 5 North Reading in the quarterfinals Wednesday night (7). Saugus came in at No. 7 after going 13-7 this year, and the Sachems will face No. 10 Marblehead (10-10) in the first round Monday night (7). Classical (11-9) earned the No. 9 seed and will play No. 8 Wilmington in the first round Monday night (7).