Sanford Earns Top Seed in DIAA Girls Basketball Tournament

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Perennial contender Sanford earned the No. 1 seed in the 2026 DIAA Girls Basketball Tournament, which begins on February 24. The Warriors finished the regular season 17-1, with their only loss coming against a Virginia team in December. Defending state champion Caravel earned the final first-round bye as the tournament's eighth seed.

Why it matters

The DIAA Girls Basketball Tournament is a highly anticipated annual event in Delaware, showcasing the state's top high school basketball talent. Sanford's top seed and Caravel's return as the defending champion make this year's tournament particularly compelling, as fans look forward to seeing which team will emerge victorious.

The details

The tournament features a 24-team bracket, with the top 8 seeds receiving first-round byes. In addition to Sanford and Caravel, the other teams with first-round byes are No. 2 Cape Henlopen, No. 3 St. Elizabeth, No. 4 Smyrna, No. 5 St. Georges, No. 6 Padua, and No. 7 Howard. The tournament begins on February 24 with eight first-round games, followed by eight second-round games on February 26. The quarterfinals will be held on February 28 and March 1, with the semifinals on March 6 and the championship game on March 8.

• The tournament begins on February 24 with eight first-round games.
• The tournament continues on February 26 with eight second-round games.
• The quarterfinal games will be held on February 28 and March 1.
• The semifinals will be held on March 6 at the University of Delaware's Carpenter Center.
• The championship game is scheduled for March 8 at the Carpenter Center.

What’s next

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