Rockville looking to make a little noise

Fledgling county teams Northwood and Clarksburg are also looking to make their mark in the region.

‘‘Our girls are more experienced now,” Rockville coach Mark Crichton said. ‘‘They’ve learned how to finish games, how to win games, how to play with a lead. I’m looking for us to do pretty well.”

Rockville will host Liberty (4-11) in the first round of the tournament. The two played in the opening round last year, with the Rams prevailing, 31-20.

Rockville has progressed in each of the last four years, tacking on more wins each season. Though still young, with several junior starters, the Rams have now spent three years settling into their roles. A guard-oriented bunch, they rely on their speed to counter opponents’ strengths.

Senior guard Anna Schmidt controls the backcourt for Rockville. She averages 7.1 points, 3.7 steals and 3 assists per game. The Rams have several scoring options in junior guards Shaday Doyley (8.2 points) and Raven Gilmer (8.0 points) and senior forward Mary Gorman (6.4 points, 6.1 rebounds).

Liberty relies heavily on big numbers from Alex Mercer. She leads the team in both points (9.6) and rebounds (7.6).

‘‘I think our situational knowledge is much better,” Crichton said. ‘‘They know how to execute better and how to handle the ball better.”

If the Rams can get out of the first round, they’ll face Century. Point guard Katie Schwarzmann is the sparkplug of the Knights’ offense. She dishes out 6.2 assists per game and has a number of scorers to look for, including Stef McLallen (10.3 ppg) and Julie Niblock (9.1 ppg. 7.3 rebounds).

North Hagerstown, led by Cara Thompson (10.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.5 assists) and Kirkston Mitchell (11.0 ppg) and Francis Scott Key (6-8), led by Allyson Lethbridge (14.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg and 3.9 apg) also linger in Rockville’s bottom half of the draw.

Both Clarksburg, in the same half of the draw as Rockville, and Northwood are at a slight disadvantage from the start. Neither team has any seniors on the roster. Lack of experience in the high-pressure situations that arise in the tournament is likely to be a factor.

Northwood (1-7) will play the No. 4-seeded Middletown (11-4), the only seed not given a bye, in the first round. The Gladiators have struggled to adjust to the rigors of varsity basketball, with a Dec. 12 win over Wheaton their only victory of the year.

Junior Michelle Hutson leads the team with 4.8 points a game and sophomore Flora Amayo adds 4.2. Strong defense is crucial for Northwood, which only averages 22 points per game. The Gladiators need to be able to keep their opponent within striking range.

‘‘The girls certainly have the capability to win,” Northwood coach Reggie Blackmon said. ‘‘We’re learning how to play the game, learning how to score. Hopefully that’ll translate.”

Clarksburg (6-12) seems to be peaking at the right time. The Coyotes have won three of their last four contests and are hoping that translates into the program’s first-ever postseason win. They’ll rely on solid performances from sophomore guards Turquoia Johnson (9.4 ppg) and Page Harris (8.4 ppg) and freshman forward Nicole Cunningham (9.2 ppg).

2A West GirlsBasketball Playoffs

Contenders: Walkersville (20-0), North Hagerstown (18-2), Century (13-6)

Darkhorses: Rockville (9-9), Middletown (15-5)

Players to watch: Shaday Doyley (Rockville, Jr., 8.2 ppg), Raven Gilmer (Rockville, Jr., 8.0 ppg), Olivia Farjado (Winters Mill, 14.2 ppg), Kelsey Franklin (South Caroll, Jr., 11.7 ppg), Colleen McCarrick (Middletown, Jr., 13.2 ppg), Jen Peters (Winters Mill, 13.5 ppg), Samantha Schanuel (Walkersville, Sr., 12.0 ppg), April Sparkman (Walkersville, Sr., 17.7 ppg)