The 2026 Illinois High School Association Girls Basketball Regional Championship gets underway Thursday night in Illinois. Four other local teams – Illini Bluffs, Elmwood, Bureau Valley and Metamora – will compete in the district tournament on Friday.
Here are the nine Peoria-area teams so far that have won district titles and advanced to next week’s conference semifinals.
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Class 1A
havana
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How they win: Host Havana defeated West Prairie 56-26 on Thursday to claim back-to-back district titles for the first time in a decade. The Ducks are looking for the program’s first conference title since 2023.
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What’s next: Havana (24-6) takes on the Elmwood district champions in the Bushnell-Prairie City sectional semifinals Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
Abingdon-Avon
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How they win: Abingdon defeated Brimfield 48-31 on Thursday to capture the district title, winning three consecutive district titles for the first time in co-op history. The Tornadoes, who reached the Elite Eight last season, defeated Brimfield for the second time this season.
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What’s next: Abingdon-Avon (26-5) faces Sterling Brown County (28-3) in the Bushnell-Prairie City sectional semifinal Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Deer Creek-Mackinac
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How they win: Top-seeded and No. 1 Deer Creek-Mackinac defeated Heart of Illinois Conference rival Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley 57-44 in the Armstrong Regional Tournament on Thursday. Dalia DeJesus scored 27 points for the Chiefs, and Jaylin Nalley added 11 points. Dee-Mack is a member of the division for the fourth consecutive season.
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What’s next: Dee-Mack (29-3) faces Roanoke-Benson (23-8) in the Gilman Iroquois West Region semifinals Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Roanoke-Benson
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How they win: Roanoke-Benson defeated host Clifton Central 49-25 on Thursday to win back-to-back regional titles for the first time in program history. Bri Harms scored 25 points to lead the Rockets to their sixth straight win and into the third division.
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What’s next: Roanoke-Benson (23-8) vs. DeMarco (29-3) in Gilman-Iroquois West Region semifinal Tuesday at 6 p.m.
wethersfield
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How they win: Wethersfield defeated second-seeded Pecatonica 36-32 on Thursday in the Fulton Regional Tournament. The Wild Geese won back-to-back district titles for the first time in seven years and are looking to end a 20-year drought without a district title.
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What’s next: Wethersfield (22-9) faces Lanark Eastland (27-6) in the Lanark Eastland division semifinals Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Midland
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How they win: Top-seeded Midland ended its 27-year run at the regional title with a 52-45 victory over Yorkville Christian in the Serena regional final on Thursday. The Timberwolves went on to set the program’s single-season wins record and enter the divisional round on a 12-game winning streak.
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What’s next: Midland (25-7) faces Aurora Christian (12-15) in the Shabonne Indian River Sectional semifinals Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Class 3A
washington
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How they win: Top-ranked Washington defeated host Dunlap 61-33 to defeat its Central Illini Conference foe. The Panthers, who will advance to the conference round for the fifth straight season, had Avery Tibbs score 17 points and Dani Guedet 14 points in their third win over the Eagles this season. Keila Haywood scored a game-high 18 points to lead Dunlap (19-13).
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What’s next: Washington (30-2) vs. Ottawa (20-9), Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., Galesburg sectional semifinal.
galesburg
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How they win: Second-seeded Galesburg defeated third-seeded Morton 35-19 on Thursday in a closely contested regular-season rematch to capture the East Peoria regional championship. The Silver Streaks hope to win the program’s first conference title since 2011.
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What’s next: Galesburg (27-4) takes on the Metamora district champions in the Galesburg sectional semifinals Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Class 4A
Rich Woods
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How they win: Top-seeded Richwoods defeated pesky Rock Island on Thursday to win the East Moline Union Township regional tournament 52-48. The Knights won their first district title since 2020 and are looking to capture the program’s first sectional title since winning the Class 3A state title in 2018.
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What’s next: Rich Woods (23-4) vs. Moline (25-7) Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. Rich Woods sectional semifinal.
Adam Duvall is a sports reporter for the Journal Star. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared in the Journal Star: IHSA girls basketball: 2026 district scores, conference teams from Peoria
