Tipton (25-5)
Coach: Jason Culpepper (176-51 overall, 176-51 at Tipton).
Final Regular Season Ranking: Receiving votes.
Team Notes: The Lady Cardinals have scored 70 or more points in 15 games this season, including reaching 100 in a 59-point win against Lincoln to open District 7 Tournament play. Tipton is averaging 68.9 points per contest, while allowing 39.9. This is the Lady Cardinals' third straight year in the state playoffs. Tipton lost to Skyline in the sectional round last season. In 2018, Tipton fell to eventual runner-up Mid-Buchanan in the quarterfinals. Tipton senior guard Abby Backes is a two-time all-state selection by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association. She has signed to play next season at Columbia College. The Lady Cardinals opened the season with six straight wins, including a 76-4 victory against Northwest: Hughesville, before falling 54-24 to Class 2 third-ranked Skyline. After winning its next four, Tipton was edged 60-59 by Class 2 No. 7 Wellington-Napoleon in the title game of the Lafayette County Tournament. Tipton's other losses were to Class 4 Bolivar (63-59), to Class 1 state finalist Walnut Grove (68-55) and Mid-Buchanan (59-55).
Blue Eye (27-4)
Coach: Ken Elfrink (405-189 overall, 405-189 at Blue Eye).
Final Regular Season Ranking: No. 5.
Team Notes: This is Blue Eye's first trip to the Final Four. The Lady Bulldogs have won three consecutive district titles, losing to third-place Hartville in the sectionals last season after falling to Skyline in the quarterfinals in 2018. Blue Eye has won 20 or more games for four straight seasons. The Lady Bulldogs are scoring 58.9 points per game, while allowing 41.8 to their opponents. Senior guard Kohnnar Patton was named to the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association's all-state team in 2018 and 2019. The Evangel signee is averaging 21.4 points per game this season. The Lady Bulldogs defeated College Heights Christian 46-40 in the sectionals before topping Mansfield 60-46 in the quarterfinals. Blue Eye is the defending Class 1 girls state track and field champion. It was the first state championship by any program in school history. Last fall, Blue Eye followed that title with a second by capturing the Class 1 crown in cross country. Riley Arnold and Avery Arnold, sophomore twins, finished 1-2 as individuals at state. The Arnolds also finished in the top two spots in cross country at state as freshmen. Both are averaging in double figures as starters on the basketball team. Blue Eye is in Stone County, about 80 miles south of Springfield near the Arkansas border.
East Buchanan (27-3)
Coach: Cori Elms (323-195 overall, 146-120 at East Buchanan).
Final Regular Season Ranking: No. 2.
Team Notes: It's been a remarkable turnaround season for East Buchanan. The team was 7-17 last season, the seventh time in the last 12 years it had finished with an under .500 record. The Bulldogs bring a 17-game winning streak into the Final Four. East Buchanan's last loss came Jan. 23, a 54-45 decision to Chillicothe. The Bulldogs' other losses were a 48-36 decision to St. Pius X: Kansas City on Dec. 5 and a 36-34 decision to Maryville in the title game of the Bishop LeBlond Holiday Tournament on Dec. 30 in St. Joseph. East Buchanan is averaging 53.8 points per game and giving up 34.5. Gracie Kelsey, a 6-foot-1 freshman, leads three Bulldogs scoring in double figures at 15.3 points per game. Lillian Schilling, a 5-10 junior, is next at 11 points, while 5-8 senior Addisyn Ishmael is totaling 10.6. Kelsey is pulling down 7.7 rebounds per game, followed by Schilling at 5.4 and Ishmael at 4.0. East Buchanan handed Wellington-Napoleon its lone loss of the season, winning 54-46 in the sectionals. The Bulldogs beat Miller 51-41 in the quarterfinals. ... East Buchanan High School is in Gower, about 40 miles north of Kansas City.
Oran (25-5)
Coach: Larry Boshell (79-42 overall, 79-42 at Oran).
Final Regular Season Ranking: No. 8.
Team Notes: Oran is the lone team in this year's Final Four that has advanced this far in program history as the Eagles finished fourth in 2017. Last year, Oran lost to eventual state champion Thayer in the quarterfinals after losing to state champion Neelyville in the quarterfinals in 2018. The Eagles are totaling 59.5 points per game and allowing an average of 35.6. Katie Webb, a 6-foot-1 junior, tops Oran in scoring at 15.4 points per game and rebounding at 7.8 boards. Kaylee Payne, a 5-7 senior, is the other Eagle scoring in double figures at 14.6. Oran had a three-game losing streak this season, falling to Cape Girardeau Notre Dame (53-38) and Saxony Lutheran (63-50) in the First State Bank Christmas Classic in Cape Girardeau. After the holiday break, Oran opened with another loss to Cape Notre Dame (53-38). Oran's other losses were Feb. 13 to at Poplar Bluff (56-37) and Feb. 19 at Dexter (53-52). One of Oran's victories this season was a 65-1 decision against Puxico. The Eagles scored a season-high 97 points in a sectional win against Crystal City, then edged Thayer 41-40 in the quarterfinals to advance to the Final Four. Oran is located about 20 miles south of Cape Girardeau.