Palm Desert High Boys, Girls Basketball Host CIF First Round Games

Palm Desert High School’s boys and girls basketball teams both earned first round home games in the CIF 3A Division playoffs, it was announced Sunday.

The boys team, which took second place in the Desert Valley League, is the no. 7 seed in the tournament. The Aztecs play host to Artesia, the No. 4 team from the Suburban League, Wednesday at 7 p.m. The winner will face either Pacific View League champion and No. 10 seed Rio Mesa or Torrance, an at-large team from the Pioneer League, in the second round on Friday.

Palm Desert’s girls team, which also finished second in the Desert Valley League, is home to No. 14 seed Irvine on Thursday at 7 p.m. Irvine tied for second place in the Pacific Coast League. The winner will most likely face No. 3 seed La Puente Bishop Amat, champions of the Del Rey League, in Saturday’s second round.

Quarterfinal and semifinal games for boys and girls will be held next week, with championship games in all divisions scheduled between March 2-5. Championships in most divisions will be held at the Anaheim Arena, with the only exceptions being the 5AA, 5A, 6AA and 6A games, which will be contested at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana.