A 6-1 record in the first semester earned the Warrenton girls basketball team the No. 1 seed in this week’s Warrenton Winter Shootout.

Warrenton won five straight games after losing to Fort Zumwalt North, 47-45, Dec. 1.

The top-seeded Warriors will face No. 8 Francis Howell North, Monday at 4 p.m.

Howell North is 2-8 on the year, which includes a seven-game losing streak in December.

The Knights are led by sophomore guard Gabby Delarue, who leads the team with 11.3 points per game.

The winner of Monday’s contest will play No. 4 Mexico or No. 5 Moberly in Wednesday’s semifinals.

“I think some of the teams from last year lost a few players,” Warrenton’s Jenny Jansen said,  “so that probably helped us get the No. 1 seed.”

If the bracket plays true to form, Warrenton will face No. 2 Francis Howell Central Friday at 8:30 p.m. in the championship.

“They’re really good,” Warrenton Head Coach Greg Williams said. “They’ve beaten some really good teams and they’re a Class 5 school.”

Howell Central’s Yani Curry leads her team with 9.8 points per game, and has caught the attention of Williams.

“They have a potential all-stater and college-level player in No. 12 (Curry), and obviously she’ll be one of the better players in the tournament,” Williams said. “If we get to that matchup, it will be really exciting.”

Last season, Warrenton escaped a defensive struggle against Duchesne in the championship game, 40-35, to win the program’s first Winter Shootout title.

Duchesne returns to the tournament as the No. 7 seed, and will face Howell Central in the first round.

“It’s good to know that we’re the highest seed going into the tournament, and we’ll have to defend that No. 1 seed,” Jansen said.