The Warrenton girls basketball team is looking for a better result as it returns to the Washington Tournament next week.

The Warriors earned the No. 3 seed and will face No. 6 Holt Monday at 7 p.m.

Last season Warrenton lost to Pacific in the first round before winning its final two games to capture the consolation title.

Holt (3-7) is led by junior guard Nicole Griesenauer, who averages 10.4 points per game.

The Indians lost junior guard Michon Forrest (8 ppg) for the season after she tore her ACL in the Troy Tournament in November.

“She was one of their big scorers, and missing her has kind of put them in a tailspin,” Warrenton Head Coach Greg Williams said. “They’re trying to figure out their team right now.”

A win over Holt would likely mean a meeting with No. 2 Washington in the semifinals.

The only blemish on the Blue Jays’ record was a 60-55 loss to top-seeded Pacific last month.

“That game kind of determined how they voted for seeds in this tournament,” Williams said. “Washington is one of the better teams in the area, and they have been that way for a while. They have a lot of good players and they can really shoot the ball. They’re kind of finding themselves too. But now they’re starting to put it together.”

Coming off a Warrenton Winter Shootout championship over Francis Howell Central, Williams hopes his team can play more games against bigger schools like Washington and Pacific as it prepares for the Class 4 playoffs.

“I want those games against Washington and Pacific to see where we are at. Those teams play hard and compete, and it should be exciting,” he said. “And especially this year with our conference being weak, we want to play these big games.”

Aside from a pair of games against Clopton and St. Charles next month, the Washington Tournament could be Warrenton’s last shot against top-tier competition before the postseason.

Williams hopes his team gets the opportunity to prove itself next week.

Coming up with hardware wouldn’t hurt, either.

“We’re going to take what we can get,” he said. “But do I see us as a threat to win it? Yeah, I do.”