Regional tourneys next up for 1A-4A

Eight out of 20 area teams in classes 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A advanced to this week’s regional basketball tournaments, the final stage of the season before the state tournaments next week.

The eight area teams still alive in the postseason include six boys’ teams and two girls’ teams. All eight teams will play on Thursday as each regional follows the same schedule.

Regionals will begin on Wednesday with the top seed from each district taking on the fourth seed from the other conference in the region. No area team earned a district title last week at the senior high level.

Seven of the eight teams advancing earned automatic byes and berths into their regionals based off the regular season standings. Five of the seven lost their only games in the district tournaments to earn third seeds at regionals.

The boys’ team for Fountain Lake (23-5, 11-3 3A-4) was one of only two of the seven second-seeded teams to win a game at the district stage. The Cobras defeated rival Jessieville (20-8, 10-4), the No. 3 seed, 44-33, on Wednesday in the 3A-4 district semifinal at Two Rivers in Ola.

A 41-21 loss to top-seeded Booneville (25-2, 14-0) in the district championship game on Thursday made Fountain Lake the conference’s No. 2 seed in this week’s 3A-2 regional at Perryville. The Cobras are matched up in the first round with Glen Rose (13-16, 6-8 3A-5) on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

The Beavers won their firstround game, 54-50, in the 3A-5 district tournament at Episcopal Collegiate in Little Rock over Lisa Academy (0-15, 0-14) before upsetting the No. 4 seed, Jacksonville Lighthouse (12-18, 7-7), 67-63, in the quarterfinals. A 73-58 loss to top-seeded Baptist Prep (26-3,

14-0) dropped Glen Rose to the third-place game, where the Beavers won, 58-55, on the Wildcats’

(12-18, 8-6) home floor.

The winner between Fountain Lake and Glen Rose will advance to meet the winner between host Perryville (16-10, 9-5) and top-ranked Baptist Prep. The Eagles were most recently ranked No. 1 in Class 3A and No. 10 overall in the state.

Jessieville is the 3A-4’s No.

3 seed and is matched up in the first round on Thursday with the 3A-5’s No. 2 seed, Mayflower

(19-8, 10-4). Baptist Prep topped Mayflower, 70-52, in the district final on Friday. Booneville and Episcopal are matched up on Jessieville’s side of the bracket.

Top seeds will potentially have an extra day’s rest before the semifinals on Friday. The regional third-place games are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Saturday with the finals at 7:30 p.m. that night.

Centerpoint (12-10, 9-3) is the No. 3 seed from the 3A-7. The Knights are matched up in the first round of the 3A-4 regional tournament in Prescott with McGehee (11-11, 7-7), the second seed from the 3A-8. Their game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.

The Owls won their first two games in the 3A-8 district tournament at Drew County in Monticello, including a 65-64 upset of top-seeded Helena-West Helena

(19-4, 13-1). They lost, 60-55, to the host Pirates in the final on Friday.

Centerpoint or McGehee will advance to play on Friday at 5:30 p.m. against the 3A-7’s top seed, Ashdown (22-1, 12-0), or the

3A-8’s fourth seed, Smackover

(6-14, 5-7).

The Lady Knights (12-10, 9-3) are also the 3A-7’s third seed in their bracket. They will meet Dumas (17-7, 12-2) on Thursday at 4 p.m.

The Class 3A state tournament will be played next week at Osceola in northeast Arkansas.

The boys’ team for Cutter Morning Star (16-9, 10-4 2A-5 South) was the only other area team to earn an automatic berth into regional and win a game at the district stage. The Eagles defeated third seed Bigelow (1910, 9-5), 53-40, after the Panthers defeated them, 67-45, earlier in the season.

Cutter Morning Star lost, 6947, in the final on Friday in Carlisle to top-seeded England (23-5,

13-1) to earn the conference’s No.

2 seed. The Eagles will play at

8:30 p.m. on Thursday at Quitman against the 2A-5 North’s No.

3 seed, Pangburn (18-15, 10-4), in the first round of the 2A-5 Central regional tournament. The Tigers were the third seed in the

2A-5 North district tournament and lost to the second seed, Quitman (23-6, 11-3), in the semifinals.

The winner between Cutter Morning Star and Pangburn will advance to the semifinals on Friday at 8:30 p.m. to take on Quitman or Maumelle Charter (18-15,

8-6), the 2A-5 South’s fourth seed. Quitman upset top-seeded White County Central (28-7, 14-0), 56-55, in the 2A-5 North district final on Saturday.

Mount Ida (16-10, 10-4 2A-7) is scheduled for a 7 p.m. game on Thursday in the first round of the

2A-South regional girls’ tournament against host Junction City

(16-4, 15-1). The Lady Dragons earned the top seed at district but fell, 62-51, in the championship game on Friday to second-seeded Spring Hill (20-4, 14-2). The winner will meet Cossatot River (249, 13-1 2A-7) or Parkers Chapel

(14-16, 7-9 2A-8) in the semifinals on Friday at 7 p.m.

Carlisle will host the Class 2A state tournament next week.

Mountain Pine’s boys (17-13,

12-4) earned the No. 2 seed at the 1A-7 district tournament at

Kirby, but the Red Devils are the conference No. 3 seed at the 1A-4 regional tournament this week at Bradley. They will meet Dermott

(30-4, 12-0) on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

The Red Devils lost their only game at the district tournament,

66-63, to third-seeded Ouachita

(25-11, 12-4). Dermott had not lost since Nov. 6 until losing, 67-57, in the 1A-8 district final on Saturday to Nevada (27-4, 10-2).

Kirby (31-5, 16-0 1A-7) and Strong (7-17, 5-7 1A-8) are matched up in the first round on Wednesday on the same side of the bracket. The winner will meet in the first semifinal on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

Izard County will host the Class 1A state tournament in Brockwell in north central Arkansas.

Arkadelphia (11-9, 8-4) earned the boys’ No. 3 seed from the 4A-7 conference with a 64-61 overtime win on Saturday in the third-place game at the district tournament in Mena against the host Bearcats

(19-8, 10-2). The 4A-South regional tournament will return to Mena this week where the Badgers will take on Camden Fairview (12-11,

8-4), the 4A-8’s second seed, on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Mena and Arkadelphia entered the 4A-7 district tournament as the top two seeds, but they lost in the semifinals to Nashville

(11-9, 6-6) and Bauxite (16-12, 7-5), respectively. Thursday’s winner will advance to the semifinals on Friday at 5:30 p.m. to meet Nashville or the 4A-8 fourth seed Star City (14-11, 6-6).

The Class 4A state tournament will be held at Magnolia.

Regular season play in Class

5A and Class 6A will conclude this week. Lake Hamilton will host the 5A state tournament next week in Pearcy and Bentonville West will host 6A.