This week’s conference tournament action includes key games that will help determine state playoff bids, including if Macy Rummage and her Bandys High teammates keep the No. 2 bid from the South Fork 2A. The Trojans tied Lincolnton for second place in the regular season, and they’re vying for their 45th postseason appearance in 49 years./MICHELLE THOMPSON PHOTO
By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
The conference basketball tournaments in the South Fork 2A, Northwestern Foothills 2A and Northwestern 3A-4A each begin on Tuesday, and official pairings were finalized on Saturday by each league.
The top seeds in the girls’ tournaments are Newton-Conover in the South Fork 2A, East Burke in the Northwestern Foothills 2A and Freedom in the Northwestern 3A-4A (they also each own the league’s top postseason bid).
In the boys’ tournaments, the top seeds are East Lincoln in the South Fork 2A, Draughn in the Northwestern Foothills 2A and Freedom in the Northwestern 3A-4A (they also each own the league’s top postseason bid).
First-round games in all of the tournaments are at higher seeds on Tuesday before the South Fork 2A moves to Lincolnton, the Northwestern Foothills 2A shifts to East Burke and the Northwestern 3A-4A moves to Hickory for the semifinal and championship rounds.
Each conference also has a second automatic bid that remains in play until all teams seeded below No. 2 are ousted from the tournaments.
If a team seeded lower than No. 3 wins the conference tournament, it moves up to the No. 2 slot and the team previously at No. 2 would still get into the postseason if its record, etc., is good enough to emerge from an at-large pool(s) trying to gain bids.
Records, conference finish and a MaxPreps rating are now used in the pairings process by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA).
Some ties for state bids not yet broken
There were ties for second place in South Fork 2A girls (Bandys-Lincolnton), the Northwestern Foothills 2A girls (Bunker Hill-Patton) and the Northwestern 3A-4A (Hickory, McDowell, Watauga).
Since none of those ties could be broken by pure head-to-head records, conference tournament results will play a role in determining the No. 2 postseason bid and, based on that, could come down to a special playoff game to break the tie.
If tied teams meet anywhere in the conference tournament, that game would break the tie. If one gets to the final, there would be no time to play a special game. But if one loses in the first round and the other in a semifinal, there would be time to play the added tiebreaker.
By NCHSAA rules, two teams tied must play a special playoff game unless they mutually agree to break the tie by other means.
In the South Fork 2A, Bandys and Lincolnton tied for second and split their regular season games. Bandys got the No. 2 league seed because it also beat the Wolves in a Christmas holiday game …however, that third game, the NCHSAA said, is not a factor in seeding for the state playoff bid.
If the Trojans and Wolves win on Tuesday, they play Thursday in a semifinal (6 p.m.) at Lincolnton that would break the tie.
The Northwestern 3A-4A tie for second forced a draw (Hickory 2, McDowell 3, Watauga 4) and league tournament results will play a role as the conference tries to work out the tiebreaker.
The Bunker Hill and Hibriten boys tied for second in the Northwestern Foothills 2A, but that tie is already broken for the No. 2 postseason bid because Bunker Hill swept Hibriten in the regular season.
OFFICIAL CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT BRACKETS
(as released Saturday by each conference)
SOUTH FORK 2A
GIRLS
Tuesdays’ first round
No. 8 W. Lincoln (5-19) at No. 1 Newton-Conover (20-4), 6 p.m.
No. 5 N. Lincoln (13-9) at No. 4 Maiden (8-16), 6 p.m.
No. 7 Lake Norman Charter (8-13) at No. 2 Bandys (14-7), 7 p.m.
No. 6 E. Lincoln (7-16) at No. 3 Lincolnton (11-10), 7 p.m.
Wednesday’s semifinals at Lincolnton
N-C-W. Lincoln winner vs. N. Lincoln-Maiden winner, 6 p.m.
Thursday’s semifinals at Lincolnton
LN Charter-Bandys winner vs. E. Lincoln-Lincolnton winner, 6 p.m.
Friday’s championship at Lincolnton
Semifinals winners, 6 p.m.
BOYS
Tuesdays’ first round
No. 8 W. Lincoln (0-23) at No. 1 E. Lincoln (22-2), 7 p.m.
No. 5 Lincolnton (9-13) at No. 4 Lake Norman Charter (10-11), 7 p.m.
No. 7 N. Lincoln (8-14) at No. 2 Maiden (21-3), 7:30 p.m.
N. 6 Bandys (10-11) at No. 3 Newton-Conover (14-10), 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday’s semifinals at Lincolnton
W. Lincoln-E. Lincoln winner vs. LN Charter-Lincolnton winner, 8 p.m.
Thursday’s semifinals at Lincolnton
Maiden-N. Lincoln winner vs. Bandys-N-C winner, 8 p.m.
Friday’s championship at Lincolnton
Semifinals winners, 8 p.m.
NORTHWESTERN FOOTHILLS 2A
GIRLS
Tuesday’s first round
No. 5 W. Iredell (8-15) at No. 4 Fred T. Foard (11-13), 6:30 p.m.
No. 7 Hibriten (6-17) at No. 2 Patton (17-7), 6 p.m.
No. 6 Draughn (7-17) at No. 3 Bunker Hill (17-7), 6 p.m.
Thursday’s semifinals at E. Burke
Patton-Hibriten winner vs. Draughn-Bunker Hill winner, 4 p.m.
W. Iredell-Foard winner vs. No. 1 E. Burke (19-5), 7 p.m.
Friday’s championship at E. Burke
Semifinals winners, 6:30 p.m.
BOYS
Tuesday’s first round
No. 5 E. Burke (6-18) at No. 4 Patton (13-11), 7:30 p.m.
No. 7 W. Iredell (3-21) at No. 2 Bunker Hill (15-9), 7:30 p.m.
No. 6 Fred T. Foard (6-18) at No. 3 Hibriten (18-4), 6:30 p.m.
Thursday’s semifinals at E. Burke
Bunker Hill-W. Iredell winner vs. Foard-Hibriten winner, 5:30 p.m.
E. Burke-Patton winner vs. No. 1 Draughn (19-5), 8:30 p.m.
Friday’s championship at E. Burke
Semifinals winners, 8:30 p.m.
NORTHWESTERN 3A-4A
GIRLS
Monday’s first round
No. 5 S. Caldwell (8-15) at No. 4 Watauga (15-8), 6 p.m.
Tuesdays’ first round
No. 8 Alexander Central (2-22) at No. 1 Freedom (23-1), 6 p.m.
No. 7 St. Stephens (5-18) at No. 2 Hickory (15-6), 6 p.m.
No. 6 W. Caldwell (7-16) at No. 3 McDowell (15-8), 6 p.m.
Thursday’s semifinals at Hickory
Alexander Central-Freedom winner vs. S. Caldwell-Watauga winner, 4 p.m.
St. Stephens-Hickory winner vs. McDowell-W. Caldwell winner, 30 minutes after completion of first game
Friday’s championship at Hickory
Semifinals winners, 6:30 p.m.
BOYS
Monday’s first round
No. 5 St. Stephens (9-14) at No. 4 Watauga (12-11), 7:30 p.m.
Tuesdays’ first round
No. 8 S. Caldwell (1-22) at No. 1 Freedom (23-1), 7:30 p.m.
No. 7 W. Caldwell (4-19) at No. 2 Hickory (19-4), 7:30 p.m.
No. 6 McDowell (10-14) at No. 3 Alexander Central (16-8), 6 p.m.
Thursday’s semifinals at Hickory
S. Caldwell-Freedom winner vs. St. Stephens-Watauga winner, after completion of girls’ second game
W. Caldwell-Hickory winner vs. McDowell-Alexander Central winner, after completion of first boys’ semifinal
Friday’s championship at Hickory
Semifinals winners, 8:30 p.m.
