SILOAM SPRINGS — Siloam Springs girls coach Debbie Sharp remembers the days when the Lady Panthers were looking up at the competition in the Benton County Invitational.
But with Rogers and Bentonville having left the tournament several years ago, the Lady Panthers have emerged as the dominant team with six consecutive tournament championships.
Siloam will try to make it seven straight when it hosts the annual basketball tournament this week.
The tournament — consisting of junior and senior high games — begins Monday and runs through Saturday.
“Since I’ve been there, it’s been one of those traditions for Siloam Springs to be in,” said Sharp, who’s in her 20th year at Lady Panthers coach. “When I first came, we still had the bigger schools, Bentonville and Rogers. Over the years we’ve become the largest. (The tournament is) always a source of pride for the community.
“We use it as a motivational thing. We want to do well and have a chance to win the tournament. Secondly, just about every game in the preseason is one of those games that gets you ready for the second half of the season.”
The Lady Panthers (3-0) are the top seed after opening the season with victories against Shiloh Christian, Gravette and Huntsville.
The Gentry Lady Pioneers, who are off to a 5-0 start under third-year coach Tim Rippy, are seeded second.
Gravette (1-2) is the third seed followed by Pea Ridge (1-2), which has finished tournament runner-up the last three seasons.
Hartford and Decatur round out the field of six high school teams.
Siloam and Gentry won’t play until Thursday night at Panther Arena in the semifinals.
Sharp said she’s seen the Lady Pioneers play several times during the summer and was impressed.
The seedings are voted on by the coaches, and Sharp said she wasn’t surprised Gentry was seeded second.
“Coach Rippy’s done a great job,” Sharp said. “I think Gentry’s improving its program. He’s got them playing relaxed and aggressive. That’s how I saw it and that’s how the vote ended up.
“Pea Ridge has had a really good run but (coach Heather Wade’s team is) really young this year. She’s lost the experienced kids. That was no surprise to Pea Ridge as well.”
The Lady Panthers haven’t played since Tuesday’s 52-42 win at Huntsville.
The break between games won’t be quite as long for the Panthers.
Siloam beat Huntsville 58-55 last week and will host Farmington in a nonconference game this Tuesday. The Panthers will then play their first game in the Benton County Invitational on Thursday against the winner of Monday’s first-round game between Gentry and Decatur.
“There’s a possibility that we’ll have to play three tough games that week,” said first-year Siloam coach Johnny Taylor.
The two-time defending Benton County tournament champion Panthers are seeded second in this year’s tournament behind Pea Ridge (2-1). The Panthers have beaten the Blackhawks in the last two tournament championship games.
Taylor said Pea Ridge got the top spot because of its best player in 6-foot-6 forward Kip Kelly.
“All the coaches’ consensus was (Pea Ridge) had the best player in the tournament,” Taylor said. “I think everybody felt like if Kip Kelly plays to his potential he is one of the top players in the tournament.”
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