SILOAM SPRINGS — Some things can’t be simulated. Speed, athleticism and pressure are just three, and the Siloam Springs Panthers got a big dose of all three last week in suffering their first loss against the Tulsa Northeast Oklahoma Association of Homeschools.
Siloam Springs boys basketball coach Tim Stewart is hoping that experience will help the Panthers down the road this season.
Schedule
Siloam Springs Holiday Invitational
At Panther Activity Center
Girls
Thursday
Game 1: Gentry vs. Tahlequah, Okla., 11 a.m.
Game 2: Prairie Grove vs. McAlester, Okla., 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: Conway vs. Shiloh Christian, 4 p.m.
Game 4: Siloam Springs vs. Wagoner, Okla., 6:30 p.m.
Boys
Thursday
Game 1: Shiloh Christian vs. Gentry, 12:15 p.m.
Game 2: Tahlequah, Okla. vs. Prairie Grove, 2:45 p.m.
Game 3: Greenwood vs. Wagoner, Okla., 5:15 p.m.
Game 4: Siloam Springs vs. McAlester, Okla., 7:45 p.m.
“There’s certain things you can’t learn in practice,” Stewart said. “The pressures that you face gametime, you can’t simulate it, no matter how hard you make it. “You’ve got to learn it by going through the trenches. (Last week against Tulsa NOAH) was a good test that we didn’t pass.”
Before the Panthers dive into conference play on Jan. 4 against Springdale Har-Ber, they will have a chance to get a few more games this week when they host the third annual Siloam Springs Holiday Invitational at Panther Activity Center.
The tournament, which begins Thursday, features eight boys teams and eight girls teams. The Panthers have advanced to the finals of the tournament each of the last two years.
It’s the first year for the girls tournament to include a championship bracket. The past two years the format has been round robin.
Other schools participating in the tournament are Gentry, Prairie Grove, Shiloh Christian, Greenwood (boys), Conway (girls) and Oklahoma schools Tahlequah, McAlester and Wagoner.
“I’m looking forward to it,” said Siloam Springs girls coach Brett Sanders said. “We need some games. The good thing about it is it’s at home. So if we need to work on something after the first day, we can have the time to go work on it.”