Despite a 45-42 overtime loss to Fayetteville Ramay on Thursday, the Fayetteville Woodland boys are still in the driver’s seat to claim the No. 1 seed from the Northwest Arkansas Conference to the junior high regional basketball tournament.
The Ramay Lady Indians (15-1) can claim the girls top seed and the outright conference championship with a win this week after they picked up two key wins last week.
Woodland (13-3) and Ramay (13-3) are tied for the boys conference lead, but the Cowboys, thanks to a 51-28 win over the Indians earlier in the season, own the tiebreaker should the two teams finish tied.
Springdale George (11-5) has also qualified for the regional, while Springdale Central (9-7), Bentonville Black (8-8) and Rogers High (8-8) are all battling for the fourth and final spot. Woodland travels to George on Monday before hosting Black on Thursday. Ramay is at home against Rogers on Monday, and at Heritage on Thursday.
The regional tournament begins Feb. 20 at Fort Smith Chaffin.
“If we win out, we would be the conference champions, and the No. 1 seed,” Cowboys coach Jeff Boogaart said. “To do that will be very challenging. We go to George, which is the only team that has beaten us at home this year. Then, we close the season hosting Black, which is possibly the most athletic team in the conference.”
The Indians have won 13 straight games since that loss to Woodland.
“Two wins guarantees us at least a share of the conference championship,” Ramay coach Jordan Rose said. “Every team hopes to be playing their best basketball at the end of the season. We still have a lot to play for in the big picture, but I feel like we are starting to peak at the right time of the year.”
Ramay girls coach Liz Caudle said the Lady Indians must continue to improve heading into the regional tournament. The Lady Indians will most likely play Van Buren in the first round. Fort Smith Chaffin, Greenwood and Fort Smith Kimmons have already qualified from the River Valley Conference.
“We have to continue to stay focused next week during our last week of conference,” Caudle said. “We have talked all year about taking it one game at a time. The next game is the most important game. Our kids are hungry, which is huge at this time of year. We must continue to defend and rebound the basketball.”
George stayed in third place in the boys standings with a 46-42 win at Siloam Springs. Jefferson Gideon scored 16 of his 21 points in the final period as the Wranglers used a 27-point fourth period to get the win.
“We have to get better at playing four quarters of good basketball,” Wranglers coach Jeremy Price said. “If that happens, we are capable of being a dangerous matchup for anyone.”
Central stayed in the boys regional race with a 41-25 victory against Southwest Thursday. Central made all 12 free throws in the second half against Southwest, including 6-of-6 by Mason Collins. Kyle Mahar had 15 points and eight rebounds for Central while Brandon Still added eight points and five rebounds.
“Great performance by everyone,” Central boys coach Van Stewman said. “We are in fourth place. Black and Rogers are one game behind us. If we can win out against Gold and Siloam, we will go to regionals. If we lose one or more, it will depend on what the others do.”
Fort Smith Kimmons and Fort Smith Darby have both earned spots to the boys regional. Alma has the inside track for the third spot while Fort Smith Ramsey and Van Buren are battling for the fourth spot.
Northwest Arkansas Conference Standings
Girls
Team Conf. Record
W - L
Fayetteville Ramay 15-1
Springdale George 13-3
Fayetteville Woodland 12-4
Bentonville Gold 11-5
Springdale Central 7-9
Springdale Southwest 7-9
Rogers High 6-10
Siloam Springs 5-11
Bentonville Black 4-12
Rogers Heritage 0-16
Tonight’s Games
Heritage at Southwest
Ramay at Rogers High
Siloam Springs at Black
George at Woodland
Gold at Central
Thursday’s Games
Heritage at Ramay
Central at Siloam Springs
Woodland at Black
George at Rogers
Gold at Southwest
Boys
Team Conf. Record
W - L
Fayetteville Woodland 13-3
Fayetteville Ramay 13-3
Springdale George 11-5
Springdale Central 9-7
Bentonville Black 8-8
Rogers High 8-8
Springdale Southwest 7-9
Siloam Springs 6-10
Rogers Heritage 5-11
Bentonville Gold 0-16
Tonight’s Games
Southwest at Heritage
Rogers High at Ramay
Black at Siloam Springs
Woodland at George
Central at Gold
Thursday’s Games
Black at Woodland
Ramay at Heritage
Siloam Springs at Central
Rogers High at George
Southwest at Gold