By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
While some teams will be looking to keep a stranglehold on their seeds, others will be looking to make a late push to qualify for the state playoffs as conference basketball tournaments tip off today.
Washington’s teams need to win their conference tournaments to qualify for the playoffs. Three Atlantic Conference teams and four Tideland Conference teams earn berths in the playoffs.
The Terra Ceia boys and girls teams have already qualified for the NCISAA state playoffs.
COASTAL BOYS
The Washington Pam Pack needs to win the Coastal Conference tournament to earn a berth in the state playoffs.
The Pack (5-16, 4-10), the No. 7 seed in the tournament, will play at D.H. Conley on Monday. The Vikings (19-4, 10-4) are the No. 2 seed.
The game will begin at 7 p.m.
Conley won both games during the regular season, including a 67-57 win in overtime in the last meeting.
In the other Coastal Conference games, No. 8 seed South Central will play at No. 1 seed J.H. Rose, No. 6 seed West Carteret will play at No. 3 seed New Bern and No. 5 seed West Craven will play at No. 4 seed Havelock.
COASTAL GIRLS
The Pam Pack has to win the Coastal Conference tournament for a right to play in the state playoffs.
Washington (3-19, 1-13) is the No. 8 seed. The Pack gets a tough test right away as it has to play at No. 1 seed South Central (22-0, 14-0) on Tuesday. The Falcons, ranked second in the most recent Class 3-A prep poll, won both games against Washington in the regular season.
The game will begin at 7 p.m.
In the other games, No. 7 seed J.H. Rose plays at No. 2 seed Havelock, No. 6 seed West Carteret plays at No. 3 seed New Bern and No. 4 and No. 5 seeds D.H. Conley and West Craven square off.
ATLANTIC BOYS
Southside will be the host school for all of the Atlantic Conference tournament games.
On Monday, the No. 4 seed Southside Seahawks (6-14) will face the No. 5 seed Northside Panthers (2-18) at 7:30 p.m.
The Northside-Southside winner will play the No. 1 seed Roanoke Redskins (22-2), which has won 10 straight games, on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
On Thursday, the No. 2 seed Plymouth Vikings (12-6) face the No. 3 seed Williamston Tigers (12-10) at 7:30 p.m.
Friday’s championship game will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Admission is $5 per night.
ATLANTIC GIRLS
Southside will host all of the Atlantic Conference tournament games.
The No. 4 seed Southside Seahawks (6-14) will play the No. 5 seed Northside Panthers (5-14) on Monday at 6 p.m.
The Southside-Northside winner will take on the No. 1 seed Plymouth Vikings (14-2) on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
On Thursday, the No. 2 seed Williamston Tigers (16-5) will battle the No. 3 seed Roanoke Redskins (17-7) at 6 p.m.
Friday’s championship game will tip off at 6 p.m.
Admission is $5 each night.
TIDELAND BOYS
The Mattamuskeet Lakers (14-7, 14-1) won the Tideland Conference and earned a bye for the first round. Mattamuskeet will be the host school for the semifinals and finals.
The Columbia Wildcats (12-10, 10-5), the No. 2 seed, also has a first-round bye.
In Tuesday’s first-round games, slated to begin at 7 p.m., No. 5 seed Bear Grass (8-14, 4-11) plays at No. 4 seed Creswell (7-7, 7-7) while No. 6 seed Cape Hatteras (3-18, 0-14) plays at No. 3 seed Jamesville (10-9, 9-6).
In Thursday’s semifinals at Mattamuskeet, the Bear Grass-Creswell winner plays Mattamuskeet at 6 p.m. while the winner between Cape Hatteras and Jamesville faces Columbia at 7:30 p.m.
The championship game will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Mattamuskeet.
TIDELAND GIRLS
The No. 1 seed Cape Hatteras Hurricanes (14-0 conference record) and No. 2 seed Columbia Wildcats (11-4) earned byes for the first round.
Mattamuskeet will be the host school for the semifinals and finals.
In Monday’s first-round games, No. 5 seed Jamesville (4-11) plays at No. 4 seed Bear Grass (6-9) while No. 6 seed Mattamuskeet (0-15) plays at No. 3 seed Creswell (8-6).
On Wednesday at Mattamuskeet, the semfinals will pit the Jamesville-Bear Grass winner against Cape Hatteras at 6 p.m. and the Mattamuskeet-Creswell winner against Columbia at 7:30 p.m.
Friday’s championship game at Mattamuskeet will begin at 6 p.m.
TIC BOYS
The Terra Ceia Knights earned the top seed for the Tarheel Independent Conference tournament.
The Knights (18-6) will play Thursday against the winner between No. 4 seed Northeast and No. 5 seed Hobgood.
The Pungo Raiders, the No. 6 seed, will square off with No. 3 seed Lawrence on Tuesday. The winner will face No. 2 seed Ridgecroft on Friday.
The championship game will tip off at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday.
All the games will be played at Lawrence Academy.
TIC GIRLS
Terra Ceia won the Tarheel Independent Conference and earned the top seed for the conference tournament.
The Knights (20-5), which went 10-0 during regular-season play, will face the winner between No. 4 seed Northeast and No. 5 seed Lawrence on Thursday.
The No. 6 seed Pungo Raiders will battle No. 3 seed Hobgood on Tuesday. The winner will take on No. 2 seed Ridgecroft on Friday.
The championship game will be held Saturday at 5 p.m.
All the games will be played at Lawrence Academy.
COASTAL BOYS
Monday, Feb. 12
7 p.m. – Washington at D.H. Conley
COASTAL GIRLS
Tuesday, Feb. 13
7 p.m. – Washington at South Central
ATLANTIC BOYS
(All games at Southside High School)
Monday, Feb. 12
7:30 p.m. – Northside vs. Southside
Wednesday, Feb. 14
7:30 p.m. – Northside-Southside winner vs. Roanoke
Thursday, Feb. 15
7:30 p.m. – Plymouth vs. Williamston
Friday, Feb. 16
7:30 p.m. – Championship game
ATLANTIC GIRLS
(All games at Southside High School)
Monday, Feb. 12
6 p.m. – Northside vs. Southside
Wednesday, Feb. 14
6 p.m. – Northside-Southside winner vs. Plymouth
Thursday, Feb. 15
6 p.m. – Williamston vs. Roanoke
Friday, Feb. 16
6 p.m. – Championship game
TIDELAND BOYS
Tuesday, Feb. 13
7 p.m. – Bear Grass at Creswell
7 p.m. – Cape Hatteras at Jamesville
Thursday, Feb. 15
(at Mattamuskeet High School)
6 p.m. – Bear Grass-Creswell winner vs. Mattamuskeet
7:30 p.m. – Cape Hatteras-Jamesville winner vs. Columbia
Friday, Feb. 16
(at Mattamuskeet High School)
7:30 p.m. – Championship game
TIDELAND GIRLS
Monday, Feb. 12
7 p.m. – Jamesville at Bear Grass
7 p.m. – Mattamuskeet at Creswell
Wednesday, Feb. 14
(at Mattamuskeet High School)
6 p.m. – Jamesville-Bear Grass winner vs. Cape Hatteras
7:30 p.m. – Mattamuskeet-Creswell winner vs. Columbia
Friday, Feb. 16
(at Mattamuskeet High School)
6 p.m. – Championship game
TIC BOYS
(all games at Lawrence Academy)
Tuesday, Feb. 13
6:15 p.m. – Pungo vs. Lawrence
Thursday, Feb. 15
6:15 p.m. – NE-Hobgood winner vs. Terra Ceia
Saturday, Feb. 17
6:15 p.m. – Championship game
TIC GIRLS
(all games at Lawrence Academy)
Tuesday, Feb. 13
5 p.m. – Pungo vs. Hobgood
Thursday, Feb. 15
5 p.m. – NE-Lawrence winner vs. Terra Ceia
Saturday, Feb. 17
5 p.m. – Championship game