Beatty boys nab third seed in region tournament
Things could not have worked out any better Friday night for the Beatty High School boys basketball team.
Locked in a three-way tie for third place in the Class 1A Southern League going into the evening, the Hornets clinched a playoff spot by taking care of business against Sandy Valley, posting a 65-55 home win over the Sidewinders. Then, Word of Life went to Littlefield, Arizona, and routed Beaver Dam 76-53.
The result was a three-way tie for second place with Beatty, Word of Life and Pahranagat Valley. Each of the teams went 1-1 against the other two, and the Hornets wound up with the third seed. Had Beaver Dam won and replaced Word of Life in that three-way tie, the Hornets would have been the fourth seed and matched up with Mineral County, the top seed out of the 1A Central League. The Serpents are 26-1 and went 10-0 in league play.
Instead, the Hornets get Tonopah, a team they have lost to twice. But one of those games was last week when Beatty was focused more on Friday night’s game against Sandy Valley, and the other was a three-point defeat on the Muckers’ home court in the Hornets’ opener.
Class 1A Central/South Regional Tournament
Thursday, Feb. 21 at sites TBA
Word of Life vs. Mineral County
Smith Valley vs. Pahranagat Valley
TBA vs. Spring Mountain
Beatty vs. Tonopah
Friday, Feb. 22 at Reed High School, Sparks
Word of Life/Mineral County vs. Smith Valley/Pahranagat Valley
TBA/Spring Mountain vs. Beatty/Tonopah
Saturday, Feb. 23 at Wooster High School, Reno
Semifinals winners, 1 p.m.
