North Beach basketball teams prep for play-in rounds

January 29, 2019 1:30 am
North Beach basketball teams prep for play-in rounds

By SCOTT D. JOHNSTON

The North Beach High School Hyaks varsity boys and girls basketball teams both approach their final regular season games this week, with both squads aiming for spots in the “play-in” round of their Class 2B District Tournaments that begin next week.

The top seven teams on both sides of the Pacific 2B league will qualify, with numbers five, six and seven playing in loser out games to advance to the 12-team double-elimination tourney.

At 6-10 in the league and 7-11 overall (at press time), the Hyaks boys are in a three-way battle with Ocosta (7-9, 7-11) and Chief Leschi (7-9, 9-9) for the last three post-season spots. They host Chief Leschi in both teams’ final regular season game, 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31.

If the Hyaks finish fifth, they will play host next Tuesday, Feb. 5, to the eighth-place team from Central 2B, likely Morton-White Pass (10-8) or Winlock (5-12). If the Hyaks finish sixth, they will host Central 2B’s seventh place team. A seventh-place finish will send the Hyaks to the sixth place Central 2B team, probably Wahkiakum (7-12).

Should the Hyaks advance, they will play on Thursday, Feb. 7, facing the third or fourth place Central team, either Adna (13-5) or Kalama (11-7), or the third-place Pacific team, Northwest Christian (15-3). That is a double elimination round, so win or lose, the Hyaks would have at least one more game, either Saturday, Feb. 9 in the winners bracket or Monday, Feb. 11 in the losers bracket.

The Lady Hyaks finish their regular season on the road with games Wednesday at Chief Leschi and Saturday at Raymond.

Currently at 5-11 in league play and 5-13 overall, they are poised to finish sixth or seventh in Pacific 2B, qualifying for the loser out play-in game next Monday, Feb. 4. Sixth would have them hosting Onalaska, which is locked into seventh place in Central 2B with an 11-8 record. A seventh-place finish would send the Lady Hyaks to either Mossyrock or Kalama, both 7-10.

A win in the play-in round would put the Lady Hyaks in the double-elimination tourney on Wednesday, Feb. 6, at either Rainier, which stands in third place in Central 2B at 17-1, or Willapa Valley, third place in Pacific 2B at 15-3. A winners bracket game would follow on Feb 9, or a losers bracket game on Feb. 11.