NEA Update

Wins by the Piggott Mohawks and Rector Cougars in the first round of the NEA Invitational Basketball Tournament has set-up a meeting of the longtime rivals.

The Tribe advanced Friday evening with a 72-60 victory over Crowley's Ridge Academy, and the Cougars won the early game Saturday morning as they posted a 61-45 decision over McCrory.

The showdown will be played at 4:30 p.m. this Monday, Dec. 22 on the main floor of the convocation center in Jonesboro.

The winner will take on the winner of Monday night's contest between the #1 seeded Armorel Tigers and the #16 seeded Maynard Tigers. That game will be played at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 27. The winner of that contest will advance to the semi-finals of the A-AA-AAA bracket of the annual tournament. That game will be played at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 29 and the championship game will be played at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 30.

EPC and Bay are the top seeds in the bottom half of the bracket and both had byes in the first round. EPC is slated to take on Hillcrest at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 26 and Bay will play the winner of the Brookland-Cross County game just prior to that contest.