ENCORE PERFORMANCE? Top seeds aim to repeat as OFC tourney champs

The stage is set for one of the top basketball tournaments in the area, and lovers of the game can prepare for a week of total nonstop action on the court.

Basketball coaches from the Ozark Foothills Conference met on Wednesday to seed the annual OFC Tournament that kicks off on Saturday at Doniphan High School.

The OFC Tournament runs Saturday through Thursday, with the finals set for next Friday at the Libla Family Sports Complex at Three Rivers College. The girls championship tips at 7 p.m., followed by the boys at 8:30 p.m.

On the girls side, Doniphan comes in as the No. 1 overall seed, as the Donettes are undefeated in OFC play — and overall — this season at 18-0. With the Donettes winning the past three OFC championships, their chances of winning it all again are high.

Head coach Adam Epps said the OFC has a rich history of being one of the toughest girls’ conferences, and it’s great to be a part of it. He said having the championship night at Three Rivers is always packed, and it’s hard to duplicate that environment, so he’s aiming to lead them to the big game.

“We are excited to host this year’s Ozark Foothills Conference Tournament,” Epps said. “The OFC is a great conference that is always competitive. We feel good coming into this year’s conference tournament and are playing pretty well, but It will be a tough tournament. We are going to have to keep playing our tempo, have defensive intensity and need shots to fall for sure. It will be a very challenging tournament.”

Coming in with the No. 2 seed is the East Carter Lady Redbirds, which is no surprise with the season they’ve had so far. The Lady Redbirds are currently 15-2 on the season, with both losses to Doniphan as blemishes on their record. The Lady Redbirds placed third in the tournament last year but plans to go even further this season.

One of the best things head coach Angela Rodgers loves about the OFC tournament is the competitiveness that the teams bring. She said Doniphan’s gym always has a good atmosphere and with the crowds that teams bring, makes for fun matchups.

“I feel excited and prepared headed into this tournament,” Rodgers said. “It’s always a competitive atmosphere. I feel confident that we can come in and compete with the other top teams. We made it to the finals two years ago, but fell to Neelyville in the semifinals last year. I think to make it back, we’re going to have to play consistently and up to our potential. I feel like we’ve just been getting by in some games and it’s time for us to turn a corner.”

Neelyville is the third seed, followed by Twin Rivers (No. 4), No. 5 Greenville, No. 6 Naylor and No. 7 Clearwater.

__BOYS__

The No. 1 seed Greenville Bears took last year’s championship, and they’ll look to get the job done again this season. The Bears are currently 11-5 on the season and with a first-round bye, they will play on Tuesday in the semifinals.

Coming in with the No. 2 seed is the Neelyville Tigers. The Tigers are currently 13-7 on the season and 5-1 against OFC opponents. It’s been a few seasons since the Tigers have made it to the finals, but coach Brad Burdin is ready to lead his squad back to the big dance.

Burdin said heading into the OFC this year he’s feeling ready. Last year, the Tigers took a hit with preparations for the tournament due to weather, which withheld them from practicing leading up to the games. He said the team has been putting in the work to prepare, and he’s eager to see what they can accomplish.

“When playing in the OFC tournament, you can expect each team to bring their A-game and compete each night,” Burdin said. “The OFC has so much talent, it should be a fun week of basketball. For us to make it to championship night, we are going to have to put the pieces together that have been placed all year. We have to take each play one possession at a time and see what happens at the end of the 32 minutes. Every team wants a chance to play for that OFC championship title, we have to want it more.”

The Twin Rivers Royals have the No. 3 seed. Last year, the Royals placed third and head coach Seth McBroom said for them to win it all this season, they must enter each game with the mindset of doing whatever it takes to win. He said the goal is to play their best and win each possession. Tournaments are always tough, and there isn’t always an answer, so the gameplan is do whatever they need to win.

East Carter (No. 5), Doniphan (No. 6) and Naylor (No. 7) round out the seeding.

__OFC Tournament__

__Saturday__

__At Doniphan__

__Quarterfinals__

__Boys__

(5) East Carter vs. (4) Clearwater, 1 p.m.; (2) No. 2 Neelyville vs. (7) Naylor, 5 p.m.; (3) Twin Rivers vs. (6) Doniphan, 6:30 p.m.

__Girls__

(2) East Carter vs. (7) Clearwater, 10:15 a.m.; (3) Neelyville vs. (6) Naylor, 2:15 p.m.; (4) Twin Rivers vs. (5) Greenville, 3:30 p.m.

__Monday__

__Semifinals__

Girls, 7 and 8:30 p.m.

__Tuesday__

__Semifinals__

Boys, 7 and 8:30 p.m.

__Thursday, Feb. 8__

__Third place__

Girls, 7 p.m.; Boys, 8:30 p.m.

__Friday, Feb. 9__

__At Three Rivers College

__Championship__

Girls, 7 p.m.; Boys, 8:30 p.m.