Southeast Arkansas will have a team in Hot Springs this weekend.
The McGehee girls basketball team defeated Mountain View 44-40 in the Class 3A state semifinals late Saturday at Osceola.
The game was tied at 13 after the first quarter, but No. 1-seed McGehee (31-5) pulled ahead of No. 1-seed Mountain View (32-5) in the second quarter to lead 28-16 at halftime.
The Lady Owls led 37-27 after the third quarter and held off Mountain View’s comeback efforts in the fourth to earn a spot opposite No. 3-seed Manila (30-6) in the 3A championship game at noon Friday at the Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
McGehee was the only Southeast Arkansas team to reach the semifinals after slipping past Episcopal Collegiate 56-54 in the second round.
Three other teams from the region made the second round, but none went any further. No. 3-seed Dumas fell 56-48 to No. 1-seed Greenland on the other side of the 3A girls bracket. Manila, which beat Drew Central in the opening round, picked up its second straight win against a regional champion by defeating Greenland to earn a date with McGehee.
At the Class 2A boys tournament in Poyen, No. 4-seed Woodlawn fell 79-49 to No. 2-seed Barton, meaning Woodlawn’s first round upset of reigning state champion East Poinsett County was their final win.
Of note, Barton went on to defeat England in the semifinals to earn a trip to the state finals, though the victory was marred by a now-viral postgame brawl. The Arkansas Activities Association released a statement saying it would investigate, but no decisions have been announced.
Lastly, No. 2-seed Dermott fell 46-37 to Jasper in the second round of the Class 1A boys tournament late Friday night, leaving the McGehee girls as the final Southeast Arkansas team standing.