By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Finally, the Forrest City Mustangs and Lady Mustangs get to play a basketball game tonight.
After a rather lengthy layoff -- nine days for the girls and 11 days for the boys) the two Forrest City teams will host Sylvan Hills tonight at Mustang Arena.
Game time is 6 p.m. for the senior girls and approximately 7:30 p.m. for the senior boys. Neither team will play a JV game.
The Mustangs have not seen action since Dec. 5 and the girls have not played since Dec. 7.
It's the second of the "home-and-home" series between the two former conference members, but for the Lady Mustangs, tonight will be the fifth time to play the Sylvan Hills girls.
"We've seen them (Sylvan Hills) too many times this year," Forrest City Coach Sue Jayroe said. "We played them twice during summer team camp, once at the Mount St. Mary's tournament and once already during regular season."
Sylvan Hills has won three of the four meetings. The Lady Bears won the Cabot Invitational and played in the Joe T. Robinson tournament last week.
The Lady Mustangs spent last week on the practice floor as did Dwight Lofton's Mustangs.
"I'm just anxious to see how the kids respond after being off as long as we have been," Lofton said. "We had a good, solid practice week and everybody is healthy. We fine-tuned a few things and I feel like the kids are ready to play."
The Mustangs lost to the Bears in the season-opener on the Bears' home court.
"The kids want them here tonight," Lofton said. "They will be tougher this time around. They have all of the guys back from football and that will help them."
The Sylvan Hills football team just concluded their season after reaching the Class AAAA championship game.
Jayroe said her practice week was a little bumpy in areas.
"I've done all I know how to do to prepare them," Jayroe said. "I know the seniors and juniors are pumped and ready to play tonight. I think a lot of how we respond tonight lies with the sophomores -- especially Shari Rogers, Viveca Kimble and Sequoria Grady. All three have been getting a lot of playing time and I need them to be ready. They've been working hard, sometimes it's a little harder to read the sophomores."
Jayroe said her Lady Mustangs are healthier than they were playing in the Cabot tournament, which is a plus.
"We'll have to be at our best," Jayroe added. "Sylvan Hills is a good team and they are well coached."
The Forrest City teams will host Wynne Friday, Dec. 20.
HAZEN -- Two tournaments, two titles.
Saturday night, the Palestine-Wheatley Patriots stayed unbeaten for the year and won their second straight tournament title by defeating Hazen 52-38 in the Hazen Invitational championship game.
Quinton Mason led the Patriots (9-0) with 11 points while Brandon Roberts scored 10 points.
Deville Pickett, who was named the tournament MVP, was held to five points in the title game.
For Hazen, it was the teams first loss of the year, leaving the team at 6-1.
The Hornets were led by Bud Edmondson's 12 points.
The Patriots led 10-6 after the first period and were up 22-16 at the half.
P-W extended their lead to as many as 13 points midway through the third period and led by as much as 20 points in the final frame.
"They (P-W) are extremely quick and they have a lot of depth," said Hazen Coach Joe Besancon.
C.V. White won the tournament's consolation game, defeating Carlisle 54-35.
In the girls consolation game, it was Hazen guard Stefanie Thompson pouring in 18 points to lead the Lady Hornets past the Palestine-Wheatley Lady Patriots 47-38. Tara Jones added 14 points for Hazen.
Libby Martin, Nikita Love and Britney Flenory each finished with nine points to lead the Lady Patriots while LaRhonda Bender added six points.
Hazen led 9-3 after the opening period but the Lady Patriots outscored Hazen 161-14 in the second period to get within 23-19 at the half.
Carlisle won the girls' title, defeating McCrory 51-32 in the championship game.
The Northeast Arkansas Invitational Tourmament will begin play on Thursday, dec. 19, at the Convocation Center at ASU in Jonesboro. There are two boys and girls divisions this year: the A-AA and the 3A-4A-5A.
The Hughes Blue Devils, the defending AAA division NEA champions, are seeded fourth in the A-AA bracket and will play the Black Rock-Sloan Hendrix winner on Monday, Dec 23, at 12 noon.
The Lady Blue Devils will play Lynn on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 12 noon.
There are 44 boys teams in the two divisions and 44 girls' teams in the two brackets.
* PREP BASKETBALL
High School
Friday's Scores
Hughes at Crawfordsville (Cancelled)
Saturday's Scores
Hazen Invitational Tournament
Senior Boys
Palestine-Wheatley 52, Hazen 38
CV White 54, Carlisle 35
Senior Girls
Carlisle 51, McCrory 32
Hazen 47, Palestine-Wheatley 38
Monday, December 16
Sylvan Hills at Forrest City, 6 p.m.
(Senior Girls, Senior Boys)