Okay, so the High Desert League boys basketball title isn’t literally up for grabs tonight.
But it may as well be. At least for one team.
Spanish Springs hosts Reno tonight in a contest that will either determine the league champ, or sprinkle extra drama on the final three games of the regular season.
The Huskies enter in first place at 11-1 in the DI North. The Cougars are two games back at 9-3, including a 61-56 loss at Reno two and a half weeks ago.
If Reno goes on the road and completes the regular season sweep of Spanish Springs, it’s over. The Huskies will take the HDL’s No. 1 seed to the regional tournament.
The win would give Reno a three-game lead over both Spanish Springs and McQueen with just three games left. So it wouldn’t technically be over. However, Reno would officially be crowned the league champ with a win over Hug on Friday night. The Hawks don’t have a win to their name this season.
If Spanish Springs pulls it out and salvages a regular season split with Reno, game on.
The Cougs would pull within a game of the Huskies. Wins in their final three games of the season (at McQueen, vs. North Valleys and at Reed) paired with a McQueen home win over Reno in the regular season final hands the league title to Spanish Springs for the second straight year.
That’s a lot of moving parts. Is it likely? Probably not. Is it impossible? Absolutely not.
The regional tournament doesn’t start for two weeks, but it’s going to feel like playoff basketball tonight at Spanish Springs.
When the playoffs do start for real, Spanish Springs will host that too.
After top seeds host quarterfinal matchups on Feb. 17, the regional semifinals and finals will be played at Spanish Springs on Feb. 19 and 20 respectively.
The Cougars need a lot of cards to fall their way in the coming weeks. And it never hurts to have it go down in the home gym.
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