The Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) will hold its Southeast Regional semi-finals top 28 basketball tournament for boys and girls at Southeastern's University Center. The basketball games begin on Feb. 28 and run through March 2.The LHSAA will also be hosting two more tournaments the same weekend in Lake Charles and Bossier City since the number of teams participating is so large.
 Sponsored by The Advocate, the tournament will bring high schools from across the state to play "purely basketball," said Duane Shafer, director of the Univeristy Center.
High schools from all over the state will be participating. Brother Martin, East Saint John, Mt. Carmel, West Monroe, Denham Springs, Albany and St. Thomas Aquinas are all among the numerous competing teams.
"More than likely, we'll have three games on Thursday and three games on Friday. Then we should have up to five games on Saturday," said Shafer. "And all the winners of games played here will advance to the finals the following week in Monroe."
The finals will take place on March 6 through March 9 at the Fant-Ewing Coliseum in Monroe.
Currently, in boy's basketball, Ouachita Parish High School sits at the top of the totem poll with a 21.95 power ranking, followed by Scotlandville Magnent High School of East Baton Rouge Parish with a 21.28 power ranking and Lafayette's O. Comeaux High School with a 19.97 power ranking.
The girl's side has Shreveport's Southwood High School as the front runner with a 24.83 power ranking, followed by Natchitoches Central High School with a 21.39 power ranking and Ouachita Parish High School with a 21.37 power ranking.
There have been an array of sponsors who participated in past tournaments, but according to The Advocate's publisher, David Manship, "The Advocate's award-winning sports staff covers high school sports throughout Southeast Louisiana every day, so our involvment is a natural."
Other sponsors this year include State Farm, Coca-Cola, North Oaks Orthopedic Specialty Center, Hertz, Wendy's and Lake Charles Memorial.
The winning teams from the quarter-finals will be announced after The Lion's Roar goes to press and a list will be made available on lionsroarnews.com and The Lion's Roar Facebook. Stay tuned to the website www.lhsaa.org for more details about the tournament and teams.