SEC Friday: Washington boys, Fairfield girls within striking distance of top seed

The Southeast Conference continues to heat up as the season progresses, and this weekend is no different.

The southern most conference teams, Fort Madison boys and Keokuk girls, still have a hold of the conference lead, but at any moment the others could make a leap.

Washington and Mt. Pleasant are set to face off for the second time this season. In the first meeting between the two teams, the Demons and Panthers split. Washington got the win on the boys side, while the Mt. Pleasant girls were victorious.

Fairfield will matchup with Burlington. The Trojan girls picked up a win in the first meeting, while the boys lost in a tight three point contest.

Fort Madison will go toe-to-toe with Keokuk. The Fort Madison boys finished with a victory in the first meeting, and the Chiefs defeated the Bloodhounds on the girls side.

For the No. 4 ranked Washington boys, who are currently second at 5-1, it’s another opportunity to stay within striking distance of top seeded Fort Madison, who is currently ranked No. 1 in class 3A.

The Bloodhounds hold a 5-0 record in conference play, defeating every team but Burlington. They will play last seeded, 0-6, Keokuk on Friday.

Speaking of the Grayhounds, they find themselves within one game of second with a 4-1 record.

Mt. Pleasant will look to get another win in the conference. The latest SEC victory came against Fairfield, which allowed them to pull ahead of the Trojans in the standings, now 2-4, good enough for fourth.

The Trojans will look to get back on track against the Grayhounds. Fairfield has lost its last three. Fairfield currently holds the fifth spot in the conference and is just one game back from Mt. Pleasant with a 1-5 conference record.

Fairfield’s Max Weaton leads the SEC in scoring and is second in rebounds, averaging 20.2 points per game and 10.6 rebounds per game. Teammates JJ Lane and Tate Allen are third and fourth in assists with 4.0 and 2.9 averages. Allen is also averaging 2.2 steals per game, good enough for fifth.

Washington’s Ethan Patterson is currently the third best scorer in the conference, averaging 18.2 points per game. Kasen Bailey follows his fellow Demon teammate at fourth, averaging 16.9 points per game. Bailey is also second in assist with a 4.2 average. Lucas Kroll and Lance Sobaski are third and fifth in rebounding with averages of 8.2 and 7.4.

Dewon Trent of Mt. Pleasant finds himself in the Top-5 of three different categories. Trent is fifth in scoring with a 16.3 average, fourth in rebounds at 8.0 a game, and second in steals with 2.4 per game.

On the girls side of things, Keokuk holds the top spot with an unblemished 7-0 record in the SEC. Fairfield is right in the rear view, just 1.5 games back from the Chiefs with a 5-1 record. The lone loss coming from the hands of Keokuk.

Fort Madison and Mt. Pleasant hold the third and fourth positions, with records of 3-2 and 2-4. Washington (1-6) and Burlington (0-5) round out the SEC standings at fifth and sixth.

Mt. Pleasant’s Andrea Lopreato finds herself in every category on the SEC stat sheet. Lopreato’s 20.2 points per game average is third best in the league. She’s first in assists with 4.9 per game and first in rebounds with an average of 9.9 per game. Lopreato is also fourth in steals, 3.9 per game, and first in blocks, 1.3 per game.

Fairfield’s Danielle and Delaney Breen are fourth and fifth in scoring, averaging 15.6 and 14.2 points per game. Brynley Allison is fifth in assists with an average of 2.1. Kelsey Pacha is third in the league for rebounds with an average of 8.5 per game.

Washington’s Alex Murphy finds herself in second on the boards, pulling down 8.5 per game.

SEC BOYS BASKETBALL STANDINGS

Team Conference Overall

1. Fort Madison 5-0, 10-0

2. Washington 5-1, 12-1

3. Burlington 4-1, 8-6

4. Mt. Pleasant 2-4, 4-8

5. Fairfield 1-5, 3-8

6. Keokuk 0-6, 3-8

SEC GIRLS BASKETBALL STANDINGS

Team Conference Overall

1. Keokuk 7-0, 10-3

2. Fairfield 5-1, 7-5

3. Fort Madison 3-2, 8-2

4. Mt. Pleasant 2-4, 6-8

5. Washington 1-6, 1-12

6. Burlington 0-5, 0-13