RICHARD STEPHENS / PVT Anthony Turner of Beatty was fouled on this play, in the Hornets' 47-30 conquest of visiting Indian Springs, in a Nevada Class A Central Division basketball game Friday. RICHARD STEPHENS / PVT Jennifer Porte, 2, helped lead the Lady Hornets to a 50-45 overtime win against the Thunderbirds. Advertisement

BEATTY -- Staying in contention for a Southern Nevada Class A regional berth is the objective for both Beatty High School basketball teams, as the 2007-2008 season grinds to a conclusion.

Beatty's girls, 3-2 and in third place in the Central Division after beating Indian Springs 50-45 in overtime and losing 53-44 to Lund last weekend, travel Friday to Henderson International School, 0-3.

In the girls standings, Round Mountain is 3-0, 10-8; Lund 2-0, 5-8, and Beatty 3-2, 6-7, with Tonopah, 2-2, 4-8, fourth. On the bubble is Indian Springs, 1-4, 5-16.

The Hornet boys are 2-4 and in fifth place in the division after bouncing Indian Springs 47-30 and losing 73-63 in overtime at Lund. Beatty played at Spring Mountain Tuesday and will be at Henderson Friday.

In the division standings, Lund (5-0, 8-11 in all games) leads the Central Division boys, with Spring Mountain (4-1, 6-11), Tonopah (4-2,7-16) and Henderson (2-3, 6-12) ahead of the Hornets.

The top four Central and South teams in both boys and girls divisions advance to the first round of the Southern regionals, to be played Feb. 13-14-15-16. The state tournament is Feb. 22-23 at Reno.

Beatty's remaining games are Feb. 1 (girls and boys, home vs. Henderson) Feb. 2 (girls and boys at Round Mountain), Feb. 8 (girls and boys at Tonopah) and Feb. 9 (girls and boys home vs. Lund).

Autumn Spicer scored 21 points and Jennifer Porte added 11 for the Beatty girls, who led 14-10, 23-17 and 35-32 at the quarters. Jackie MacDonald, who scored 15 points to pace the Thunderbirds, tied the score at 42-42 with 1:24 left in regulation.

In the overtime, Naomi Cruz hit a short-range jumper with three minutes left to put Beatty ahead to stay. Spicer scored to make it 46-43 at 1:59; six seconds later, the 6-foot senior center fouled out.

Coach Aimee Senior's team didn't back off, however. Chryscel Rankin scored on a putback to boost the Hornets' lead to 49-45 with 46 seconds to go.

Lund's girls are chasing Round Mountain for the Central lead. Saturday, those teams will collide with an undisputed division lead at stake.

A week earlier, Indian Springs' boys had pulled out a 57-54 overtime win against the Hornets. Last Friday, the Thunderbirds ran into a hot-shooting and defensively tough Hornet squad and lost by 17 points.

Point guard Joe Serrano fired in five 3-point field goals for 15 points and freshman guard Ivan Maldonado added four treys as he netted 19 points for Beatty. Coach Brian Hayes' team led 8-2, 25-14 and 31-23 at the quarters against the T-birds, who had no player score in double figures.

Lund's boys went 3-0 against division rivals during the week, knocking off Henderson 60-44, Spring Mountain 51-49 and Beatty, to take over the Central lead.