By SAM STAFF/Sports Writer

The prep basketball season came to an end for a quartet of Class 5A “Southern Six” squads over the weekend in opening round state playoffs action.

On Friday night, the East Central and Stone High girls teams fell on the road. The Lady Hornets lost to Natchez 44-6 while Stone lost to Florence 61-17.

On Saturday night, in boys’ play, the Gautier Gators fell to perennial state power Jackson Provine 78-44 while the Stone Tomcats drooped a close 50-46 decision to South Jones.

With that there are still 11, seven boys and four girls, “Southern Six” squads left playing for the state title in four different classifications as South State Quarterfinal action play tips off later this week.

On the boy’s side of things, In Class 7A Ocean Springs and Harrison Central remain alive while a trio of teams in Class 6A action are still in the mix in Pascagoula, West Harrison and Picayune. In Class 4A, Pass Christian is still alive as is St. Patrick in Class 3A.

On the girls’ side of the bracket, in Class 7A St. Martin and Biloxi remain while in Class 6A Hancock is the only team still standing. St. Patrick, in Class 3A, is still in the running as well.

Here is the complete and updated schedule for the quarterfinal round this week:

MHSAA STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

QUARTERFINAL ROUND

Wednesday

Class 5A North

At Mississippi Valley State

Girls 

4 p.m. — West Point vs. Canton

5:30 p.m. — Holmes County vs. Pontotoc

Boys

7 p.m. — New Hope vs. Yazoo City

8:30 p.m. — Cleveland Central vs. Canton

Thursday

Class 6A North

At Mississippi Valley State

Girls

4 p.m. — South Panola vs. Callaway

5:30 p.m. — Neshoba Central vs. Olive Branch

Boys

7 p.m. — Olive Branch vs. Vicksburg

8:30 p.m. — Ridgeland vs. Center Hill

Class 1A North

At Itawamba Community College

Girls

4 p.m. — Baldwyn vs. Blue Mountain

5:30 p.m. — Hickory Flat vs. Biggersville

Boys

7 p.m. — Biggersville vs. Potts Camp

8:30 p.m. — Byers vs. Baldwyn

Class 1A South

At Raymond

Girls

4 p.m. — South Delta vs. Taylorsville

5:30 p.m. — Simmons vs. Lumberton

Boys

7 p.m. — South Delta vs. Leake County

8:30 p.m. — McAdams vs. East Marion

Friday

Class 7A North

At Mississippi Valley State

Girls

4 p.m. — Starkville vs. Tupelo

5:30 p.m. — Germantown vs. Madison Central

Boys

7 p.m. — Germantown vs. Starkville

8:30 p.m. — Madison Central vs. Clinton

Class 6A South

At Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

Girls

4 p.m. — Terry vs. Hattiesburg

5:30 p.m. — Hancock vs. Forest Hill

Boys

7 p.m. — Terry vs. Picayune

8:30 p.m. — Pascagoula vs. West Harrison

Class 5A South

At Pearl River Community College

Girls

4 p.m. — Florence vs. Wayne County

5:30 p.m. — Laurel vs. Natchez

Boys

7 p.m. — Provine vs. Brookhaven

8:30 p.m. — Wayne County vs. South Jones

Class 3A North

At Itawamba Community College

Girls

4 p.m. — Booneville vs. Yazoo County

5:30 p.m. — Alcorn Central vs. Belmont

Boys

7 p.m. — Booneville vs. North Panola

8:30 p.m. — Coahoma County vs. Choctaw County

Class 3A South

At Holmes Community College

Girls

4 p.m. — St. Patrick vs. Port Gibson

5:30 p.m. — Jefferson Davis County vs. Tylertown

Boys

7 p.m. — Tylertown vs. Port Gibson

8:30 p.m. — Magee vs. St. Patrick

Class 2A North

At Northeast Mississippi Community College

Girls

4 p.m. — New Site vs. Calhoun City

5:30 p.m. — Ingomar vs. East Union

Boys

7 p.m. — New Site vs. Northside

8:30 p.m. — Ingomar vs. East Union

Saturday

Class 7A South

At Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

Girls

1 p.m. — Northwest Rankin vs. Biloxi

2:30 p.m. — St. Martin vs. Meridian

Boys

4 p.m. — Meridian vs. Ocean Springs

5:30 p.m. — Harrison Central vs. Brandon

Class 4A North

At Northeast Mississippi Community College

Girls

1 p.m. — Tishomingo County vs. Louisville

2:30 p.m. — South Pontotoc vs. Choctaw Central

Boys

4 p.m. — West Lauderdale vs. Greenwood

5:30 p.m. — New Albany vs. Choctaw Central

 Class 4A South

At Pearl River Community College

Girls

1 p.m. — Quitman vs. Lawrence County

2:30 p.m. — Lanier vs. Morton

Boys

4 p.m. — Lanier vs. McComb

5:30 p.m. — Raymond vs. Pass Christian

Class 2A South

At Holmes Community College

Girls

1 p.m. — Bay Springs vs. Bogue Chitto

2:30 p.m. — Pelahatchie vs. Heidelberg

Boys

4 p.m. — Newton vs. Bogue Chitto

5:30 p.m. — Pelahatchie vs. Bay Springs