By Mark Glenn, sports editor

Altus will be the basketball capitol of the state this week.

Thirty-eight high school and college basketball games will be played at the Western Oklahoma State College gym and at Cletus B. Street Fieldhouse on the campus of Altus High School.

It all begins Monday at WOSC when the popular Tri County Basketball Tournament begins.

The tournament starts at 4 p.m. when defending State Class 2A State Champions and top ranked Snyder plays Hollis in a girls game. The other girls first round matchup has defending Tri County Tournament Champion Cordell playing Mangum

Boys first round games has Snyder going against Hobart at 5:20 p.m. and Granite playing Cordell at 8 p.m.

First round games continue Tuesday. At 4 p.m. Navajo plays Granite in a girls contest. The other girls game has Hobart playing Sayre.

Pre-tournament favorite Hollis meets Navajo in a boys game at 5:20. The Mangum boys, last year’s tournament champ plays Sayre at 8 p.m.

The semifinals are scheduled for Thursday with consolations games on the slate for Friday.

Six games will be played Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. The girls final is scheduled for 6:20 p.m. and the boys final at 7:40 p.m.

Also on Tuesday the High Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs will host Clinton. The girls game is slated for 6:30 p.m. and the boys game is set for 8 p.m.

On Wednesday, the Western Oklahoma State College basketball teams host Eastern. The women’s game will begin at 6 p.m. while the men will take the floor at 8 p.m.

The Clester Harrington Shortgrass Invitational Basketball Tournament returns to Cletus B. Street Fieldhouse

It was last year when there was no tournament because there were not enough of teams to complete field.

This year’s marks the 40th time the tournament has been played and it promises to be a good one.

It begins at 3:30 p.m. when coach Kevin Harrington’s Lawton MacArthur Highlanders, the fourth ranked team in Class 5A, meets Dallas HSAA. At 5 p.m. Second ranked Oklahoma City Centennial, last year’s 3A state champion, will play Duncan.

Altus will go against coach Bruce Harrington’s Lawton Eisenhower Eagles at 6:30 p.m. and Chickasha will play Houston HCYA at 8 p.m.

Semifinals will be at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Friday. Consolation games are at 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Friday.

Four games are set for Saturday. The seventh place game will be at 1 p.m. The consolation championship is set for a 3 p.m. tip-off.

The third place game will be at 4 p.m. with finals to follow at 5:30 p.m.