SPRINGFIELD — An undefeated record and a win over Hoosac Valley didn’t earn the South Hadley girls basketball team a second straight top seed.
The Tigers are the No. 2 seed, while the three-time defending champion Hurricanes claimed the top seed.
South Hadley (20-0) beat Hoosac Valley (18-2) 46-40 on Dec. 30.
“It’s out of our control. We did everything we possibly could,” South Hadley senior Sophie Gatzounas said. “When it comes down to it, it’ll be a battle either way.”
South Hadley entered last year’s tournament as the No. 1 seed on an 11-game winning streak. Mt. Greylock stormed into the Tigers’ gym as the ninth seed and ended South Hadley’s season.
“We’re playing now with a more cautious mindset, and more of a mindset that anything can happen,” Gatzounas said. “There’s a lot of teams in this bracket that can sneak up on anyone. You can’t take anyone lightly.”
The Tigers have a bye in the opening round and will face either No. 7 Mt. Greylock (14-6) or No. 10 Narragansett (12-8) in Friday’s quarterfinals.
Hampshire Regional (17-4) also earned a bye as the third seed. It’s the second straight year the Raiders are No. 3.
“Sometimes being the three seed people won’t see you coming,” Hampshire senior Katy O’Connor said. “I feel like a lot of people forget about us, but we’re in it.”
Only the top four seeds received byes into the quarterfinals, so No. 8 Granby will host No. 9 Monument Mountain at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
The Rams (10-10) thought they might end up higher, but Sabis’ strength of schedule propelled the Bulldogs to No. 6.
Monument Mountain (10-10) won its last four games to reach .500 and qualify.
“They had to play really well down the stretch to get in the tournament,” Granby coach Tom Burke said. “They’re a Berkshire team. They’re all tough.”
No. 12 Frontier Regional returned to the postseason for the first time since 2014.
The Red Hawks finished (9-11) second in the Franklin North league to qualify in coach Marty Sanderson’s first year. They’ll visit No. 5 Mahar, which was first in their league, at 7 p.m. Monday. The Senators beat Frontier twice during the regular season.
Belchertown will play at Curry Hicks Cage for the third straight season. The Orioles (16-4) will get there without playing a game before hand for the second straight year as the top seed in a six-team Division 2 field.
“I was concerned. I know the way the Walker works, and Longmeadow plays a really tough schedule. It certainly benefits them,” Belchertown coach Jay Woodcock said. “We’ll take it. It’s an open field, I think.”
They’re already in the semifinals, which start March 9, and they haven’t played since beating Sabis 59-22 on Wednesday. That’s a two-week layoff between games.
Belchertown has scrimmages lined up and will practice against its boys team to stay in shape.
“We did the same thing last year. I don’t think the layoff really hurt us,” Woodcock said. “We came out really fast.”
Northampton wanted better than the fourth seed.
The Blue Devils played every team ahead of them, losing twice to No. 1 Central and once to No. 2 Chicopee. They beat No. 3 Shepard Hill to open the season.
“It is what it is. The head-to-head, the strength of the conference we play in, they don’t weigh any of that,” Northampton coach Perry Messer said. “You play who you gotta play.”
Northampton (14-6) ended the regular season on a two-game win streak over tournament teams Longmeadow and Holyoke.
The Purple Knights earned the fifth seed and will play at Northampton on Friday in the quarterfinals.
“I wouldn’t trade the kids I have for anybody,” Messer said.
Hopkins Academy has a home game in the opening round. The No. 8 Golden Hawks (10-10) face No. 9 Putnam (14-6) on Monday at 7 p.m.
It’s a rematch of least year’s first-round game the Beavers won at home.
Gateway (9-11) made the field as the second-place team in the Tri-County South league. Its the Gators’ first postseason game since 2013.
They’ll travel to No. 4 Ware (13-7) at 7 p.m. Monday.