By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer

Greenville is heading into the MSHSAA Class 3 District 2 tournament as the top seed.

The Lady Bears will face East Carter in the first round of competition and will also have the advantage of being the host school.

Last year, the Lady Bears lost in the second round to Doniphan after being up by 14 points early and the year before that fell to Kelly in the district final, 50-49. The Lady Bears have beaten Doniphan two times this season and have turned a corner against the Donettes, coach Diane Meyer said.

"We have always had a mental thing with Doniphan and it is not mental anymore," Meyer said. "Each time we beat them it gives us more confidence. I think our mental confidence is going up on the teams we can handle."

Greenville is perfectly comfortable with the idea of facing Doniphan later in the tournament, senior Sara Woodgeard said.

"Last year, we kind of didn't think we could beat them," Woodgeard said. "We can and we did beat them (this year)."

The Lady Bears have many weapons in their bid for their first district title since 2002-03 when they defeated Van Buren.

"We don't just rely on Sara Woodgeard but also on Lindsay Henson and Tara Porter," Meyer said. "We have been getting some good minutes from our guards and we have been playing a balanced game."

The Lady Bears will have a distinct size advantage over the Lady Redbirds and they have six players that are 5-foot-10 or taller while the Lady Redbirds' tallest players are 5-8.

"Sara isn't a tall player but with her jumping ability, she can handle the post, Meyer said. "They are going to have to guard her to keep her from scoring in the paint."

Even though East Carter has struggled through the season, Meyer doesn't worry about her team taking their opponent lightly.

"That is one thing I never worry about is relaxing because we have to step it up and play every night," Meyer said. "I am not concerned about them getting complacent because they are not those type of kids."

This team has always been especially mentally critical of their performance, Meyer said.

"This group is more hard on themselves than they have to be," she said. "It is not that they don't have confidence in the one standing next to them but it starts with (themselves)."

Playing as a cohesive unit will be paramount for the Lady Bears, Woodgeard said.

"When we play together, we have the inside from Tara (Porter) and me and Lindsay (Henson) hits 3s," she said. "If we all play together, we will go far."

This is the last go-around for Woodgeard and her senior counterparts.

"It is going to be our last chance going and we will have to give it all we have got," Woodgeard said.

Doniphan is the second seed in the tournament while Twin Rivers rounds out the top three.

"It is going to be one of those tournaments where it is anyone's game from (the five seed) on up," Meyer said. "There could be some upsets."