Last modified: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 11:57 AM PDT Oregon girls 4A state playoff preview By Scott Ford Argus observer Corvallis — The 2008 version of the girls 4A state playoffs begins at 1:30 p.m. (PST) today with the Associated Press No. 1 Ontario Lady Tigers (23-3) taking on the No. 7 Hidden Valley Lady Mustangs (22-4). This game has the makings of being a highly-charged battle between two squads that like to push the ball up the court and score points. Ontario is averaging 54.8 points a game and Hidden Valley scores 46.9 per game. The Lady Tigers enter today’s play on a 12 game win streak with key wins over 3A Burns, a sweep of the Greater Oregon League and a 14-point dismantling of the Douglas Trojans in the second round of the playoffs. While Hidden Valley is riding a three-game win streak and has won nine of its last 11 games, it was tested in the second round of the state tournament with a one-point win over highly-ranked Junction City, beating the squad 26-25. The Marist Lady Spartans (20-9) come into the elite eight unranked and have won seven straight games to get to the tournament, with key wins over the likes of North Marion and North Bend in the first two rounds. The Spartans, who average 47.9 points a game and give up 38 a game, will take on a streaking Seaside Seagulls team that battled its way into the tournament with key wins down the stretch. Seaside (18-6) has won its last two games, knocking off the Central Panthers and Astoria. The Gulls score 56.5 points a contest and have a RPI rating of six compared to Marist’s 15. The RPI rating is one of those computer ratings that gets a lot of press leading up to “March Madness.”   RPI is a method of ranking teams based on the opponents that a team plays. It is one of many types of computer ranking systems that are used in the sports world. Unlike most computer ranking systems, however, RPI has a standard definition. This definition is the one that is used by the NCAA basketball selection committee as an aid to determine who will qualify for the tournament and what their seed should be. The NCAA selection committee “adjusts” this ranking, however, the exact formula is not known. Ontario comes into the tournament with an RPI of one. In the lower portion of the bracket, the Newport Cubs (21-4) will battle the Stayton Eagles (18-11). Newport has won 13 straight games with a win over Henley in the second round of the playoffs. The Cubs average 54.1 points a game. Their opponent, the Eagles, come in with an 18-11 record and average 36.8 points a game. Stayton has won four straight to get into the dance, with one of those wins coming as an upset over a tough Tillamook team in the second round of the playoffs. It also knocked La Grande out of competition in the opening round with a 29-27 win. In the final match up of the day, the Sutherlin Lady Bulldogs (20-5) will battle against the Cottage Grove Lady Lions (21-4). Sutherlin has won 11 games in a row and scores 44.9 points a game. The Lady Bulldogs defeated Baker City in the second round of the tournament 42-39. Cottage Grove comes in riding a seven-game win streak and will put its No. 2 AP ranking on the line. The Lions average 47.8 points a game but are only 1-1 on a neutral court. Of all the teams competing in the elite eight of the 4A girls tournament, its the Hidden Valley Mustangs with the best neutral court record at 4-1. Ontario is 4-3 at the neutral sites.