The flip of a coin will decide area tournament seeding for several local teams.

Teams from Selma and Dallas County will each have a coin decide where they are placed in their area tournament bracket. The flip is a last resort for when teams exhaust all other tiebreaking options.

The more impactful of the two flips might’ve taken place Thursday to decide the top girls squad in class 6A, area 6. Hillcrest won the flip, meaning the area tournament will be played on the Patriots’ home court.

The flip means Selma’s girls will play on the road during the area tournament round for the first time since 2010.

“I wish we could be at home, but we just didn’t win the toss,” said Selma head coach Anthony Harris.

The Saints lost their final area game to Hillcrest, leaving the teams in a tie atop the standings. If Selma had won that game, the Saints would’ve won the area 6 title outright. Instead, both teams ended the season with 5-1 area records.

Harris said the tournament will start Feb. 9, with the championship game on Feb. 12.

Since they are the second seed, Selma will have to play Paul Bryant, which has shown the ability to play close games against both Hillcrest and the Saints.

“You’ve got to have your game,” Harris said. “You can’t look back and say ‘Well, we beat them pretty good.’ You’ve got to have your game ready.”

Selma won both meetings between the teams by 14 points. Dallas County will also have its placement impacted by a coin.

The Hornets lost Thursday to Sumter Central, meaning they finish 2-4 in class 5A, area 6 play. Wilcox Central and Demopolis also finished 2-4, with each of the teams beating one of the other’s once. A coin flip to decide second, third or fourth will take place Monday in Demopolis.

“I still feel confident in our team that if our players do what we coach them to do, and cut the game in half, we will have a chance to beat a team like them,” said Dallas County coach Willie Moore after Thursday’s game versus Sumter Central.