Goshen girls' basketball coach James Pair never loses a coin toss.

During football season, the coaches eat dessert after the team meal every Friday and they flip a coin to determine who pays for the after-dinner sweets. Pair's record is a perfect 23-0 in coin tosses.

However, his streak came to a sudden end when coin tosses were used to break a three-way tie for third place in Class 2A Area 4.

"I lost one for the boys' team that made them third, then I lost one between us and New Brockton that gave them third and one with Luverne that made us fifth," Pair said.

Luverne, Goshen and New Brockton all finished with 2-6 area records. Luverne swept New Brockton, New Brockton swept Goshen and Goshen swept Luverne. The only way to break the tie was to flip a coin and Goshen came out on the wrong side of the coin.

Tonight, Goshen meets Luverne for the third time this season in the play-in game for the area tournament in Skipperville. The game begins at 5 p.m.

The winner faces area champion and host school G.W. Long Friday in the semifinal round of the tournament. G.W. Long went undefeated through area play this season.

Even though the winner of tonight's game is a G.W. Long-shot to win the tournament, Pair and his team knows the only way to extend the season is to win.

"We don't have to win the tournament to go to the next round, but we have to make it to the finals," Pair said. "At this time of the year, if you don't win, you don't get to play."

Pair said his four seniors will be motivated by a desire to extend the season, but will also have revenge on their minds.

Goshen nearly defeated G.W. Long the last time the two teams played and the seniors want to finish the job.

"I think our seniors want to see Long again," Pair said.

However, the team will not be looking ahead. The girls know they have to win tonight to even think about the future.

"Luverne is much better than they were a year ago," Pair said. "They have some taller people who give us matchup problems."