For the second time in a week, basketball games in the Tri-Counties have been postponed.

Because of the threat of high winds late Wednesday night, two basketball games involving Big East Conference teams were postponed to tonight.

“We’ve got to the point now that it is what it is,” Rocky Mount High boys’ basketball coach and athletics director Mike Gainey said. “We all got an hour of practice in and got some shots down. We just have to go with the punches and error with safety. ... It’s an indoor sport, but it is what’s going to happen afterwards.”

Rocky Mount High’s games against Nash Central at Nash Central High School and Northern Nash’s games against Wilson Hunt were postponed.

The two girls’ games will be played at 6 p.m. Thursday, and the boys’ games will be played at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

The schools had to be empty by 5 p.m. Wednesday because of the threat of high gusts of wind. Gainey said that erroring on the side of caution was the correct course of action because of potential safety issues that could arise.

As far as playing back-to-back games, Gainey said that it should help teams grow accustomed to tournament play, which is right around the corner.

“It’s getting to the playoffs time now,” he said. “We are getting into that tournament format again.”

The Big East Conference Tournament, scheduled to begin Feb. 11, is back-to-back nights, and the state playoffs follow the same format.

Justin Hite can be reached at 407-9951 or jhite@rmtelegram.com