Arabia Mountain’s Myoria Pruitt (1) and Southwest DeKalb’s Pyria Thompson (4) both get to play home Class 5A playoff games on Friday. (Photo by Mark Brock)
The Region 5-3A champions and No. 7 ranked Cedar Grove Lady Saints kick off state basketball playoff games for DeKalb County programs by hosting a Thursday night matchup against Dawson County at 6:00 pm.
Cedar Grove (18-5) is fresh off their big win over No. 8 Westminster (20-7) in the finals of the Region 5-3A Tournament at Lovett last Friday night. The Lady Saints are making a third consecutive state tournament appearance under Coach Shenetria Wyche and are looking to break a two-game losing streak.
Dawson County (14-11) is the No. 4 seed out of Region 7 and is coming off a loss to Fannin County on Monday after the tournament finals got postponed due to the snow.
DeKalb has a pair of girls’ home games on Friday in Class 5A State Tournament play at Southwest DeKalb and Arabia Mountain.
The No. 4 ranked Southwest DeKalb Lady Panthers (21-6) host Region 7 No. 4 seed Rome (19-9) at 6:00 pm. Coach Kathy Walton’s Lady Panthers are making a ninth consecutive state playoff appearance and 14th in 15 years. Southwest DeKalb is 2-0 against Rome in the state playoffs owning victories in 2016 (65-22) and 2019 (53-39).
Arabia Mountain (22-5) hosts Region 7 No. 3 seed Villa Rica (2-6) at 5:30 pm. The two teams are meeting for the fourth consecutive season with Villa Rica having won the 2018 and 2019 meetings to hold a 2-1 edge in the playoff series.
Girls road games on Friday include Class 7A Lakeside (11-12) at No. 4 ranked North Forsyth (25-2) at 6:00 pm, Class 6A Stephenson (19-9) at Brunswick (17-9) at 6:00 pm, Class 5A Columbia (15-9) at No. 3 Carrollton (18-10) at 6:00 pm and Lithonia (9-16) at No. 2 Kell (28-0) at 6:00 pm, Class 4A Druid Hills (14-14) at No. 3 Spalding (21-4) at 6:00 pm and Class 3A Stone Mountain (10-15) at No. 4 Greater Atlanta Christian (15-12) at 6:00 pm.
Two boys’ teams are playing on the road Friday night with Class 6A Stephenson (17-10) traveling to Glynn Academy (9-19) at 8:00 pm and Class 5A Miller Grove (19-10) facing off with No. 5 Kell (23-5) at 7:30 pm.
Tucker’s Dylan Pritchett (2) in action against Mt. Zion and his teammates host Effingham County on Saturday in the first round of the Class 6A boys’ state playoffs. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Saturday
Six boys’ games are on tap for Saturday including three home games for DeKalb teams highlighted by Class 6A No. 1 ranked Tucker Tigers (24-3) hosting Effingham County (17-9) at 5:00 pm.
The Tigers are coming off a second consecutive Region 4-6A Tournament title and are making an eighth consecutive state tournament appearance under Coach James Hartry including a trip to the state title game a year ago. Effingham is 1-0 against the Tigers in the state playoffs owning a 64-55 win in the opening round of the 2017 state tournament.
Region 5-5A champions Southwest DeKalb Panthers (16-12) host Paulding County (16-12) in a 5:00 pm tipoff. The Panthers are looking to make another deep run in the playoffs after a tough semifinal loss to Buford last year. It is the first state playoff meeting for the two teams.
Coach Phil McCrary’s Columbia Eagles (16-11) finished as the Region 5-5A runners-up to earn a home playoff game and host Cass (16-11) at 5:00 pm. The Eagles are making a 13th consecutive state tournament appearance.
No. 3 ranked Lithonia (24-3) travels to No. 4 ranked Hiram (22-6) for a 4:00 pm Class 5A Top 10 battle. In other road games Druid Hills (13-15) travels to Upson-Lee (19-7) for 7:00 pm tip in Class 4A and Cedar Grove (6-18) goes on the road in Class 3A to take on No. 2 Dawson County (25-2) at 7:00 pm.
DCSD STATE BASKETBALL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Girls
Thursday, Feb. 13
Class 3A
Dawson Co. (14-11) at Cedar Grove (18-5), 6:00 pm
Friday, Feb. 14
Class 7A
Lakeside (11-12) at No. 4 North Forsyth (25-2), 6:00 pm
Class 6A
Stephenson (19-9) at Brunswick (17-9), 6:00 pm
Class 5A
Rome (19-9) at No. 4 SW DeKalb (21-6), 6:00 pm
Villa Rica (22-6) at Arabia Mountain (22-5), 5:30 pm
Columbia (15-9) at No. 3 Carrollton (18-10), 6:00 pm
Lithonia (9-16) at No. 2 Kell (28-0), 6:00 pm
Class 4A
Druid Hills (14-14) at No. 3 Spalding (21-4), 6:00 pm
Class 3A
Stone Mountain (10-15) at No. 4 Greater Atlanta Christian (15-12), 6:00 pm
BOYS
Class 6A
Stephenson (17-10) at Glynn Academy (9-19), 8:00 pm
Class 5A
Miller Grove (19-10) at No. 5 Kell (23-5), 7:30 pm
BOYS
Saturday, Feb. 15
Class 6A
Effingham Co. (17-9) at No. 1 Tucker (24-3), 5:00 pm
Class 5A
Paulding Co. (16-12) at SW DeKalb (16-12), 5:00 pm
Cass (16-12) at Columbia (16-11), 5.00 pm
No. 3 Lithonia (24-3) at No. 4 Hiram (22-6), 4:00 pm
Class 4A
Druid Hills (13-15) at Upson-Lee (19-7), 7:00 pm
Class 3A
Cedar Grove (6-18) at No. 2 Dawson Co. (25-2), 7:00 pm