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The Miller Grove boys’ basketball team won the Region 6-AAAAA title. Photos by Carla Parker
Marist girls won the Region 6-AAAA title. Lithonia boys’ basketball team won the Region 6-AAAA title.
Eighteen basketball teams on the road to Macon
by Carla Parker
carla@dekalbchamp.com
The road to Macon, Ga, to com
pete for a state basketball title begins
Feb. 17 for 18 DeKalb County basket
ball teams.
The first round of the playoffs
were held Feb. 17 and 18 with 12
DeKalb teams hosting playoff games.
Scores were not available by press
time. Seven teams entered the play
offs as a No. 1 seed after winning
their regions this past weekend.
Tucker boys’ and girls’ teams
swept the Region 2-AAAAAA tour
nament and are No. 1 seeds in the
state playoffs. The boys defeated
Rockdale County 60-40, and the girls
beat Newton County 45-41 to claim
the region championships.
Tucker boys hosted Lee County
in the first round, while the girls
hosted Lowndes County
In Class AAAAA, it was another
region title for the Miller Grove Wol
verines, its eighth title out of nine
seasons. Miller Grove defeated region
foe M.L. King 55-39 to claim the Re
gion 6-AAAAA title. Miller Grove
got off to a slow start, scoring only 22
points in the first half.
“We played uncharacteristically,
we kind of played their game,” said
Miller Grove Coach Sharman White.
“[M.L. King] wanted an ugly game
and they kind of got it from us, but
we were just able to maintain and stay
afloat and make plays when we had
to make them. It’s a credit to our guys
for continuing to fight and scrap. We
didn’t play our best game tonight, but
we’ll take that win.”
Miller Grove is a No. 1 seed in the
Class AAAAA state playoffs, which
means “nothing,” according to White.
“We’re 0-0 and everybody is, but
we get a chance to host a game and
maybe some more at home,” White
said. “We’re pretty good at home, and
we like our chances at home. It’s all
about trying to win the next game
right now—survive and advance.”
Miller Grove hosted Chapel Hill
in the first round, and No. 2 seed
M.L. King hosted Alexander. Ste
phenson entered the playoffs as a 3
seed after defeating Mays 58-44 in
the Region 6-AAAAA consolation
round. Stephenson traveled to South
Paulding for its first-round matchup.
On the girls’ side, Southwest
DeKalb fell to Mays 62-60 in the
region championship game and is a
No. 2 seed in the playoffs. The Lady
Panthers hosted South Paulding in
the first round. Stephenson defeated
Miller Grove 57-52 in the consolation
round to claim the No. 3 seed.
The Lady Jaguars traveled to
Lithia Springs, while Miller Grove
took on Hiram on the road in the
first round.
The Region 6-AAAA title games
ended in exciting fashion in both
girls and boys games. Lithonia
knocked off St. Pius 51-49 in double
overtime to win the region title, and
claimed a No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
This is the Bulldogs first trip to the
playoffs since 2007.
Lithonia Coach Wallace Corker
said his team stepped up and played
hard in those overtime periods.
“These kids are committed to
winning, and I’m just so proud of
them,” Corker said.
Up by one point in the final sec
onds of the second overtime, senior
guard Kesean Warren hit one of two
free throws to clinch the win for his
team. Warren believes the win will
give his team great momentum in the
playoffs.
“I know we’re going to go far,”
Warren said. “I think we’re going to
take it all.”
Corker also believes the win will
help the team heading into the play
offs.
“We got to sit down and talk
about it, we have to cut back on our
turnovers and we have to be a little
bit more focused,” he said. “It’s unfa
miliar territory, this is all new to us.”
Lithonia hosted Fayette County
in the first round, and No. 2 seed
St. Pius hosted Sandy Creek. No. 4
seed Columbia, which fell to Grady
45-34 in the consolation game, trav
eled to Carrollton for its first-round
matchup.
In the girls Region 6-AAAA
game, it took overtime for Marist to
shock St. Pius 54-53. While tied at 52
with 25.3 second left, senior guard
Ansley Gross got the layup basket to
give her team a 54-52 lead.
With 4.4 seconds left, St. Pius
guard Asia Durr was fouled from
behind the three-point line, which
gave her three free throw attempts to
possibly win the game. However, she
missed two of her three free throws.
Gross said it felt “amazing” to get the
winning basket.
“I was really glad that I could
help my team win the championship,”
Gross said.
Marist Coach Kimberly Hixon
said it was “unbelievable” to beat
their rival and defending state cham
pions.
“We got beat by them twice in the
regular season, and we thought three
times was the charm,” Hixon said.
“We mixed up the game plan, and it
just ran to perfection. We thought
[the] Redan [win] was nice Thursday,
but this is even sweeter.”
Hixson said the win will give her
team a ton of momentum in the play
offs.
“We knew we were getting better
and peaking at the right time,” she
said. “I think we feel like now what
we do is right. It’s awesome.”
Marist hosted Whitewater in the
first round and No. 2 seed St. Pius
hosted Woodward Academy. Arabia
Mountain knocked off defending
state champions Redan in the conso
lation game 38-35 to claim the No. 3
seed.
Arabia Mountain traveled to Fay
ette County for its first-round match
up, and No. 4 seed Redan traveled to
Carrollton.
In Class AAA, Decatur girls are
a No. 1 seed in the playoffs after
beating South Atlanta 56-38 in the
Region 4-AAA title game. Decatur
hosted Josey in the first round.
Cedar Grove boys blew a
15-point lead and fell to South At
lanta 56-54 in the Region 4-AAA title
game. Cedar Grove is a No. 2 seed
and hosted Josey in the first round.
Greenforest boys are heading back to
the playoffs after winning the Region
5-A championship.
The Greenforest playoff schedule
was not available by press time, but
the school will host a game on either
Feb. 20 or 21.