With just one week and two games left in the regular season, it is crunch time for area girls basketball teams as they jockey for positioning in upcoming region tournaments.
A slew of ultra-important games highlight the week’s overall schedule but Tuesday’s action will be a key night for half-a-dozen or more area teams.
Below are some of the crucial games on Tuesday that could shape the final tournament outlook for several teams in several regions:
Region 8-6A
Gainesville at Winder-Barrow: The Lady Red Elephants (8-14, 3-5 Region 8-6A) snapped their losing streak with a win over Apalachee in their last outing and now have a chance to climb into a third-place tie with a win over the Lady Bulldoggs. Winder-Barrow (13-9, 4-4 Region 8-6A) won the first meeting of the season, 55-46, and has won three straight. Staying out of the bottom two in the region would mean not having to face No. 4 Dacula until the finals. You can listen to the game live on 94.5 FM The Lake beginning at 6 p.m.
Habersham Central at No. 4 Dacula: The Lady Raiders (11-11, 3-5 Region 8-6A) have lost two straight and 4 of their last 6 overall but also played the Lady Falcons (20-3, 7-1 Region 8-6A) closer than anyone else in the region dropping a close 44-39 decision in their first meeting. Offense is the key for Habersham. In their four losses in that stretch, they have averaged just 34.2 ppg. In their two wins, they’ve scored 128 points (64.0 ppg).
Region 8-5A
Loganville at No. 1 Buford: This will be a battle for the top spot in the region. The Lady Wolves (22-1, 8-0 Region 8-5A) are coming off their only loss of the season, a 45-43 setback against Class A Private powerhouse Wesleyan, and could be fired up for this one to get back on a winning track. However, the Lady Red Devils (18-5, 7-1 Region 8-5A) have won five straight, matching a season-high win streak, and took Buford down to the wire in a 49-42 loss in their first meeting. The key will be Buford’s suffocating pressure defense and whether Loganville can solve it as well as it did in the first meeting. If not, a Buford win would once again clinch the top spot for the Lady Wolves.
Region 7-3A
East Hall at GAC: The Lady Spartans (12-11, 8-2 Region 7-3A) will have a lot of motivation for this one. A win and they clinch the top spot in the region. However, a young Lady Vikings squad (8-14, 3-7 Region 7-3A) has been playing much better of late, winning 3 of their last 5, and played GAC tough at home in a 54-49 loss just after the New Year. East Hall has been a tough road team (4-5) with half of their wins coming away from home. GAC counters with a 6-3 home mark on the season.
North Hall at Lumpkin County: The Lady Trojans (16-7, 7-3 Region 7-3A) are still in the mix for the top spot in the region and can climb into a first-place tie with GAC with a win and a GAC loss. They knocked off the Lady Indians (14-9, 5-6 Region 7-3A) 46-40 in the first meeting. However, North Hall is just 2-2 in its last four games while Lumpkin County has won four straight at home, including a 67-35 thumping of No. 5 GAC last week and a 53-47 win over No. 4 Fannin County two weeks ago.
Region 8-A
Lakeview Academy at Athens Academy: The Lady Lions (18-6, 7-0 Region 8-A) have been as good as any team in Class A Private winning 14 of their last 17 games with their only losses to No. 1 St. Francis, No. 5 Mt. Paran, and to North Hall in the Lanierland finals. The Lady Spartans (14-8, 7-1 Region 8-A) have been on a similar path winning 9 of 10 with their only loss to No. 2 Hebron Christian in that span. Lakeview can set up a region title showdown on Friday with Hebron with a win while a Lakeview loss would push the Lady Lions into third place and clinch the region title for Hebron.
Tuesday schedule, Jan. 28
Banks County at Union County*
Chestatee at Blessed Trinity*
Dawson County at Cherokee Bluff* -- WDUN AM 550/FM 102.9
East Hall at Greater Atlanta Christian*
East Jackson at Jackson County*
Gainesville at Winder-Barrow* -- 94.5 FM The Lake
Hart County at Jefferson*
Johnson at Cedar Shoals*
Lakeview Academy at Athens Academy*
Loganville at Buford*
Marist at West Hall*
North Hall at Lumpkin County*
Providence Christian at Commerce*
Rabun County at Social Circle*
Towns County at Tallulah Falls*
White County at Denmark*
