ATHENS — Both the Buford girls and boys basketball teams, ranked No. 1 in Class AAAAA coming into Saturday’s Region 8-AAAAA finals, proved that any quest of state championships will have to go through them.
The Lady Wolves used an 8-0 run to start the game and a suffocating defensive effort to offset a tough shooting night in a 53-38 win over No. 3 Flowery Branch. The boys followed with a 76-61 victory over No. 2 Cedar Shoals that saw the Wolves pull away late with a 25-10 run over the final 5:41 of the game.
Buford girls coach Gene Durden said winning games like Saturday’s was important in making any championship run. It was the third win of the season for the Lady Wolves (24-2) over Flowery Branch (20-6).
“You have to have the ability to grind out wins like this and that is something that we are learning how to do,” Durden said. “We didn’t shoot the ball well, neither team did really, but our defense I thought was outstanding most of the game. It’s always a battle with them. Flowery Branch is a great team so I was real happy for our girls to be able to come out with a win.”
Buford boys coach Eddie Martin, whose Wolves (24-2) also won for the third time this season over the Jaguars (23-4), said the real season starts next week.
“It’s great to be able to win the region again,” Martin said. “But now everyone is 0-0 and it’s down to five one-game seasons right now. (Cedar Shoals) is an outstanding team but I was real pleased with our defense, especially the last five minutes. That’s where we won the game.”
Both teams will now await to see who their opponents will be from Region 6-AAAAA.
BUFORD GIRLS 53,
FLOWERY BRANCH 38
The defensive battle of the first two meetings was front and center again. However, the first half was more a tale of missed opportunities for both teams. The Lady Wolves took a 21-12 lead into halftime but could have led by much more and the Lady Falcons could have have the lead themselves.
Buford opened the game with an 8-0 run but it took nearly five minutes to achieve. The first points were scored on a pair of Marissa Bruce free throws and no field goals were tallied for the first four minutes. Flowery Branch missed its first seven shots while the Lady Wolves were just 2-of-6 shooting.
Buford shot just 6-of-15 (40 percent) for the first half with nine turnovers while Flowery Branch also had nine turnovers but was a dismal 5-of-23 shooting (22 percent) in the first half.
The Lady Falcons rallied to within 8-4 on baskets by Julianne Sutton and Taniyah Worth but could get no closer the rest of the half. It would also turn out to be the closest they got entire game.
A Sutton stickback basket to open the second quarter pulled Flowery Branch within 12-7 but Buford extended the lead to 19-9 on a putback by Pamela Johnson.
Worth also picked up two fouls midway through the second quarter as Buford was able to extend the lead.
After a Worth three-point to open the third quarter, Buford used a 7-0 run, capped by a Tory Ozment 3-pointer for a 28-15 lead with 3:30 left in the period.
The Lady Wolves maintained a double digit lead the rest of the way but Flowery Branch did pull within 44-34 on a Worth 3-pointer with 2:02 left but Buford held Flowery Branch without another field goal while hitting just enough free throws (5-of-9) in the final minute to seal the victory.
Buford’s Ozment, who was named the Region Player of the Year after the game, led all scorers with 15 points. Audrey Weiner added 13 and Johnson had nine for the Lady Wolves.
“It’s a great feeling to get the award but I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. They trust in me and just try to do the best I can,” Ozment said.
Worth led Flowery Branch with 14 points, 12 coming in the second half before fouling out. Sutton finished with 12 and Williams had six for the Lady Falcons.
BUFORD BOYS 76,
CEDAR SHOALS 61
Early on it looked like Buford was ready to put the game away quickly, especially David Viti. The junior was on fire draining three 3-pointers and pouring in 12 of the Wolves' first 17 points as they built a 17-9 advantage. Viti had 14 in the first quarter as Buford ran out to a 22-13 lead.
But as hot as the Wolves were in the first quarter, the Jaguars were hotter in the second. Senior Phlandrous Fleming poured in 18 second quarter points and Cedar Shoals held Buford scoreless for over five minutes while outscoring the Wolves 20-7 in the period to take a 33-29 halftime lead.
In the second half, Viti gave way to junior Alex Jones and sophomore Marcus Watson, who put the Wolves on their backs. The pair combined for 30 second half points and 18 points in the decisive fourth quarter explosion that broke a 51-51 tie.
Up to that point the two teams traded blows most of the third quarter that saw the lead change hands three times and was tied twice in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter.
“We feel we’ve got several weapons (on offense) and Alex and Marcus really picked up things for us,” Martin said. “But the key was we got some (defensive) stops on them and converted them into points on the other end. The key for us moving forward will be defensively. If we play like the last five minutes we have a chance to do something (in the playoffs).”
Viti and Jones each finished with 23 points to pace Buford. Jones had 18 after halftime. Watson added 15 points with 12 of his coming in the second half.
Fleming, who was named the Region 8-AAAAA Player of the Year after the game, led Cedar Shoals with 28 points. Stavion Stevenson added 15 for the Jaguars.
The Flowery Branch boys earned the No. 3 seed from 8-AAAAA with a 77-50 win over Loganville in the consolation round.
The Loganville girls also earned a No. 3 seed with a 53-32 victory over Clarke Central in the consolation round.
