Thursday March 28th, 2024 8:21PM

Playoff basketball: Area teams look to keep title hopes alive in 2nd round

By Jeff Hart Sports Reporter

With so many hopefuls now gone after the first round of the Georgia High School Association basketball playoffs, 17 northeast Georgia area teams -- nine boys and eight girls -- are still standing as the second round tips off on Wednesday.

(NOTE: For a complete list of tip off times and dates for northeast Georgia programs competing in the second round, scroll down.)

Two teams -- the Lanier boys and girls -- won their first-ever state playoff games last week while others ended long playoff droughts. The Flowery Branch boys won their first playoff game since 2008, and the Jefferson boys earned their first second round bid since 2012.

The Buford boys and Buford girls each opened their Class AAAAA title defenses with solid wins in the opening round.

The second round offers some intriguing matchups for area teams.

In Class 6A, the Lanier boys (20-9) took down 24-game winner Cambridge on the road and now will travel to defendng state champion Langston Hughes. The Panthers, however, needed a late surge to hold off Allatoona (68-62) in the first round. Adrian Martin and Jehloni James give the Longhorns a shooters-chance of pulling off another road victory. They are 9-3 away from Sugar Hill this season.

The best game of the second round, however, may be at The Buford Arena where the defending Class AAAAA champion Buford boys (24-4) play host to Miller Grove (18-7) at 7 p.m. on Thursday. Miller Grove was a semifinalist last season and has won seven state titles over the last nine seasons. The Wolves will look to seniors Alex Jones and David Viti and junior Marcus Watson to maintain defense of their 2017 crown.

In Class AA, the Banks County boys (24-4) face a huge obstacle in defending champion South Atlanta (24-4) in Homer. The Leopards have a strong trio in Carl Cleveland, Dylan Orr, and Darius Bonds and are tough at home (14-2) but the Hornets (5-1 on the road) are the highest-scoring team in Class AA (76.1 points per game). The Leopards are yielding just 57.3 ppg -- something has to give.

In the girls brackets, Lanier in Class 6A faces a tall task in traveling to 2017 state runner-up Harrison. And in Class 5A, Flowery Branch (23-6) travels to Region 6-5A champion Lithia Springs (18-9). The Lady Falcons ousted 23-game winner Rome in the first round. The Lady Lions have won eight straight but their last three wins have been by three points or less and only sophomore Demeara Hinds (12.1 ppg) is averging more than 8 points. Flowery Branch, a semifinalist last season, is 7-2 on the road this season.

In Class 3A, the East Hall girls (17-12) knocked off 19-game winner Hart County in the first round but will have to travel to Lovett (24-4) in the second round. The Lady Vikings got their first playoff win last week since making the Class 3A semifinals in 2015, when their current seniors, including record-breaking guard Carly Winters, were freshmen. Lovett also got its first win since 2015 last week and is 12-1 at home this season.

Those are just some of the highlighted games. But as always, surprises and upsets are never more than 32 minutes away in the basketball playoffs.

(Check below for the entire tournament schedule for the second round involving ara teams.)

SECOND ROUND MATCH-UPS FOR AREA TEAMS
Area teams in bold
All tickets $7

WEDNESDAY
CLASS 7A
Grayson at North Forsyth girls, 6:30 p.m.

CLASS 6A
Alexander at Gainesville boys, 7 p.m. -- RADIO: 1240 AM
Lanier girls at Harrison, 6 p.m. 

CLASS 5A
Flowery Branch girls
at Lithia Springs, 6 p.m. -- RADIO: 550 AM/102.9 AM
Jackson, Atlanta at Buford girls, 6 p.m.

CLASS 4A
Pickens at Jefferson girls, 6 p.m.

CLASS 2A
KIPP at Banks County girls, 6 p.m.
Rabun County girls at Lamar County, 6:30 p.m.

THURSDAY
CLASS 6A
Lanier boys
at Hughes, 7 p.m.

CLASS 5A
Flowery Branch boys at Lithonia, 6:30 p.m.
Miller Grove at Buford boys, 6:30 p.m. -- RADIO: 550 AM/102.9 AM

CLASS 4A
Jefferson boys at Lafayette, 6:30 p.m.
Stephens County boys at Sandy Creek, 7:30 p.m.

CLASS 3A
East Hall girls at Lovett, 6 p.m.
Dawson County boys at Cedar Grove, 7 p.m.

CLASS 2A
South Atlanta at Banks County boys, 6 p.m.

CLASS A Private
Lakeview boys at Holy Innocents, 7 p.m.

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