The final week of the regular season is upon us and three northeast Georgia area girls teams already have locked down region titles and No. 1 seeds in their upcoming region tournaments.
However, nearly a half-dozen more are still in the running to claim titles and the top seed in their respective regions. Which makes Tuesday perhaps the most important night of the season to this point.
Buford in Region 8-6A and North Forsyth in 6-6A have clinched. Jackson County in 8-5A and Banks County in 8-A Division 1 hold slim leads coming into the final week. Jefferson can clinch Region 8-3A with a win on Tuesday over East Hall. Cherokee Bluff in 8-3A is still alive but would to win out, including a win over the Lady Dragons on Friday, and have Jefferson drop its final two games.
Jackson County can secure a No. 1 seed and region title in Region 8-5A but will have to wait until Friday. The Lady Panthers (17-7, 10-1 Region 8-5A) are off Tuesday but will play host to second-place Loganville (10-13, 8-2 Region 8-5A) on Friday in their season finale. However, Jackson County could clinch the title on Tuesday with a Loganville loss to Alcovy (9-13, 5-5 Region 8-5A).
Banks County in Region 8-A Division 1 controls its own fate. The 11th-ranked Lady Leopards (17-5, 9-1 Region 8-A D1) can clinch if they can win out. But they face a tough finish with Athens Academy and Providence Christian.
In Region 8-3A, Oconee County (17-6, 6-2 Region 8-3A) and No. 4 Cherokee Bluff (17-6, 6-2 Region 8-3A) are tied for second and will face-off on Tuesday in Watkinsville.
In Region 6-3A, the real battle is for second place. Pickens (20-2, 11-1 Region 6-3A) has clinched the title. But White County (17-6, 9-3 Region 6-3A), Chestatee (16-7, 8-4 Region 6-3A), and Dawson County (14-9, 7-5 Region 6-3A) all are within two games and all three face difficult challenges on Tuesday. But White County can clinch the No. 2 seed with a win over GAC on Tuesday at home.
(See below for the full schedule of Tuesday's games.)
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY, Feb. 4
Banks County at Athens Academy, 6 p.m.*
Buford at Dacula, 6 p.m.*
Cedar Shoals at Flowery Branch, 6 p.m.*
Cherokee Bluff at Oconee County, 6 p.m.*
Clarke Central at Habersham Central, 6 p.m.*
East Hall at Jefferson, 6 p.m.*
GAC at White County, 6 p.m.*
Johnson at Pickens, 6 p.m.*
Loganville Christian at Lakeview Academy, 6 p.m.*
Lumpkin County at Chestatee, 6 p.m.*
Milton at Gainesville, 6 p.m.* – 94.5 FM The Lake
Monroe Area at West Hall, 6 p.m.*
North Forsyth at Denmark, 6 p.m.*
North Hall at Dawson County, 6 p.m.*
North Murray at Union County, 6 p.m.*
Oglethorpe County at Commerce, 6 p.m.*
Rabun County at Providence Christian, 6 p.m.*
(* -- denotes region contest)
