STATE PREVIEW: Armstrong men open up offense

The first half of the season is in the books for the state’s basketball teams, with most schools diving into conference play once they return from the holiday break. Here’s a look at who’s hot and who’s not.

Men

FIVE UP

Armstrong Atlantic

The Pirates won 10 of their first 11 games and ride a six-game winning streak. Dwight Tolbert (14.6 ppg) and T.T. Hall (13.3 ppg) lead a high-scoring team that has outscored opponents by an average of 21.5 points.

Augusta State

Last year’s NCAA Div. II runner-up started 9-2. All-Peach Belt forward Ben Magden averages 19.7 points and 4.3 rebounds. Garrett Siler, a 7-foot-1 NBA prospect, averages 15.5 points and 7.1 rebounds.

Oglethorpe

Five players average double figures for the Stormy Petrels (9-3), including David Allison (16 ppg) and Todd Ward (15.8 ppg), who also leads the SCAC with 10 rebounds per game.

Southern Poly

The Runnin’ Hornets (11-4) have played a killer non-conference schedule (Georgia State, Xavier, Loyola) but lead the Southern States Athletic Conference at 7-1 behind Joe Posey (16.8 ppg) and Ledonshay Johnson (12 ppg, 8.2 rpg).

Valdosta State

Ranked No. 18 in Div. II, the Blazers (12-2) have the best record in the Gulf South Conference’s East Division. Tyrone Curnell (16.4 ppg) and Tristan Crawford (13.4 ppg) leads an offense that averages 84.5 points.

FIVE DOWN

Albany State

The Golden Rams, the 2007 SIAC champions, are 3-5 and have lost three straight close games, one in double-overtime. They’re still in contention because the SIAC is more bunched than ever.

Brewton-Parker

Looks like first-year coach John Jones is going to need more time to straighten things out. The Barons lost their first 12 games and are in last place in the SSAC.

LaGrange

Prospects looked good when the Panthers (4-10) won their first two games. They dropped the next nine games going into the holiday break.

North Georgia

The Saints (6-4) are winless in the Peach Belt and have lost three in a row, all conference games. Despite the bad conference start, the team is still considered talented enough to contend.

West Georgia

The Braves (3-10) have lost three straight. Doug Daniels (14.1 ppg) has been a bright spot.

Women

FIVE UP

Clark Atlanta

The Panthers have won nine in a row after their opening-night loss to West Georgia. Shantrell Moss leads the SIAC in scoring (24.6 ppg), and Sheaywond Williams is fifth in rebounding (9.4 rpg.)

Clayton State

The Lakers, a balanced team with seven players averaging between 9.2 and 11.4 points, have won 10 consecutive games after losing the opener. Lesheria Stevens (9.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg) has been the workhorse.

Emory

The Eagles (8-2) won their first six games, including a dramatic one-point victory over Oglethorpe, and were nationally ranked until last week. Lora Turner (16.4 points, 5.4 rebounds) and LeShond Lillard (10.5 points).

Middle Georgia

The Warriors won 11 of their first 12 games and have outscored the opposition by an average of 27 points, making them the class of the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association.

Oglethorpe

Other than a one-point loss to rival Emory, the No. 6 Stormy Petrels look like just last year’s team that finished second in NCAA Div. III. Three-point ace Anna Findley (16.6 ppg) and floor leader Katie Kulavic (15.3 ppf) lead the experienced team, now 12-1 with an eight-game winning streak.

FIVE DOWN

Georgia Perimeter

After going to the National Junior College Athletic Association tournament the past four years, the Jaguars have hit the wall, losing their first 14 games.

North Georgia

Syretha Marble averages 18.3 points, but the Saints have struggled against a very aggressive non-league schedule. North Georgia (3-8) has lost its past seven games.

Paine

A two-point win over Miles broke a six-game losing streak for the Lions (1-7), who are losing by an average of 8.3 points and in the SIAC cellar.

Piedmont

The Lions, 24-4 and a postseason participant last year, have lost 10 straight after winning the opener in overtime. The problem is lack of offense. Piedmont is being outscored by 20 points per game.

Reinhart

A four-game winning streak is flanked on both sides by four-game losing streaks. Kinsey Gaylon is averaging 15 points.