Four No. 1-ranked teams and two defending champions were knocked out of the state basketball tournament Wednesday and Thursday in the quarterfinals.
No. 1-ranked teams now gone are Tucker’s boys and Lovejoy’s girls in Class AAAAAA, Americus-Sumter’s boys in AAAA and Laney’s girls in AA. Buford’s boys and Calhoun County’s boys fell short in bids to repeat as champions.
South Fulton County schools Tri-Cities and Hughes were the authors of those AAAAAA upsets, both teams winning on the road.
» MORE: Playoff schedules/results
» BRACKETS: Boys | Girls
Tri-Cities, ranked No. 3, defeated Tucker 67-65 in a rematch of the 2019 boys championship game, also won by Tri-Cities. The Bulldogs will play No. 8 Chattahoochee in the semifinals Friday night at Buford City Arena.
The sixth-ranked Hughes girls beat Lovejoy 59-55. Lovejoy was the 2019 runner-up and 2018 champion. Hughes, in the semifinals for the first time since 2013 and one victory from its first final, will play No. 5 Glynn Academy on Friday at the Buford City Arena.
Americus-Sumter’s boys, who entered the quarters 29-0 in pursuit of their first state title, lost on the road to No. 8 St. Pius 73-70. St. Pius, a finalist in 2018 but never a state champion, will play No. 5 Cross Creek on Friday at Fort Valley State.
Fifth-ranked Southwest of Macon knocked out Laney of Augusta 50-47. Laney is a state power with three state titles over the past five seasons while Southwest has reached the semifinals for the first time since 2013. Southwest play Rockmart on Saturday at Georgia College and University in Milledgeville.
Meanwhile, Kell and Wilcox County ended the reigns of Buford and Calhoun County.
Kell, ranked No. 8 in AAAAA, won 57-45 on Buford’s home floor and reached the semifinals for the first time. They’ll face No. 2 Dutchtown on Saturday at Fort Valley State.
Hancock Central, ranked No. 5 in A-Public, defeated the fourth-ranked Calhoun County 68-53 at home and will play No. 3 Wilcox County on Friday at Valdosta State.
The semifinals will be played at four neutral venues. Below is the schedule.
Class AAAAAAA – Saturday, Buford City Arena
2 p.m. - Cherokee vs. Westlake (girls)
4 p.m. - Milton vs. Wheeler (boys)
6 p.m. - Campbell vs. Collins Hill (girls)
8 p.m. - McEachern vs. Grayson (boys)
Class AAAAAA – Friday, Buford City Arena
2 p.m. - Hughes vs. Glynn Academy (girls)
4 p.m. - Lanier vs. South Cobb (boys)
6 p.m. - Valdosta vs. Forest Park (girls)
8 p.m. - Tri-Cities vs. Chattahoochee (boys)
Class AAAAA – Saturday, Fort Valley State
2 p.m. - Buford vs. Woodland-Stockbridge (girls)
4 p.m. - Kell vs. Dutchtown (boys)
6 p.m. - Eagle's Landing vs. Kell (girls)
8 p.m. - Southwest DeKalb vs. Cedar Shoals (boys)
Class AAAA – Friday, Fort Valley State
2 p.m. - Carver-Columbus vs. Troup (girls)
4 p.m. - Woodward Academy vs. Denmark (boys)
6 p.m. - Luella vs. Americus-Sumter (girls)
8 p.m. - St. Pius vs. Cross Creek (boys)
Class AAA – Saturday, Valdosta State
2 p.m. - Beach vs. North Hall (girls)
4 p.m. - Pace Academy vs. Johnson-Savannah (boys)
6 p.m. - Greater Atlanta Christian vs. Johnson-Savannah (girls)
8 p.m. - Jefferson vs. Central-Macon (boys)
Class AA – Saturday, Georgia College and State
2 p.m. - Southwest vs. Rockmart (girls)
4 p.m. - Glenn Hills vs. Swainsboro (boys)
6 p.m. - Early County vs. Douglass (girls)
8 p.m. - Chattooga vs. Therrell (boys)
Class A (private) – Friday, Georgia College and State
2 p.m. - St. Francis vs. Wesleyan (girls)
4 p.m. - St. Francis vs. Mount Pisgah Christian (boys)
6 p.m. - Holy Innocents' vs. Hebron Christian (girls)
8 p.m. - Greenforest Christian vs. Trinity Christian (boys)
Class A (public) – Friday, Valdosta State
2 p.m. - Central-Talbotton vs. Calhoun County (girls)
4 p.m. - Treutlen vs. Terrell County (boys)
6 p.m. - Turner County vs. Wheeler County (girls)
8 p.m. - Wilcox County vs. Hancock Central (boys)
About the Author
