The first round of the state tournament proved a bit more eventful that most people thought it would. Here are some nuggets of what took place and how the rest of the tournament sets up.
Biggest upset – boys: Hands down it was Thomson's 87-78 win over No. 6 Savannah. Thomson had been ranked most of the year until it was upset in the Region 3 semifinals, so the Bulldogs were certainly qualified. But to go into Savannah and knock off the Blue Jackets on their own home court and scored 87 points against some of the nastiest defense you'll see, was an impressive feat. Felton Hatcher scored 31 points and Malique Gibbons scored 21 for Thomson, which handed Savannah its first opening-round elimination since Tim Jordan became the coach in 1996. Kudos to Thomson and coach Michael Thomas.
Biggest upset – girls: North Hall, the No. 4 seed from Region 7, eliminated Region 5 champion Sonoraville 62-53. North Hall wasn't a typical fourth-place team. The Trojans are 19-10 and were considered the second-best team in the region behind Buford.
Best showing by region – boys: Region 6 won three of its four games against Region 8 teams. Cedar Grove, Blessed Trinity and St. Pius prevailed, while Woodward came up short against No. 4 Morgan County. The win was especially meaningful for Cedar Grove, which not won a playoff game since 2009. The Saints have been to the playoffs only five times since they won the 1996 Class AA championship.
Best showing by region – girls: Region 7 swept all four of its first-round games, with Buford, East Hall, Dawson County and North Hall combining to eliminate the opposition from Region 5. No. 3 Buford has won nine straight games and have allowed more than 40 points only once during that stretch.
Toughest road to the semis – boys: St. Pius went to Elberton and knocked off the No. 10 Blue Devils, 56-54. Now the No. 9 Golden Lions hit the road again to play No. 3 Cartersville. A win would put coach Aaron Parr's team on the road against either No. 5 Buford or No. 8 Blessed Trinity.
Toughest road to the semis – girls: Pike County has been a surprise team. The No. 9 Pirates won their last seven games and beat Southwest Macon and Peach County in the Region 2 tournament. They opened the playoffs with a 48-39 win over Callaway. Coach Helen Akins can boast a balanced attack with Shaineequah Fluellyn (12.8 points) Kristen Beckham (12.1 points, 6.5 rebounds) and Lauren Duncan (11 points). The Pirates host No. 8 Dodge County in the second round and would meet either Central Carroll or No. 6 Johnson in the quarterfinals.
Toughest second-round game – girls: No. 10 Peach County must travel to play undefeated and No. 1-ranked Washington County. The Golden Hawks are 25-0 and have beaten 24 teams by 11 or more (mostly more) points.
Toughest second-round game – boys: Douglass, the No. 2 team from Region 4, will have its hands full with No. 2 Johnson. The Astros have that long trip to Savannah and will play the best defensive team they've seen all year.
Second-round schedule
Girls
No. 6 Johnson at Central Carroll
No. 8 Dodge County at No. 9 Pike County
North Hall at Woodward Academy
Decatur at No. 3 Buford
No. 10 Peach County at No. 1 Washington County
Southwest Macon at No. 4 Beach
East Hall at No. 2 St. Pius
Dawson County at No. 5 Morgan County
Boys
Thomson at Callaway
Swainsboro at Carver Columbus
No. 10 St. Pius at No. 3 Cartersville
No. 8 Blessed Trinity at No. 5 Buford
Central Macon at No. 1 Washington County
Douglass at No. 2 Johnson
Dawson County at No. 7 Cedar Grove
East Hall at No. 4 Morgan County
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