No. 5 Villa Rica will get a chance to earn some revenge in the second-round of the Class AAAAA tournament.
The Wildcats (24-1) host No. 7 Arabia Mountain (21-2) in the second round, a rematch of last year’s first-round meeting.
A year ago, Villa Rica was upset in the region tournament and finished third in Region 7. That forced the Wildcats on the road for their first-round game with Arabia Mountain, which finished second in Region 5 behind Southwest DeKalb. Young Arabia Mountain came away with the 52-45 upset to prematurely end Villa Rica’s season.
Both teams have a new coach this year. Tammy Norred left Haralson County to take over at Villa Rica and Jerry Jackson left Redan to take the position at Arabia Mountain.
Villa Rica is led by junior Deasia Merrill, a 6-foot-2 center who averages 24 points and was the Region 7 Player of the Year. Arabia Mountain counters with 6-4 senior Iyania Kitchens, who has signed with Ole Miss, along with 5-7 senior guard Iyanna McMillan and 5-7 senior guard Marissa Mills.
In other second-round games scheduled for Wednesday:
Bainbridge at Fayette County, 6 p.m.: No. 8 Bainbridge (23-5) sailed through a first-round win over Statesboro. The Bears benefited from the return of Nadia Marshall, who missed the region championship game with the flu. Marshall averages 19.5 points and 10 rebounds. No. 9 Fayette County (21-6) struggled for three quarters with Union Grove before pulling away in the final period.
Maynard Jackson at Buford, 6 p.m.: No. 1 Buford (25-3), the defending state champion, will face a challenge from Jackson (18-6), the Region 6 regular-season champion. The Wolves are led by guard Tory Ozment, who scored 20 points in the first-round win over Kell. Jackson is led by Tamara White (14.5 points, 5.8 steals) and Jamila Mitchell (13.2 points).
Wayne County at Eagle's Landing, 6 p.m.: Terren Ward, a dynamic 5-foot-11 sophomore, leads Wayne County (16-8) into the second round against No. 6 Eagle's Landing (21-6). Ashley Foster, a 5-9 senior who averages 15.7 points. Both teams won low-scoring games in the first round, Wayne County beating Warner Robins and Eagle's Landing eliminating McIntosh.
Carrollton at Southwest DeKalb, 6 p.m.: No. 10 Carrollton (23-6) will have a tough challenge from the aggressive defense of Southwest DeKalb (17-12). The Panthers, who lost in the championship game last season, have won five in a row thanks to its relentless defense that leads to scores on the other end. Carrollton trailed by five points with two minutes left in its opener against Cedar Shoals, before rallying for a 50-47 win. Freshman guard DeMauri Flournoy led the Trojans with 16 points and Adasha Hendrix anchors the defense.
Woodland at Harris County, 6 p.m.: Woodland (19-9) gets its turn to try to stop Harris County sensation Jessika Carter, a 6-foot center who averages 20.3 points and 14.2 rebounds and has signed with Mississippi State. The Tigers (26-2) have won 18 straight games since dropping back-to-back games against private school powers St. Francis and Wesleyan. Woodland (19-9) is a defensive-oriented team with a balanced attack. The Wolves have a balanced attack, with no one In double figures. Amia Brown is the top scorer with 8.0 points per game.
Flowery Branch at Lithia Springs, 6 p.m.: Lithia Springs (18-9) puts its eight-game winning streak on the line against No. 3 Flowery Branch (23-6), which reached the state semifinals last season. Lithia Springs is a young team led by sophomore Demeara Hinds (12.1 points). Flowery Branch is a more veteran team, led by point guard Lexie Sengkhammee, who has started 118 consecutive games, and forward Taniyah Worth.
Dutchtown at Ware County, 6 p.m.: Dutchtown (22-5) has a lengthy road trip to play No. 4 Ware County (26-2), which has the state's longest winning streak of 26 games. The Gators have a balanced attack, led by Shondell Vickers, Mataea Boyd and Arvineice McDonald. Dutchtown's offense revolves around junior India Bellamy (14.3 points, 9.5 rebounds) and senior Jordan Maney (11.7 points, 6.2 rebounds).
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