This weekend marks the final games of the regular season, with teams across Class AA jockeying for seed positioning for next week's region tournaments. Let’s take a look at some of the top AA boys and girls games taking place this weekend.
On the girls' side in Region 4, the No. 1 Laney Lady Wildcats (23-0, 12-0) will put their perfect record on the line when they host the No. 5 Josey Lady Eagles (21-2, 11-1) on Friday. Despite the Lady Wildcats' dominance of the regular season, if they don't beat Josey not only will their hopes of a perfect season be dashed, but they'll be tied in the standings with Josey.
The two have already played twice, and Laney appears to hold an arm's-length edge over Josey. At a Christmas holiday tournament at Paine College on Dec. 23, Laney won 70-57 in a game that did not count toward the region standings. De'Sha Benjamin (24 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals) and Jaiden Hamilton (23 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals) led Laney.
On Jan. 13 at Josey, Laney again won, 67-60. In that game, Jhessyka Williams was the difference for the Lady Wildcats, scoring a game-high 32 points to best Josey's Rhykeria Rolland's 25. Benjamin also chipped in 22 points for Laney.
This time around, Josey will need a big game from Rolland and her twin sister Tykedra Rolland to win the game. Aside from Laney trying to preserve its perfect record, this game likely isn't the most important one between the two. Barring an unimaginable upset in the region tournament, these two will meet again in the 4-AA title to decide the region champion and No. 1 seed for the state tournament.
In boys action, the No. 5 South Atlanta Hornets (20-2, 9-1 6-AA) host the No. 8 Therrell Panthers (13-7, 5-1) on Friday. This is a rematch from Jan. 6, when Therrell beat the Hornets 71-67 to hand them their only region loss. The win catapulted the Panthers into the top 10, where they have remained. The Hornets haven't lost since and are riding an eight-game win streak. The Panthers' lone hiccup in region play came on Dec. 1 against B.E.S.T., which beat them 49-48.
In another top 10 boys matchup, the No. 3 Dublin Fighting Irish (19-2, 9-1 3-AA) host the No. 10 Dodge County Indians (15-5, 6-4) on Saturday in a matchup that closes out the regular season for both teams. The Fighting Irish beat the Indians 65-51 in their first meeting on Jan. 13. Though Saturday's game won't impact the standings, it's a good tune-up for the postseason and a Dodge County win could give it serious momentum heading into the 3-AA tournament.
All stats and records are sourced from MaxPreps. Follow the AJC’s Class AA coverage on Twitter.
Credit: Adam Krohn
Credit: Adam Krohn
About the Author
