Girls basketball rankings: Defending champ getting hot at right time again

Defending state champion Hardaway moved into the AJC Varsity high school girls basketball rankings for the first time this year after winning twice last week to capture the Region 1-2A tournament championship and secure its berth in the state tournament, which begins Feb. 24.

Hardaway, now ranked No. 10, was under the radar when it dropped to 9-8 after a three-game losing streak against Carver-Columbus, Sumter County and Holy Innocents’ in mid-January. The Hawks since have won 10 consecutive games, including 68-28 against Shaw and 69-39 against Carver in the region tournament. Hardaway took a similar path to the state title last season, winning of 20 of its final 21 games after starting the season 6-5.

Hardaway was one of 11 girls teams to claim region championships last week. The other 45 region titles will be decided this week, with the brackets for the state tournaments to be released over the weekend.

Carrollton became the first Class 6A team to win a region championship when it defeated Westlake 52-49 for the Region 2-6A title. Carrollton moved up two spots to No. 4 in this week’s rankings. Westlake dropped one spot to No. 5, bumping Marietta down to No. 6. Westlake and Carrollton split two previous meetings and finished tied for first place in the regular-season standings. All three of their matchups this season were decided by three points or less.

Top-ranked Josey of Class 2A won the Region 4-2A championship when it defeated then-No. 3 Thomson for the third time this season. Thomson dropped to No. 4, opening the door for Murray County to climb one spot to No. 3. Josey lost to Hardaway in the state semifinals and Murray County lost to the Hawks in the final last season.

Other teams winning region titles last week were No. 3 Bradwell Institute, No. 4 Woodward Academy and No. 9 Coffee of Class 5A; No. 9 Jones County and No. 10 Warner Robins of Class 4A; No. 2 Monroe and No. 5 Jenkins of Class 3A; and No. 3 Terrell County of Class A Division II.

One region tournament worth watching this week is Region 5-A Division I, which includes St. Francis, Galloway, Whitefield Academy and Mount Paran Christian, all of which are in the top eight of the Class 3A-A Private rankings.

Two other new teams in the rankings this week are Washington County and Elbert County, who moved in at No. 9 and No. 10 in Class A Division I after beating East Laurens and Banks County, respectively, who were No. 9 and No. 10 last week.

Class 6A

1. North Paulding (23-2)
2. Newton (20-4)
3. Buford (24-1)
4. Carrollton (24-3)
5. Westlake (24-3)
6. Marietta (20-4)
7. Archer (19-6)
8. Hillgrove (20-5)
9. Lowndes (21-3)
10. South Forsyth (21-4)

Class 5A

1. River Ridge (18-6)
2. Milton (21-4)
3. Bradwell Institute (26-0)
4. Woodward Academy (22-4)
5. Creekview (21-4)
6. New Manchester (21-4)
7. Hughes (20-4)
8. Morrow (19-5)
9. Coffee (25-2)
10. Alexander (20-5)

Class 4A

1. Marist (23-2)
2. Kell (19-5)
3. North Oconee (19-6)
4. Creekside (17-8)
5. Dalton (22-3)
6. Cartersville (20-4)
7. Starr’s Mill (23-2)
8. Southwest DeKalb (21-5)
9. Jones County (22-5)
10. Warner Robins (22-3)

Class 3A

1. Luella (20-4)
2. Monroe (24-3)
3. Sandy Creek (19-6)
4. Oconee County (23-2)
5. Jenkins (23-4)
6. Heritage-Ringgold (21-4)
7. Cherokee Bluff (15-10)
8. Stephenson (19-4)
9. Ridgeland (21-3)
10. White County (18-7)