The second round of the Class 3A basketball playoffs will provide some of the best boys and girls basketball games of the season, following a somewhat predictable first round.
There are four games between ranked boys programs, three on the girls side.
However the first round did produce some unscripted results.
The unranked White County boys teams advanced past No. 4 Salem 62-58 after trailing by as many as 18 points. Jadon Yey scored 22 points, and Silas Mulligan and Kenny Simpson scored 14 each. Jewell Wilson scored 14 points for Salem. White County will host Beach in the second round.
Sandy Creek’s boys defeated Gilmer 75-35, and Windsor Forest moved past Pierce County 69-39 in the first round, and the two top-ranked programs will meet for a second-round matchup that should have a semifinal feel. Sandy Creek is ranked No. 1; Windsor Forest is ranked sixth. Both programs are in the hunt for first-ever state championships.
No. 5 Cross Creek defeated Upson-Lee 75-45, and No. 7 LaFayette (26-0) outlasted Oconee County 65-59, setting up a game between the two programs in the top-right quadrant of the bracket. No. 9-ranked Groves beat Brantley County 70-33 in the first round and will face No. 8 GAC, which advanced past East Forsyth, 88-41.
East Forsyth’s fledgling program placed its boys and girls teams into the tournament in its first year of existence. The girls team won the program’s first-ever playoff victory in its first attempt. The No. 10-ranked Broncos defeated Cedar Grove 48-22 in the first round and will face No. 7 Pierce County.
Top-ranked Lumpkin County will play No. 9 Tattnall County, and No. 2-ranked Cross Creek will play at home against No. 8 Murray County to highlight the second round for the girls.
Boys second-round schedule (Feb. 25-26)
R5 #1 No. 1 Sandy Creek vs. R3 #2 No. 6 Windsor Forest
R2 #1 No. 3 Sumter County vs. R6 #3 No. 10 Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe
R3 #3 Johnson-Savannah vs. R5 #4 Redan
R4 #1 No. 2 Thomson vs. R8 #3 Hart County
R6 #1 No. 7 LaFayette vs. R4 #2 No. 5 Cross Creek
R3 #1 No. 9 Groves vs. R5 #2 No. 8 GAC
R4 #3 Burke County vs. R6 #4 Ringgold
R7 #2 White County vs. R3 #4 Beach
Girls second-round schedule (Feb. 25-26)
R5 #1 Westminster vs. R3 #2 Liberty County
R2 #1 No. 4 Sumter County vs. R8 #2 Oconee County
R7 #1 No. 1 Lumpkin County vs. R1 #2 No. 9 Tattnall County
R4 #1 No. 2 Cross Creek vs. R6 #2 No. 8 Murray County
R6 #1 No. 3 Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe vs. R4 #2 Thomson
R3 #1 Johnson-Savannah vs. R5 #2 No. 5 GAC
R2 #2 Central-Macon vs. R6 #4 Ringgold
R1 #1 No. 7 Pierce County vs. R7 #2 No. 10 East Forsyth
Boys first-round results
R3 #2 Windsor Forest 69, R1 #3 Pierce County 39
R5 #1 Sandy Creek 75, R7 #4 Gilmer 35
R6 #3 Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 69, R8 #2 Franklin County 57
R2 #1 Sumter County 76, R4 #4 Hephzibah 54
R3 #3 Johnson-Savannah 57, R1 #2 Tattnall County 34
R5 #4 Redan 72, R7 #1 North Hall 69 OT
R8 #3 Hart County 59, R6 #2 Adairsville 49
R4 #1 Thomson 75, R2 #4 Crisp County 51
R4 #2 Cross Creek 75, R2 #3 Upson-Lee 45
R6 #1 LaFayette 65, R8 #4 Oconee County 59
R5 #2 GAC 88, R7 #3 East Forsyth 42
R3 #1 Groves 70, R1 #4 Brantley County 33
R4 #3 Burke County 67, R2 #2 Peach County 66
R6 #4 Ringgold 62, R8 #1 Monroe Area 59
R7 #2 White County 62, R5 #3 Salem 58
R3 #4 Beach 64, R1 #1 Long County 58
Girls first-round results
R3 #2 Liberty County 47, R1 #3 Long County 32
R5 #1 Westminster 52, R7 #4 Dawson County 32
R8 #2 Oconee County 44, R6 #3 Sonoraville 28
R2 #1 Sumter County 45, R4 #4 Morgan County 24
R1 #2 Tattnall County 36, R3 #3 Beach 35
R7 #1 Lumpkin County 84, R5 #4 Redan 51
R6 #2 Murray County 46, R8 #3 Franklin County 43
R4 #1 Cross Creek 69, R2 #4 Mary Persons 34
R4 #2 Thomson 49, R2 #3 Peach County 28
R6 #1 Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 56, R8 #4 Hart County 45
R5 #2 GAC 61, R7 #3 White County 42
R3 #1 Johnson-Savannah 68, R1 #4 Brantley County 28
R2 #2 Central-Macon 55, R4 #3 Burke County 40
R6 #4 Ringgold 45, R8 #1 East Jackson 43
R7 #2 East Forsyth 48, R5 #3 Cedar Grove 22
R1 #1 Pierce County 57 R3 #4 Savannah 23
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