Defense is the word for the No. 10-ranked Loganville girls.
In two state playoff games, the Red Devils have yet to allow 30 points and are in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2016 after a 51-29 win over No. 6 Maynard Jackson. The stinginess is nothing new. Loganville has limited 18 teams to fewer than 30 points this season and helps explain why the Red Devils bring an 11-game winning streak into the third round.
“I had my doubts because this is the best offensive team we’ve ever had,” coach John Zorn said. “The mental toughness and defense is what I worried about with this group, but they’ve done a good job.”
The team’s top players are senior Rose Bone, Sydney Bolden and Janae Charles, each of them a member of the All-Region 8 team. Charles broke the school’s rebounding record and was voted region player of the year. They have helped the team win the region title, go 26-3 and set a school record for wins.
“This the most talented group I’ve ever coached,” Zorn said. “On offense we’ve got kids that can score the basketball.”
Loganville plays at Griffin in the third round, a contest that matches two equally successful teams. Griffin won the Region 2 tournament.
“When you get to this point it’s all about the game plan,” Zorn said. “Everybody is pretty even. You’ve got to make free throws, make your layups and box out.”
A look at the four third-round girls games:
No. 1 Woodward Academy (19-1) at No. Southwest DeKalb (21-6), Tuesday, 6 p.m.: Woodward Academy lost its second game of the season to Holy Innocents’ and hasn’t stumbled since. The War Eagles are led by junior Sydney Bowles (21.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists) and sophomore Sara Lewis (19.4 points, 4.4 rebounds). Bowles is ranked as the No. 25 player in the country by ESPN’s HoopGurlz Top 60 Rankings, but has not made a college commitment. Southwest DeKalb is led by Region 5 player of the year Adrieanna Brownlee (14.5 points, 7.4 rebounds) and first-team all-region selections Taylor Christmas (8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds) and Aniyah Lee. Woodward averages 76.3 points and 20.8 steals. Southwest DeKalb averages 54.2 points and 12.5 steals.
No. 10 Loganville (26-3) at Griffin (18-7), Wednesday, 6 p.m.: Loganville is a senior-oriented team, while Griffin’s three top players are all sophomores – 6-foot-3 Samiah Puckett (12.9 points), Aaliyah Duranham (11.4 points), Leah Turner (11.3 points). Each of the three was named to the All-Region 2 team. The Bears have won five straight since a non-conference loss to Class 2A quarterfinalist Columbia.
No. 2 Forest Park (22-5) at No. 8 Hiram (19-4), Wednesday, 6 p.m.: Forest Park moved down from Class 6A, where it won the state title last year, and is trying to make it two straight. The Panthers are loaded with talent, starting with Sania Feagin, last year’s Gatorade Georgia Player of the Year, who averages 19.4 points and 10.2 rebounds, and Olympia Chaney, who averages 11.3 points. Feagin has signed with South Carolina and last week was named to the prestigious McDonald’s All-America Team. Hiram, which will make its first foray into the third round, is a well-balanced team led by first-team All-Region 7 players Imani Smith (14.1 points, 6.6 rebounds) and Sydney Jones (11.5 points, 11.1 rebounds) and second-team pick Erial Owens (11-9 points, 5.5 rebounds). Jones recorded her 800th career rebound in the second-round win over St. Pius.
Dutchtown (21-8) at No. 4 New Manchester (24-3), Tuesday, 6 p.m.: New Manchester, the Region 6 champion, brings an 18-game winning streak into the game. The balanced Jaguars are led by senior Hannah Wright (11.7 points) and junior Kamryn Bates (10.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists). Dutchtown’s Paige Lyons was the Region 4 Player of the Year and averages 16.8 points and 3.9 steals. All-region pick Jade Anderson averages 10 points and 3.3 rebounds.
A look at the four third-round boys games:
No. 3 Tri-Cities (22-4) at No. 1 St Pius (24-3), Wednesday, 7 p.m.: This has the makings of a semifinal or event a final matchup. Tri-Cities brings a 15-game winning streak to the table and rolled through Region 3, perhaps the toughest boys conference in the state, without a loss. Both teams are loaded with experience and playoff savvy; some of the Tri-Cities players were members of the team that won the Class 6A title two years ago and St. Pius is aiming for its fourth trip to the Final Four in five years.
Tri-Cities top players are 6-foot-2 guard Peyton Daniels, who has signed to play point guard at Vanderbilt, Davorian Rudolph, Jackson Watson and Simeon Cottle, a 6-2 junior. Daniels, the Region 3 Player of the Year, averaged 23 points, 5.5 rebounds, four assists and two steals as a junior and is posting similar numbers again this season.. St. Pius is led by a pair of All-Region 5 players -- senior point guard Brookes Kahlert and shooting guard Trey Acklin. Kahlert, who has signed with Rollins, is an exceptional passer and a good shooter. Acklin, one of the best defenders on the team, has worked hard to upgrade his offense.
No. 8 Dutchtown (22-7) at No. 9 Clarke Central (21-6), Wednesday, 7 p.m.: Another great third-round matchup will be played in the Classic City. Defending state champion Dutchtown lost six seniors from that team, but the Tigers have a veteran in Cameron Callahan and a pair of All-Region 4 players in Micah Evans and Coen Carr, a 6-4 sophomore who is vaulting up the ladder on recruiting lists. Clarke Central’s Rio Foster, the Region 8 Player of the Year, is a three-sport athlete who averages a double-double. The Gladiators overcame a shaky start, since most of the team plays football, and have won 18 straight games.
Chapel Hill (17-10) at No. 4 Veterans (23-0), Wednesday, 6 p.m.: Chapel Hill is unquestionably the surprise team of the tournament, although the Panther have a good pedigree that includes close losses to 6A power Hughes and 5A quarterfinalist Dutchtown, as well as a pair to Region 6 champion New Manchester. Chapel Hill has already beaten Region 7 champion Calhoun and No. 6-ranked Lithonia in the playoffs. Seniors K.J. Doucet (17.4 points, 6.3 rebounds) and Micah Bell (12.6 points, 3.7 assists) are the top producers on the tough, veteran team. Veterans is the only undefeated team left in the classification. The Warhawks are anchored by Region 1 Player of the Year T.J. Grant, who averages 18.8 points and 7.0 rebounds. DeAngelo Hines (16.7 points) and Tajh Williams (10.4 points, 3.2 rebounds) were also first-team All-Region 1 sections and Aaron Jones (7.7 points, 5.6 rebounds) was a second-team selection.
No. 2 Eagle’s Landing (24-1) at New Manchester (16-9), Wednesday, 6 p.m.: Region 4 champion Eagle’s Landing takes a 13-game winning streak to Douglasville for the third-round matchup against the Region 6 champion Jaguars. Eagle’s Landing has a deep, experienced team led by Region 4 Player of the Year A.J. Barnes, a skillful 6-5 junior with explosive abilities.. David Thomas, a 6-2 sophomore, was also a member of the all-region team and is one of the top sharp-shooters from the perimeter. New Manchester is a balanced team that features Jordan Edmonds (10.6 points), Chase James-Robinson (9.6 points), Derrick Early (9.6 points) and Tyler Mapson (8.4 points).
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