Ranked basketball teams went 148-10 in the first round of the state basketball tournament this week, but at least 38 will be eliminated Friday and Saturday as each classification gets down to its final eight.
The 38 second-round games between ranked teams include one No. 1-vs.-No. 2 affair as Providence Christian of Lilburn, the top-ranked Class 1A Private boys team, is traveling to No. 2 Mount Pisgah Christian of Johns Creek. Both are up-and-coming programs with perhaps their best-ever teams.
Another prized second-round boys matchup has No. 4 McEachern at No. 2 Grayson in Class 7A. That’s a rematch of a 2020 semifinal that Grayson won 82-76. McEachern, the 2019 champion and 2020 semifinalist, is trying to make the quarterfinals for the sixth consecutive time.
Other boys games between top-five teams are No. 5 Shiloh at No. 2 Kell in Class 6A, No. 5 Woodward Academy at No. 4 Veterans in 5A and No. 5 Westover at No. 1 Spencer in 4A.
The most interesting girls game has No. 6 Wesleyan at No. 4 St. Francis in Class 1A Private.
A 13-time champion since 2002, Wesleyan must win to extend its state-record streak of 20 quarterfinals appearances. St. Francis, a three-time former champion, was the 2020 runner-up and hasn’t fallen short of the quarters since 2007.
Another highly ranked matchup, also in 1A Private, has No. 2 Holy Innocents’ at No. 3 Mount Paran Christian. Holy Innocents’, the two-time defending champion, has played in seven consecutive finals, winning three, and handled Mount Paran easily in a Jan. 13 meeting.
The best girls game in the highest class has No. 7 Norcross at No. 3 Cherokee. Norcross has made the quarters or better the past four seasons and missed only twice in the past 11 seasons. Cherokee has made the semifinals the past two seasons.
Other girls games between top-five teams are No. 5 Cass at No. 4 Southwest DeKalb in 5A and No. 5 Westminster at No. 2 Lumpkin County in 3A.
The most surprising news of the girls’ first round, played Tuesday and Wednesday, was the elimination of No. 1 Luella and No. 2 Baldwin in Class 4A. Both team’s region tournaments were canceled over COVID-19 concerns. Luella hadn’t played since Jan. 29. Baldwin hadn’t played since Feb. 5. Baldwin had been 14-0.
Other ranked girls teams that lost this week were No. 10 West Forsyth (7A), No. 9 Mount Zion of Jonesboro (4A) and No. 8 Lamar County (2A). Top-10 boys teams that lost were No. 6 South Forsyth and No. 10 Etowah (both 7A), No. 8 Douglas County (5A), No. 6 Chattooga (2A) and No. 5 Bowdon (1A Public).
Eight teams won state-playoff games for the first time in the first round.
One was Mount Zion’s girls, whose school in Carroll County dates to the 1930s. They beat Hancock Central 62-32 in 1A Public. Another was Brookstone, a Columbus private school that opened in 1968. Its girls team had been 0-6 at state before beating Mount de Sales 60-32.
Another drought-breaker was Chapel Hill’s boys from a Douglas County school that opened in 1999. They’d been 0-7 at state but defeated Region 7-5A champion Calhoun 56-37. Hiram, also opened in 1999, advanced its boys team for the first time after five previous losses.
Other first-time winners were Deerfield-Windsor’s girls, B.E.S.T. Academy’s boys, Locust Grove’s boys and North Paulding’s boys.
The quarterfinals will be Tuesday and Wednesday. The finals are March 10-13 in Macon.
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