High school basketball
The St. Pius girls basketball team, ranked No. 3 in Class AAAA, will face two tough tune-ups for the playoffs when it concludes the regular season this week against No. 8 Redan and No. 7 Marist.
St. Pius won the past two Class AAA championships before moving up in class this season. The Golden Lions (21-2, 16-0) were ranked No. 1 until a 61-40 loss to Class AAAAAA No. 6 Mountain View on Jan. 24, but they remain in first place in 6-AAAA and can clinch sole possession of the regular-season title with a victory in either game this week.
St. Pius will play at Redan (16-4, 12-3) Tuesday and at home Friday against Marist (16-3, 13-2). The Golden Lions beat Redan by seven points and Marist by two in their first meetings this season.
St. Pius is led by Asia Durr, a 5-foot-10 guard who has signed with Louisville. She averages 31 points per game, almost 60 percent of her team’s total of 52.9.
Here are some of the other top games this week in Georgia high school basketball:
- Stephenson at Miller Grove (boys): Defending AAAAA champion Miller Grove (21-3, 13-0) hopes to close out its regular season with a perfect record in Region 6 on Tuesday. Don't let Stephenson's record (11-11, 8-4) make it seem easy. Stephenson is 9-1 since New Year's, the only loss a one-point decision to third-ranked M.L. King (19-4, 11-2).
- Wesleyan at Holy Innocents' (girls): Top-ranked Holy Innocents' (23-0, 10-0) can lock up sole possession of first place in 6-AA with a victory against No. 3 Wesleyan (18-5, 9-1), but a Wesleyan win likely creates a tie for the regular-season title. Both teams finished as state runners-up last season, Wesleyan in AA and Holy Innocents' in Class A private.
- West Forsyth at South Forsyth (girls): Top-ranked South Forsyth (21-2, 16-0) will try to complete an unbeaten season in 6-AAAAAA when it concludes the regular season against its top two pursuers in the region, beginning Tuesday against third-place West Forsyth (18-5, 13-3). The War Eagles travel to No. 10 North Forsyth (20-3, 14-2) Friday in a rematch of a game South won 52-50 at home Jan. 6. South Forsyth is led by junior Sarah Myers, a Maryland commitment who averages 20.7 points and 6.7 rebounds.
- Westminster at Blessed Trinity (boys): Eighth-ranked Blessed Trinity (19-4, 8-0) can win the 4-AAA, Division B title with a victory against Westminster (17-6, 7-1). Blessed Trinity has good size with forwards Keishawn Binion (6-6) and Cody Pelitera (6-7), plus an excellent 3-point shooter in Jackson Svete.
- Wheeler at Milton (boys): Top-ranked Wheeler (21-2, 14-0) of AAAAAA needs one victory this week to clinch the No. 1 seed for the Region 5 tournament. First up is Milton on the road Tuesday. Milton (14-9, 10-4) is led by Chris Lewis, a 6-8 power forward who turned down offers from Georgia Tech and Miami to play for Harvard. On Friday, Wheeler hosts No. 7 Pope (20-3, 12-2).
