DeKalb Schools Basketball: SW DeKalb, Miller Grove Battle for Class AAAA Titles

The Class AAAA High School Basketball Championships feature an all-DeKalb
matchup as Southwest DeKalb takes on Miller Grove in both the girls’ and
boys’ title games on Friday, March 9 at The Arena at Gwinnett Center.

In what is believed to be a first in GHSA Tournament history, one county
has all the representatives in the two championship games of one
classification.

The girls’ game set for a 3 p.m. tipoff features the No. 4 ranked Miller
Grove Lady Wolverines (24-4) taking on the unranked Southwest DeKalb Lady
Panthers (21-11) in the first all-DeKalb matchup of the Class AAAA finals.

The two teams split their regular season games in Region 6-AAAA play as
Southwest DeKalb won the first meeting 43-31 and Miller Grove returned the
favor in the second game by a score 55-47.

Miller Grove is playing in its first ever title game since the school
began playing basketball in 2005. The Lady Wolverines entered the state
tournament as the No. 1 seed from Region 6-AAAA and comes into the title
game having defeated Chapel Hill (73-45), Forsyth Central (52-45), Rome
(67-38) and No. 8 Alcovy (42-34) in the first four rounds of the state
tournament.

Junior Tashi Thompson leads the Lady Wolverines in scoring at a 15.3 point
clip while senior Tabitha Fudge and junior Klarissa Weaver average 7.3
rebounds per game. Weaver also averages four blocked shots per game.

The Lady Panthers battled their way into the finals by defeating three of
the Top 10 ranked teams in Class AAAA. Kell fell 63-49 in the opening
round followed by No. 6 Creekview 44-39, No. 5 Chamblee 55-52 in overtime
and No. 7 Jonesboro 51-35 in the semifinals.

Southwest DeKalb is led in scoring by senior Nekia Sockwell at 10.3 points
per game and freshman Nicole Martin at 10 points per game. Martin also
leads the team in rebounding at 8.8 per game.

The two boys’ teams are scheduled to take the court at 4:45 p.m. right
behind the end of the girls’ game and features a pair of Top 10 ranked
teams in No. 1 and three-time defending champion Miller Grove (23-9) and
No. 4 Southwest DeKalb (22-9) who meet for third time this season.

Miller Grove won all three of the meeting this season including the 57-53
in overtime win at Southwest DeKalb, 59-53 at Miller Grove and 67-63 in
the Region 6-AAAA championship game.

The Wolverines are led by McDonald’s All-American senior Tony Parker as he
scores 16.6 points and grabs 11.0 rebounds per game and senior Brandon
Morris at 11.1 points and 8.1 rebounds.

Miller Grove has won 19 consecutive playoff games from 2009 to 2012
including this year’s wins over New Manchester (83-35), Loganville
(74-39), Marist (60-51) and No. 5 Jonesboro (70-49).

The Panthers are playing in their first ever state championship game in
the program’s history and are led by McDonald’s All-American senior
William “Shaq” Goodwin with 21.4 points and 12.3 rebounds per game and
McDonald’s All-American nominee senior Jordan Price with 19.4 points, 5.6
rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

Southwest defeated Osborne (70-58), Cedar Shoals (71-69), No. 6
Chattahoochee (68-63) and No. 10 North Clayton (74-67) to reach the finals.

STATE PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Friday, March 9
CLASS AAAA CHAMPIONSHIPS at The Arena at Gwinnett Center
The Arena at Gwinnett Center
Girls SW DeKalb (21-11) vs. Miller Grove (24-4), 3 p.m.
Boys SW DeKalb (22-9) vs. Miller Grove (23-9), 4:45 p.m.

Columbia teams vying for championship game berths in Class AAA

Columbia has its boys and girls in the Class AAA Final Four for the
third consecutive season for both teams as they play on Friday, March 9 at
the Macon Centreplex.

The No. 2 ranked Lady Eagles (22-5) meet No. 8 ranked Westside-Augusta
(26-4) at 7 p.m. on Friday as they attempt to reach the state championship
game for second time in three years.  Columbia won the state title in 2010
and lost to current No. 1 ranked Washington County (30-0) in the
semifinals a year ago.

The No. 1 ranked and two-time defending Class AAA state champions Eagles
(29-1) make their seventh consecutive Final Four appearance including
state titles in Class AAAA in 2006 and 2008 and in Class AAA in 2010-11.
The Eagles will face a familiar foe in No. 5 ranked Eagle’s Landing (27-3)
at 8:30 p.m.

Columbia knocked off Eagle’s Landing 72-47 in the semifinals last season
and won a tight 44-37 in the finals of the Converse Invitational played at
Columbia during the Christmas holidays.

STATE PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Friday, March 9
CLASS AAA SEMIFINALS at Macon Centreplex
(G) Columbia (22-5) vs. Westside-Augusta (26-4), 7 p.m.
(B) Columbia (29-1) vs. Eagle’s Landing (28-3), 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 10
CLASS AAA FINALS at Macon Centreplex
Girls  Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.
Boys Semifinal winners, 8:30 p.m.