Jeff Hart

The Gainesville girls basketball team is showing it knows how to win under adversity. With three starters out due to injuries, the remaining Lady Elephants put on perhaps their best performance of the season in taking a 62-44 Region 7B-AAA win over arch-rival East Hall Saturday at the Gainesville gym.

In a game Gainesville had to win, the Elephants survived a terrible shooting night and a bizarre ending to beat West Forsyth 37-32 in a key Region 7B-AAA game for both teams.

The Gainesville girls basketball team continues to flex its defensive muscles. The Lady Elephants won its second straight game Friday night behind a smothering defense taking a 41-29 Region 7B-AAA win over West Forsyth at the Gainesville gym.

With time winding down, Flowery Branch guard Rashad Tate was supposed to find an open man for a potential game-winning shot Tuesday against Gainesville. As fate would have, he was it. And he came through for the Falcons draining a 3-pointer with three seconds left to give them a thrilling 70-68 win over the Elephants in both teams’ Region 7B-AAA subregion opener.

It won’t make any highlight reels but Gainesville girls basketball coach Manson Hill said he’ll take Tuesday night’s ragged 32-22 win over Flowery Branch at the Flowery Branch gym.

The top four seeds - Gilmer, White County, West Forsyth, and Lumpkin County - all advanced to the semifinals of the winner’s bracket Friday on the opening night of the Area 7-AAA Duals Tournament at West Forsyth High School.

Despite hitting just 13-of-24 from the free throw line Tuesday night against Chestatee, the Class AAA sixth-ranked West Hall boys basketball team made them when it mattered most.

Chestatee used a 25-3 second quarter behind a tenacious defense en route to taking a 40-17 win over West Hall Tuesday in Region 7-AAA girls basketball action.

Flowery Branch went undefeated Saturday to win the annual Hall County Duals at the East Hall gym.

It wasn