With schools back in full time session following the holidays, basketball teams will go on a five-week sprint to the region playoffs and possible state playoff bids beginning this week.
On Tuesday’s, AccessWDUN Sports will look at the girls standings among the more than a half-dozen regions housing the 26 teams in the northeast Georgia area. We will examie the boys standings on Friday's.
With a full slate of games on tap for today, more than a dozen girls teams are in the thick of the early region battles, while others are gearing up for what they hope are potential playoff drives.
Two area teams -- North Forsyth (15-0, 5-0 Region 6-6A) and Jackson County (11-6, 4-0 Region 8-5A) -- lead their regions coming into January. Jefferson (11-3, 1-0 Region 8-3A) and Cherokee Bluff (12-4, 1-0 Region 8-3A), along with Oconee County (11-4, 1-0 Region 8-3A), all opened 8-3A play on Friday with wins.
Three others -- Buford (11-1, 3-1 Region 8-6A), East Forsyth (5-11, 4-1 Region 8-4A) in 8-4A, and White County (11-4, 3-1 Region 6-3A) -- all sit in second place, no worse than one game behind in the standings.
Buford, ranked ninth in Class 6A, is scheduled to play four games this week, including three in Region 8-6A. The Lady Wolves beat Discovery on Monday and will take on Collins Hill on Wednesday, a game moved from Dec. 6, and then Dacula on Friday before closing out the week against Class 3A No. 2 Jefferson at home.
Alcovy (7-8, 3-0 Region 8-5A) plays at Jackson County for the early lead in 8-5A, as will Jefferson and Oconee County, playing in Watkinsville, and Bluff taking on West Hall in Flowery Branch in 8-3A as they all try to keep pace with each other.
As is the case virtually every Tuesday and Friday, a trio of games in 6-3A will have teams scrambling for positioning.
Class 3A No.1 Pickens (13-1, 4-0 Region 6-3A) heads to winless Johnson. There are five teams within a game of second place going into Tuesday’s action in 6-3A.
White County, who travels to GAC (9-4, 2-2 Region 6-3A), will need a big road win to keep pace. Chestatee (10-5, 2-2 Region 6-3A) and Lumpkin County (7-8, 2-2 Region 6-3A) meet in Dahlonega and North Hall (4-9, 1-3 Region 6-3A) plays host to Dawson County (9-6, 2-2 Region 6-3A) trying to snap a 6-game losing streak.
East Forsyth can take over first place in 8-4A but will have to do it against No. 6 North Oconee (15-0, 4-0 Region 8-4A) on the road.
(See below for the full schedule of Tuesday's games.)
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY, Jan. 7
Alcovy at Jackson County, 6 p.m.*
Athens Academy at Commerce, 6 p.m.*
Chestatee at Lumpkin, 6 p.m.*
Dawson County at North Hall, 6 p.m.*
East Hall at Monroe Area, 6 p.m.*
East Forsyth at North Oconee, 6 p.m.*
Gainesville at Milton, 6 p.m.* -- 94.5 FM The Lake
Habersham Central at Apalachee, 6 p.m.*
Jefferson at Oconee County, 6 p.m.*
Lakeview Academy at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee, 6 p.m.
North Forsyth at Forsyth Central, 6 p.m.*
Pickens at Johnson, 6 p.m.*
Rabun County at Banks County, 6 p.m.*
Union County at North Murray, 6 p.m.*
West Hall at Cherokee Bluff, 6 p.m.*
White County at GAC, 6 p.m.*
(* -- denotes region contest)
