By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

          A look at Tuesday’s Central Georgia high school basketball action.

 

          Girls

          A battle of the top teams in 2-4A takes place to the north when Spalding (18-3/7-0) hosts West Laurens (14-8/7-1). The Raiders, led by Corrinia Evans’ 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds a game, try to avenge a 60-48 home loss earlier in January.

          Peach County (16-7/8-2) and Rutland (13-7/5-4) are 2-3 in 4-3A, with the host Hurricanes trying to stay ahead of Westside, which visits fifth-place Jackson.

          Second-place Dodge County (18-4/6-3) hosts third-place Southwest (12-8/6-4) in 3-AA, where little separates the top four teams.

          A huge showdown takes place in 8-AA with Putnam County, whose only two losses are in region play, hosting first-place Banks County. The hosts are 18-2/8-2 and the visitors are 19-4/9-1.

          Bleckley County is at Veterans in a quality non-region matchup. Bleckley County post Jahnaria Brown is off a monster game in a win over Class 6A Northside with 21 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists, and 10 blocks.

          Another marquee non-region game has Class 6A Northside (17-6) at Class 3A top-5 Central (19-2) with the Eagles trying to slow down the balanced Chargers.

 

Boys

          Dublin (18-2/8-1) has locked up things in 3-AA, but that doesn’t mean the visit from Washington County (14-7, 6-4) won’t be a huge battle. The two have developed quite the rivalry, and they’ll work to meet again in the region tournament.

          Two of the top Class A teams in the state meet when Wilkinson County (16-6/7-1) hosts Stratford (16-4/8-0). Only a third of a point separates the teams’ scoring averages, and the Warriors remember their 74-65 overtime loss in Macon earlier this month.

          There’s not much standings suspense in 2-4A, but Perry (14-7/4-4) and Mary Persons (21-2/6-2) tend to go at it pretty hard. The Panthers want to stay in at least third, and the Bulldogs want momentum heading into the region tournament it’s hosting.

 

TUESDAY'S GAMES

Doubleheaders

Girls first, boys second unless noted

5 p.m.

Hephzibah at Baldwin

5:30 p.m.

Houston County at Warner Robins

6 p.m.

Northside at Central

Bleckley County at Veterans

Jones County at Monticello

West Laurens at Spalding

Perry at Mary Persons

Upson-Lee at Howard

Peach County at Rutland

Westside at Jackson

Washington County at Dublin

Jordan at Lamar County

Southwest at Dodge County

Banks County at Putnam County

Schley County at Taylor County

Stratford at Wilkinson County

Twiggs County at Tattnall

GMC at Hancock Central

Mount de Sales at FPD

Crawford County at Hawkinsville

Briarwood at Gatewood

Windsor at Brentwood