With the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday set for Monday, it’ll be a short week in the classroom, but not on the basketball court.
As you set your weekly slate of games to watch, start with the 3rd Annual Cross Creek Battle of the Borders MLK Invitational Classic Monday. Hosted at Cross Creek, games begin at 10 a.m. with Hephzibah (10-3, 1-1 in Region 4-AAA) against Silver Bluff (S.C.) (5-8, 0-1 in SCHSL Region 3-AA) and ending with North Augusta (S.C.) against Baldwin slated for a 5:30 p.m. tip off time.
In between, Laney, Evans and Lakeside will be in action against teams from the Savannah area. It’ll be the last heavy non-region action of the season before everything turns hard toward the region grind that leads to state tournament placement.
Additionally, here are four more matchups you’ll want to keep an eye on this week.
Who: (Boys) Butler (12-2, 4-0) at Thomson (14-0, 6-0) (Girls); Butler (10-6, 4-1) at Thomson (14-2,5-1)
When: Tuesday, Jan. 16, 6 p.m. girls, 7:30 p.m. boys
Why: The Bulldogs remained undefeated by the slimmest of margins after barely sneaking by Putnam County with an 87-85 win Saturday. Things don’t get easier when it hosts a Butler squad that’s seriously cooking with first-year head coach Chaz Clark and a group of sophomores and juniors, along with senior Roosevelt Brown. Butler’s coming in with an 11-game winning streak which includes an impressive 76-61 win on Dec. 15 over that same Putnam County squad that almost knocked off Thomson. These two teams are among the hottest in the area, and this matchup will give the winner sole possession of the Region 4-AA lead. Same goes for the girls action. Both sets of Lady Bulldogs will be vying for positioning in a jam-packed region race where Josey, Thomson, Butler and Putnam County are all still in the mix.
Who: Putnam County (14-3, 4-2) at Josey (14-2, 5-0) (girls)
When: Tuesday, Jan. 16, 6 p.m.
Why: While Butler and Thomson duke it out in McDuffie County, the Lady Eagles will be tussling with Putnam County in another high-level, high-stakes Region 4-AA contest. The Eagles’ trio of junior Shaniya Sanders (13.5 ppg) and sophomores Kerri Fluellen (13.2 ppg) and Za’miyah Jenkins (11.4 ppg) have helped Josey remain the only team without a region loss. Putnam County will be looking to bounce back from a tough 60-52 loss to Thomson Saturday.
Who: Lakeside (9-5, 2-1) at Grovetown (10-7, 4-0) (boys)
When: Tuesday, Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m.
Why: Notice how Grovetown boys basketball has been conspicuously quiet lately? For the last three seasons, we’ve been used to talking about the Warriors in every way from being a region and state championship contender to, at one point, being nationally ranked and at one time boasting a player in Derrion Reid who has become one of the top high school prospects in the nation. But Reid, now an Alabama commit, moved on to a prep school in Northern California. As a result, coach Darren Douglas and his young squad ran into a bit of a rough spot early in the season, dropping five of its first seven games, including four straight L’s. But since Christmas, the Warriors have ripped off six straight wins, including a 4-0 Region 2-AAAAAA start which as them sitting atop the standings as the only team without a region loss.
Who: Richmond Academy (12-4, 1-2, in Region 4-AAA) at Hephzibah (10-3, 1-1)
When: Tuesday, Jan. 16, 7:15 p.m.
Why: Cross Creek and Richmond Academy locked horns in a classic battle that, although the Razorbacks came up short, it was another showing of the fact that ARC is a real problem for Region 4-AAA contenders. The Musketeers lost 54-51 in overtime Saturday, but they’ve been proven to be a tough out and still have the chops to stay in the region hunt. This clash with the Rebels gives ARC a chance to bounce back against a quality opponent. A win against the Rebels will push ARC back to third place in the region standings, or maybe higher depending on other results.
