Griffin High's Xandria Hosley (33) and Spalding High's Desiree Corbin (23) battle for a rebound during a game between the crosstown rivals on Jan. 11 at Griffin High. The GHS Lady Bears won the Region 4-AAAA Div. B contest 49-46 in the final seconds of a game that stood tied with :35 left to play and that both teams held the lead in at one point or another in the final :30. The two teams meet again 6 p.m., Saturday at Spalding High.
Class AA Class No. 4-state ranked Griffin Christian's Taylor Dunn (15) puts up a shot over Mount de Sales' Thomas Matthews (2) during a game Jan. 12 at GCHS. Griffin Christian won 65-44 to score its fifth victory in its current season-best, eight-game winning streak which it carries into a game 7:30 p.m., today against No. 5-state ranked Arlington Christian to determine first place in GISA Region 4-AA.
Here’s the list of games taking place tonight, with a change -- the Spalding High varsity games at Jonesboro will take place at 7 p.m. for the girls and 8:30 p.m. for the boys.
Arlington Christian boys (15-2 overall, 6-1 GISA Region 4-AA) at Griffin Christian (15-6, 6-1):
The No. 4 state-ranked GC Crusaders will have to work hard to get their 9th straight win as they face No. 5 state-ranked Arlington Christian tonight at home at 7:30 p.m.
Sole possession of first place in GISA Region 4-AA is on the line and GC head coach Mic Savage believes his hot team will respond to the challenge and get a measure of revenge for the 83-70 loss GC suffered at Arlington in December. The Crusaders have not lost in 2013 and coach Savage believes its because his team has shown intensity, passion and heart on the defensive end.
“I believe we’ll be ready. We are much, much better defensively now than we were in the first half of the season,” said coach Savage. “Arlington will try to pressure us and we’ll be putting the pressure on them as well. It should be an exciting game.”
Arlington presents a challenge for any team, especially a team bereft of size like Griffin Christian. Arlington has a post player who’s 6-foot-7 and even their guards have some height on them. Coach Savage said if his team can play a solid game for 32 minutes, they will be fine.
Arlington Christian girls (11-4 overall, 7-0 GISA Region 4-AA) at Griffin Christian (7-13, 1-6):
The GC Lady Crusaders are much improved, but they’ve hit a wall and have lost 7 straight games. It doesn’t figure to get better for GC tonight when they face the No. 1 state-ranked Arlington Christian Lady Eagles, who are steamrolling through the region. Game time is set for 6 p.m.
GC scored 27 points against Arlington on Dec. 18, which is a big deal for the Lady Crusaders. Over the years, Arlington has run up the score and held GC down to less than 20 points.
Spalding boys (8-9 overall, 5-6 Region 4-AAAA Div. B) at Jonesboro (16-4, 10-1):
The Jags of Spalding looked good in beating Riverdale 66-54 Tuesday in a game that wasn’t that close. Now the Jags, in a fourth-place tie with crosstown rival Griffin, will have a tough task in the next two days. They travel to face first-place Jonesboro tonight in Division B action at 8:30 p.m. and then have to get ready and face Griffin on Saturday evening at home at 7:30 p.m.
Spalding and Jonesboro waged a war at SHS on Jan. 8, as the Jags rallied from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit but lost to the Cardinals by two, 70-68. Jonesboro has won 7 straight games and just came off a 14-point win over Griffin Tuesday. Spalding will have to execute well and sink some shots to upset a good Cardinals squad and then try to get a measure of revenge Saturday for a 53-48 loss to Griffin on Jan. 11.
Spalding girls (10-9 overall, 4-7 Region 4-AAAA Div. B) at Jonesboro (16-4, 9-2):
The Spalding Lady Jags have been wildly inconsistent lately, alternating wins and losses for the last four games. They will need to play a strong game for 32 minutes if they plan to upset the Division B leaders, the Jonesboro Lady Cardinals, tonight at 7 p.m.
Spalding will have to do a much better job containing Jonesboro post player Michelle Smith, who scored 27 points and snagged 12 rebounds on Jan. 8 at SHS. And once that’s over, then they will try to refocus and prepare for Griffin on Saturday evening at 6 p.m.
Upson-Lee boys (7-10 overall, 4-7 Region 4-AAAA Div. B) at Griffin (11-9, 5-6):
Bears head coach Prelvis Paster said recently that Upson-Lee plays much better than their record. He ought to know, as he saw his team fall to the last-place Knights 63-58 on Dec. 22 in the finale of the Lamar County Christmas Tournament. The last time the two teams met, Griffin won a tough road game 69-65 at Upson.
The Bears will try to end their four-game losing streak against the Knights tonight at 7:30 p.m., then travel down Highway 16 to face their crosstown rivals, the Spalding Jags, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Griffin will look to sweep the Jags and get some distance between the two teams in the subregion standings.
Upson-Lee girls (6-13 overall, 4-7 Region 4-AAAA Div. B) at Griffin (9-11, 6-5):
You can be sure Griffin Lady Bears head coach Veronica Lee wants to win tonight’s home game against the Lady Knights of Upson-Lee. Griffin defeated Upson-Lee 42-34 on Jan. 8 at Upson, but that win was overturned because a JV player played more than 5 quarters total in the JV and varsity games. Griffin had to forfeit the game a few days later.
“It was an honest mistake, but you can bet it will never happen again,” Lee said.
The Lady Bears had won 3 straight games after the Upson forfeit but they have dropped the past two games to Northside-Warner Robins and Jonesboro. They have focus tonight at The House against Upson, then travel Saturday to try to get a sweep over crosstown rival Spalding at SHS at 6 p.m.
Post a Comment