The Cedar Grove Saints and Pace Academy had a rematch of last year’s Region 5-3A title game with the Saints getting the championship trophy 45-44 at Westminster on Friday night.

The game was tied at 44-44 and the Saints in possession of the ball when Devon Barnes was fouled with just 2.3 seconds remaining. Barnes hit one of the two free throws for the game winner.

Pace was unable to get off a shot and the Saints (21-6) are bringing home the trophy and a host role in the first round of the Class 3A state playoffs.

The boys’ consolation game went to Towers (17-9) 72-47 over Redan (13-13). Both teams will have to go on the road with Towers as the No. 3 seed and Redan No. 4.

Cedar Grove (12-6) collected the No. 3 seed on the girls’ side with a 47-25 victory over Stone Mountain (10-13). Both teams will be on the road in Class 3A girls’ state tournament play.

Region 5-5A at SW DeKalb
Host Southwest DeKalb advanced both its girls’ team and boys’ team into the championship round of the Region 5-5A Tournament with wins on Friday.

The Panthers opened hot against with four three-pointers in the first quarter with Eugene Brown hitting two of them and adding a steal for a basket on the way to a 24-11 lead.

KD Johnson had a pair of drives early in the second half as the Panthers (16-10) began to pull away up 43-23 on Johnson’s three-point play with 4:28. Devonta Brittain’s fade away on the baseline just beat the third quarter buzzer for a 52-31 Southwest lead.

Brown would give the Panthers a 22-point advantage twice early in the fourth quarter with two free throws and a lay-in with 6:31 to play to make it 58-36.

The Wolverines (18-7) cut the lead to 11 twice as they began pressing and getting some turnovers. Timothy Stargell made it a 52-63 deficit with a three-pointer with 2:05 to play. Maurice Harvey answered a pair of free throws by Brittain with a drive to again cut the lead to 11.

Southwest DeKalb would hit 12 of 14 free throws in the final 1:45 to squash the Wolverines’ rally.

The Panthers will take on the Lithonia Bulldogs in the 8:30 pm boys’ championship on Saturday. The Bulldogs (20-6) knocked off the Columbia Eagles (19-8) 44-42 in overtime to advance.

Brison Rockcliffe scooped up a Columbia turnover along the baseline and was fouled with 1.9 seconds to play with the Bulldogs leading 43-42. He hit one of two free throws and the Eagles’ long pass on the inbounds play was intercepted by a Bulldog to seal the win.

Columbia trailed by as much as nine in the second half, but a three-point play by Lorenzo McGhee with 3:45 left in regulation tied the game at 33-33. McGhee would give the Eagles their first lead since a 6-4 advantage in the first quarter as he grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back in for a 35-33 lead with 2:47 to play.

Brittain knotted the at 35-35 with a drive at the 1:56 mark, but the two teams could not hold on to the ball as each committed two turnovers that sent the game into overtime. Rockcliffe gave the Bulldogs the lead with a three early in the overtime and then broke a 40-40 tie with 1:51 to play with a drive to the basket.

The Southwest DeKalb Lady Panthers (15-12) got 16 points from freshman Taylor Christmas on the way to a 52-21 semifinal win over the Chamblee Lady Bulldogs (14-11).

Christmas has six consecutive points in a 10-0 second quarter run as Southwest pulled away from a 10-10 tie to a 20-10 halftime lead. Lanee Edwards hit for 9 points in the third quarter as the lead was extended to 35-16.

Christmas added six more points in the fourth quarter as Southwest put the game away.

Southwest advanced to face No. 3 ranked Arabia Mountain (20-1) in the finals on Saturday at 7:00 pm. Arabia Mountain was in a tight game with Miller Grove (14-11) leading just 18-15 after the first quarter. A pair of second quarter treys by Iyanna McMillian, including going back-to-back with Alina Shoemake from the behind the arc sent the Lady Rams to the half up 33-21.

Freshman Jordan Ward made it a 57-32 game heading into the fourth quarter with a steal and layup in the final minute.

Keshuna Patterson, Miller Grove’s 1,000 career point player, hit a three, drove to the basket and hit two free throws to cut the lead to 59-41 with 5:03 to play, but the Wolverines would get no closer. Miller Grove and Chamblee face off in the girls’ consolation game at 4:00 pm on Saturday.

Region 4-6A at Mundy’s Mill
In Region 4-6A action at Mundy’s Mill the Tucker Lady Tigers and Stephenson Jaguars advanced to the championship games with semifinal wins. Tucker (19-8) defeated Martin Luther King Jr (7-20) 56-47 and advances to play No. 1 ranked Lovejoy at 5:30 pm.

Lovejoy defeated Stephenson (17-10) 73-36 to reach the title game. King and Stephenson will play in the girls’ consolation game at 2:30 pm.

The Jaguars (20-5) advanced to the region finals for the second consecutive year with a hard fought 55-50 win over country rival Tucker (16-11) in the semifinals. The finals will be a rematch of Stephenson’s upset of Jonesboro last year as the two get after it at 7:00 pm having split the season series.

Tucker and Drew meet in the boys’ consolation game at 4:00 pm.

DCSD REGION TOURNAMENT SCORES
Friday, 2/9
Region 5-3A at Westminster
Boys’ Finals (B)
Cedar Grove (21-6) 45, Pace Academy 44
Boys’ Consolation
Towers (17-9) 72, Redan (13-13) 42
Girls’ Consolation
Cedar Grove (12-6) 47, Stone Mountain (10-13) 25

Region 5-5A at SW DeKalb
Girls Semifinals
SW DeKalb (15-12) 52, Chamblee (14-11) 21
Arabia Mountain (20-1) 67, Miller Grove (14-11) 51
Boys Semifinals
Lithonia (20-6) 44, Columbia (19-8) 42 (1 OT)
SW DeKalb (17-10) 77, Miller Grove (18-7) 59

Region 4-6A at Mundy’s Mill
Girls’ Semifinals
Tucker (19-8) 56, M.L. King (7-20) 47
Lovejoy 73, Stephenson (17-10) 36
Boys’ Semifinals
Stephenson (20-5) 55, Tucker (16-11) 50

DCSD REGION TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Saturday, 2/10
Region 5-5A at SW DeKalb
Consolations
(G) Chamblee (14-11) vs. Miller Grove (14-11), 4:00 pm
(B) Columbia (19-8) vs. Miller Grove (18-7), 5:30 pm
Championships
(G) SW DeKalb (15-12) vs. Arabia Mountain (20-1), 7:00 pm
(B) SW DeKalb (17-10) vs. Lithonia (20-6), 8:30 pm

Region 4-6A at Mundy’s Mill
Consolation
(G) M.L. King (7-20) vs. Stephenson (17-10), 2:30 pm
(B) Tucker (16-11) vs. Drew, 4:00 pm
Championships
(G) Tucker (19-8) vs. Lovejoy, 5:30 pm
(B) Stephenson (20-4) vs. Jonesboro, 7:00 pm