Tucker Boys Basketball Team Going to Quarterfinals

Columbia, Miller Grove and Tucker boys won to play another day in the 2013 high school basketball playoffs with victories on Saturday night.

The trio joins six girls’ teams from DeKalb including Stephenson, Tucker, Miller Grove, Southwest DeKalb, Redan and Columbia in the state quarterfinals which begin next Tuesday.

Columbia earned its way to its 10th consecutive appearance in the state playoff quarterfinals dating back to 2004 with a 74-62 road victory over LaGrange (22-7).

Senior guard and three-time Class AAA player of the year Tahj Shamsid-Deen
rebounded from a 10-point output in the Eagle’s opening round win over Gilmer to score 32 points to lead the Eagles in the win.

Columbia got out to a 38-22 halftime advantage on the way to knocking LaGrange out of the state playoffs for the third time in three meetings, including the 2010 Class AAA state championship game.

Maurice Rivers followed up his 14 point, 9 rebound off the bench performance in the first round against Gilmer with a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds and Kyle Wallace added 10 points for the No. 3 ranked Eagles (26-3).

Columbia faces Region 6-AAAA foe and No. 4 ranked Marist (23-4), a 64-37
winner over Shaw, for the third time this season in the Class AAAA quarterfinals. Columbia won two close contests during the regular season by scores of 46-45 and 52-50 and will host the rubber match on Wednesday.

Four-time state champion Miller Grove and Tucker picked up victories on Saturday night to advance to meet for the third time this season on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Miller Grove.

The No. 6 ranked Tucker Tigers rallied from a 21-14 halftime deficit to win 37-33 on the road at No. 7 ranked Allatoona (23-7). It is the first quarterfinal appearance for Tucker since a run to the Class AAAA title game in 2009 which they lost to Miller Grove which went on to win four consecutive state titles (2009-2012).

Tucker limited Allatoona to just 12 second half points while putting together a 16-5 run in the third quarter to take a 30-26 lead into the final quarter.

Devanta Reynolds hit two free throws and Devante Fitzgerald added a third
in the final 30 seconds to seal the come-from-behind victory for the Tigers (20-9). Reynolds finished with 14 points and Fitzgerald collected 10 in the win.

The No. 1 ranked Wolverines (27-3) on a mission to extend their state title streak to five in a row knocked off Villa Rica (20-12) 74-53 to advance. The Wolverines are making their sixth consecutive quarterfinal appearance (2008-2013).

Miller Grove won 80-69 in the two teams’ regular season meeting and then took a 72-53 semifinal win in the Region 6-AAAAA Tournament a week ago.

The Stephenson Jaguars (17-13) saw their Class AAAAA postseason come to an
end with a tough 42-38 loss on the road at New Manchester (20-9). The Jaguars had climbed to No. 4 in the Class AAAAA basketball poll with their late season play.

Another exciting postseason run came to an end as the Druid Hills Red Devils (17-10) lost at home to Brunswick (22-7) by a score of 56-42.

DEKALB STATE PLAYOFF BASKETBALL RESULTS
Friday, Feb. 22
Girls
Class AAAAA
Stephenson (25-5) 59, Lithia Springs (20-9) 55
Tucker (25-4) 53, Salem (18-11) 42
Miller Grove (24-5) 51, Allatoona (18-8) 38
SW DeKalb (21-8) 68, Villa Rica (22-9)37

Class AAAA
Redan ((25-2) 70, Fayette Co. (21-7) 40
Columbia (25-3) 61, LaGrange (20-8) 47

Boys
Saturday, Feb. 23
Class AAAAAA
Brunswick (22-7) 56, Druid Hills (17-10) 42, season over

Class AAAAA
New Manchester (20-9) 42, Stephenson (17-13) 38, season over
Tucker (20-9) 37, Allatoona (23-7) 33
Miller Grove (27-3) 74, Villa Rica (20-12) 53

Class AAAA
Columbia (26-3) 74, LaGrange (22-7) 62

DEKALB STATE PLAYOFF BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
Tuesday, Feb. 26
Girls
Class AAAAA
Stephenson (25-5) at SW DeKalb (21-8), TBA
Tucker (25-4) at Miller Grove (24-5), 5:30 p.m.

Class AAAA
Sandy Creek (23-6) at Redan (25-2), 5:30 p.m.
Columbia (24-3) at River Ridge (22-8), TBA

Boys
Class AAAAA
Tucker (20-9) at Miller Grove (27-3), 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 27
Boys
Class AAAA
Marist (23-4) at Columbia (25-3), 6 or 7 p.m.

Mark Brock is the Information Officer/Statistician/Web Manager for DeKalb County Schools Athletics