Redan’s girls’ basketball team is the last area squad standing after last weekend’s play ended at Fort Valley State University in the state quarterfinals.
With the Lady Raiders’ 71-50 win over Bradwell Institute, Redan will face Milton in the Class AAAAA state semifinals at Gwinnett Arena in Duluth today at 7 p.m.
Redan has not lost since the 2008 Class AAAAA state championship game against Stephenson, and extended their win streak to 57 games. By contrast, Milton will come into Thursday’s game on a six-game win streak.
Outside of Redan, all other area teams were eliminated in the state quarterfinals and second round. At Fort Valley State in south Georgia, Stephenson boys and girls teams each faced Westlake. The boys lost, 75-48, while the girls lost, 63-53. Stephenson’s boys team finished the season 18-13 overall and 8-7 in Region 2-AAAAA. The girls team finished the season 22-8 overall, 11-3 in Region 2-AAAAA.
Paideia’s girls traveled to Athens to face Prince Avenue Christian, and routed them, 41-18. However, the Lady Pythons fell in the Class A quarterfinals to Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy 42-38. The Lady Pythons finished the season 25-4 overall and 6-1 in Region 7-A play.
On the boys’ side in Class A, Paideia fell in the second round of the state tournament to Whitefield Academy on the road 65-54. Though the Pythons were able to carry an eight-point lead into the fourth quarter, they were unable to hold off Whitefield in the waning minutes of the game.
Paideia was eliminated by Whitefield Academy last season on the way to their state championship run. In this year’s contest, the game was much closer.
“There were a lot of factors that contributed to the [outcome of] the game,” Paideia coach JoJo Cadray said. “We were in a lot of foul trouble in the second half that stopped us from being able to maintain [defensive] pressure. We were up by 15 in the third quarter and Whitefield did a good job of coming back.”
Leading scorer Keenan Palmore was one of the players that went into foul trouble, and he fouled out of the game in the middle of the fourth quarter, according to Cadray. As Paideia’s depth waned, Whitefield increased their pressure on the Pythons’ younger players. The Pythons relented to the pressure and allowed Whitefield to turn the ball into easy points.