Swainsboro Tigers ready for Region
By: TROUP BRINSON
The Forest Blade
The Tigers boys basketball team completed a 15-10 regular season by dispatching the ECI Bulldogs 58-37 in the season finale. Tigers guard Malcolm Eady led all scorers with 19 points.
Swainsboro will begin the region playoffs on Thursday at Brewton Parker College in Mount Vernon. East Laurens will likely be the opponent and tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 P.M. A victory in that game would propel them into a semi-final match-up on Friday against the winner of Vidalia and Jefferson County. The championship game will be Saturday night at 8:30 P.M.
There are four teams with a legitimate shot at the region crown: Swainsboro, Laney, Dublin, and Vidalia. All four have been ranked in the top 10 at one point in the season. Only Laney and Dublin remain in the rankings.
Swainsboro has the best region record at 7-1. Their season has thus far been defined by two dramatic victories over the Laney Wildcats (Laney’s only two losses of the season). However, this Tigers team seems to play up or down to the level of their competition. Even with the outstanding play against Laney, there have been several head-scratching losses where there appeared to be a lack of intensity. This team has four scorers who can carry the load in any given game (Eady, Lynquez Blair, Devin Leach, and Armani Moore). The Tigers will need to rebound consistently and limit turnovers if they hope to do any real damage in the post season. Swainsboro averages 58 points per game while allowing 54 points. Devin Leach has had an impressive season shooting the ball, netting 47 of his 92 three point shots.
Laney would be undefeated on the season if not for Swainsboro. They have a 6-2 region record (23-2 overall). The Wildcats have one of the top scorers in the state as Rodriquez Hall averages 22 points per contest. Laney has the best offense in the region putting up 75 points per game while only allowing 54 points. Even with their two losses versus Swainsboro, Laney has to be the odds on favorite to take the region crown. They are currently ranked #3 in the state.
Dublin is the defending state champion and comes in with an 8-2 region record (18-5 overall). They boast the top defense among region competitors by allowing only 48 points per game while scoring 57 points per game. Dublin knocked off Swainsboro by 10 points while losing to Laney by 12 points in the regular season. Dublin is currently ranked #7 in the state.
Vidalia began the season as a team with great expectations. However, a mid-season swoon saw them drop 6 consecutive games. Their region record is 7-3 (15-9 overall). Their inconsistent play is a mystery as they have one of the most talented teams in the area. Vidalia led Swainsboro 29-15 before sloppy ball handling and turnovers fueled a Tigers 26-6 run to win the game. The Indians might have rebounded since then as they have won 4 out of their past 5 games by an average of 25 points per contest. They average 59 points per game while allowing 51 points.
Swainsboro should handle their first round game on Thursday with ease. However, the semi-final game against either Jefferson County or Vidalia is a dangerous one. Anything but a highly motivated effort could result in a costly loss. Winning in the semi-final match-up guarantees Swainsboro a top 2 seed in the state playoffs (and a home playoff game). A loss would drop them to a #3 seed and put them on the road from that point on.
Swainsboro will begin the region playoffs on Thursday at Brewton Parker College in Mount Vernon. East Laurens will likely be the opponent and tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 P.M. A victory in that game would propel them into a semi-final match-up on Friday against the winner of Vidalia and Jefferson County. The championship game will be Saturday night at 8:30 P.M.
There are four teams with a legitimate shot at the region crown: Swainsboro, Laney, Dublin, and Vidalia. All four have been ranked in the top 10 at one point in the season. Only Laney and Dublin remain in the rankings.
Swainsboro has the best region record at 7-1. Their season has thus far been defined by two dramatic victories over the Laney Wildcats (Laney’s only two losses of the season). However, this Tigers team seems to play up or down to the level of their competition. Even with the outstanding play against Laney, there have been several head-scratching losses where there appeared to be a lack of intensity. This team has four scorers who can carry the load in any given game (Eady, Lynquez Blair, Devin Leach, and Armani Moore). The Tigers will need to rebound consistently and limit turnovers if they hope to do any real damage in the post season. Swainsboro averages 58 points per game while allowing 54 points. Devin Leach has had an impressive season shooting the ball, netting 47 of his 92 three point shots.
Laney would be undefeated on the season if not for Swainsboro. They have a 6-2 region record (23-2 overall). The Wildcats have one of the top scorers in the state as Rodriquez Hall averages 22 points per contest. Laney has the best offense in the region putting up 75 points per game while only allowing 54 points. Even with their two losses versus Swainsboro, Laney has to be the odds on favorite to take the region crown. They are currently ranked #3 in the state.
Dublin is the defending state champion and comes in with an 8-2 region record (18-5 overall). They boast the top defense among region competitors by allowing only 48 points per game while scoring 57 points per game. Dublin knocked off Swainsboro by 10 points while losing to Laney by 12 points in the regular season. Dublin is currently ranked #7 in the state.
Vidalia began the season as a team with great expectations. However, a mid-season swoon saw them drop 6 consecutive games. Their region record is 7-3 (15-9 overall). Their inconsistent play is a mystery as they have one of the most talented teams in the area. Vidalia led Swainsboro 29-15 before sloppy ball handling and turnovers fueled a Tigers 26-6 run to win the game. The Indians might have rebounded since then as they have won 4 out of their past 5 games by an average of 25 points per contest. They average 59 points per game while allowing 51 points.
Swainsboro should handle their first round game on Thursday with ease. However, the semi-final game against either Jefferson County or Vidalia is a dangerous one. Anything but a highly motivated effort could result in a costly loss. Winning in the semi-final match-up guarantees Swainsboro a top 2 seed in the state playoffs (and a home playoff game). A loss would drop them to a #3 seed and put them on the road from that point on.
