Georgia high school girls basketball playoffs: Breaking down the championship game matchups in all classifications

Eight state champions will be crowned this week in Macon.

Photo by Ed Turlington

By Michael Hebert | Photo by Ed Turlington

We're down to 16 sweet-shooting teams in the Georgia high school girls basketball playoffs, and eight of them will become state champs this week in Macon.

Here's a preview of all eight games in the order they'll be played.

Class A Public

Lake Oconee Academy (25-1) vs. Hancock Central (18-3), 1 p.m. Wednesday

Lake Oconee Academy is on a 21-game win streak entering the championship. Hancock Central, on the other hand, staved off a comeback in the elite eight to beat Montgomery County 58-56. The Bulldogs then made quick work of Commerce in the final four. While Lake Oconee Academy has been one of the best teams in Class A Public all year, Hancock Central has won 16 games in a row and will far and away be the Titans' toughest test.

Class 4A

Luella (27-3) vs. Marist (27-3), 5 p.m. Wednesday

Two of the best teams in Class 4A appropriately meet for the state championship in what should be one of the best games of the week. Luella has been a machine all season, but so has Marist, albeit a little more under the radar compared with Luella. Luella has won every game in the playoffs by at least 10 points, but Marist had to squeak by Pickens 38-35. Will Luella cap off a dominant season, or will Marist hold the mantle for the rest of the private schools and get it done?

Class 2A

Elbert County (27-4) vs. Rabun County (24-5), 1 p.m. Thursday

There’s less drama leading into the Class 2A State Championship, as both teams had no problems taking care of business in the final four. Both teams won every game in the playoffs by at least 10 points. Less drama doesn’t mean it won’t be a great game, however, as both of these teams have been near the top all season long. The two teams split the season series, but Rabun County won 47-40 in the region tournament.

Class 5A

Woodward Academy (28-2) vs. Forest Park (22-6), 5:30 p.m. Thursday

How about Forest Park? The Panthers had a good season but really turned it on in the playoffs, winning every game by double digits and making noise in Class 5A. Woodward Academy has dominated all season, and the War Eagles’ Sydney Bowles, a Georgia commit, has a chance to cap off a great career in the best way possible. Woodward did win all three meetings during the regular season by double digits, but this is a different Forest Park team at this point in the playoffs.

Class 3A

Greater Atlanta Christian (25-6) vs. Lumpkin County (29-1), 1 p.m. Friday

It's been quite the run for Greater Atlanta Christian, which was considered one of the top teams early in the season but fell behind due to more dominant teams like, well, Lumpkin County. GAC’s road to the championship was smooth sailing for the most part, save for a 67-60 win over Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe. Lumpkin County’s story has been the same all season — win, win and win again. That’s all the Indians have done all season and have kept that going in the postseason. It’s safe to assume a win won’t be easy for Lumpkin County in this game, however, as GAC played a tough all-classification schedule.

Class 6A

Sequoyah (24-7) vs. Lovejoy (27-3), 5:30 p.m. Friday

Each classification has a team that has made a surprise run, and in Class 6A, it's Sequoyah, a good team during the season that started playing its best basketball during the playoffs. Sequoyah’s biggest moment of the playoffs came during the final four, when the Chiefs beat Kell, one of the best teams in Class 6A, 40-38. Meanwhile, Lovejoy is doing what most expected — running through the competition in the playoffs all the way to the championship. Now, only one more team is standing in the Wildcats' way.

Class A Private

Mount Paran (24-4) vs. Hebron Christian (26-5), 11 a.m. Saturday

While it's not too much of a surprise to see Mount Paran reach the Class A Private state championship, Hebron Christian is riding high after a 53-51 upset of St. Francis in the elite eight and a 49-47 win over Galloway in the final four. These wins aren’t flukes for defending champ Hebron Christian, which maybe wasn’t on the level of St. Francis and others during the season, but is finding ways to win when it matters. It REALLY matters Saturday, so watch for Hebron Christian to give Mount Paran everything it can handle.

Class 7A

Norcross (27-3) vs. Harrison (27-3), 5:30 p.m. Saturday

Another classification, another team that was underrated for most of the year. That aptly describes Harrison, one of the best teams in Class 7A but didn’t get the shine that teams like Brookwood, Grayson and even Norcross got most of the year. Harrison’s response? Beating those teams. The Hoyas topped Grayson 57-49 in the elite eight. Norcross took care of Brookwood, as well. One last powerhouse stands in Harrrison’s way though, and the Blue Devils have the experience. This should be one of the best games of the week.