From staff reports

The LaGrange Grangers survived one more test as they continued their bid for a perfect regular season.

Facing the Heard County Braves on their home floor, the Grangers broke the game open in the fourth quarter to win 62-52 and improve to 23-0.

If the Grangers beat Carver Tuesday and Troup Friday, they’ll finish the regular season with an unblemished 25-0 record.

Also on Saturday, the Lady Grangers (15-7) tuned up for the final week of the regular season with a 49-39 victory.

LaGrange is tied with Northside for second place in the region with two games remaining.

The Lady Grangers need to win out and hope Northside loses.

Northside holds the tie-breaker edge over La-Grange.

In Saturday’s boys’ game, Qua Hardy led a balanced scoring attack with 17 points, while Dionte Mains and Antione Greene scored 11 points apiece.

Royal Thomas added 10 points.

The Grangers had a seven-point lead late in the third period, but the Braves closed the quarter on a 6-0 run to get within a point.

The Grangers were too strong in the fourth quarter, though.

“We hit some big shots in the fourth quarter,” said assistant coach Mark Veal.

No player came up bigger late than Hardy, who scored 11 of his points in the fourth period.

In the girls’ game, Brittany Tatum led the way with 14 points, and Arneshia Williams scored 13.

Steara Mitchell and Angel Penn each scored 10 points.

LaGrange coach Jan Jones said her players did a nice job of dealing with Heard County’s stall offense.

“It was a slow-paced game,” Jones said. “Heard held it and forced us to come out of our element.”