The Region 5-AAAA tournament kicks off today, and both Troup teams will be in action in do-or-die games.
The Tigers, the tournament’s fifth seed, will host eighth-seeded Columbus at 7:30 p.m. today.
At Carrollton, the seventh-seeded Lady Tigers will face fifth-seeded Alexander at 6 p.m.
The tournament continues through Saturday, and the top four finishers on the girls’ and boys’ sides will each advance to the state tournament.
Both Troup teams would need to win two games to reach the semifinals.
The fourth-seeded LaGrange High’s girls’ team, meanwhile, will open its tournament stay on Tuesday at Carrollton against the winner of Monday’s game between eighth-seeded Shaw and fifth-seeded Carrollton.
Tuesday’s game will be at 6 p.m.
LaGrange High’s boys’ team, thanks to its second-place finish in the region, has a bye into the semifinals, and the Grangers will play at 6 p.m. on Friday at Alexander High School.
Today at Troup, the Tigers will try to beat Columbus for the third time this season.
Troup beat Columbus 78-60 at home, and 57-51 on the road.
The Tigers had an up-and-down run through region play and finished with a 7-7 record against region foes, but they head into tournament play coming off arguably their best game of the season, a 61-51 victory over Shaw.
“If we’re going to start playing good, now’s the time,” Troup head coach Thermond Billingslea said after that win.
If the Tigers win today, their next game would be on Wednesday at 6 p.m. against fourth-seeded Fayette County, and that game would be at Shaw High.
Fayette County has won both of the previous meetings against Troup this season.
If Troup were to beat Fayette County, it would advance to Friday’s semifinal game against top-seeded Alexander at 7:30 p.m.
Troup’s girls’ team, meanwhile, went 2-12 in region play, and both of those wins came against Shaw.
The Lady Tigers have lost twice to Alexander, 40-28 in the first meeting, and 71-22 on Jan. 22.
If the Lady Tigers win, their next game would be Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. against Columbus, and the game would be at Columbus High.
The LaGrange Lady Grangers will be the tournament’s fourth seed after going 9-5 in region play.
If the Lady Grangers win Tuesday’s game, they’d move on to Thursday’s semifinal game at 7:30 p.m. against top-seeded Sandy Creek.
First up will be a likely matchup on Tuesday with fifth-seeded Carrollton.
The teams played twice in the regular season, and LaGrange won both times.
Sandy Creek, meanwhile, has beaten LaGrange twice this season.
The LaGrange Grangers, who have won five in a row and went 12-4 in region play, will be able to sit back and relax until Friday when it plays its semifinal game.
The Grangers have already earned a spot at state, but a win Friday would be big for a few reasons.
“If we’re playing (Saturday), we’re playing for a region title, we have 20 wins, and we host the first round of the state tournament,” LaGrange head coach Mike Pauley said.
The tournament’s final four games will be played on Saturday at Sandy Creek High, including the girls’ championship game at 6 p.m., and the boys’ championship game at 7:30 p.m.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
TODAY
BOYS
AT TROUP HIGH
6 p.m. - Carrollton vs. Sandy Creek
7:30 p.m. - Troup vs. Columbus
GIRLS
AT CARROLLTON HIGH
6 p.m. - Troup vs. Alexander
7:30 p.m. - Carrollton vs. Shaw
TUESDAY
GIRLS
AT COLUMBUS HIGH
6 p.m. - LaGrange vs. Carrollton/Shaw winner
7:30 p.m. - Columbus vs. Troup/Alexander winner
WEDNESDAY
BOYS
AT SHAW HIGH
6 p.m. - Fayette County vs. Troup/Columbus winner
7:30 p.m. - Shaw vs. Carrollton/Sandy Creek winner
THURSDAY
GIRLS SEMIFINALS
AT SANDY CREEK
6 p.m. - Fayette County vs. Columbus, Troup or Alexander
7:30 p.m. - Sandy Creek vs. LaGrange, Carrollton or Shaw
FRIDAY
BOYS SEMIFINALS
AT ALEXANDER
6 p.m. - LaGrange vs. Shaw, Carrollton or Sandy Creek
7:30 p.m. - Alexander vs. Troup, Fayette County or Columbus
SATURDAY
AT SANDY CREEK
3 p.m. - Girls third-place game
4:30 p.m. - Boys third-place game
6 p.m. - Girls championship game
7:30 p.m. - Boys championship game
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