By Kevin Eckleberry

kevin.eckleberry@lagrangenews.com

LAGRANGE – It’s a one-game season.

The LaGrange Lady Grangers and Troup Lady Tigers have both enjoyed successful seasons, but the only thing that matters to either team right now is what happens today.

The Region 5-AAAA tournament gets under way today at LaGrange High, and the girls’ teams from LaGrange and Troup both need wins to keep their seasons alive.

If they win, they’ll advance to the semifinals on Thursday and earn a spot in the state tournament, but if they lose today, their seasons will be over.

The Troup Tigers will be facing that same pressure on Wednesday when they play their region-tournament opener in Cartersville, while the top-seeded LaGrange Grangers have a first-round bye and will host a semifinal game on Friday.

The region tournament got under way on Monday, with the six and seven seeds on the boys’ and girls’ sides playing each other for the right to advance.

The tournament continues today with a pair of girls’ games at LaGrange High.

First up at 6 p.m., it will be fourth-seeded Troup playing fifth-seeded Cartersville.

The winner will advance to play top-seeded Sandy Creek on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., and that game will be at Sandy Creek.

At 7:30 p.m. today, third-seeded LaGrange will play either Cedartown or Central-Carroll, who played on Monday in the six vs. seven game.

If LaGrange wins, it would play again on Thursday at 6 p.m. vs. second-seeded Chapel Hill at Sandy Creek.

The LaGrange Lady Grangers are one of the region’s hottest teams.

LaGrange was 2-3 in the region after dropping three straight games, but it has only lost once since then to finish 8-4 in the region.

The Lady Grangers have won seven of their past eight games, with the only loss during that stretch coming against the top-seeded Sandy Creek Lady Patriots.

LaGrange is 2-0 against Cedartown and Central-Carroll.

If Troup is going to advance, it will have to beat a team that it lost to less than a week ago.

On Friday in the regular-season finale, Troup lost to Cartersville 58-51, and those two teams will meet again today.

Troup won 59-36 at Cartersville on Jan. 17.

The girls’ region tournament concludes on Saturday at LaGrange High, with the third-place game at 3 p.m., and the championship game at 7:30 p.m.

Sandy Creek is the top seed after going 10-2 against region opponents, and it is followed by Chapel Hill (9-3), LaGrange (8-4), Troup (7-5), Cartersville (4-8), Cedartown (2-10) and Central-Carroll (2-10).

On the boys’ side, the fourth-seeded Troup Tigers will travel to Cartersville for their first-round game on Wednesday at 6 p.m. against fifth-seeded Cedartown.

If Troup wins, it would play top-seeded LaGrange on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the semifinals, and that game would be at LaGrange High.

Troup and Cedartown have the same 4-8 region record, but Troup is seeded higher since it won both regular-season meetings between the teams.

Troup won 55-41 on Jan. 13, and it won the rematch 41-35 on Jan. 28.

LaGrange will sit back and wait to see who it will be playing.

The Grangers went 11-1 against region opponents in the regular season to earn the top seed, and the Sandy Creek Patriots are seeded second after going 10-2.

Cartersville (9-3) is the number three seed, and it is followed by Troup (4-8), Cedartown (4-8), Chapel Hill (3-9) and Central-Carroll (1-11).

REGION 5-AAAA 

TOURNAMENT

TODAY’S GAMES

AT LAGRANGE HIGH

6 p.m. – Troup girls vs. Cartersville

7:30 p.m. – LaGrange girls vs. Cedartown or Central-Carroll

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

AT CARTERSVILLE HIGH

6 p.m. – Troup boys vs. Cedartown

7:30 p.m. – Cartersville vs. Chapel Hill or Central-Carroll

THURSDAY’S GAMES

AT SANDY CREEK

6 p.m. – Chapel Hill girls vs. LaGrange, Cedartown or Central-Carroll

7:30 p.m. – Sandy Creek girls vs. Troup or Cartersville

FRIDAY’S GAMES

AT LAGRANGE HIGH

6 p.m. – Sandy Creek boys vs. Cartersville, Chapel Hill or Central-Carroll

7:30 p.m. – LaGrange vs. Troup or Cedartown

SATURDAY’S GAMES

AT LAGRANGE HIGH

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