6-Day Regional Basketball Tournament Starts Monday at Decatur High Gym

The are closed this week for winter break, but expect to see a lot of activity at the gymnasium.

Decatur High is hosting the Region 6-AA basketball tournament. Twenty-two games will be played over the next six days at Decatur High’s 28-month-old, 2,000-seat arena.

Decatur upgraded its athletic facilitles a few years ago. The size and quality of the gym, which has won several architectural awards, is the main reason a post-season tournament is being held in Decatur for the first time in a decade.

Action opens at 6 p.m. today with the Maynard Jackson vs. Cross Keys girls game. Teams from the host school open play later in the week.

Decatur’s girls, 21-4 and with probably their best team since the early 1970s, play Blessed Trinity at 4 p.m. Wednesday. The boys play Blessed Trinity at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

The single-elimination tournament closes Saturday with the girls championship at 5 p.m. and the boys championship at 6:30 p.m. The four teams making it to Friday’s semifinal will earn a state tournament berth. The two teams in the championship will host a state playoff game.

Tickets are $7 per day. Decatur booster club passes and teacher passes will not be accepted since this is a regional and not a school event.

Fans are asked to park at the upper lot along Howard Street and next to the high school, or the lower lot behind the high school that borders Commerce next to the football field.

Parking is also free after 6 p.m. at the DeKalb County Courthouse parking deck on West Trinity across from the Callaway building.

Some of the top teams in Georgia will be playing. Region 6-AA has four girls teams in the state’s top 10: Buford (third), Decatur (fifth), Lovett (seventh) and Greater Atlanta Christian (eighth). The boys have three: GAC (fourth), Buford (sixth) and South Atlanta (10th).

A Region 6-AA team has won three of the last four boys state championships and four consecutive girls state titles (Buford won the last three).

Both Region 6-AA boys and girls have had one and usually two teams in the Final Four the last five years.

The last time Decatur hosted a post-season tournament was 2001 and 2002 when sub-region rounds were played at the old Decatur Recreation Center. Decatur Athletics Director Carter Wilson said Sunday that the school will also host next year’s regional tournament when it joins Region 6-AAA.

Here is the complete tournament schedule, parentheses including, in order, record, seeding and division – either A or B – within 6-AA:

GIRLS

Game 1: Monday, 6 p.m., Maynard Jackson (5-20, 6B) vs. Cross Keys (0-18, 5A)

Game 2: Tuesday, 4 p.m., Therrell (6-19, 5B) vs. Clarkston (3-20, 4A)

Game 3: Tuesday, 7 p.m., Westminster (8-17, 4B) vs. Game 1 winner

Game 4: Wednesday, 7 p.m., Lovett (21-4, 1B) vs. Game 2 winner

Game 5: Wednesday, 4 p.m., Blessed Trinity (8-17, 3B) vs. Decatur (21-4, 2A)

Game 6: Thursday, 4 p.m., South Atlanta (13-12 2B) vs. Greater Atlanta Christian (17-7, 3A)

Game 7: Thursday, 7 p.m., Buford (18-7, 1A) vs. Game 3 winner.

Game 8: Friday, 4 p.m., semifinals, winner of game 4 vs. winner of game 5.

Game 9: Friday, 7 p.m., semifinals, winner of game 6 vs. winner of game 7

Game 10: Saturday, 2 p.m., consolation, loser of game 8 vs. loser of game 9

Game 11: Saturday 5 p.m., championship, winner of game 8 vs. winner of game 9.

BOYS

Game 1: Monday, 7:30 p.m., Therrell (4-20, 6B) vs. Cross Keys (0-18, 5A)

Game 2: Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., Westminster (9-16, 5B) vs. Clarkston (10-15, 4A)

Game 3: Tuesday, 8: 30 p.m., Lovett (11-13, 4B) vs. Game 1 winner

Game 4: Wednesday, 5: 30 p.m., Buford (19-6, 2A) vs. Maynard Jackson (15-10, 3B).

Game 5: Wednesday, 8:30 p.m., South Atlanta (20-5, 1B) vs. game 2 winner

Game 6: Thursday, 5:30 p.m., Blessed Trinity (16-9, 2B) vs. Decatur (12-13, 3A)

Game 7: Thursday, 8:30 p.m., Greater Atlanta Christian (20-5, 1A) vs. Game 3 winner

Game 8: Friday, 5:30 p.m., semifinal, winner of Game 5 vs. winner of Game 4

Game 9: Friday, 8:30 p.m., semifinal, winner of Game 6 vs. winner of Game 7

Game 10: Saturday, 3:30 p.m., consolation, loser of Game 8 vs. loser of Game 9

Game 11: Saturday, 6:30 p.m., championship, winner of Game 8 vs. winner of Game 9