Lithonia, SWD split weekend games

Southwest DeKalb High School’s boys’ and girls’ basketball teams traveled to Lithonia High School Jan. 21, and the girls beat Lithonia 52-23 while the Lithonia boys’ team beat Southwest DeKalb 44-32.

The girls’ game was dominated by Head Coach Kathy Walton’s Southwest DeKalb Panthers team.

Alex Jackson got off to a hot start for Southwest DeKalb, scoring four points in the first quarter and six points in the second quarter to give Southwest DeKalb a 21-6 lead at halftime. Lithonia didn’t have a single player with more than one bucket at the break.

Despite the tough defense, Walton said she wants her team to play with more intensity.

“In a region, every game is important. I don’t feel like we really treated this one that way. I felt like [Lithonia] came out and they played like a region game. They challenged us, and we have to step up,” said Walton.

Southwest DeKalb attacked the boards and dominated the rebounding battle against Lithonia, as Aalon Turner and Brooklyn Scrubb both scored several put-back baskets off offensive rebounds in the second half.

“We’re trying to establish a style of play and we just have to get better at it,” Walton said about the defensive pressure and rebounding.

Walton said there’s still plenty of work for Southwest DeKalb to do this season. She came into the season with a young team, and they Walton said they have improved, but they aren’t where they need to be yet.

“We just keep putting them out there and trying to get better each time out,” added Walton.

In addition to the win, Walton also got to see her name on the court at Southwest DeKalb recently. The gym at Southwest DeKalb had a leak and delayed the official unveiling after school officials announced in June that they would rename the court after Walton.

“It had been named prior to this week. Because we had a leak in the roof, the name just got put down,” said Walton. “It was amazing. That’s something I never thought would happen in my lifetime. That’s not what I set out to do, I set out to be involved in kids and make things happen for them. A lot of people contributed to that. That wasn’t just me. That was a Southwest DeKalb community effort.”

BOYS – Lithonia – 44, Southwest DeKalb – 32

The boys’ game was a more contested, defensive battle — with Lithonia pulling away in the second quarter and hardly looking back.

The first 15 minutes of the game was back-and-forth, and Southwest DeKalb held a 12-11 lead heading into the second quarter.

Lithonia Head Coach Sam Marion’s Bulldogs squad sparked its second quarter run with defense. The Bulldogs forced a turnover or a bad Southwest DeKalb shot on three consecutive possessions, and Lithonia turned the defense into offense with run-out layups and transition scoring.

“We were just being ourselves,” said Marion. “We forced turnovers and got it to the right person to shoot the ball.”

Lithonia led 25-16 at halftime. Caleb Taylor led Lithonia with seven points after two quarters, while Kortney Forrest led Southwest DeKalb with seven points.

Lithonia continued the defensive pressure and held Southwest DeKalb to its lowest point total of the season. Before its loss at Lithonia, Southwest DeKalb had scored 40 or more points in every game this season.

Even with the strong defensive effort, Southwest DeKalb cut it to single digits in the fourth quarter. Marion used the Panthers’ run as a coaching opportunity, calling several time outs and teaching his team what to do in such a situation.

“I was just telling them to slow down. I know Southwest plays great defense and they try to speed you up. That was something we practiced … trying not to let guys speed us up and trying to be strong with the basketball,” said Marion. “We have a five on six drill we do, and that’s what helped us against the trap. I was excited about how we handled that.”

Lithonia’s head coach said he thinks his team’s experience can help his players overcome their late game turnover woes. The Bulldogs have 11 players who are juniors or seniors.

“Our experience is going to help a lot. I just need them to value that basketball. That’s been our season. We get up really good and then start making turnovers during those last two minutes,” added Marion.

Taylor finished the game with a game high 15 points, while Forrest had 13. Forrest and Taylor were the only players who scored in double figures during the boys’ game.

Marion said the win was important for Lithonia. He said his team needs to have a winning mentality heading into the region tournament and picking up a win over a tough region foe was a good way to get it started and let the rest of the state know Lithonia is playing well.

“We want people to know what Lithonia is about this season. Our record is the way it is because we played some big teams,” said Marion. “I want everybody to know Lithonia is coming.”