SWD holds off Druid Hills for region sweep

Southwest DeKalb High School’s basketball teams completed a Region 6-4A sweep of Druid Hills High School on Jan. 17 at Southwest DeKalb.

The boys’ game saw Southwest DeKalb’s Aziz Bello score two points and grab two rebounds in the final minutes of the game to help the Panthers stave off the Druid Hills Red Devils for a 41-33 win to finish off a Region 6-4A sweep at home. 

Xzaviah Taylor’s drive for a bucket with 4:33 to play gave No. 3 Southwest DeKalb (14-2, 9-0) a 16-point lead (39-23). Southwest DeKalb went for the next 4:15 without a point while Druid Hills—behind six points from David Sledge—trimmed the lead to 39-33. 

Bello grabbed two rebounds on misses by the Red Devils (9-9, 3-6) in the final 28 seconds of the game, and with 18.2 seconds to play he hit two free throws to help seal the 41-33 victory. 

Southwest DeKalb’s defense forced the Red Devils into 12 first half turnovers. Taylor lofted a longer than half-court shot at the buzzer to end the first quarter with a 12-6 lead for the Panthers. 

Thomas Glanton ended the half in less dramatic fashion with a three with 7.2 seconds left to send the Panthers into the breakup 24-14. 

Druid Hills’ Nick Majors scored all seven of the Red Devils’ third quarter points, but Druid Hills still trailed 33-21 with a layup as Taylor hit for five points, including a step-back three and got buckets from Isaiah Taylor and Glanton. 

Xzaviah Taylor finished with a game-high 12 points along with four assists and four rebounds to lead the Panthers. Isaiah Taylor and Messiah Mergan chipped in eight apiece for Southwest. 

Nick Majors finished with 11 points and four rebounds to lead Druid Hills. Josiah March contributed six points and 10 rebounds. 

(Girls) Southwest DeKalb 64, Druid Hills 34 

The Southwest DeKalb Lady Panthers broke open a three-point game with a 21-0 run in the second quarter to take command in a 64-34 Region 6-4A girls’ win over the Druid Hills Lady Red Devils to start the night. 

Anissa Brailsford hit two free throws to pull the Lady Red Devils (4-12, 3-6) to within 15-12 with 6:51 remaining in the first half before Southwest DeKalb (10-7, 7-2) went on its 21-0 spurt to take control. 

Seven Lady Panthers scored in a blitz that began with a Jah’naesia Spears three-pointer as Southwest would force 18 turnovers in the second quarter. Janiya McCoy added a three-pointer of her own the run. Camille Files scored two baskets off turnovers for the Panthers. 

Saniya Rice had a pair of free throws and added a steal for a layup for Druid Hills with 1:07 to play to end the run with Southwest up 36-12. 

Druid Hills scored three unanswered baskets in the final 54 seconds as Aalon Turner, Tiara Jones, and Skylon Forrest all scored to make it a 36-18 score at the break. 

Files and Bailee Canty score six points each in a 15-0 start to the second half for the Panthers as the lead ballooned to 51-18 before Marisa Rivers drove in for Druid Hills’ only basket of the third quarter. Canty added four more points in the final 1:06 to make it 56-20. 

 

Turner scored eight points in the fourth quarter as Druid Hills trimmed six-points off to deficit to end the game. 

Canty finished with a game-high 18 points for Southwest DeKalb along with five rebounds. McCoy added 14 points and five rebounds; Files finished with 10 points and five rebounds. Rice scored five points and grabbed 11 rebounds. 

Turner finished with 10 points and seven rebounds to lead Druid Hills while Jones added eight points and nine rebounds.