The Starr’s Mill Lady Panther varsity basketball team will return to the AAAAA state tournament for the second straight year. They picked up a 49-44 win over Mundy’s Mill on Tuesday afternoon to claim one of the final four spots in the region 4-AAAAA tournament. Alexis Shaffer led the team in scoring with 21 points. The win puts Starr’s Mill in a game against Newnan on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The winner of that game will host a state playoff game the following week. The Lady Panthers have lost to Newnan twice this season, once by 19 points and once by 10 points.
The Fayette County Lady Tigers varsity basketball team fell short in their quest to return to the state playoffs. They lost to Union Grove 45-35 in overtime. Fayette County battled a slow start to come back against the Lady Wolverines but a one point lead in the final seconds of regulation evaporated when Union Grove connected on a free throw to force overtime. In the extra period, Union Grove hit two big three pointers and never looked back. Freshman Chasity Welch led Fayette County in scoring with 12 points.
In the 4-AAAA boys tournament at Whitewater High School, the Wildcat varsity basketball team lost a heartbreaker to Alexander 52-51. Alexander had faced Whitewater early in the season and defeated the Wildcats by 33 points. The score from Sandy Creek’s game against Haralson County has not come in to the sports desk or been posted yet but the Patriots did win and will take on lithia Springs at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.
In the 5-A boys tournament, Our Lady of Mercy’s boys were eliminated by St. Francis, 69-49, while the Landmark Christian School boys survived by defeating Galloway 51-40. Stoney Hill led the War Eagles in scoring with 17 points. Landmark will take on Whitefield Academy at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. If they win that game, they will make the Class A state tournament.

Wednesday's schedule of games
5-A girls tournament
• Landmark Christian vs. Our Lady of Mercy, 8:30 p.m.
4-AAAA girls tournament
• Alexander vs. Northgate, 5:30 p.m.
• Sandy Creek vs. Douglas County, 8:30 p.m.
4-AAAAA boys tournament
• Fayette County vs. Starr's Mill, 7:30 p.m.