Basketball Recap: Banks County Comes Up Short

Banks County and Southwest squared off in some playoff action on Saturday, but Banks County had to settle for second. They took a blow against the Southwest Patriots, falling 79-41. While losing is never fun, the Leopards can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked 201st in Georgia, while the Patriots are ranked 34th in Georgia).

Kolby Watson

Points

02/22/25 @ Southwest	23
02/19/25 @ Chattooga	32
02/14/25 vs Providence Christian Academy	20
02/12/25 vs Rabun County	26
02/10/25 vs Athens Academy	17
02/07/25 vs Providence Christian Academy	26

When it comes to explaining why Banks County lost, don't look at Kolby Watson. Despite the final result, he went 9-for-18 to rack up 23 points and six rebounds. Watson's evening made it six games in a row in which he has scored at least 17 points. Another player making a difference was Dayden Rogers, who posted nine points and six boards.

Southwest's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Chase Dupree, who shot 5-for-7 from beyond the arc and dropped a double-double with 27 points and 15 rebounds. What's more, Dupree also posted a 75% field goal percentage, which is the highest he's achieved since back in January of 2024. C.J. Howard was another key player, going 6-for-11 from beyond the arc en route to 22 points and seven assists.

Banks County's defeat dropped their record down to 16-12. As for Southwest, the victory (which was their 11th in a row) raised their record to 25-2.

Banks County does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Southwest, they have already played their next contest, a 65-52 win against Temple on the 26th.