Spartans Triple-OT Loss Ends Season

They won their first 11 games this year and were ranked as high as third in the state at one point, but in the end, it was one and done for the Spartans.

Campbell was unable to protect leads late in regulation, the first overtime and the second overtime, before finally going scoreless in the third overtime and falling 86-82 at Stephenson Saturday night in the opening round of the Georgia High School Association State Basketball Tournament.

Also on Saturday night, the Campbell girls, who rolled to a 25-point win over Newton on Friday night, learned who their next opponent would be. Valdosta, the second seed from Region 1-AAAAA, turned back Windsor Forest 53-50 to set up a Valdosta-Campbell second round game set for Tuesday at Wills Gym.

“We’re excited to be playing another home game,’’ said Campbell girls coach Randy McClure, whose team has only lost one home game this year.

The Campbell boys had already defeated Stephenson once this month in a regular season played in Smyrna. But Saturday in Stone Mountain, the Spartans couldn’t contain the Jaguars’ Johnathan Tinch, who finished with a game-high 39 points.

The Spartans, whose 11-game win streak to begin the season marked the best start in coach James Gwyn’s 16 years at the school, battled foul problems for much of the game. Senior leader Roderick Perkins, the team’s second-leading scorer, picked up three fouls early in the contest, and junior guard Matt Cotton, who is third on the team averaging 18 points a game, fouled out late in regulation.

Leading scorer Justin Seymour, who missed the regular season matchup with the Jaguars with an ankle injury, fouled out in the third overtime session.

Campbell finished the season at 21-8 while the Jags, 16-13, advanced on to play Savannah in the second round. In fact, all four Region 4-AAAAA teams bowed out Saturday night as Harrison, McEachern and Hillgrove joined the Spartans in being eliminated.

Conversely, all four Region 4-AAAAA girls’ teams advanced to this week’s second round.