BASKETBALL: Putnam County's potent lineup too much for Dublin

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A high-powered Putnam County squad put up nearly 80 to put Dublin out in the second round of the GHSA playoffs Saturday night in Eatonton.

The War Eagles’ two-headed attack of Tamaud Woodson, who scored 26, and Jmari Greene, adding 23, led the way in a 79-50 rout of the Irish boys that gets the No. 6 seed back, for a second season in a row, to the state quarterfinals where Putnam County will host Fitzgerald later this week.

Dublin, after winning four out of its five games in the region tournament to gain an improbable playoff berth and then advance to the state’s round of 16 with another Wednesday night, saw its inspiring end-of-season run brought to an end with a final record of 9-22 (4-14 region 2-High A).

The Irish sunk some 3s to remain competitive through a half, but still couldn’t score with enough frequency to keep pace with a well-rounded Putnam County lineup that seemed to be firing on all cylinders. The War Eagles, in the second and third quarters, seemed to put up between 4-6 points for every Dublin basket. And the 51-24 scoring differential over the 16-minute stretch bore that out.

Triples (five total combined between Kam Stanley, Jaydon McRae and Chris Dixon) were the bulk of points for most Irish guards, who had little success shooting closer to the basket.

Top scorer Quan Lovett, who finished with 18, was Dublin’s top offensive threat inside. JaKarian Jones, Stanley and McRae added only six apiece.

The Irish started out the game hot, opening things up with a McRae 3 before Lovett answered Putnam’s first basket to get the lead to 5-2.

Green scored a second of two in a row to put the War Eagles ahead for the first time, 6-5, but Dublin responded with a Dixon 3.

Putnam County took a firm hold of the game’s momentum with a 6-0 run to close the first quarter, then started the second on a 9-0 to lead by 11.

That number fluctuated from a single to a double digit on some dueling rallies from there, but Putnam County managed to outscore the Irish 21-13, and they were 10 points back entering the half.

Another six-point Putnam County streak began the half before Stanley hit a much-needed 3.

But another long drought followed, and the Irish were down 60-29 before McRae broke it with a triple late in the third.

The War Eagles, who would lead the third by a total score of 30-11, had the game well in hand, up 63-37, by the start the fourth.