Sometimes, when it all comes down to it, size really does matter in basketball.
The Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe Warriors found that out Wednesday night in a 65-48 home loss to KIPP Atlanta Collegiate in the opening round of the GHSA Class AA boys’ state tournament.
Due to the visitors having to forfeit five wins that caused them to fall several spots in the GHSA’s postseason rankings, LFO was left to contend with a team that was listed among the top five in several state polls but wound up dropping to 19th in seeding.
That also meant dealing with a front line that measured 6-foot-10, 6-7 and 6-5, and in the end, it equated to a huge rebounding edge and intimidation factor that took a tied game after one quarter to a 10-point KIPP lead at halftime and an 18-point advantage after three periods.
“We played hard and competed. I’m proud beyond words with how we battled and never backed down,” said LFO coach Tony McAllister, whose team was the bracket’s No. 14 seed after finishing third in the Region 7-AA tournament. “I thought we were the hungrier team, but at the end of the day, length is length, and sometimes that’s hard to overcome.