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Once again Rockdale faced a double-digit deficit in the Class AAAA basketball playoffs, and once again the Bulldogs came back.

However, this time the state's No. 1 ranked team couldn't hold on, falling in the second round to Hillgrove, 64-60, on Wednesday night.

The Bulldogs, who trailed by as many as 14, took a 50-45 lead into the fourth quarter, and couldn't turn down the tempo.

Rockdale has used an up-tempo game all season, leading to a 28-2 season, but in the playoffs leads need to be held on to a little more slowly.

"You get up nine or 10 with maybe 5 minutes left, and haven't had to do that this much this year," Rockdale coach Alvin Williams said. "Obviously we're not that good at it."

When the clock did stop is when the Bulldogs ran into their biggest problem area - foul shooting.
Rockdale was just 12-for-32 from the free throw line, for a clip of 37.5 percent.

"I will say this," Williams said. "We will be a better free throw shooting team next year."

Sophomore Darion Clark was 3 of 10, including several misses in a first quarter in which the Hawks outscored Rockdale 18-7.

The Bulldogs continued to struggle from the line including two misses by Clark and three by Kevin Ware in the final 21 seconds of the game.

"I've read books, I've watched videos and I've showed them videos," Williams said. "But, we'll find a right way. We'll get it done and we'll conquer that."

Ware finished with 14 points and Clark added 12, for Rockdale.

The Bulldogs leading scorer was junior Bernard Thompson with 18 points.

Thompson scored 17 of his points in the second quarter as Rockdale outscored Hillgrove 28-15.

"He got hot, but he does that," Williams said of Thompson's play. "He gets that ‘We can't lose attitude' and turns it on. That kid can flat out play."

Leading 18-7 after the first quarter the Hawks stretched the lead to 23-9 before Williams called a timeout early in the second quarter.

Rockdale pulled within 28-28 on a three-point play by Clark and two 3-pointers by Thompson.
The Hawks then answered with two free throws for a 29-18 advantage.

From there Rockdale scored 12 straight points, including six by Thompson to take its first lead 30-29 with 1:20 left in the half.

The Bulldogs maintained their lead into the fourth quarter.

Back-to-back dunks by Ware put Rockdale up 54-45, but the Hawks then began their comeback.

Stefan Julian hit a 3-pointer, a layup and another bucket on a goaltending call and Armand Jackson tied it for the Hawks on a basket with 4:37 to play.

After a free throw by Thompson, Hillgrove hit a 3-pointer with 3:37 for their first lead of the second half, and wouldn't trail the rest of the way.

The Hawks move on to the quarterfinals to face Mays on Saturday.