Intimate setting

ATLANTA — Anybody happen to have a Dunwoody High School roster handy?

Wait, you mean this isn't the Georgia High School Association playoffs being played today at Georgia Tech's Alexander Memorial Coliseum?

Actually, GHSA postseason crowds are generally larger than what Georgia and Kentucky played in front of Saturday in the quarterfinals of the relocated Southeastern Conference tournament.

Damage done to the Georgia Dome by a tornado late Friday night necessitated a move somewhere, what with debris falling from the rafters of the arena and a hole punctured in the roof. Nearby option -- the Gwinnett Arena and Phillips Arena -- were already booked, leaving SEC officials with no other option but a 9,000-seat venue at Tech. They were also saddled with a collosal headache since the Georgia Dome basketball seating arrangement could accomodate 26,000 fans.

That meant a lot of hacked-off Kentucky fans were waiting outside the coliseum and wondering why their SEC tournament passes couldn't get them in the door Saturday morning. SEC officials determined the only way to ensure security and equitability between the schools was to limit passage into the arena to players' families, pep bands and cheerleaders.

As a result, a mere 1,458 fans witnessed Georgia's thrilling 60-56 overtime win over Kentucky.