Monthly Archives: February 2016

GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Class AAAAA Elite Eight Preview

R5 #1 Allatoona (29-0) vs. R6 #2 Southwest DeKalb (25-5)

Undefeated No. 2 Allatoona has passed every test it has faced since falling to Brunswick in the state championship last year. Unlike a lot of other teams left in the championship hunt, Allatoona is not the sexiest team and doesn’t use a high-flying offense to win games. Instead the Buccaneers use a devastating defense keyed up top by guards Ephraim Tshimanga and Trey Doomes to slow opponents to a screeching halt. Coach Markus Hood’s pressure defense has stifled the most worthy of opponents including No. 8 South Paulding three times, 1A-PrivateNo. 3 North Cobb Christian, Berkmar and 6ANo. 5 McEachern, the latter three all in order at the Lake City Classic. Only four times all season has an opponent eclipsed the 60-point barrier; Allatoona ranks second in the state at 46.8 points allowed per game. The Bucs use a deep rotation which manages to play as a team. Kevin Perry is a Costal Georgia signee while Tshimanga remains unsigned and Doomes, a sophomore, holds an offer from Kennesaw State. They will have their hands full with an athletic Southwest DeKalb team that has seen the best, playing No. 1 Miller Grove close two out of the three times they played. Keith Gilmore is a difficult cover at 6-foot-4 having the ability to drive the lane or shoot off the dribble. He leads the Panthers in scoring at 16.6 points while pulling down 6.3 rebounds. Nathaniel Ambersley, Darius Hogan and Mandarius Dickerson make up a consistent backcourt. Washington County transfer 6-foot-6, 245-pound TiQuan Lewis has provided a bull on the low block. He averages 11 points and seven rebounds. If the Panthers are to hand the Bucs their first loss, Lewis and Gilmore will need big games against the stingy Allatoona defense.

R8 #1 Cedar Shoals (28-2) vs. R6 #3 Mays (14-13)

Coach L’Dreco Thomas’ Jaguars roll deeeep. No. 4 Cedar Shoals has a legitimate seven scoring options headed by junior swingman Phlan Fleming and tenacious senior point guard Jerrick Mitchell. Fleming has a sweet mid-range game and can attack the hoop. Mitchell “makes everyone around him better” a Region 8 coach told me and I’ve seen it firsthand. He is lightning quick with the ball and has knack for getting his teammates open. Coming out of one the toughest regions in the state has the Jags ready for another Final Four push at the very least. A late season addition of a now healthy Chris Gresham has proved to be an ace up Coach Thomas’ sleeve. Quality wins liter Cedar Shoals’ resume while their only two losses aren’t bad either: No. 6 Gainesville 80-77 in 2OT and 6ANo. 8 Newton 56-53. Mays enters as a heavy underdog after beating Sequoyah in overtime 72-65 and four-seed Jones County 70-68 in the Sweet 16. Mays doesn’t have much size, but Reo Wright and Chris Jackson have been able to carry the load offensively. The Raiders have played some teams tough this season and will have to hope that the Jaguars overlook them with their modest record.

R5 #2 South Paulding (25-4) vs. R6 #1 Miller Grove (27-2)

 To be the best, you have to beat the best. Even though No. 1 Miller Grove was knocked out of the tournament this time last year by Warner Robins breaking their dominance of six-straight titles, the No. 8 Spartans get the unenviable task of facing a hungry pack of Wolverines. This is new territory for South Paulding as the Spartans are making their deepest run at state in school history. The trip to the Elite Eight is also the deepest any boys team has ever gone in any sport in school history. Leading the charge this year has been a pair of dynamic juniors: Kane Williams and Ja’Cori Wilson. Williams, a do-everything combo guard, poured in 33 points while grabbing seven rebounds and dishing four assists in South Paulding’s wild 62-60 finish at No. 9 LaGrange in the Sweet 16. Wilson stands 6-foot-7 and can score inside and out, giving Coach Davis a lethal weapon. Inside is Anthony Brown who goes to work with his hardhat and lunch pail. The bruiser gobbles up rebounds with his soft hands and can do damage on the block. He finished with nine points and 16 rebounds against the Grangers. The three aforementioned cornerstones will need to play to the best of their ability if they want to send Miller Grove packing for a second straight year. McDonalds All-American and UConn signee Alterique Gilbert keys the wide open Wolverine attack averaging over 20 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals a night. He has more than enough options surrounding him. Aaron Augustin, Tae Hardy, Joshua Jackmon and Colin Young crowd the backcourt while Raylon Richardson and Aidan Saunders hit the boards with Richardson patrolling the paint coming off an 8-point, 11-rebound and 7-block performance in a come from behind victory over Richmond Academy, 64-57. Miller Grove hasn’t lost to an in-state opponent all year long.

R4 #1 McIntosh (28-2) vs. R7 #1 Riverwood (29-1)

Talk about polar opposites even though both programs are enjoying historic seasons. Much like No. 2 Allatoona, No. 5 Riverwood prefers to grind games out with its defense. The Raiders actually allow the least points per game in the state at 45.9. Riverwood’s only loss came at the Lake City Classic to Carrollton 47-38, when their lack of scoring was highlighted. There should be an asterisk next to that result however, as third-leading scorer Charnchai Chantha (10.1) did not play. His ability to stretch the floor along with Coach Buck Jenkins’ son Elijah has helped clear up space for Kohl Roberts to work inside. Jenkins averages 12.1 points and leads the team in three-pointers made with 83, connecting at 47% clip. Last year the Raiders hit 121 threes, but only made 33%. This season they have buried 162 with a 42% success rate. The pressure for Roberts to score inside has now lessened, but the 6-foot-8 unsigned senior is still a load down low averaging 16 points, 13.9 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 4.2 blocks per game. He will battle with the state’s other top rebounder, Wofford signee Dishon Lowery (10.8 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 2.7 bpg). The No. 3 Chiefs can’t get much different than the Raiders. McIntosh likes to run-and-gun and fills each game with highlights as Will Washington (13.8 points & 7.6 assists) orchestrates the offense. Flanking him is future Furman sniper Jordan Lyons (19 ppg) and Isaac Kellum (11.5 ppg), who joined the team after missing the first 13 games – McIntosh 17-0 with Kellum declared eligible. The final piece to the Chief puzzle, even though he’s not the last piece to join, is Chase Walter a 6-foot-6, 215-pound banger inside that averages 8.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. The most important and emphatic of his 256 points on the season came in the waning seconds of the senior class’s final home game ever at The Tosh in the Sweet 16, as Walter crammed in an And-1 dunk with 1.1 seconds left to stun No. 6 Gainesville 87-84. Riverwood enjoyed a wild comeback of their own, holding Statesboro to 13 second half points as the Raiders rallied from down 14 to win 48-47. Roberts posted a triple-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 blocks while Chantha added 12 points and Pryce Watkins 14.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Class AAAAAA Elite Eight Preview

R8 #4 Grayson (22-7) vs. R2 #1 Newton (25-4)

 If you like good guard play, this will be a game to check out – or if Rams are your favorite animal. Austin Dukes lifted Grayson over No. 1 Wheeler in the first round with three free throws with 3.6 seconds left and did it once again in the Sweet 16, hitting a game-winner with 1.1 seconds remaining to slip past Lee County. Dukes scored 21 in the opening round and 22 in the second. He and Alphonso Willis give Coach Geoffrey Pierce a veteran backcourt that knows how to win. Add in glue guys like Tre Sconiers, Hafeez Anifowoshe and freshman big man Kenyon Jackson who averages close to 10 rebounds and four blocks a game, and it should come as no surprise that the Rams are still alive. They will have their hands full with a quick Newton team led by freshman point guard Ashton Hagans, junior combo guard that leads the team in scoring JD Notae and senior Jaquan Simms. A 63-61 win over Peachtree Ridge in round two has the No. 8 ranked team in the state still dancing.  Notae scored 27 points while Simms added 19 points and 11 rebounds. Hagans collected nine assists. Josh Tukes has been a difference-maker since seeing his role expand after Dre Butler’s season ended short.

R8 #1 Shiloh (23-5) vs. R3 #1 Westlake (24-4)

 No. 2 Westlake won in a clash of titans with No. 3 Norcross in the Sweet 16, a brutal matchup after the Blue Devils lost to No. 10 Collins Hill in the Region 7 championship. Chuma Okeke went for 17 points and 12 rebounds while Jamie Lewis scored 17. Okeke’s move from Langston Hughes to Westlake over the summer along with a couple other new pieces has helped put the Lions over the top. Speaking of an influx of new talent, No. 6 Shiloh piled in a load of transfers as well over the summer but had mixed results early as Khalil Richard (Siena) and Darnell Rogers (George Washington) left less than a month into the season but Greg James and Thurman Massenburg remain. Shiloh has struggled to score at times this season while using a grinding defense to constrict opponents, holding their last four all under 40 points. Georgia Tech signee Josh Okogie will shoulder the majority of the scoring burden with Malik Chandler and Dejon Waters chipping in.

R5 #2 Milton (22-8) vs. R3 #3 Campbell (21-8)

 After an up-and-down start to the season, it looks like Milton is finally playing up to its potential behind Harvard signee Chris Lewis, pure scorer Alex O’Connell and 6-foot-8 power forward Kyrin Galloway. The Eagles escaped No. 4 Tift County 56-54 after Justin Brown hit a three with a second left to stun a full house in South Georgia. O’Connell scored 15 points while Lewis and Galloway produced a combined 15 points, 20 rebounds and 10 blocks. Kendrick Summerour scored 11 in the win and will be tested by a backcourt that survived the rigors of a loaded Region 3. Laz Walker and Mike Olmert helped the Spartans hold off No. 9 Lambert 70-65 in the Sweet 16. Walker poured in 18 of his team-high 20 points in the second half while Olmert collected 18 points and eight assists. Against the larger frontcourt of Milton, seniors Jovahn Dunham (6-6) and Randy McClure (6-4) must play big. Dunham averages 3.4 blocks on the season McClure posts 10.8 points and 8.1 rebounds.

R4 #1 McEachern (26-3) vs. R3 #2 Pebblebrook (21-9)

No. 5 McEachern has used the momentum from an impressive run at the Lake City Classic where they smoked No. 9 Lambert 73-37 and beat 5ANo. 3 McIntosh in overtime 75-68 before falling to host 5ANo. 2 Allatoona 64-61, to run up a 26-win season and an unblemished mark in Region 4. A special blend of youth, experience, quickness and length has seen the Indians breeze into the Elite Eight after blitzing Berkmar 70-49. Senior guards Darius and AJ Jones have run Coach Mike Thompson’s offense to perfection while Bryce Smith is a 6-foot-7 forward that attacks the glass. Freshmen Isaac Okoro and Isaac Martin have provided X-factors, with Okoro able to play multiple positions while Martin has proven his worth, especially in the McIntosh game, as a clutch three-point shooter. It will take a team effort for the Indians to knock off last season’s state runner-up Falcons. Pebblebrook owns the highest scoring backcourt in the state between Jared Harper (Auburn) and junior Collin Sexton, both averaging 28 points per game. Class of 2017 combo guard JJ Smith is an Ole Miss commit and is a high-flying act while stuffing the stat sheet with rebounds and assists. After an 8-6 start thanks to playing a national schedule, Coach George Washington’s team has gotten back to basics, playing tough defense and winning five of its last six games.

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Chase Walter Slams McIntosh Into History

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No. 3 McIntosh 87, No. 6 Gainesville 84

In front of a sellout crowd at home, No. 3 McIntosh (28-2) survived No. 6 Gainesville (21-6) to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history as a program-changing senior class played its final game at The Tosh. It was only fitting that over the emotional roller coaster of a season which included Isaac Kellum’s crosstown transfer from neighboring Fayette County High School to be red-flagged causing him to miss the first 13 games of the season, that his presence late in the fourth quarter along with the rest of a battle-tested senior class and a finish you had to see to believe, would lift the Chiefs to a date with No. 5 Riverwood at Columbus State on Friday.

Even with the electricity in the air, an imposing obstacle stood in McIntosh’s way in the form of the D’Marcus Simonds-led Gainesville Red Elephants. Simonds, a Georgia State signee, and the rest of Hall County’s finest came out firing. After Wofford signee Dishon Lowery got the Chiefs on the board with a physical move inside against Bailey Minor, the Red Elephants began to spread the Chiefs out on the perimeter and started knocking down open looks created by Simonds who finished with four assists.

 

The break-neck pace resulted in Lowery picking up his second foul just seconds after throwing down a vicious one-handed slam on Minor. Gainesville held a 19-8 lead late in the first thanks to three three-pointers – two from Harry Oliver – but Will Washington sparked a 4-0 run to end the quarter trailing 19-12.

In the second quarter Gainesville sophomore Xavier Bledson entered the game for Coach Benjie Wood and made an immediate impact. He drove the lane and went behind the back to KJ Buffen for a flush before later receiving a pass atop the arc, ball faking causing his man to fly by and calmly sinking one of his two triples in the frame, giving Gainesville a 30-20 lead.

As Bledson was making plays off the bench, the capacity crowd slowly started to quiet as a raucous Gainesville following cheered on the Red Elephants. Gainesville took its largest lead, 37-24 midway through the second before Furman signee Jordan Lyons drained one of his three deep balls in the game to bring the deficit back to 10.

Washington, Lyons and Kellum combined to score 23 of McIntosh’s 25 points in the quarter as the Chiefs entered the half down 46-37 after Simonds pumped in nine points in the quarter while the Red Elephants drilled six threes in the opening 16 minutes. Eight players scored for Gainesville in the first half causing headaches for Coach Jason Eisele who at the moment looked as if he had finally run into a team that could match his own’s firepower.

The first three minutes were crucial coming out of the break. Either Gainesville was going to step on McIntosh’s neck and not let them back in the game, or the Chiefs would find one last way to go out with a bang in front of the Peachtree City faithful.

The Chiefs opened with a quick 4-0 spurt sparked by Washington’s theft of Simonds near midcourt, closing the lead to 46-41. After the two teams exchanged buckets, Coach Wood called for timeout while the home crowd roared in full throat.

McIntosh continued to crawl back in the game, but Simonds did everything in his power to thwart the comeback, catching back to back alley oops from Messiah Dorsey with a layup sandwiched in between.

Washington netted six points in the first four minutes to draw McIntosh within striking distance before it was Lyons’ turn to swoop in for two quick acrobatic finishes to give the Chiefs their first lead since 2-0, 54-51 with 4:11 remaining in the third.

Back and forth the two teams battled. Simonds rejected Washington on a fast break.

Soon after, Lyons splashed a three to tie the game back at 58 followed by a Washington steal and two-handed throw down on a fastbreak to make it 60-58 in favor of McIntosh. The Chiefs pushed the lead to 63-58 with 26 seconds left when Lowery gobbled up one of his game-high 15 rebounds and outletted a perfect ball to Washington for an And-1 layup; Washington exploding for 13 points in the quarter and a team-high 31 for the game.

But of course, Gainesville, who had battled its own share of adversity all season long, quickly tied the game at 63 with a Dorsey layup at the buzzer after a steal.

The fourth quarter will become folklore in the McIntosh history books and a bitter pill to swallow for Gainesville.

Again, both teams battled trading bucket for bucket with highlight finishes galore. Buffen gave Gainesville a quick lead on a putback dunk making it 65-63. Over a minute later Lyons connected on back to back hoops to regain a 70-69 lead. Every time it looked like one team would take a comfortable lead, the other squad’s star would take over. Simonds poured in 13 of his game-high 34 points in the final quarter scoring at will while attacking the rim.

At the 3:23 mark, Buffen fouled out with six points and seven rebounds with Gainesville trailing 74-73. Kellum sank both free throws after the foul pushing the lead to three points with just over three minutes separating each team from an Elite Eight appearance.

Gainesville edged back ahead on consecutive baskets via Simonds, highlighted by a dunk making it 77-76.

On the right block Lowery felt pressure in the post and kicked out to Kellum in the corner for a potentially momentum shifting three-pointer making it 79-77 with 2:24 left, Kellum’s 12th point of the game. Gainesville tied it back up at 79. Washington streaked to the hoop and laid off a pass for Lowery for an easy finish regaining McIntosh’s lead at 81-79. Bledson picked up his team-leading fifth assist off the bench coming off an inbound to Michael White for Gainesville’s only three-pointer of the second half, the Red Elephants back on top 82-81 with 1:11 remaining.

Washington snaked his way into the lane to snatch the lead back and after a Gainesville miss and a Lowery rebound, the big man was sent to the line for a 1-and-1 with 36.9 seconds left and McIntosh up one. Lowery nailed the first, but the second hung on the rim and rolled off the front lip as if a gust of wind blew it ever so slightly causing it to fall astray, setting up the wildest finish of the GHSA season.

Simonds quickly tied the game at 84 with 21.9 left. McIntosh moved the ball up court and took a timeout with 8.4 remaining. The following play, the ball was deflected out of bounds with 5.2 seconds left, giving McIntosh a chance to throw it in underneath Gainesville’s hoop.

With the best passer in school history taking the ball out, Gainesville somehow lost track of 6-foot-6, 215-pound senior Chase Walter in the corner. Walter darted into the paint as Simonds vacated the area to account for Lyons popping out to the top of the key. As he did that, Minor forgot to check his rear view mirror and Walter snuck in behind him, received the pass from Washington and stuffed in a two-handed slam with 1.1 seconds left while taking the foul from Minor, a gym-shaking And-1.

 

The crowd erupted, the McIntosh players went nuts and sound of the whistle was not at first heard. As everyone tried to regain their composure to figure out what just happened, valuable seconds ticked off the clock during the chaos. The three-point play and whistle occurred with what looked like 4.2 seconds left.  The referees gathered and had a decision to make. Put time back on the clock or leave the Red Elephants with 1.1 seconds.

The crew decided to stick with the 1.1 ruling, meaning Gainesville would need a miracle after Walter sank the free throw to make it 87-84. Gainesville whipped a pass to Dorsey just inside mid-court for a last second heave. The senior’s shot looked on target but fell a few feet short as the Red Elephants season ended and the standing room only crowd celebrated.


Top Performers 

McIntosh
Will Washington – 31 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, 4 steals
Jordan Lyons – 24 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Dishon Lowery – 13 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
Isaac Kellum – 12 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Chase Walter – 7 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks

Gainesville
D’Marcus Simonds – 34 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block
Bailey Minor – 9 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks
Tae Turner – 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
KJ Buffen – 6 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Xavier Bledson – 6 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists
Harry Oliver – 8 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal
Messiah Dorsey – 7 points, 2 assists
Michael White – 6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Recaps

Boys Sweet 16 Recaps

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AAAAAA

R8 #4 Grayson 60, R1 #2 Lee County 58: Austin Dukes did it again, this time hitting the game-winner with 1.1 seconds left to rally the Rams into the Elite Eight. Dukes finished with 22 points, five rebounds and six steals. Alphonso Willis added 13 points and 10 rebounds. Tre Sconiers posted a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double. Grayson meets another set of Rams, No. 8 Newton, at West Georgia.

 R2 #1 Newton 63, R7 #3 Peachtree Ridge 61: The No. 8 Rams survived at home thanks to JD Notae’s 27 points and four steals. Jaquan Simms finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds while Josh Tukes contributed 10 points and six rebounds. Ashton Hagans racked up nine assists to go with his six points. Newton draws Grayson at West Georgia in the Elite Eight.

R3 #3 Campbell 70, R6 #1 Lambert 65: Lambert cut the deficit to 65-63 with just over a minute left, but the Spartans beat the Longhorns’ full-court press and held on for the narrow five-point victory. Campbell held a 51-48 lead at the end of the third quarter after trailing 32-30 at the half. Laz Walker came up huge in the second half and scored 18 of his team-high 20 points. Mike Olmert finished with 18 points and eight assists and Jovahn Dunham and Randy McClure each scored 10 points. McClure also added eight rebounds in the victory.

R3 #1 Westlake 61, R7 #2 Norcross 50: Two top five teams met in the second round with No. 2 Westlake prevailing over No. 3 Norcross. Chuma Okeke went for 17 points and 12 rebounds while Jamie Lewis scored 17 of his own. Ronald Bell chipped in 11 and Raquan Wilkins had nine. Norcross received 19 points and five steals from freshman Kyle Sturdivant. Lance Thomas had 14 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in the loss.

R5 #2 Milton 56, R1 #1 Tift County 54: No. 4 Tift County fell in a wild affair to Milton, a team looking like it is finally hitting its stride at the right time.  Milton rallied from down eight at the half, using a high-tempo attack to catch the Blue Devils off guard. Justin Brown hit a three with three seconds left and Alex O’Connell came away with a steal to ice it. Brown finished with nine points while O’Connell netted 15 and grabbed six boards. Kendrick Summerour scored 11 points. Big men Chris Lewis and Kyrin Galloway battled inside with Lewis coming away with eight points, 12 rebounds, four assists and five blocks while Galloway posted seven points, eight rebounds and five blocks.

AAAAA

R4 #1 McIntosh 87, R8 #2 Gainesville 84: Chase Walter threw down an And-1 dunk with 1.1 seconds left to stun Gainesville and advance to the Elite Eight. On the inbound, Walter slammed it home, but it looked as if the scorekeepers ticked off an extra second or two, leaving the Red Elephants with just 1.1 seconds left. A last second heave fell short. No. 3 McIntosh trailed for most of the game until the fourth quarter where the senior leadership of Jordan Lyons, Will Washington, Dishon Lowery shone through. Lyons finished with 24 points while Washington netted 31. D’Marcus Simonds’ illustrious career ended with a 34 point effort.

R6 #1 Miller Grove 64,  R2 #2 Richmond Academy 57: It wasn’t easy, but somehow No. 1 Miller Grove found a way to sneak past a ferocious Musketeer team out of Augusta. Trailing for most of the night, the Wolverines looked to Alterique Gilbert and Aaron Augustin to finally get them over the hump. Gilbert finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and four steals while Augustin went for 12 points, six rebounds and five assists. Raylon Richardson was a game-changer inside with eight points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks. The Wolverines draw No. 8 South Paulding in the Elite Eight.

R6 #2 Southwest DeKalb 65, R2 #1 Warner Robins 60: Southwest DeKalb proved they are still a force to be reckoned with even after slipping from the latest top ten poll after a blow out loss to No. 1 Miller Grove in the Region 6 championship. Darius Hogan scored 17 points to pace four Panthers in double figures in their win over No. 7 Warner Robins. Mandarius Dickerson netted 16, Keith Gilmore scored 15 and Nathaniel Ambersley added 13 in the win.  The Panthers meet undefeated No. 2 Allatoona at Columbus State University.

R5 #1 Allatoona 52, R4 #3 Morrow 41: The No. 2 Bucs moved onto the Elite Eight behind Kevin Perry’s 21-point effort. He also collected three steals and four rebounds. Ephraim Tshimanga finished with 15 points, four rebounds and five steals. Trey Doomes used a balanced night with eight points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals.

R5 #2 South Paulding 62, R1 #1 LaGrange 60:  Kane Williams poured in 33 points, seven rebounds and four assists to move the Spartans to the Elite Eight where they will face No. 1 Miller Grove. Anthony Brown had nine points and 16 rebounds in the win.

R8 #1 Cedar Shoals 71, R4 #2 Mundy’s Mill 52: No. 4 Cedar Shoals led 38-27 at the half and increased the lead to 57-42 entering the final quarter. Phlandrous Fleming led Cedar Shoals with 16 points and six rebounds, but the Jaguars were supported by a wealth of contributors. Snipe Hall netted 14 points and Stavion Stevenson hit double-figures with 12 points to go with his seven rebounds. Jerrick Mitchell added eight points and seven assists and Chris Gresham turned in seven points and six rebounds.

AAAA

R6 #4 St. Pius 56, R3 #2 Thomson 55: It was an unbelievable game with a deafening crowd. After a back and forth first half, No. 8 St. Pius walked into the locker room with a 1-point lead (25-24) at halftime. Carson Seramur got hot from three in the third quarter and Pius made a run to take a 12-point lead midway through the third quarter, 43-31. However, Thomson closed the gap to six at the end of the third, 46-40 in favor of the Golden Lions to start the fourth. To open the final frame Thomson hit a three and got a steal and layup to cut Pius’ lead to 46-45 and the crowd went crazy. The game went back and forth the rest of the way and with 1:30 left after a Kerney Lane missed free throw, Thomson had the ball tied 55-55. Thomson tried to hold for one shot but Pius’ pressure forced a Thomson turnover. With 21.8 seconds left the Golden Lions got the ball and freshman Matt Gonzalo was fouled with six seconds left. The freshman calmly sank the first but missed the second. Thomson flew down the court and missed a 3 at the buzzer as time expired. Lane led St. Pius with 20 points and 10 rebounds while Seramur added 13 points. Gonzalo totaled seven assists in the win. The Golden Lions get a rematch with No. 1 Jonesboro in the Elite Eight, the two-time defending champs ended Pius’ season last year in the second round.

R4 #1 Jonesboro 51, R5 #3 Carrollton 50:  The rematch of last year’s state championship unfolded in a similar way: No. 1 Jonesboro finding a way to win. MJ Walker finished with 20 points and seven rebounds to help the Cardinals survive the Trojans on their quest to a three-peat. Tariq Jenkins had 14 points and four rebounds while Eric Lovett (8) and Zerrick Cooper (9) combined for 17. Carrollton received 19 points from Desmond Webb and 14 from Carson Culverhouse.

R6 #2 Lithonia 82, R3 #4 New Hampstead 61: No. 4 Lithonia moves onto the Elite Eight following a strong and balanced performance. Jacara Cross finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Rodney Chatman added seven points, eight rebounds, 10 assists, six steals and three blocks. Tylon Patterson posted 16 points and eight rebounds. Tyheem Freeman netted 14.

R5 #1 Sandy Creek 85, R1 #2 Bainbridge 71: Five players scored in double figures as No. 10 Sandy Creek blew past No. 9 Bainbridge. Elias Harden had 20 points and six rebounds while Christian Turner finished with 19 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Evan Jester (16), Javon Jackson (14) and Keith Heard (11) all contributed.

AAA

R2 #1 Central-Macon 69, R7 #3 Banks County 67: The No. 4 ranked Chargers rallied to win on a Derrick Evans buzzer beater, sending Central-Macon to the Elite Eight. Evans finished with seven points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Kentravious Jones posted a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Anterious McCoy exploded for 24 points and 10 rebounds. Rakwon Iverson added 17 points. Zac Steeple led the Leopards with 27, but was held to eight in the second half.

R6 #1 Calhoun 71, R3 #2 Westside-Macon 43: Host No. 3 Calhoun built a 54-37 lead at the end of the third quarter after outscoring Westside-Augusta 21-13 in the period.  Chapin Rierson was a force in the paint and led Calhoun with 28 points and 22 rebounds, while teammate Kaelan Riley added a double-double with 15 points and 16 boards.

R3 #2 Westside-Augusta 79, R7 #1 East Hall 59: After scoring just four points in the first half, Dekwan Lewis ignited for 19 points to lead the Patriots with a game-high 23 points. Damontrez Hawes carried the Patriots in the first half, where he netted 12 of his 16 points and helped Westside build a 32-21 halftime lead.

R8 #1 Morgan County 68, R4 #2 North Clayton 54: The No. 1 ranked Bulldogs rolled into the Elite Eight with an impressive win over a tough North Clayton team. Jailyn Ingram and Devorious Brown scored 19 and 14 points respectively. Alec Woodward finished with 18.  Morgan County now gets a rematch with No. 3 Laney, who they beat 65-63 earlier this year and last year, beat 68-62 in the semifinals ending Laney’s season.

R3 #1 Laney 91, R7 #2 Lumpkin County 45: Christian Keeling and Zep Jasper overwhelmed the overmatched Indians, ending Lumpkin County’s magical turnaround season. Keeling finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals while Jasper tagged on 17 points, four rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Tahj Tanskley and Dejuan Griffin both cracked double figures, scoring 14 and 10 respectively.

R1 #1 Jenkins 71, R8 #3 Jackson County 50: The dream season fell short as the Panthers lost to defending state champ, No. 5 Jenkins. Seniors Preston Giroux (17) and Joel Ellis (14) played admirably in their final games. The Panthers finish 18-12 after a 4-22 season last year. Jenkins moves on to face undefeated No. 2 Calhoun in the Elite Eight.

AA

R6 #2 Lovett 76, R2 #1 Long County 61: The Lions received 18 points from Henry Richardson to advance to the Elite Eight. Charles Nastopoulos chipped in 16 points and seven rebounds while Ryan Greer finished with 16 points and seven assists for No. 6 Lovett. Long County was led by Perrell Brisbane, Terry Smith and Eric Shaw, all of whom scored 14 points.

R6 #1 Pace Academy 69, R3 #3 Jefferson County 58: Pace Academy outscored Jefferson County 20-12 in the third quarter to grow its lead to 57-43. Wendell Carter led the Knights with his game-high 35 points and 20 rebounds. Zack Kaminsky and Tsaiah Kelly each finished with 14 points. Jefferson County was led by Tahkwon King’s team-high 28 points.

R6 #4 Holy Innocents’ 61, R3 #2 Swainsboro 58: After a controversial finish a year ago, the Golden Bears got their sweet revenge, downing the No. 9 Tigers. Jules Erving finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds while Brent Duncan went for 15 and seven. Cole Smith netted 18 in the win. Holy Innocents’ now meets No. 2 Crawford County in the Elite Eight.

A-Private

#4 Stratford Academy 87, #13 Walker 59: Nate Brooks battled with Harvard signee Robert Baker inside and finished with 23 points to help lift the Eagles to the second round of the state tournament. Quintez Cephus, a Wisconsin football signee, added 21 points. James Mitchell (12) and Tommy McCook (10) both finished in double digits for Coach Jamie Dickey.

#1 Greenforest 78, #16 First Presbyterian Day 40:  Justin Forrest scored 22 points and handed out five assists as No. 1 Greenforest advanced to the second round of the state playoffs. John Ogwuche, a New Hampshire signee netted 17 points and collected five assists. Precious Ayah had 14 points and Ikey Obiagu went for 12 points, nine rebounds and six blocks.

#5 North Cobb Christian 71, #12 Christian Heritage 50:  Demiere Brown led the Eagles to a first round playoff victory with 22 points and nine rebounds. Will Crumly posted 13 points and nine rebounds for No. 3 North Cobb Christian. Hunter Norman added 11 points and nine assists.

A-Public

#13 Lincoln County 87, #4 Randolph-Clay 79 OT: Down 11 with 1:57 left didn’t stop Lincoln County from winning its first state playoff game in nearly three decades. Ahmad Rand collected another triple-double with 24 points, 20 rebounds and 15 blocks. Rand hit a free throw with two seconds left to send the game to overtime. Zach Crite netted 29 to pace the Red Devils. Devon Holloway chipped in 14.

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Recaps

Girls Sweet 16 Recaps

Sandy’s Spiel/Craig Sager II/Brandon Michea

Class AAAAAA

R5 #1 Woodstock 52, R1 #2 Colquitt County 41: Making their fifth-straight state appearance, the No. 9 Woodstock Lady Wolverines climbed to new heights on Friday, controlling visiting Colquitt County from start to finish for a 52-41 victory in the 2nd round of the AAAAAA tournament. The win sends the Lady Wolverines into the state Elite Eight for the first time in program history.

An 11-point opening half by Kennedy Montgomery helped Woodstock lead 32-16 at the break. A brief third-quarter surge brought the Lady Packers to within 11, before WHS pushed back out in front by 18 in the fourth. Another Colquitt charge cut the deficit to 48-40 late, but WHS sealed its historic victory from the free throw line.

Montgomery finished with a game-high 18 points, followed by nine from Ashton Sutton and seven apiece from Erin Braxton and Brittany Burnett.

R6 #1 West Forsyth 70, R2 #2 Newton 33: Three days after Jenna Staiti led West Forsyth to the program’s first-ever playoff win, the University of Maryland signee added another 35-point outburst as the Wolverines advance to the quarterfinals for the first time in history. Staiti added 20 rebounds and seven blocks to her game-high points and teammate Jane Ortlip stepped up with 15 points, including three makes from beyond the arc. Twenty-three of Staiti’s points, 16 of the rebounds and five of the blocks came in the first half as West Forsyth piled on a 40-13 edge.

R5 #2 Cherokee 70, R4 #4 Hillgrove 52: The Lady Warriors (24-5) continued their magical run coming off a 15-13 season and a 2-24 mark in 2013-14. Lacie McCoy scored a game-high 21 points to propel Cherokee to the Elite 8. Kaleigh Karl netted 15 and Havyn Wilson added 11. Laiken Wade and Olivia Herrera both scored 8 points.

R2 #1 Tucker 72, R7 #3 Mountain View 54: No. 5 Tucker received 19 points and 7 rebounds from Bria Bass. Kierra Johnson-Graham had 22 pts and 13 rebounds.

Class AAAAA

R6 #2 Mays 84, R2 #1 Grovetown 72:  No. 9 Mays’ speedy point guard Kamiyah Street put on a clinic as she netted a game-high 47 points as the Raiders handed No. 4 Grovetown (28-2) just its second loss of the year. Mays jumped to a 38-29 halftime lead but Grovetown outscored Mays 15-11 in the third quarter to cut it to 59-54 before the Raiders closed out a 25-18 advantage in the final frame.

R7 #1 Sequoyah 47, R2 # Warner Robins 40: The Lady Chiefs advanced to the Elite Eight setting up a meeting with Region 8 No. 2-seed Loganville, who survived Dutchtown 43-40. Sequoyah had a difficult task at hand in the War Lodge as the No. 5 ranked Warner Robins Demonettes brought their 22-2 record to Hickory Flat. The plan was simple early on for Warner Robins: press the Chiefs. Little did they know that Coach Derrick Dewitt’s team wouldn’t be fazed after a sluggish start.

Both teams struggled to score early on. Kezia Holmes got the Demonettes on the board at the 4:07 mark before Lauren Hartman netted the Chiefs’ first basket with 2:42 remaining in the first. Coach Tracy Fendley’s press gave Sequoyah fits as they raced out to a 10-4 lead entering the second quarter with Holmes scoring eight of her team-high 15 in the frame.

The second quarter was a different story.

“I think the girls got comfortable to their pressure,” explained Coach Dewitt. “Warner Robins is very active, they can rebound and they’re a very fast team. We settled down, showed some poise, got them moving and attacked some gaps and finished on the offensive end when we needed to.”

Trailing 14-6, sophomore point guard Alyssa Cagle found fellow sophomore Peyton Satterfield for three and in the process got the Chief faithful on their feet. Minutes later Satterfield returned the favor and delivered an assist to Cagle who proceeded to drain a long ball making it 16-14 with 2:10 to play.

Sequoyah grabbed its first lead of the game on a Kelley Hartman turnaround at the buzzer, 17-16. That basket for the 6-foot senior was a momentum changer. It was her fifth point of the first half before she scored 13 of her game-high 18 in the final 16 minutes.

After Kelley Hartman tagged on six points in the third quarter, the Lady Chiefs maintained a 27-24 lead, her final basket coming on another buzzer beater.

The Demonettes would not go away. Le’Terria Mathis scored nine of her 12 points in the fourth quarter to claw Warner Robins back into the game after two Lauren Schletty transition buckets gave Sequoyah its largest lead of the game at 36-29 with 3:43 remaining in regulation.

Things got dicey 22 seconds later as Kelley Hartman committed her fourth foul with Sequoyah leading 36-31. Hartman fouled out at the 1:07 mark with Sequoyah in front 40-37, but with her she brought her 18 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks to the bench.

Warner Robins would draw within 40-38, but Sequoyah managed to get the stops it needed and Cagle went 6-of-7 from the line in the fourth to close out the game 47-40.

Surviving with Hartman on the bench was no easy task, but the Lady Chiefs were able to get it done. When she was on the floor, Kelley controlled the game from the paint.

“She is such a committed teammate and player that she’ll do whatever she can. I thought her poise was good she could have gotten upset at a couple of calls but she kept it together. Even when she fouled out, she told the next kid ‘hey go in there and finish this game’. She’s coaching from the sidelines with me. Her and Lauren Hartman are outstanding Sequoyah Chiefs.”

Class AAAA

R8 #2 Buford 59, R4 #1 Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 48: After taking a 34-18 lead into the half, No. 5 Buford was outscored 19-13 in the third quarter as the lead shrunk to 47-39. The Lady Bulldogs cut the deficit to 48-40 with 5:40 left, but Buford used a 9-4 run to pull away in the final minutes. No. 4 Mt. Zion was led by Tyeisha Juhan’s 25 points, while Tory Ozment led Buford with 19 points.

Class AAA

R7 #1 West Hall 60, R3 #2 Washington County 48: West Hall led 30-23 at the half and took a nine-point lead into the final quarter, where the Lady Spartans solidified a spot in the quarterfinals for the first time since 1999. West Hall’s Anna Mckendree led the way with 32 points and six rebounds, while teammate Macy Passmore chipped in with 23 points and six rebounds. Nia Johnson led Washington County with her team-high 23 points.

Class AA

R7 #1 Model 59, R3 #2 Dublin 27: Region 7 champion No. 3 Model jumped to a 33-12 halftime lead after outscoring Dublin 21-4 in the second quarter. The Blue Devils added a 20-5 scoring advantage in the third quarter to build a 49-21 lead. Sophomore Victaria Saxton finished with 27 points, 15 rebounds and six blocks to lead undefeated Model (28-0).

R6 #2 Wesleyan 77, R2 #1 Vidalia 30: Eleven No. 2 Wesleyan players netted points, but it was Mikayla Coombs that led the way 20 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for a triple double. Coombs made four three pointers and shot 80 percent from the field. Teammate Jameson Kavel finished with 16 points and Amaya Register scored 10 with seven rebounds and five assists.