Monthly Archives: March 2022

Girls Recaps, Recaps

2021-22 GHSA Basketball State Championship Recaps


 

MARCH 9

CLASS A-PUBLIC

Lake Oconee AcademyR8 #1 No. 3 Lake Oconee Academy 45, R7 #1 Hancock Central 29
After leading 7-4 following the first quarter, Hancock Central (18-4) was held scoreless for over five minutes as No. 3 Lake Oconee Academy (26-1) made their move and surged ahead for good to capture their first ever state title under first-year Head Coach Ed Wilson. Georgia Bosart, a sophomore, broke the game open with 10 of her 17 points in the second quarter and finished with 20 rebounds and 6 assists for the game as the Titans took a 22-14 lead into the half. The smaller Titans outrebounded the Bulldogs 48-35. 5-foot-5 junior Jada Williams contributed 4 points, 13 rebounds (6 offensive), 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. Jane Monachello and Hannah Heinen scored 9 points each. Hancock was held to 8-48 (16.7%) from the field. Jameria Lawrence and Sonovia Reynolds paced the Bulldogs with 8 points apiece.

Drew Charter
R6 #1 No. 2 Drew Charter 51, R7 #1 No. 6 Warren County 50: Drew Charter’s wild run to their first ever state title finished with fireworks as the Eagles (31-1) scored the final five points of the game to stun Warren County (25-4). Cam Johnson led Drew Charter with 17 points while Cedric Taylor dominated the paint with 13 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 5 crucial blocks, including a late swat with 1:02 left, blocking a shot that could have pushed the Screamin’ Devils up to 50-45. Warren County led 39-36 after three quarters and led by three with 28 seconds left until Jakobe Strozier split a pair of free throws. Justyn Burnett pushed the Warren County lead to 50-46 with 23 ticks left but Kenyatta Bennett immediately nailed a corner three to trim into the lead with 16.8 seconds remaining.  Just moments later, Warren County turned the ball over on the press as a player fell down and Taylor picked up the steal and was fouled, converting both free throws to take a 51-50 lead with 8.6 seconds on the clock. Strozier had a chance to ice the game from the foul line but missed the front end of the one-and-one. The Devils raced down for a layup at the buzzer but was swallowed up by Strozier and Taylor at the rim. Warren County was led by Ken’vonte Brinkley’s 15 points and 9 rebounds and led by as many as nine points at the 5:27 mark of the third quarter, 33-24. Lorenzo Johnson finished his career with 14 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 blocks.

CLASS 4A

Marist War EaglesR6 #1 No. 5 Marist 56, R5 #1 No. 1 Luella 54 2OT
The late game heroics of Michigan softball-signee Avery Fantucci lifted No. 5 Marist (28-3) to their first ever state title, taking their first lead of the game since 15-14 at the 2:30 mark of the second quarter on Fantucci’s game-winning layup. No. 1 Luella (27-4) led 46-43 at the end of regulation and thought they had the game won, but Fantucci drilled a three from halfcourt to send the game to overtime. From there, Milani Smith did the heavy lifting for the Lions, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds, but Luella, who led 30-19 in the third quarter, could never put away the resilient War Eagles. Marist outscored Luella 10-4 in fast break points and pounded the Lions on the glass, outrebounding Luella 48-29, grabbing 24 offensive rebounds and scoring 15 second chance points. Lexy Faklaris posted 19 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals while going 7-8 from the line. Marist as a team would shoot 17-21 from the stripe to Luella’s 6-8. The hero, Fantucci, piled in 18 of her 19 points in the second half and added 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks. Luella received 10 points apiece from Trinity Layton and Jacksonville State-signee Evelina Davlakou, who fouled out at the 2:14 mark of double overtime with the Lions up 52-50.


Spencer GreenwaveR2 #1 No. 5 Spencer 62, R1 #1 No. 3 Westover 42
A 25-6 run spanning the third quarter into the fourth put No. 5 Spencer (30-2) ahead for good, clinching the Greenwave their first state title and avenging last season’s disappointing 50-49 buzzer beating loss to Westover (25-4) in the Sweet 16. Spencer led 20-16 at the half but fell behind 26-23 to open the third quarter as Westover opened on a 10-3 run. Defense ignited Spencer as their depth, speed and length overwhelmed the Patriots. Nine Spencer players scored as the entire roster saw significant minutes throughout. Tycen McDaniels led the charge on both ends of the floor, keying the press and finishing with 11 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 5 blocks. Spencer held Westover to 28.6% shooting and shot 44.6% themselves. Randall Dixon scored 12 points followed by Tony Montgomery’s 11. Westover was led by Effrin Smith’s 11 points and 5 rebounds. Anthony Milton netted 12 points and Cam Ball scored 9.


MARCH 10

CLASS 2A

Elbert County Blue DevilsR8 #2 No. 2 Elbert County 52, R8 #1 No. 1 Rabun County 44
In a game heavily influenced by the officiating, whistling 56 total fouls, No. 2 Elbert County (28-4) claimed their first ever state title in a war of attrition against region foe No. 1 Rabun County (24-6).  The defense of the Blue Devils was suffocating all throughout, holding Rabun County to 23.9% shooting. Elbert County led 25-19 at the half and built a 39-27 lead before 19 fouls were called in the third quarter including a technical on Coach Josh Jones which breathed life into the LadyCats as Rabun County closed on an 8-0 run to head into the fourth quarter down just 39-35. In the wildness, Terrace Hester was fouled out with 12 points. The LadyCats trimmed the lead to 41-37 with 3:56 remaining but at the 3:01 mark Lucy Hood fouled out with 6 points and Rabun down 41-37. Leading scorer Carley Haban would eventually foul out as well with a game-high 18 points. The Blue Devils saw rim protector Brenasia Faust also foul out with 3 points, 9 rebounds and 1 block. Aaniyah Allen paced Elbert County with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks, scoring 10 points in the second half. Niya Moon scored 7 of her 14 points in the fourth quarter to help seal the deal.

Westside-Augusta PatriotsR4 #1 No. 4 Westside-Augusta 64,  R4 #2 No. 3 Butler 55
Trailing 22-11 after one quarter and 38-32 at the half, No. 4 Westside-Augusta (26-4) clamped down No. 2 Butler (22-7) to just 17 second half points to race past the Bulldogs for a state title. Jalexs Ewing powered Westside-Augusta with 16 points and 8 rebounds including a poster dunk in transition. AuMauri Tillman netted 14 points — 10 in the second half — to go with 4 rebounds and 4 assists.  Khalon Hudson kept the Patriots afloat in the first half scoring all of his 10 points and grabbing 5 rebounds.  The Butler offense slowed down in the third quarter, outscored 19-7. The Bulldogs trailed 51-45 after three. Butler was led by Gemaureon Belton’s 12 points off four threes, all in the first half. Elijah Martinez added 11 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists while Chance Finklin picked up 10 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks.

CLASS 5A

Woodward Academy War EaglesR3 #1 No. 1 Woodward Academy 72,  R3 #2 No. 2 Forest Park 44
Turnovers and early foul trouble quickly eliminated any hope of a No. 2 Forest Park (22-7) victory as No. 1 Woodward Academy (29-2) beat the Panthers for the seventh-straight time to repeat as state champs. Forest Park hung tough and trailed just 23-17 at the 3:58 mark, but at that moment Jayda Brown picked up her fourth foul and had to head to the bench. From there, Woodward Academy grew a 38-17 halftime lead, closing on a 15-0 run. UGA-signee and Gatorade Player of the Year Sydney Bowles finished her illustrious career with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal. Sara Lewis added 17 points, 3 rebounds and 6 steals. As a team, Woodward Academy forced 39 turnovers.  Yasmine Allen led Forest Park with 19 points. Jayda Brown scored 8 before fouling out early in the third quarter.


Tri-Cities BulldogsR3 #1 No. 3 Tri-Cities 67, R4 #1 No. 1 Eagle’s Landing 59
No. 3 Tri-Cities (23-5) packed it in with their 1-3-1 zone and held No. 1 Eagle’s Landing (27-4) to 2-18 shooting from the perimeter to hoist their second state title in four years, holding off a furious comeback bid. The Bulldogs used a 14-2 run to grab an early 22-15 lead and would never look back. Noricco Danner scored seven of his 13 points in the third quarter to build a 46-35 lead heading into the final stanza. From there, Eagle’s Landing could never get over the hump. The Eagles cut the lead to 58-56 with 35.3 seconds left on a tough Elijah Robinson And-1. Robinson missed the free throw and Kenny Brayboy collected the carom but his putback rolled off the rim and Ryan Mathieu cleared it. Mathieu, 0-4 from the line up until that point, banked in a pair of free throws to push the lead back out to 60-56.  Kory Mincy paced Tri-Cities with 19 points, 5 assists and 4 steals. Kennesaw State-signee Simeon Cottle chipped in 16 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, scoring 12 points in the second half. AJ Barnes posted 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Eagles while Jordan Fordyce finished with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Brayboy tallied 9 points and 8 rebounds. David Thomas was held in check with 5 points on 2-7 shooting, attempting just two shots in the second half as Tri-Cities hounded the star guard by running double teams at him.


MARCH 11

CLASS 3A

Lumpkin County IndiansR7 #1 No. 1 Lumpkin County 51, R5 #2 No. 3 GAC 47
No. 1 Lumpkin County (30-1) trailed the entire game until an Averie Jones floater at the 3:47 mark keyed a 12-0 run that gave the Indians a 46-40 lead that they would narrowly hold onto for their first ever state title. No. 3 GAC (25-7) came out of the gates hot, hitting three first quarter threes and forcing 10 first half turnovers. GAC led 22-19 at the half but Kate Jackson was able to keep the Indians afloat, scoring nine first half points as Coach David Dowse fed her inside consistently. Jackson would finish with 15 points and 13 rebounds after missing her sophomore season due to a torn ACL. After three quarters, GAC held a 40-32 lead as Xavier-signee Kaleigh Addie and Jaci Bolden did damage with their quickness. Addie finished with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 6 steals while Bolden added 13 points. Looking for a spark in the fourth quarter, Jones, Lumpkin County’s leading scorer on the season, got hot piling in 10 of her 17 points in the final frame. Known for their three-point shooting, the Indians never got on track shooting 3-11 but were able to find their offense in other areas. Lexi Pierce scored 12 points and added 5 assists. Lumpkin County had all the momentum at 46-40 but turnovers quickly reared their ugly head again as Kaleigh Addie converted two layups off a pair of steals to knot the game at 47 with 50 seconds left. On a set inbound play, Ciera Brooks threaded the needle to Jackson inside to regain the lead with 36 seconds to play. Bolden tried to drive inside but Jackson stuck her hand in to knock the ball and the referees called a travel on the Spartans. Region 7 Player of the Year Mary Mullinax iced the game with a pair of free throws with under four seconds left, finishing with 5 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal and 1 block.


Cross Creek RazorbacksR4 #2 No. 7 Cross Creek 60, R3 #2 No. 3 Windsor Forest 53
No. 7 Cross Creek (26-6) went back-to-back defeated a senior-laden No. 3 Windsor Forest (23-7) that could never get over the hump in the second half. Hot shooting gave Windsor Forest an 18-16 lead after one quarter, but a three-point second quarter let Cross Creek grow a 30-21 advantage heading into the break as Ahmad Hunt scored 11 of his team-high 14 points off the bench in the opening 16 minutes. The Razorbacks drained 6-13 from beyond the arc and would shoot 7-20 in total. Windsor Forest surged in the third quarter and cut the lead to 32-31 but the Razorbacks answered with a 9-2 run to close, taking a 41-35 lead into the fourth quarter. The Knights would threaten multiple times in the final period. Michael Cabellero sank a pair of free throws to tie it at 45 with 4:06 remining but the Razorbacks would answer with six quick points. Four Razorbacks reached double figures. Jayden Pack had 11 points and 6 rebounds followed by Jaquez Ellison’s 10 points and 5 rebounds. Antoine Lorick, who fouled out with 1:29 to play on a D’ante Bass And-1, finished with 10 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocks. Terrenice Streetman, another foul out casualty, collected 8 points. Bass, the Georgetown-signee, led Windsor Forest with 22 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.

CLASS 6A


Lovejoy WildcatsR4 #1 No. 2 Lovejoy 54, R7 #2 No. 8 Sequoyah 38
No. 2 Lovejoy (28-3) led wire-to-wire to clinch their second state title and first since 2018. The Wildcats shutdown the Chiefs, holding No. 8 Sequoyah (24-8) to 26.9%  shooting.  Lovejoy led 15-7 after one quarter and 23-16 at the half as Sequoyah held the Wildcats to 3-20 shooting in the quarter but the Chiefs could only muster 3-15 shooting themselves. Lovejoy dominated the glass, grabbing 27 offensive rebounds and outrebounding the Chiefs in total 53-35. Lovejoy broke the game open in the third quarter with a 17-9 frame. Mercer-signee Layla Hood totaled 14 points and 16 rebounds.  Region 4 Player of the Year Bryanna Preston notched 13 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Bryana Hardy collected 11 points and 11 rebounds while  Sequoyah was paced by Lee-signee Susanna Rodgers’ 10 points and 12 rebounds.  Elle Blatchford had 8 points and 5 rebounds.

Grovetown WarriorsR3 #1 Grovetown 66, R8 #2 No. 5 Buford 59
A 20-7 second quarter gave Grovetown (29-3) all the separation needed to claim the school’s first title.  The Warriors pulled ahead 12-6, but a 6-0 No. 5 Buford (25-7) spurt tied the game at 12 after eight minutes. In the second quarter EJ Kency came off the bench and drained three threes to extend the lead back out to 21-12. The Warriors would shoot 7-16 from deep including sinking six threes in the first half to hold a commanding 32-19 halftime advantage. In the third quarter Buford knotted the game up at 43-43 with 1:04 to play on an Alahn Sumler And-1 jumper, part of a 9-1 run, seven points via Sumler. After winning the quarter 24-15, the Wolves entered the fourth down 47-43. From there, Buford could never take the lead, their last coming at 6-3 in the first quarter. The Warriors ripped off a 7-0 run to put the lead at 54-45 and would never look back. The Wolves had possession down 61-59 with 17 seconds left but would turn the ball over. Grovetown was led by Frankquon Sherman’s 23 points and 13 rebounds. Buford received 17 points and 5 rebounds from Sumler.

 

MARCH 12

CLASS A-PRIVATE

Mt. Paran EaglesR7 #1 No. 2 Mt. Paran 54, R5 #2 No. 4 Hebron Christian 49
Senior-laden No. 2 Mt. Paran (25-4) finally climbed the mountain top to capture their first-ever state title, riding Georgia Tech-signee Kara Dunn to 30 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks to put away the defending state champs. Tied at 7 after one period as both teams were slow to figure each other out on defense, the pace quickened in the second quarter as No. 4 Hebron Christian (26-6) took a slim 24-22 lead into the half.  In the third quarter Dunn broke out with 12 of Mt. Paran’s 17 points, but Hebron held tough behind Wofford-signee Jessie Parish and freshman Aubrey Beckham. Parish finished her career with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists while Beckham tallied 15 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks. At the 3:01 mark with the Eagles up 44-42, Dunn picked up her fourth foul but the Lions couldn’t capitalize. Mt. Paran would go on a mini 5-1 run keyed by a Dunn And-1 at the 2-minute mark to make it 49-43. West Georgia-signee Katelyn Dunning would help ice the game from the line going 6-10 from the stripe in the frame to finish with 9 points and 3 steals. Dunn shot 10-15 from the foul line, going 9-13 in the second half.

Greenforest EaglesR2 #1 No. 1 Greenforest 61, R6 #1 No. 3 King’s Ridge 52
No. 3 King’s Ridge (28-5) buried 10 threes, but it wasn’t quite enough for David to slay Goliath as No. 1 Greenforest (28-4) saw Jalen Forrest pile in 26 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals to secure the Eagles’ first state title since 2017. The towering Eagles trailed 13-12 after the first quarter and led 26-24 at the half as King’s Ridge let it fly from deep. Greenforest countered inside scoring 18 points in the paint in the first half and 38 for the game. The Eagles grabbed 14 offensive rebounds in the first half and 19 in total. King’s Ridge shot 10-23 from deep and 52.6% overall from the field, outpacing Greenforest’s 43.1% but the Eagles attempted 58 shots to the Tigers’ 38 and went 11-16 from the line. Florian Tenebay collected 17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Isaac Martin led King’s Ridge with 18 points, draining six threes. Micah Hoover contributed 16 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. The Tigers tied the game at the 4:53 mark at 50 when Liam Thomas drained a three, but Greenforest would close with an 11-2 run from that point on.

CLASS 7A

Norcross Lady BlueR7 #1 No. 4 Norcross 41, R3 #1 No. 5 Harrison 37
In a sluggish defensive battle, No. 4 Norcross (26-5) woke up with their man press in the fourth quarter and outscored No. 5 Harrison 22-14 in the final frame to hoist their state title since 2013 and fourth in program history. Trailing 17-12 at the half after shooting just 5-22 from the field and committing nine turnovers, Norcross managed to stay in the game by limiting Harrison’s three-point looks holding the prolific outside shooting team to 4-15 from deep. The Lady Blue found themselves down 23-19 after three quarters before sophomore Jania Akins exploded, sparking an 8-0 run to open the fourth. Akins drained a corner three at the 6:28 mark to give Norcross their first lead since a 9-8 advantage early in the second quarter. Eight seconds later Akins drilled another three from the right corner to push the lead to 27-23. Akins finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds, 11 points in the fourth after shooting just 1-11 through the first three quarters.  Norcross led 37-29 before Harrison made one last surge behind Alisha Foster who finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds. The Hoyas trimmed the lead to 37-35 with 58.6 to play. DePaul-signee Zaria Hurston split a pair of free throws and then got a breakaway layup to extend the lead to 40-35 giving Norcross the space needed to clinch the championship.

Norcross Blue DevilsR7 #2 No. 8 Norcross 58, R7 #1 No. 3 Berkmar 45
It took nine long years and heartbreak along the way, but No. 8 Norcross (26-6) was able to exercise their regular season demons against No. 3 Berkmar (26-5) to earn their sixth state title and first since 2013. After losing three times to the Patriots by a combined nine points, the Blue Devils were able to cooperate together and slowly pull away from Berkmar after leading 24-22 at the half and 40-34 after three. London Johnson scored 18 of his game-high 27 points in the second half to distance the Blue Devils from the Patriots. Johnson would also collect 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals. Jerry Deng double-doubled with 14 points and 12 rebounds while Samarion Bond supplied 13 points and 5 rebounds. Foul trouble hampered Berkmar in the second half as Jameel Rideout was saddled with his fourth foul at the 3:05 mark of the third quarter with the Patriots trailing 34-31. Berkmar trimmed the lead to 40-37 with 5:32 remaining but a personal 5-0 run from Johnson would extend the lead and eventually Ole Miss-signee Malique Ewin would foul out with 3:13 to play as Norcross led 47-40. Ewin finished his career with 13 points and 8 rebounds. Rideout scored 13 points and Brycen Blaine had 12. Berkmar was held to 31% shooting and made just 4-22 from beyond the arc. Norcross was outshot 58-37, but went 18-27 from the foul line.

Girls Basketball, Schedules

GHSA Girls Basketball Final 4 Matchups


CLASS 7A

March 4 at Buford City Arena

R7 #1 No. 4  Norcross 54, R2 #1 No. 7 Campbell 51: DeNaeja Morton hit a corner three with 40.1 seconds left to clinch the win. Norcross ripped off a 20-0 run to seize control after trailing 14-2. DePaul-signee Zaria Hurston recorded 22 points and 15 rebounds. Nia Bozeman scored 17 points to pace Campbell. Laila Battle scored 11.

March 5 at Buford City Arena

R3 #1 No. 5 Harrison 59, R7 #2 No. 9 Archer 52: The Hoyas buried 12 threes. Bailey Vick scored 13 points. Alisha Foster and Anna Gernatt scored 12 apiece. Archer was led by Courtney Nesbitt’s 23 points and 6 rebounds. Taniya McGowan tacked on 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

CLASS 6A

March 5 at West Georgia

R4 #1 No. 2 Lovejoy 71, R3 #2 Rockdale County 56: In a battle of super sophomores, Region 4 Player of the Year Bryanna Preston dumped in 30 points and 7 assists to outduel Danielle Carnegie, who had 26 and 7 rebounds. In support of Preston, Shorter-signee Keyra Peterson scored 15 points and La’nya Foster added 13.

R7 #2 No. 8 Sequoyah 40, R6 #1 No. 3 Kell 38: Elle Blatchford netted 15 points. Milanni Abdus-Salaam posted 9 points and 10 rebounds. Jamiah Gregory led Kell with 11 points.

CLASS 5A

March 5 at Fort Valley State

R3 #2 No. 2 Forest Park 60, R6 #2 No. 10 New Manchester 38

R3 #1 No. 1 Woodward Academy 67, R1 #1 No. 6 Warner Robins 35: UGA-signee Sydney Bowles piled in 20 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals. Sara Lewis scored 16 points. Kennedie Mosley added 15 points and 5 rebounds.

CLASS 4A

March 4 at Fort Valley State

R5 #1 Luella 62, R4 #1 Baldwin 53: Milani Smith had 17 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists to lead Luella past Baldwin in a rematch of their 55-54 first meeting victory.  Jacksonville State-signee Evelina Davlakou tallied 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Trinity Layton pitched in 13 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists.

R6 #1 No. 5 Marist 38, R7 #2 No. 10 Pickens 35: Marist outscored Pickens 16-11 in the fourth quarter to end a resilient Dragonettes season. Lauren Kim scored 9 points to power Marist, who trailed 10-7, 18-15 and 24-22 at the end of each quarter. Caroline Mullins netted a game-high 19 in the loss.

CLASS 3A

March 5 at Georgia College & State

R7 #1 No. 1 Lumpkin County 64, R5 #1 No. 4 Westminster 42: Lumpkin County’s balanced attack overwhelmed Westminster as four players scored in double figures. The Indians led 21-11 after one and 37-20 at the half. Lexi Pierce netted 20 points while Region 7 Player of the Year Mary Mullinax compiled 16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.  Averie Jones posted 14 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal. Kate Jackson double-doubled with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Stanford-commit Courtney Ogden led Westminster with 24 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks. Sydney Moore added 6 points and 4 rebounds while Stella Chartrand fouled out in the fourth quarter and finished with 5 points.

R5 #2 No. 3 GAC 66, R1 #1 No. 7 Pierce County 46: Xavier-signee Kaleigh Addie posted 21 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals while Trinity Thomas double-doubled with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 1 block as the Spartans are set to return to Macon for the third straight year. Jaci Bolden had 18 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Natalie Herrin powered Pierce County with 22 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.  The Bears trailed 16-7 after one and 31-22 at the half. Pierce County trimmed the lead to 38-34 midway through the third, but GAC closed on a 10-2 run to put the game away, taking a 12-point lead into the fourth. Tivona Myles recorded 11 points and 5 rebounds in the loss.

CLASS 2A

March 4 at Georgia College & State

R8 #2 No. 2 Elbert County 56, R4 #1  No. 6 Josey 40: Aaniyah Allen scored 10 of her game-high 22 points in the third quarter as the Blue Devils led wire-to-wire and officially avenged last season’s Elite 8 loss. Allen double-doubled with 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals while Niya Moon sank three threes and finished with 15 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals. The smaller Blue Devils outrebounded Josey 40-26. Brenasia Faust collected 3 points, 7 rebounds and 5 blocks. Jamia Allen had 8 points and 7 rebounds. Josey, the defending state champs, received 8 points apiece from Aqoyas Cody and Amari Bonner. Mercedes Dames scored 6 and Jacksonville-signee Ky’Shonna Brown finished her career with 4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block.

R8 #1 No. 1 Rabun County 50, R3 #1 No. 3 Northeast-Macon 39: A 17-0 run after falling behind 2-0 sprung the LadyCats back to the state championship, returning for the first time since 2017. Sophie Woodard scored nine of her team-high 14 points in the first quarter and added 3 rebounds and 3 steals.  Rabun County led 27-14 at the half and 37-26 after three. Laniya Richardson scored 12 of her game-high 18 points in the second half for the Raiders and tacked on 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Carley Haban finished with 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals while Emmanuel-signee Gracie Deetz added 13 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks, scoring 10 over the final 16 minutes. Jakia Little was held to 8 points and 9 rebounds.

CLASS A-PRIVATE

March 4 at Buford City Area

R7 #1 No. 2 Mt. Paran 53, R5 #1 No. 1 Holy Innocents’ 50: Preseason No. 1 Mt. Paran knocked off Holy Innocents’ getting redemption after being eliminated by the Golden Bears in the Sweet 16 a season ago. Freshman Jessica Fields posted 20 points and 7 rebounds. Georgia Tech-signee Kara Dunn tacked on 14 points and 11 rebounds.

March 5 at Buford City Arena

R5 #2 No. 4 Hebron Christian 49, R5 #3 No. 5 Galloway 47: Nickyia Daniel cleaned up a miss and scored the game-winner at the buzzer. Daniel had a team-high 17 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Aubrey Beckham tallied 10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. Wofford-signee Jesse Parish went for 9 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 7 blocks. Jasmine Baxter led Galloway with 20 points and 6 rebounds. Kyla Cain had 12 points and 9 rebounds.

CLASS A-PUBLIC

March 5 at Valdosta State

R7 #1 Hancock Central 50, R8 #2 Commerce 37:  Tiamber Williams (14) and Jameria Lawrence (12) paced the Bulldogs.  Jalexicia Hargrove netted 8.

R8 #1 No. 3 Lake Oconee Academy 58, R5 #2 No. 9 Taylor County 30

GHSA Basketball, Schedules

GHSA Boys Basketball Final 4 Matchups


CLASS 7A

March 4 at Buford City Arena

R7 #1 No. 4 Berkmar 72, R2 #1 No. 1 Pebblebrook 58: Jameel Rideout poured in 22 points and Ole Miss-signee Malique Ewin scored 19.

March 5 at Buford City Arena

R7 #2 No. 8 Norcross 75, R4 #2 No. 4 Newton 72: Jerry Deng poured in 24 points and London Johnson had 20.

CLASS 6A

March 5 at West Georgia

R8 #2 No. 5  Buford 73, R7 #1 No. 10  Sequoyah 72: Behind Alahn Sumler’s 19 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists, Buford survived Sequoyah. Malachi Brown scored a team-high 20 and Jaylon Taylor added 18 points and 7 rebounds. Rollins-signee Dylan Wolle poured in a game-high 25 points for the Chiefs.  Preston Parker scored 20 and Fisher Mitchell netted 15 points and grabbed 8 rebounds.

R3 #1 Grovetown 68, R4 #3 Langston Hughes 63

CLASS 5A

March 5 at Fort Valley State

 No. 1 R4 #1 Eagle’s Landing 67, R3 #2 No. 5 Jonesboro 60 OT:  In the loss, Devon Rainey had 21 points and 5 rebounds while Kaymen Brown totaled 17 points and 5 rebounds. Malcolm Simmons chipped in 10 points and 7 rebounds.

R3 #1 No. 3 Tri-Cities 71, R7 #2 No. 8 Calhoun 68 OT: Kennesaw State-signee Simeon Cottle erupted for 36 points. Kory Mincy added 14. Calhoun was led by Freed-Hardeman-signee Peyton Law’s 24 points and Dylan Faulkner’s 21.

CLASS 4A

March 4 at Fort Valley State

R2 #1 Spencer 44, R6 #2 Marist 38: Randall Dixon scored 12 points to pace Spencer.

R1 #1 No. 3  Westover 42, R5 #2 No. 1 McDonough 39: Kavon Johnson was ejected but Westover rallied to win after trailing 23-13 at the half. Westover outscored the War Hawks 17-8 in the fourth. Kemari Leverette and Effrin Smith scored 12 apiece to lead the comeback.

CLASS 3A

March 5 at Georgia College & State

R3 #2 No. 3 Windsor Forest 60, R4 #1 No. 5 Thomson 53: Javonte Landy scored five points including a timely left-handed floater off the glass that helped the Knights secure a trip to Macon. Georgetown-signee D’ante Bass led Windsor Forest with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. Thomson led 25-20 after one and 34-32 at the half following a Jaquan Hart putback at the buzzer. Windsor Forest pulled ahead 48-46 heading into the fourth quarter as Michael Cabellero scored seven of his 9 points in the frame. Landy scored 11 points total for the Knights while Abasi Scott added 9 points and 5 rebounds after battling early foul trouble.  Donte Dorman scored 8. Thomson was led by Lavonta Ivery who scored 18 points to go with his 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Tydrekis Braswell had 13 points and 5 rebounds. Jahkiaus Jones did not return to action for the Bulldogs after getting hit in the eye in the third quarter.

R4 #2 No. 7 Cross Creek 55, R3 #4 Beach 43: The Razorbacks survived a 13-point third quarter from Larry Johnson and punched their ticket back to Macon for the third straight year with a chance to repeat as state champions. Up 21-14 at the half, the Razorbacks found themselves down 33-32 to the Cinderella story Bulldogs as Johnson broke out. Johnson finished with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists. Tied at 41 with 4:18 remaining in the fourth, Shamarrie Hugie fouled out for the Bulldogs with 15 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals and 2 blocks, picking up his final two fouls over a 12-second span. With Hugie on the bench, Cross Creek held Johnson scoreless in the forth quarter and outscored the Bulldogs 11-2 to close the game. Antoine Lorick finished with 20 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 4 blocks. Terrenice Streetman tallied 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Jaquez Ellison added 8 points and 4 rebounds.

CLASS 2A

March 4 at Georgia College & State

R4 #1 No. 4 Westside-Augusta 73, R3 #2 Northeast-Macon 55: The Patriots raced out to a 45-23 halftime lead behind Khalon Hudson’s first half double-double and closed with a 14-4 run after Mercer-signee Travion Solomon fouled out to put an end to Northeast-Macon’s comeback bid. Hudson totaled 27 points, 19 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks followed by Xavier Goss’ 14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. With Solomon picking up his fourth foul midway through the third quarter, the Raiders managed to tread water and trail 54-37 heading into the fourth. Solomon would score nine of his 20 points in the final period, but fouled out at the 4:57 mark in the midst of a comeback with the score at 59-51. In the win, Westside got 10 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks from Jalexs Ewing. AuMauri Tillman scored 9. Milandre Pettigrew posted 14 points and 7 rebounds for the Raiders while Zion Odoms, a Marshall football-signee, tallied 10 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals and 3 blocks.

R4 #2 No. 3 Butler 66, R2 #2 Woodville-Tompkins 45: The Bulldogs used a 22-6 third quarter to balloon a 27-21 halftime lead into a 49-27 advantage after 24 minutes. Kendrell Glanton had 13 points and 7 rebounds followed by Elijah Martinez’ 12 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. The balance of Butler also saw Malik Smith post 11 points and 5 rebounds. Chance Finklin came off the bench to produce 11 points. Zyquan Grant tallied 9 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Lukas Platauna led Woodville-Tompkins with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block. Alfonzo Ross and Julles Spruill netted 11 each.

CLASS A-PRIVATE

March 4 at Buford City

R2 #1 Greenforest 68, R4 #1 Heritage School 40: Florian Tenebay scored 15 points to lead Greenforest.

March 5 at Buford City 
R6 #1 No. 3 King’s Ridge 59, R1 #1 No. 9 First Presbyterian Day 57 OT: King’s Ridge withstood three late free throws from Jay King that sent the game to overtime and his 38 total points to clinch a berth in the state championship for the first time in school history. Jack Thomas coolly sank a pair of free throws with 1.5 seconds left in overtime to send the Tigers to Macon. Isaac Martin scored 18 points to lead King’s Ridge while Liam Thomas and Micah Hoover scored 8 apiece.

CLASS A-PUBLIC

March 5 at Valdosta State

R7 #1 No. 6 Warren County 49, R5 #1 No. 5 Manchester 48

R6 #1 No. 2 Drew Charter 70, R8 #1 No. 1 Social Circle 66 OT: Cedric Taylor III scored 23 points. Cam Johnson and Ja’Kobe Strozier scored 13 apiece. BJ Tripplett netted 10. KJ Reid led Social Circle with 22 points. Cam Gaither (12), Phillip Baynes (11) and Tyrhell Branch (10) all reached double figures.