***SUBSCRIBE/DOWNLOAD/LISTEN ON iTUNES***
***FOLLOW/DOWNLOAD/LISTEN ON PODBEAN***
***FOLLOW ON ANCHOR***
2022-23 GHSA Basketball Final 4 Preview
Sandy’s Spiel Showcase – [:30]
Class 7A – [1:07]
Class 6A – [11:11]
Class 5A – [25:52]
Class 4A – [34:02]
Class 3A – [41:19]
Class 2A – [53:06]
Class 1A D-I – [1:02:15]
Class 1A D-II – [1:12:17]
March 4 at Georgia State
R7 #1 Norcross 58, R8 #1 Buford 46: Veronaye Charlton scored 19 points followed by Jania Akins’ 12 points, Markiesa Lancaster’s 10 and Kayla Lindsey’s 8 points. Ava Grace Watson paced Buford with 23 points.
R4 #1 Brookwood 58, R3 #1 McEachern 53: Ohio State-signee Diana Collins tallied 19 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. UAB-signee Jade Weathersby had 17 points and 10 rebounds while Danielle Osho pitched in 12 points and 5 rebounds. Kalise Hill led McEachern with a game-high 20 points.
March 4 at West Georgia
R3 #3 Lovejoy 73, R2 #1 Brunswick 62: Bryanna Preston scored 31 points and Austin Peay-signee La’Nya Foster had 25 points.
R6 #1 River Ridge 60, R5 #1 Langston Hughes 46: Sophia Pearl poured in 21 points and Kayla Cleaveland added 11 as the Knights advanced to their first-ever title game appearance. Penn-signee Mataya Gayle recorded 10 points, 7 assists and 8 steals. Avery Gaw netted 3 threes for 9 points.
March 3 at West Georgia
R2 #1 Warner Robins 62, R7 #1 Calhoun 53: Tasia Agee poured in 18 points and 11 assists while Tori Davis had 20 points off six threes as the Demonettes erased a 31-26 deficit at the half. Lauren Watson had 14 points for Calhoun followed by 11 apiece from Britiya Curtis, Kat Atha and Sa’Niah Dorsey.
R6 #1 Kell 56, R5 #1 Maynard Jackson 37: Georgia State-signee Crystal Henderson piled in 22 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. Jamiah Gregory added 16 points, 6 rebounds and 5 steals. Jada Green pitched in 13 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. Taliah Cornish led Maynard Jackson with 18 points while Shakira Gresham and Aliyah Weaver each had 8.
March 4 at Fort Valley State
R2 #1 Griffin 59, R1 #1 Hardaway 54: Mississippi Valley State-signees Aaliyah Duranham (26) and Leah Turner (11) did damage offensively. Zy Thompson scored 15 points. Mikayla Johnson led Hardaway with 23 points. Akilah Shelton, Adazha Burrell and Jenaiya Hardy all scored 8 points apiece.
R2 #2 Baldwin 58, R6 #1 Holy Innocents’ 45: Kassidy Neal had 23 points and 6 rebounds while Madison Ruff tallied 17 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Zykeria Paschal netted 8 points and Janaye Walker contributed 6 points and 11 rebounds.
March 3 at Fort Valley State
R8 #1 Hebron Christian 65, R7 #1 Wesleyan 58: Aubrey Beckham finished with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists while Kayla Lane pitched in 14 points. Amiya Porter chipped in 8 points for Hebron Christian (31-0) who advances back to the state championship. Chit-Chat Wright led Wesleyan with 31 points.
R7 #2 Lumpkin County 78, R3 #1 Calvary Day 31: Averie Jones scored 21 points while Emory-signee Mary Mullinax and North Georgia-signee Lexi Pierce netted 18 points each. Emmanuel-signee Kate Jackson had 12 points. Georgia College-signee Hannah Cail led the Cavaliers with 15 points.
March 4 at Georgia College
R8 #1 Banks County 48, R4 #2 Josey 44: Banks County (28-3) ran their winning streak to 21 games as they withstood a late rally from Josey (25-5) behind the Eagles’ fourth quarter full court press. Banks led nearly the entire game, up 21-12 at the half and 32-21 with 2:03 to play in the third quarter before Josey began to press. The Eagles went on a 14-5 run to trim the lead to two with 2:44 to play, but Banks would stave off the comeback bid by hitting just enough free throws. Addison Hoard went 6-10 from the line in the final quarter and finished with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 steals. Ryleigh Murphy hit four threes in the first half and ended with 15 points while Emmanuel-signee Kamryn Grier came to life in the final stanza, netting eight of her 14 points, all of which came in the second half. Grier went 4-4 from the line in the fourth quarter and collected 10 rebounds. Josey was led by Arieonna Booker’s 13 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals, eight points in the fourth quarter. Shaniya Sanders had 13 points and 5 rebounds while freshman Kerri Fluellen tallied 7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks.
R6 #1 Mt. Paran 58, R5 #1 Landmark Christian 51: Mt. Paran (30-1) advanced back to the state title game behind a dominant Jessica Fields performance after picking up her third foul at the 5:02 mark of the second quarter. With Fields on the bench, Landmark Christian (23-9) surged ahead to take a 27-25 halftime lead on a 13-7 run with Fields sidelined. In the third quarter, Fields reasserted herself, scoring nine of her 15 points in the frame. The sophomore finished with 11 rebounds and 8 blocks, six which came in the first half. Jacalyn Myrthil had 18 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists while Isabella Ramirez tallied 10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Landmark Christian trailed 44-37 after three quarters but were still in the fight thanks to Georgia Tech-commit Gabbie Grooms who dumped in 29 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Ivona Djikanovic was a crucial second scorer for the War Eagles with 11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals, but Ciara Alexander was equally effective for Mt. Paran posting 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal.
March 3 at Georgia College
R6 #2 Galloway 70, R8 #1 Elbert County 57: The Scots (27-5) trailed 8-2 early and 30-27 at the half before Tianna Thompson and North Florida-signee Kyla Cain took over combining for 28 points in the second half. Thompson tallied 23 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 steals while Cain scored 13 of her 15 points over the final 16 minutes while adding 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals and 1 block. Taryn Thompson added 10 points, 2 assists, 5 steals and 1 block off the bench. Kennesaw State-signee Kailyn Fields posted 8 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. Elbert County (26-5) was paced by Aaniyah Allen’s 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Niya Moon got hot in the second quarter, netting 12 of her 14 points while Terrace Hester finished with 14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. Brenasia Faust was a factor inside with 6 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks.
R6 #1 St. Francis 76, R3 #1 Woodville-Tompkins 36: The Knights (26-6) overwhelmed Woodville-Tompkins (25-6) as five players reached double figures. Desi Taylor led the way with 16 points and 5 assists while freshman Camryn Golston came off the bench to collect 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 6 steals. Nya Young, Sa’Mya Wyatt and Alli White each scored 11 points. The Wolverines saw Sanai Chisholm finish with 10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block. Dyquria Taylor scored 7 points and Janiyah Heyward had 6 points. Brianna Pelote controlled the paint defensively with 3 points, 11 rebounds, 1 steal and 8 blocks before fouling out.
March 4 at Valdosta State
R8 #1 Lake Oconee Academy 34 ,R7 #1 Mt. Zion-Carrollton 14: Jada Williams outscored Mt. Zion-Carrollton with 18 points.
R2 #2 Clinch County 63, R6 #1 Taylor County 55: Ameyion Grady scored 30 points — 25 in the second half to advance the Panthers back to the state title game after a one-year hiatus.
March 4 at Georgia State
R5 #2 Cherokee 63, R7 #1 Norcross 60 OT: Homegrown Cherokee got 19 points from Braylin Giddens in a thrilling overtime victory of the defending state champs. Lawrence Sanford scored 15 points, Tayden Owens had 14 and Cameron Pope added 9. Mier Panoam led Norcross with 18 points while UGA-signee Mari Jordan and Samarion Bond pitched in 13 points apiece.
R5 #1 Wheeler 67, R4 #1 Grayson 55: USC-signee Arrinten Page had 19 points, 11 rebounds and 7 blocks while McDonald’s All-American Isaiah Collier and fellow Trojan scored 19 points. Gicarri Harris had 15 points to lead Grayson.
March 4 at West Georgia
R1 #1 Lee County 49, R8 #1 Lanier 48: Josiah Parker scored 16 points and Harrison Skinner added 9.
R5 #1 Alexander 56, R6 #1 Etowah 53: Braeden Lue pitched in 22 points and 8 rebounds while Marvin McGhee netted 11. Virginia Tech-signee Brandon Rechsteiner led Etowah with 15 points followed by Dimitri Angelakos’ 13 and Aidan Weaver’s 10.
March 3 at West Georgia
R2 #1 Eagle’s Landing 66, R2 #4 Jones County 54: Mercer-signee David Thomas scored 20 points and Kenny Brayboy added 17. Chris Morris added 16 points and Khylan McKennie had 11. Jaylen Sanford powered Jones County with 15 points followed by Kaden Douglas’ 11 and Judd Anderson’s 10.
R6 #1 Kell 54, R5 #1 Chapel Hill 33: CJ Brown scored 24 points while Cannnon Richards scored 10. Young Harris-commit Kelvin Hunter led Chapel Hill with 8 points.
March 4 at Fort Valley State
R5 #2 Pace Academy 57, R1 #1 Westover 49: Kyle Greene scored 16 points to lead Pace Academy while Kemari Leverette netted 16 for Westover.
R4 #1 Fayette County 73, R3 #1 Benedictine 67: RJ Kennedy scored 21 points followed by Keith Gillespie’s 17 points and Sean Van Dorn’s 15. Caleb Jones powered the Cadets with 27 points while Stephon Frazier netted 14 and Ladon Bryant chipped in 8.
March 3 at Fort Valley State
R5 #2 Cedar Grove 61, R5 #3 Douglass 45: Jaylen Adside posted 18 points and 5 assists. Darius Reynolds posted 12 points and 12 rebounds. EJ Colson scored 11 points and Manny Green tacked on 10 points and 8 rebounds. Josh Mickell paced Douglass with 11 points.
R5 #1 Sandy Creek 62, R4 #1 Cross Creek 44: The Patriots ended the Razorbacks’ quest for a three-peat behind Micah Smith’s 16 points and 9 blocks. PJ Green added 13 points and Vic Newsom contributed 10. Antoine Lorick led Cross Creek with 15 points.
March 4 at Georgia College
R8 #1 Providence Christian 59, R7 #1 Model 49: The Storm (27-4) punched their ticket to state, using their defense to power the attack. Jeremias Heard scored seven of his eight points in the first half to go with 8 rebounds and 5 blocks but Chandler Dunn made it tough to receive any clean post entries in the second half. Covenant College-signee Thomas Malcolm got the Storm off to a quick start scoring 12 of his 14 points in the first quarter. Devin McClain paced Providence Christian with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 1 block. The Storm, who hit 250 threes on the season were held to seven. Samuel Thacker, the school’s all-time single-season leader with 114 this year, hit a crucial late three from the corner to extend the lead, only his second of the night as he finished with 10 points and 6 assists. Jakenes Heard led Model (23-5) with 12 points, 7 rebounds and 1 block. Stevie Dallas and Noah Travis scored 9 points each.
R4 #1 Westside-Augusta 55, R5 #1 Columbia 52: Westside-Augusta (24-7) grinded out a victory against Columbia (30-2) in what turned into a defensive war as the Eagles rallied from down 36-27 at the half to make things interesting before ultimately falling short. Khalon Hudson had two crucial offensive rebounds late in the fourth quarter to extend possessions for the Patriots. Hudson recorded 12 points and 21 rebounds while battling 6-foot-9 Region 5 Player of the Year Terrell Wright, who posted 11 points, 15 rebounds, 2 steals and 6 blocks. Westside’s balanced attack saw DeMarco Middleton finish with 13 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists while battling cramps. AuMauri Tillman netted 11 points including two late free throws while Jalexs Ewing had 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals and 1 block. Columbia, made just one jump shot all game, was powered by Kevin Bruce’s 13 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals. Jada Baugh, who fouled out with the game tied at 49 with 2:29 to play, had 10 points and 7 rebounds.
March 3 at Georgia College
R6 #2 Mt. Pisgah 53, R2 #1 Swainsboro 49: The Patriots (23-8) jumped out to a 14-1 lead and led 43-24 after three quarters before surviving a 25-10 Swainsboro (15-10) fourth quarter to advance to the state title game. Micah Tucker piled in 23 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals while Tyson Pittman provided 17 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists and 3 steals. Grant Randall posted 6 points, 14 rebounds, 1 assist and 5 blocks to anchor the Patriot backline which had a size advantage. Swainsboro finally turned to the press in the fourth quarter after sitting in a 2-3 zone and saw success, but also saw Demello Jones foul out at the 4:06 mark with the Tigers down 47-36. Jones, a four-star athlete on the gridiron, finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 4 blocks. Freshman LJ Morgan ignited the comeback, scoring 13 of his team-high 15 points in the fourth quarter to go with his 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. Ka’Voyea Williams pitched in 11 points and 7 rebounds in the loss.
R6 #4 King’s Ridge 53, R6 #1 Mt. Vernon 48: Preseason No. 1 King’s Ridge (22-10) punched their ticket back to the state championship after holding off Mt. Vernon (23-9) in an exciting finish. The Mustangs were able to establish their size advantage in spurts as Xavier Shegog posted 18 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block while Maryville-signee Keith Williams pounded away for 14 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks, but King’s Ridge’s perimeter balance was the difference as four players reached double digits, the Tigers nailing seven threes. Isaac Martin scored six of his 12 points in the fourth quarter including a pair of three throws with 3.6 seconds left to ice the game. Martin also added 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. Jaydon Cole netted 12 points followed by 10 apiece from Zak Thomas and Jack Thomas.
March 4 at Valdosta State
R2 #1 Charlton County 50, R7 #1 Greenforest 49: Three-point sniper Jarvis Wright banked a three at the buzzer to stun Greenforest, finishing with 14 points. Jamari Hamilton paced the Indians 16 points while Elyiss Williams posted 11 points, 18 rebounds and 1 block. Isaiah Lloyd led Greenforest with 12 points. Georgia State-signee DK Manyiel scored 11 points and Mississippi State-signee Gai Chol had 10.
R5 #1 Wilkinson County 85, R6 #1 Macon County, 63: Region 5 Player of the Year Justin Stanley poured in 25 points.
