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State Championships Day 1 Recap

Class A-Public

(G) Pelham 60, Telfair County 42

The boogeyman has a name and its name is Pelham. The Hornets (30-1), who were ranked No. 1 the entire season, rode a 15-0 run to close the first quarter and blow past No. 3 Telfair County 60-42, claiming their first state title since 1997. The Trojans (27-3) came out firing but could only build an 8-5 lead before Pelham’s 1-3-1 zone defense sparked 15 unanswered points and pulled ahead 20-8 at the end of the first quarter. Mahogany Randall drained three first half threes and scored 14 of her game-high 18 points in the first half. Mahogany Brown finished with 17 points and 7 rebounds while Willeshia Kemp posted 13 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks. Region 1 Player of the Year Destiny Thomas finished just 1-of-10 from the floor with 5 points, but tallied 10 rebounds and 8 assists. India Wells led Telfair County with 24 points on 9-of-27 shooting including 4-of-20 from deep. As a team the Trojans shot 4-of-33 from the three-point line and 4-of-18 from the foul line.

(B) Wilkinson County 66, Calhoun County 53

No. 1 Calhoun County (28-2) held a 34-29 halftime lead over No. 4 Wilkinson County (25-7) but a balanced attack and a gritty second half defensive performance propelled the Warriors to their ninth state title and second straight. Wilkinson County took an early 16-8 lead on Calhoun County before 6-foot-7 junior wing Rashun Williams took over. Williams attacked the Warrior defense on every possession, doing the majority of his work on the left wing, facing up and attacking the left baseline. He sent Clarence Jackson to the bench with his second foul at the 3:56 mark of the second quarter with the Cougars trailing 24-22. As the two teams reached the half, Williams already had totaled 16 points and six rebounds. Just 17 seconds into the third quarter, Jackson was stamped with his third foul driving baseline, but Dr. Aaron Geter Jr. did not panic and left his star in the game and had his faith rewarded. The Warriors outscored Calhoun County 20-6 in the period to take a 49-40 lead with Jackson getting to the basket. While Jackson and 6-foot-6 junior Tylan Grable (15 points & 10 rebounds) powered the Wilkinson offense, Aaron Geter III clamped down on Williams and didn’t allow him any uncontested touches, holding him to two points in the quarter. With the game on the line, Williams turned it on in the fourth quarter scoring five of his game-high 25 points in the opening two minutes to ignite an 8-0 run to cut the Wilkinson County lead to 49-48. From there, Wilkinson County slowly started to distance themselves, getting help from everyone on the floor. Jackson, a 6-foot-6 junior, finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds while battling with Williams who tallied 8 rebounds and 5 blocks. Aside from Jackson and Gable, the Warriors received 11 points and 7 rebounds from Larry Jones, 10 points and 7 rebounds from Derrick Wilcher, 8 points from Jadaveon Jones and 7 points and stellar defense from Geter III.  For Calhoun County, Roney Moore pitched in 10 points and 6 rebounds. Juwaun Wiley had 10 points and four rebounds.

Class AAAAA

(G) Buford 60, Southwest DeKalb 42

No. 1 Buford (29-2) claimed its fifth state title as Tory Ozment and company withstood No. 2 Southwest DeKalb’s pressure and cruised 60-42. The Wolves went 6-of-12 from the three-point line in the first half paced by Ozment’s 3-of-5 shooting for 15 points. The Panthers (27-5) struggled to contain Ozment who orchestrated the Buford offense, finding open looks from deep for both herself and teammates.  Buford nailed 8-of-17 threes for the game and continued to pull away in the second half after entering the break up 34-23. Ozment finished the night with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Jessica Nelson had 9 points and 7 rebounds while Tate Walters (9) and Audrey Weiner (8) flanked the attack. Jada Walton, a Texas A&M signee, had 13 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists for Southwest DeKalb. The Panthers were 0-of-6 from three, had 18 turnovers and had their bench outscored 23 to 5. Ogheneruona Uwusiaba was a bright spot for Southwest. The 6-foot-3 center going to Central Florida posted 16 points and 16 rebounds in the loss.

(B) Buford 75, Cedar Shoals 61

As Alex Jones said after the game, “its insanely hard” to beat a team four times, but that is exactly what No. 1 Buford (29-2) did as the Wolves completed a boys-girls sweep of Class AAAAA by surviving a 30-point, 14-rebound outburst by Charleston Southern-signee Phlan Fleming to capture the program’s first boys title and potentially jump start the state’s newest burgeoning dynasty. Up 29-27 at the half and 36-34 after three, the Wolves finally pulled away from No. 4 Cedar Shoals (27-5), outscoring the Jaguars 39-27 in a free throw-laden final period. After there were 0 free throws for both teams in the opening 16 minutes, the second half saw the teams shoot a combined 49 free throws, Buford going 25-of-38 and Cedar Shoals hitting 9-of-11. In the first half it was Buford’s three-ball that was dropping, hitting 5-of-13, but cooling off to finish 6-of-19 while Cedar Shoals struggled throughout going 2-of-21, a key component of Coach L’Dreco Thomas’ offense. Although Fleming left his heart and soul on the floor, playing one of his best games possible, the help just wasn’t there. AJ Jones netted 10 points while Snipe Hall was held to 5 before fouling out with 2:33 left to play on a block call that could have been a charge. Upset at the call, starting point guard Damarrea Lowe picked up a technical, fouling him out on the play as well, finishing his night with just 2 points. Marcus Watson assaulted Cedar Shoals’ defense all game long, scoring a team-high 27 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. The 6-foot-6 sophomore small forward went 3-of-7 from deep and 9-of-13 from the line after struggling early. Junior point guard Alex Jones added 16 points and Donell Nixon scored 13 to go with his 6 rebounds as a 5-foot-7 guard. David Viti double-doubled in the win with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Newton Survives triple-overtime thriller with defending state champion Westlake, 89-83

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Newton 89, Westlake 83 3OT

Contributed by Joe Chapman (@Joe_Chapman3)

The moment that the GHSA released the Class AAAAAAA playoff bracket, all eyes fixated on the top right region in hopes of a rematch of last year’s Final Four thriller between Westlake and Newton (Westlake won 64-59). After Newton demolished Peachtree Ridge 100-72 and Westlake topped Roswell 50-37, the dream matchup was set. No. 2 Newton, viewed by many as the best team in the state, against No. 5 Westlake, the defending state champions.

Rarely do games of this magnitude and anticipation live up to the hype. But wow, this may have been the best high school game in the state of Georgia this year regardless of class.

After making the 2-hour trip from Clemson, South Carolina to Covington, Georgia to watch this highly anticipated matchup, I showed up at Newton High School over an hour before tipoff and the gym was already filling up. I knew that this was going to be an incredible matchup when Isaiah Miller threw a self-lob and went between the legs to throw it down in warm-ups. These guys were ready.

It’s hard enough to face the three-guard attack of J.D. Notae, Isaiah Miller, and Ashton Hagans as it is. But with Jamie Lewis out with an undisclosed injury, Westlake needed to play it’s best on the road to come out with a win. Newton struck first and jumped out to a quick 11-4 lead 3 minutes into the first quarter behind a pair of 3’s from senior guard, Darvin Jones, and a 3 and a thunderous poster dunk from Isaiah Miller. The remainder of the first quarter resulted in teams trading buckets and at the end of 1, Newton led 24-16.

In the second quarter, the referees made their presence be felt as they started calling foul after foul, frustrating the capacity crowd. With 4:43 remaining in the first half, and Newton up 30-23, the Rams quickly ran off an 11-0 run behind a trio of 3’s and a big time dunk by super-sophomore, Ashton Hagans. Westlake picked up a couple of buckets late in the first half to make the halftime margin slightly more manageable.

As the 3rd quarter got underway, Auburn signee and top-100 recruit, Chuma Okeke, began to assert his dominance as he quickly rattled off 7 of his team’s first 9 points in the half to cut the deficit to 6 with 3:14 to go in the quarter.

A pair 3’s by J.D. Notae grew the Rams lead back to 12 and by the end of the 3rd quarter, Newton found themselves up 57-48.

With 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter, Westlake pulled within 5. Then, after some Newton misses and turnovers coupled with huge buckets from seniors Okeke and Daniel Lewis, Westlake found themselves up for the first time all night 67-66 with 1:11 left in the quarter.

Senior, Darvin Jones, got fouled with about 22 seconds left and after making the first free throw to tie the game, he missed the second off of the right side of the rim. Coming out of the Westlake timeout, Okeke missed a shot. The ball then landed in J.D. Notae’s arms but he then threw it out of bounds as he tried to make a cross-court pass with about 6 seconds remaining. Okeke then found the ball in his hands again but missed a floater and the game went into overtime.

After going back and forth for the first 3 minutes of the first overtime period, Newton found themselves up 3 with just over a minute left to play. Following a couple of missed layups from Westlake and a Newton free throw, the Rams led 78-74 with 40 seconds left. A Newton turnover led to a miraculous banked 3 by Daniel Lewis to cut the lead to 1 with 25 seconds remaining. Isaiah Miller then hit 1 of 2 from the line and sophomore, Caleb Wallace, hit a floater to tie the game at 79 with 12 seconds left. Ashton Hagans then missed a game-winning 3 attempt and the game went into 2OT.

The second overtime was very low scoring as neither team could buy a basket. Newton had the ball up 83-81 with 51 seconds left coming out of a timeout. After some stalling, Westlake eventually got the steal and senior, Kelvin Simeon, hit a layup off of the assist from Okeke to tie the game at 83. Once again, Newton had the last shot in the 2nd overtime session but Isaiah Miller could not get a floater to fall and then Okeke blocked the Josh Tukes follow attempt and the game went into 3OT.

At this point, the crowd was in disbelief as to what they were witnessing. I knew that this matchup would not disappoint but I never thought that it would end up in a triple-overtime outing. Darvin Jones started the 3rd overtime period with a pull-up jumper. After missed buckets by both teams, Westlake had the ball down 85-83 with 1:39 remaining. A missed layup and a turnover coupled with 4 made free throws from Newton spelled the end for the Lions comeback attempt. Westlake did not score in the final overtime session and Newton came out on top, 89-83.

Despite the loss, Chuma Okeke put on one of the best performances that I have ever seen. The Auburn signee finished with 35 points and 20 rebounds and constantly willed his Westlake squad forward. He finished shooting 12-24 and went to the line 16 times, hitting 11 of them. In the end, Newton was just too much for Westlake to handle, but Okeke did everything in his power to carry his Westlake team. Following Okeke, senior UCF commit, Daniel Lewis, poured in 18 points.

Leading the way for the Rams in scoring was senior Jacksonville-signee, J.D. Notae. Notae found his groove early and finished with 24 points that featured 6 3-pointers. Following Notae was unsigned senior, and one of Sandy’s Spiel’s Under the Radar Seniors, Isaiah Miller, as he poured in 21 points and 10 rebounds. The 6’1 high-flying combo guard did what he does best as he threw down a handful of powerful dunks. He also stepped out and knocked down a 3 while also hitting some midrange jumpers throughout the day. Ashton Hagans is special. He just knows how to run an offense and is so mature for a sophomore point guard. He finished the night with 11 points and a career high 17 assists. He also added 5 steals and 5 rebounds in the win. The pass-first point guard led his team all night and was such a calming presence for the Rams.

The X-factor of this game however, was senior guard Darvin Jones. Jones finished the night with 20 points on 7-11 shooting (3-3 3pt) and 3-4 from the line. He started the game by knocking down a pair of 3 pointers and during the overtime periods, he was not afraid to attack the rim or knock down a pull-up jumper following a Westlake basket. He put on a huge performance for the Rams when they needed it most.

This was hands down one of the top-3 high school basketball games that I have ever watched. Not only were these two teams arguably both top-5 teams in the state, but also the game went into triple-overtime. Newton now moves ahead to face a highly talented Tift County (26-2) squad in the Elite 8. As for Westlake, they take an early exit home following their state championship run last year.

Covington, Georgia was the center of the high school basketball world for the state of Georgia tonight, and it certainly did not disappoint. Here’s to hoping that the Elite 8 games will produce the same excitement as this game did tonight.

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

No. 1 South Paulding grinds out perfect region record at No. 9 Alexander

No. 1 South Paulding 58, No. 9 Alexander 46

Perfection was on the line as No. 1 South Paulding (24-1, 16-0) traveled to No. 9 Alexander (17-7, 11-5) with a chance at polishing off a perfect record in Region 5-AAAAAA. It would not come easy as a sea of black packed Alexander’s gym, ready to see their Cougars attempt to avenge a 52-50 road loss just six days earlier.

The players and fans were more than familiar with each other but also were the coaches. South Paulding head coach Gil Davis and Alexander head coach Jason Slate both come from the Tim Criswell coaching tree at Carrollton and Davis became an understudy for Slate while the two were at Lithia Springs.

With familiarity and two talented teams, breads fierce competition.

Alexander jumped up to a 12-5 lead keyed by big man Damion Howell inside and Grant Howard on the perimeter.

South Paulding opened up taking some uncharacteristically bad shots that the Cougars capitalized on. Howell gobbled up rebounds and established himself early around the basket with six of his eight points in the game in the first six minutes.

After Davis’ timeout, the Spartans began to settle in and phase out the loud home crowd while pulling from their own rambunctious student section which lit up half court as they whited-out the section. Georgia State-signee Kane Williams got his first bucket of the game with just over two minutes left in the first quarter.

Sophomore Chandler Travis came off the bench and provided a spark, drilling a three and connecting on a late And-1 to close Alexander’s lead to 19-16 heading into the second quarter.

South Paulding captured its first lead of the game at the 5:53 mark on a Williams three. But a monster dunk from Howell and foul trouble for Ja’Cori Wilson saw the Cougars regain a 27-23 edge at the 2:18 mark with Wilson heading to the bench with his third foul.

DJ Jackson came away with a steal and was fouled hard going to the hoop with 3 seconds left on the clock and split a pair of free throws to send the game into the half with South Paulding trailing 29-27.

In the third quarter, Williams quickly tied the game at 29.

Wilson added a turnaround and then Jackson hit a three, but Wilson picked up his fourth foul with 2:51 remaining in the third quarter with the Spartans up 34-31 and had to return to the bench.

South Paulding slowly started to impose its will but the Cougars wouldn’t fade. Sophomore Cameron Armstrong flew in for a tip-in to cut the lead to 36-33, but on the other end Williams bullied his way to the basket for his seventh point of the quarter and completed the And-1. Drew Shepherd proceeded to drain a three with under a minute left and the score stayed 42-35 at the end of three, South Paulding’s largest lead of the game.

At the 6:03 mark with the Spartans continuing to pull away, Chris Lunsford found Armstrong for a three to keep it a two possession game at 45-39. The Cougars added a free throw to make it 45-40, but that would be as close as they would get. Over the final 4:40, the Spartans put the game away with a 13-6 run.

Williams slid his way for another And-1 to go ahead 50-40.

The Cougars made their final push and trimmed the lead back to 50-44 with 2:15 remaining but the Spartans iced it from the line going 6-of-8 in the fourth quarter.

My Take

Hands down it was the best atmosphere I have been in all season long and as far as both student sections bringing it, probably the best fan participation in my two years covering the GHSA. Alexander rode the home crowd early and South Paulding came out firing some quick and bad shots as the Cougars’ press sped them up. I would have loved to see Damion Howell get more post touches. The inside-outside game of him and Grant Howard worked perfectly in the first half but after Howell’s powerful slam in the second quarter, he never scored again and didn’t get many opportunities to. Howard came out of the gates hot with seven first quarter points and 10 points in the first half, but he managed just four points in the second half as the Spartans clamped down. Cameron Armstrong stepped up in the absence of third leading scorer Rod Rapley (11.9 ppg). The sophomore hit two rainbow threes. Rapley’s athleticism and scoring was missed down the stretch when the Cougars started to run out of gas. Zeek Copeland was quiet with three points but Chris Lunsford added some energy with seven points off the bench.

It’s never going to be overly pretty, but South Paulding is the No. 1 ranked team in the state for a reason. They play with a chip on their shoulder, Drew Shepherd their emotional leader. He and DJ Jackson both pitched in eight points apiece which is all you need when Kane Williams and Ja’Cori Wilson are rolling. After a 2-point first quarter, Williams turned it on, attacking the basket. He had 14 of his game-high 21 points in the second half. Wilson was hampered with foul trouble but when he was in the game he produced. He scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds in front of Longwood. The first quarter MVP for South Paulding was hands down Chandler Travis. With Tank Withers and Parker Berry unavailable in the backcourt along with Jordan Burge in the low post, Travis stepped in and breathed life into the Spartans when they were struggling in the first quarter. He finished with six points, all in the opening period.

Top Performers

South Paulding
Kane Williams – 21 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
Ja’Cori Wilson – 15 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal
DJ Jackson – 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Drew Shepherd – 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Chandler Travis – 6 points, 2 rebounds

Alexander
Grant Howard – 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Damion Howell – 8 points, 12 rebounds
Cameron Armstrong – 8 points, 2 rebounds
Chris Lunsford – 7 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Home is where the heart is: No. 8 Cartersville withstands No. 4 Sandy Creek’s late charge

No. 8 Cartersville 94, No. 4 Sandy Creek 88 OT

After taking a 15-point loss on the chin against No. 3 LaGrange (20-2, 9-0) and in danger of falling out of the Region 5-AAAA race, No. 8 Cartersville (15-4, 6-2) bowed up to No. 4 Sandy Creek (14-6, 6-2) and rode the home atmosphere to a critical overtime victory.

The Patriots opened the game with one defensive mission in mind: stop Jaylon Pugh. The left-handed junior guard poured in 23 points in an 86-80 loss against Sandy Creek back on Jan. 10. KJ Wilkins and others switched off face-guarding Pugh and held him to three points in the first quarter.

Sandy Creek took an 11-8 lead off a Jarred Godfrey steal and assist to Eric Williams and led 19-14 after one quarter.

 

Chris Porter came off the bench and sank two threes in the first half to help Sandy Creek grab a 26-19 lead at the 5:59 mark, but Cartersville began to chip away thanks to heavy Patriot foul trouble. The Hurricanes got into the double bonus with 5:54 left and surged ahead, taking 40-33 advantage into the half after a 21-7 run. Pugh keyed the attack, scoring 11 of his game-high 26 in the frame including back-to-back threes late.

In the third quarter, Cartersville’s onslaught continued, as did the foul calls on Sandy Creek. Just 2 minutes and 6 seconds into the second half, the Patriots already saw a 5-to-1 foul discrepancy. Forward Isaac Gridley started to find baskets around the rim as Sandy Creek hesitated to body up the post. He scored nine of his 15 points in the third quarter while TJ Horton sliced and diced the Patriot defense.

Horton, one of Cartersville’s many football players on the roster, netted nine of his 20 points in the quarter, a majority of them coming from downhill charges to the rim while breaking Sandy Creek’s press.

As the Hurricanes were searching for the knockout punch, Wilkins played rope-a-dope. The senior guard scored 10 of Sandy Creek’s 19 points in the period as the Patriots entered the fourth quarter trailing 62-52.

Things got wild.

Down 67-54 with 6:48 left in regulation, Sandy Creek’s press finally cracked Cartersville. Wilkins and 6-foot-7 senior Evan Jester fueled the comeback. Wilkins scored 12 of his team-high 24 points in the quarter while Jester added 11 of his 22.

Sandy Creek sparked an 8-0 run capped by a Jester slam dunk, but the questionable officiating bit the Patriots again. A referee came screaming into the play to T-up Jester for “hanging” on the rim, resulting in Pugh sinking two free throws to push the lead back to seven at 69-62 at the 6:05 mark.

https://twitter.com/LobCitySouth/status/826301429782560768

The tide was stemmed momentarily, but the Patriots kept pushing on. Cartersville clung onto an 80-78 lead with 57.8 seconds left after the Patriots closed in on a Williams put-back. Jester came away with a steal and lay-in to knot the game at 80 and the Patriots forced another turnover to take over possession with 49.8 seconds remaining; Jester pleading to Coach Anthony McKissic to hold for one shot after Sandy Creek called timeout.

The Patriots attempted to hold for one shot but lost possession, handing the ball back to Cartersville and sending JKobe Orr to the line with 5.3 seconds to play after a loose ball foul.

Orr missed both free throws and Kameron Miller’s half court heave was off target, sending the game to overtime.

In overtime, Wilkins began to cramp less than two minutes in. Miller fouled out, one of three Patriots to do so, with 1:57 left. Pugh pushed the lead to 89-86 at the 1:30 mark. Jester got a bucket and a foul but missed the free throw with 29.9 seconds remaining and Cartersville up 90-88. Pugh deflected a late three-point attempt and Trase Fezzia sank three free throws to ice the game, Cartersville going 27-of-42 from the line while Sandy Creek shot 19-of-27.

 

My Take

It sucks for the players, but the story of this game was the officiating. Sandy Creek didn’t get many calls throughout the game but when the technical foul was assessed to Evan Jester, it was pretty much the last straw and from that point on, you knew it would take a miracle for Sandy Creek to pull this one out. Aside from the abhorrent officiating, Cartersville’s tough-nosed guards did what they had to do. Jaylon Pugh cemented himself as a real deal guard and one of the best in North Georgia. He sank three three-pointers on the night and his lefty touch was deadly from all over the floor. He played closer in overtime with six points. TJ Horton played a whale of a game, especially in the third quarter. He thrived in the open court and made good decisions with the ball. Cartersville’s physical guards gave Sandy Creek some fits. Trase Fezzia was an emotional leader on the floor and his free throws late were huge. Isaac Gridley balanced the Hurricanes offense with a great spark in the third quarter after scoring just two points in the first half. Perignon Dyer had seven points at the half but was kept in check in the second half. With all their key pieces except for Fezzia set to return next year, Cartersville will be a stingy competitor in Class AAAA for at least another year, especially at home.

Sandy Creek was up against it tonight but hats off to them for even forcing overtime. Evan Jester was quiet in the first half with eight points and one rebound but turned it on in a big way in the fourth quarter. Eric Williams rebounded at a high clip and gave the Patriots some much needed second chance buckets. KJ Wilkins was phenomenal in the second half, hitting threes and burring mid-range jumpers en route to netting 22 of his 24 points after halftime. It’s a shame that he cramped up in overtime. He did not score in the extra period. Sandy Creek’s quality depth was definitely tested tonight. Chris Porter shot very well in the first half and little man Kameron Miller is a bundle of energy. The 5-foot-6 guard is an aggressive on-ball defender but he even flashed in a major way with his creativity with the ball, constantly getting into the lane and hanging in the air to find open perimeter shooters.

Top Performers

Cartersville
Jaylon Pugh – 26 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
TJ Horton – 20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
Isaac Gridley – 15 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block
Trase Fezzia – 13 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals
JKobe Orr – 9 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Perignon Dyer – 9 points, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Sandy Creek
KJ Wilkins – 24 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
Evan Jester – 22 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals
Eric Williams – 11 points, 12 rebounds, 1 steal
TJ Bickerstaff – 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
Chris Porter – 8 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal
Jarred Godfrey – 7 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals
Kameron Miller – 4 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Williams, Berrien carry poised Panthers to overtime upset of No. 5 Heritage-Conyers

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Lakeside-Evans 62, No. 5 Heritage-Conyers 58

“It’s just another game,” said sophomore guard Kalen Williams before Lakeside’s biggest test of the season, a road showdown with Class AAAAAA No. 5 Heritage-Conyers who made national headlines earlier in the week with Isaiah Banks shattering a backboard with a thunderous dunk. With a chance to prove they could play with the big boys outside of the Augusta area, the Panthers didn’t miss their shot – literally and figuratively.

Heritage came out of the gates hot and jumped on Lakeside 15-6, pressing and getting out in transition. The Panthers found their footing at the end of the quarter and weathered the storm. Williams buried a three and Deon Berrien cleaned the glass for a put-back to cap a 12-2 run to take a 18-17 lead and eventually head into the second quarter tied at 18.

Berrien, the 6-foot-6 senior forward, was instrumental in keeping the Patriots afloat, posting eight points and six rebounds in the opening eight minutes.

The second quarter was nip-and-tuck, both teams trading baskets. Jordan Thomas scored two of his game-high 25 for the Patriots on a euro-step before entering the half down 27-24, the Panthers outscoring Heritage 21-9 after their early deficit.

In the third quarter, both defenses continued to stiffen as just a combined 15 points were scored. Thomas scored six of Heritage’s eight points in the frame while Lakeside nursed a 34-32 lead into the final period of regulation.

Things started to get hot and heavy as Heritage ramped up the pressure and started picking up full court after Williams dropped off an assist to push the Panthers to their largest lead of the game at 40-32. The Patriots began to force rushed shots and turnovers and attacked the rim at the other end, living at the foul line.

Florida Atlantic-signee Byron Abrams hit a streaking Banks on an And-1 to cut the lead to 40-36 at the 4:36 mark. 21 seconds later, Abrams found a basket of his own, cutting the lead to two. Lakeside extended its lead back to five after a Williams hoop in traffic.

But Heritage quickly raced back, scoring four straight to make it 44-43 with 2:10 remaining after the Patriots played volleyball on the rim and Banks finished a tip-in.

 

Following a huge Brad Hilley bucket on the block at the 1:44 mark giving Lakeside a 46-43 advantage, the Patriots stormed ahead. Kre’Sean Hall missed a free throw up 46-45 and Abrams cleared it and pitched to Banks who rushed ahead the length of the floor for a layup in transition giving Heritage a 47-46 lead with just 15.7 seconds left.

Momentum had swung and Lakeside was forced to foul Blake Roberts. Roberts sank both free throws to take a 49-46 lead as the Patriots and their fans had a chance to exhale with the prospects of a come from behind victory just 10.9 seconds away, but Deon Berrien had other plans.

With two men on him and Abrams’ hand in his face, Berrien sank a contested three at the buzzer to force overtime, the Panthers bench pouring onto the court to celebrate.  

Overtime saw Lakeside take a quick 53-50 advantage and the emotionally drained Patriots struggle to corral Williams. With 54 seconds remaining, Jalen Nealious sank a pair of free throws to move the Panthers lead to 55-52. Heritage couldn’t tie on the following possession and had to send Williams back to the line to supply the dagger with 2.5 seconds left as he buried his final five free throws in overtime and taunted the home crowd as his 19th and 20th points of the game secured Lakeside’s biggest win in years.

 

My Take 

All of Lakeside’s winning over the summer with the Georgia Bulls program has spilled into this season under first-year head coach Jeff Williams.  Back in May I said Lakeside-Evans was a sleeper. The Panthers’ mixture of confidence and cockiness has them playing with a major chip on their shoulder, especially when they play a rare game outside of the Augusta-area. Kalen Williams wasn’t worried pregame about taking on the No. 5 team in the state and let me know after his 20-point performance that the sophomore is “the next Collin Sexton.” Deon Berrien said when the ball left his hands at the end of regulation that he “knew it was cash.” With two players as confident as Williams and Berrien, the Panthers are now in the driver’s seat in Region 3 and should run the table until their rematch with Heritage on January 31.  As far as the play on the court goes, Berrien brought it from the opening tip, battling for 18 points and 10 rebounds. His energy around the basket matched Heritage’s. The Patriots were bigger, faster and stronger at every position, but that didn’t deter the plucky Panthers. Williams was hounded for a few five second calls but once he saw his first rainbow three drop, the gamer was up to the challenge. Jalen Nealious gave Lakeside a spark off the bench with 11 points and his two free throws in overtime were as big as any shots in the game. He’s a herky jerky athlete that looks more like a football player on the court, but his energy was key. Kre’Sean Hall had a tough scoreless night but still grabbed 10 rebounds. Brad Hilley scored 13 points with only one three-pointer. Seeing him score inside the arc is a major boost for Lakeside who had just four players score on the night but all four were in double figures.

Heritage-Conyers looked amped up to start the game and jumped all over Lakeside-Evans and in the back of their mind might have thought they were going to run away with the game. Jordan Thomas was great throughout the night with 25 points. Isaiah Banks turned it on late with eight of his 10 points coming in the fourth quarter. Byron Abrams missed three free throws in the fourth quarter which came back to haunt the Patriots. JaQuez Hicks swatted away five shots. The Patriots will definitely have January 31 circled on their calendar.

Top Performers

Lakeside-Evans
Kalen Williams – 20 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block
Deon Berrien – 18 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks
Brad Hilley – 13 points, 3 rebounds
Jalen Nealious – 11 points, 1 rebounds, 2 steals

Heritage-Conyers
Jordan Thomas – 25 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals
Isaiah Banks – 10 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Byron Abrams – 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
JaQuez Hicks – 6 rebounds, 5 blocks