Category Archives: Game Stories

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Greenforest’s Size Dominates Smaller Falcons Inside

1ANo. 1 Greenforest 87, 6ANo. 6 Pebblebrook 59

Before the game, Greenforest’s size advantage was one major factor as to why Pebblebrook entered as a slight underdog. That size advantage was fully taken advantage of by Coach Larry Thompson’s team as the Eagles out-rebounded the Falcons 42-to-18 to blow past Pebblebrook at Holiday Hoopsgiving. At the end of one, the Falcons tried to stay close and trailed 29-19, but the second quarter became a microcosm of the game. Sophomore wide body Mohammed Abdulsalem entered the game and posted seven points and four rebounds before finishing with nine points and nine rebounds. Greenforest pounded the glass all night and came away with second-chance point after second-chance point.

Abdulsalem’s work inside was strong, but the astronomical improvement of five-star junior center Ikey Obiagu was one of the main storylines seen. The 7-footer scored 15 points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked four shots. Pebblebrook was powered by Auburn signee Jared Harper, but the 5-foot-11 guard couldn’t find much help outside of Collin Sexton and JJ Smith. Harper scored a game-high 29 points with four threes, while Sexton chipped in 12 points and Smith finished with 11.

Ikey Obiagu is a big presence in the middle
Ikey Obiagu is a big presence in the middle

Greenforest’s balance was unmatched as nine players scored led by New Hampshire bound guard John Ogwuche’s 19. Abayomi Iyiola posted a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Justin Forrest scored nine and dished out seven assists, Precious Ayah added seven points and nine rebounds and Jaden Duggan chipped in six, all from the line, to round out the Eagles’ top scorers.

My Take: Boy, oh boy. Greenforest is a terrifying team when they are clicking. They have frontcourt size that nearly every NCAA Division-One team would covet. Let’s start with the biggest of them all, Ikey Obiagu. This was just the second time I have ever seen the 7-footer play. I watched him come off the bench in the state championship a year ago and score two points, grab zero rebounds and foul out. When I heard he was a five-star prospect this summer I laughed. When I saw him tonight I was amazed. He showed a deft touch inside and some nice post moves to go along with advanced footwork for a man of his stature. I can totally see why every high major program in the country is hot after him. Abayomi Iyiola might have been the most impressive outside of Obiagu. His 17 points and 12 rebounds was just pure hustle. Put him alongside Ikey and Mohammed Abdulsalem who is an absolute bull in a china shop down low and you have a team that will massacre others on the glass. John Ogwuche and Justin Forrest did what they had to do from their guard spots and were as solid as it gets, simply making the right decisions on the floor and not trying to do too much. As far as things go for Pebblebrook, I expect them to be extremely dangerous when they aren’t playing NBA frontlines. Jared Harper is fun to watch and isn’t afraid to challenge in the lane with floaters or pull up for long threes. Against elite teams however, he will need some help. JJ Smith showed some flashes with some tough baskets, but he looks to be far too good of a player to only score 11 points. Collin Sexton will be a nice running mate and the trio should have some fun in the high scoring Region 3-AAAAAA. Productive size inside will be important to find, also a glue guy as well. Trhae Mitchell and Derek Ogbeide are missed, but so is Kevin Murph. The year is young however and I’m confident Coach George Washington will find someone to step up and fill those important roles.

Top Performers: 

Greenforest
Abayomi Iyiola – 17 points, 12 rebounds
John Ogwuche – 19 points, 2 assists, 2 steals
Ikey Obiagu – 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 blocks
Justin Forrest – 9 points, 7 assists
Mohammed Abdulsalem – 9 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block
Precious Ayah – 7 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks

Pebblebrook
Jared Harper – 29 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
Collin Sexton – 12 points
JJ Smith – 11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Brandon Robinson’s Big Day Enough to Hold Off No. 2 McIntosh

6A Douglas County 84, 5ANo. 2 McIntosh 81

Two looks at a three-pointer for Furman signee Jordan Lyons, who canned seven deep balls on the night, did not drop as Coach Hollis Bethea’s Douglas County Tigers survived in a thrilling afternoon tilt at Holiday Hoopsgiving. The game was played at a neck-break pace as the full court pressure of the Tigers bothered the Chiefs early on. Douglas County held a 24-18 lead at the end of one and foul trouble began to hurt the Chiefs. Will Washington, McIntosh’s floor general who finished with 17 points (9-of-10 FT) and seven assists, picked up a third foul with 4:46 to play in the second and had to sit the remainder of the half with McIntosh down 34-29.  The Chiefs fell behind by as many as 10 points, but would scrap their way back, using a 7-to-2 run to finish the half sparked by Brendon Rowan saving a ball underneath his basket to teammate Ben Bryant who laid it in to bring the game to single digits.

Jordan Lyons lining up one of his seven treys
Jordan Lyons lining up one of his seven treys

The two focal points of the game were Lyons and Douglas County’s Brandon Robinson, who is signed to play at UNC. Robinson scored 20 of his game-high 35 points in the first half and scored in a multitude of ways, drilling five threes and getting to basket and using pull ups in the lane. Lyons went for a team-high 34 for the Chiefs, as both stars were expected to get theirs, it was up to the supporting cast to be the difference makers. Coach Bethea got just that, as Devarion Davis scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Kalen Clifton added 14 points and five rebounds while Khayl Waters battled for 10 points and four rebounds.

McIntosh trailed for the majority of the game, struggling to get over the hump before they finally did so on a Braxton Shaw three-ball at the 6:05 mark of the third quarter which tied the game at 44. But every time the Chiefs would make a push, Robinson and the Tigers answered back to keep them at bay. The Chiefs took their first lead of the second half when Chase Walter grabbed one of his 12 rebounds and outletted the ball out to Lyons as time was expiring entering the fourth. All in one motion, Lyons caught the ball in midair and heaved it to the hoop, drilling a three from halfcourt to give the Chiefs a 61-60 lead entering the final frame.

McIntosh held onto a narrow lead until Douglas County recaptured the lead and led 77-75 with 2:30 to play. Clifton missed a pair of free throws with under 15 seconds to play, giving McIntosh an opportunity to tie. Lyons got two decent looks, albeit contested, but could not sink the game-tying long ball to send the game to overtime.

Dishon Lowery was a monster inside
Dishon Lowery was a monster inside

McIntosh, known for its balance, did not disappoint as Dishon Lowery scored 13 points and grabbed a game-high 20 rebounds. He and Walter were both saddled with foul trouble at points in the game. Walter finished with eight points, 12 rebounds and five blocks in the loss.

My Take: Well that was fun, wasn’t it?! What a game. I said going in that Jordan Lyons and Brandon Robinson would negate each other with their points (34 & 35), and that it would be up to the rest of the gang. Devarion Davis impressed me greatly and stepped up big time. His 18 points came off active rebounding and a feathery touch. McIntosh just couldn’t take control of the game, but they were exciting to watch. Jordan Lyons has unlimited range, Dishon Lowery is an absolute beast on the boards, Will Washington is a true point guard and Chase Walter loves to bend the rim with his dunks. Coach Hollis Bethea’s defense was active all night long and harassed the Chiefs, but wasn’t wild. They took numerous charges and got Washington, Lowery and Walter all in foul trouble. It’s not even fair how good Region 3-AAAAAA is. A loss like this could be good for McIntosh to gain that laser focus as they strive for a state title, and a win like this for Douglas County solidifies them as one of the best teams in the state when they work as a group.

Top Perfomers:

Douglas County
Brandon Robinson – 35 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Devarion Davis – 18 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists
Kalen Clifton – 14 points, 5 rebounds
Khayl Waters – 10 points, 4 rebounds

McIntosh
Jordan Lyons – 34 points
Dishon Lowery – 13 points, 20 rebounds
Will Washington – 17 points, 7 assists
Chase Walter – 8 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 blocks

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Rabun County Opens Season with Addis’ Monster Performance

***Story contributed by Taylor Jones  (@TaylorJones__) of WRBN and WGHC***

2A No. 10 Rabun County 79,  3A Dawson County 59

The Rabun County Wildcats opened the 2015-16 season with a big win over fellow mountain region foe, Dawson County. While starting the season with an impressive victory is important, that is not the story, here.

Rabun’s Matthew Addis had a phenomenal game… scoring 39 points — all (13 makes) from the beyond the three-point line — to help his team knock off Dawson County, 79-59 on Saturday night.

Addis’ performance will be one that Wildcat fans will talk about for years to come, but two other teammates contributed in huge ways to this win. Tevan Brown scored 17, while Ethan Dickerson ended his night with 13.

While the offense was stellar, Coach Jeff Page said that defense is what won the game.

“The whole team played great defense and played unselfish,” explained Page. “It was a great team win.”

Rabun County will travel to Piedmont College in Demorest on Monday to take part in the Thanksgiving Tournament.
First up? East Hall at 8:30PM

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Westminster Can’t Shake Slow Start Against No. 5 Sandy Creek

4A No. 5 Sandy Creek 62, 3A Westminster 47

St. Francis High School was host to the Verizon Hoops for a Cure Classic which featured No. 5 Sandy Creek and a Westminster program coming off an 18-8 season. Right away the up-tempo Patriots established their dominance with Gardner-Webb signee Christian Turner hitting Elias Harden on the left wing for a three-ball to open the game. Harden drilled three deep balls all in the first half and finished the game with 15 points.

As good as Harden was from distance, it was Turner who powered the Patriots. He helped ignite a 10-1 run in the first quarter that would give Sandy Creek all the space it needed as Coach Anthony McKissic’s team took a 17-11 lead into the second quarter. Turner scored 10 of his game-high 23 points in the first half and bullied his way to the bucket at-will against the smaller Westminster guards.

The Wildcats managed to hang around in the first half with big man Mikael Sampson in foul trouble. The junior picked up his second foul at the 1:21 mark of the first quarter and didn’t score in the first half. Dual-sport star Will Benson was quiet as well in the first two quarters before slamming home a dunk in the final minute of play in the second quarter to give him the team lead with seven points entering the break as Westminster trailed 32-22.

In the third quarter it seemed like momentum would finally swing in favor of the Wildcats as rim protector Keith Heard II picked up his fourth foul at the 4:18 mark of the third with Westminster down 36-26, but McKissic elected to leave him in and seconds later he was rewarded when Heard caught an alley oop and laid it in. Heard fouled out with 1:48 to play in the third with the Patriots holding a 42-28 lead. Entering the fourth Sandy Creek was in control 46-31.

Coach McKissic gearing up for the fourth quarter
Coach McKissic gearing up for the fourth quarter

Sampson and Benson came alive in the fourth quarter, both scoring six apiece, but they could not get any help and Turner continued to control the action for the Patriots. He scored seven points in the final frame and AJ Freeman added five to keep the Wildcats at bay. Westminster was unable to cut the lead to single digits as Sandy Creek’s defense came up with the stops it needed to keep a comfortable distance.

Turning Point: Off a high miss off the backboard, Will Benson came soaring in for a thunderous putback dunk to bring Westminster within 46-33 with 7:10 to play, but the Patriots quickly raced the ball down the court and AJ Freeman converted on a three-point play to take the wind out of Westminster’s sails.

Highlight of the Night: Will Benson turned the tables on “Lob City South” as he recorded three big dunks. His putback dunk, which almost looked like a pass off the glass, left those in attendance marveling at the Duke baseball commit’s athleticism.

My Take: Sandy Creek looks and plays the part of a Top 10 team in the state. They are long, athletic, can shoot and showed discipline; all signs of a well-coached team. Their defense is what can make them a state title contender. The activeness of Keith Heard and Evan Jester inside will be something to watch all season. Christian Turner was a bulldog attacking the basket and abusing the smaller guards of Westminster. He would put his head down and attack at-will, but also was able to find open men outside. Elias Harden settled for too many threes in the first half. Once he started attacking in the second half, it was clear to see why many high major programs are after the junior. Xavier Brewer ended up being the X-factor today. The long sophomore entered in the first quarter and quickly sparked the Patriots. He finished with five points and seven rebounds. Westminster was a little shorthanded due to the football season, but the Wildcats showed flashes of promise. Will Benson didn’t get a ton of chances to create in the first half and I would have liked to see the ball in his hands some more. Mikael Sampson had a slow start to the game but came on strong in the second half. Philip Jones didn’t score much from his point guard position but he filled out the stat sheet in other areas. Tyler Barry, former NBA’er Jon Barry’s son, did not shoot well at all finishing with six points and a lot of missed opportunities. If the core of Jones, Benson and Sampson can control the offense and have it run through them, the Wildcats should have another successful season.

Top Performers:

Sandy Creek
Christian Turner – 23 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals
Elias Harden – 15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
Evan Jester  – 6 points, 9 rebounds
AJ Freeman – 9 points, 2 assists
Xavier Brewer – 5 points, 7 reboundsFullSizeRender (2)

Westminster
Will Benson – 18 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block
Mikael Sampson – 9 points, 10 rebounds, 1 block
Philip Jones – 5 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
Tyler Barry – 6 points, 3 assists, 2 steals FullSizeRender (1)

 

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Behind Roberts and Chantha, Raiders Survive Erving-led Golden Bears

5ARiverwood 54, 2ANo. 6 Holy Innocents’ 46

A talented Riverwood program looking to establish itself as a playoff regular in Class AAAAA got off to a great start by beating rival Holy Innocents’ in an exciting affair. The Bears entered ranked No. 6 in Class AA and had to travel all of 0.9 miles to make it to Riverwood. In my preview of the game, the center of attention was split between big men Brent Duncan of Holy Innocents’ and Kohl Roberts of Riverwood. In the end, a particular X-factor I singled out helped keep the Bears in the game while Duncan struggled inside.

Gaddy and Duncan tip-off the '15-16 season
Gaddy and Duncan tip-off the ’15-16 season

Riverwood held a 13-12 lead after the first period and drilled three three-pointers, an aspect of the Raider offense that wasn’t necessarily a strength in 2014. Charnchai Chantha provided a major lift off the bench for Coach Buck Jenkins’ team, hitting three treys on the night and finishing with a team-high 13 points. While Chantha and the rest of the guards were cooking on offense, Roberts picked up his second foul at the 6:35 mark of the second period with the Raiders leading 13-12 still. He would sit the remainder of the half and enter the break with just two points.

The Raiders extended their lead with Roberts on the bench and went on an 8-0 run to make it 21-12 before Cole Smith would score the Bears’ first points of the second quarter at the 2:54 mark and would go on a personal 5-0 run to draw closer. Holy Innocents’ cut the lead to 21-20, but Isaiah Gaddy, who’s play and energy while Roberts was on the bench was paramount to victory, drilled a three at the buzzer to take a 24-20 lead into the half.

Much like the second, the Bears hit another early dry spell to open the half while Roberts began to dominate inside. He scored seven of his 11 points in the third and finished the night with seven boards.  The Raiders went on a 16-5 run to go up 40-25 and had Holy Innocents’ on the ropes as entering the final quarter it was a 47-31 advantage for the host Raiders.

Roberts began to eat in the third quarter
Roberts began to eat in the third quarter

In the fourth quarter, Jules Erving took over. Three and-ones in the period helped spurt a 10-0 Erving run all by himself as he drew the Golden Bears within seven at 47-40 with under five minutes to play. Erving went off for 11 of his game-high 19 points in the final frame and willed the Bears back into the game.

Roberts however, would silence the run with a coast-to-coast drive inside and began matching Erving play for play with incredible skill, blocking shots and leading the charge down the court. Roberts’ bucket stunted Holy Innocents’ momentum and Coach Terry Kelly’s team would never get closer than six points, 52-46 with 33.6 seconds remaining.

Turning Point: With the lead cut to 47-40 with under five minutes to play, the Golden Bears had all the momentum behind Jules Erving’s play. It was the veteran big man who was saddled with foul trouble in the first half that would make one of the biggest plays of the game. The 6-foot-6  Kohl Roberts blocked a shot, led the fastbreak and hit Elijah Johnson who was rejected by Erving, but was rewarded the two points after the block was determined a goaltend.

Highlight of the Night: Jules Erving’s putback slam ignited the crowd and helped spark a personal 10-0 run in the fourth quarter that clawed the Bears back into the game.

My Take: I knew Riverwood had a horse inside, but I wondered what they could do from the outside. It was baptism by fire for Coach Jenkins’ bunch as Kohl Roberts hardly made an impact in the first half due to foul trouble. Elijah Jenkins, Charnchai Chantha and Elijah Johnson did a wonderful job of controlling the tempo and swinging the ball around the perimeter for open looks. The Raiders hit seven big threes on the night. The unsung hero for me was Isaiah Gaddy, who’s athleticism took over defensively. Gaddy finished with six points on two deep balls (one at the buzzer) and also added four rebounds, two steals and four blocks. Roberts is deserving of Division-One looks. He might not be as athletic as some other top flight athletes, but he understands how to use his body and is extremely strong. His ball handling skills are underrated as he was not afraid to speed the ball down the floor and find the open man. On the Holy Innocents’ side of things, Cole Smith proved deadly from deep and finished with 13 points. Ibrahim Shabazz started out strong with five first quarter points but did not score again. Both Harrison Cobb and Richard Surdykowski hit the boards well. Jules Erving showed that he is dripping with potential. Brent Duncan struggled inside, trying to dunk everything close, but would get stripped or blocked at the rim. He scored the Bears’ first two points of the game and didn’t score again until 33.6 seconds left. It was a tough opener for him, but I’m confident he will be able to bounce back and the Golden Bears should be just fine.

Top Performers:

Riverwood
Kohl Roberts – 11 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks
Charnchai Chantha – 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals
Elijah Jenkins – 7 points, 7 assists, 5 steals
Elijah Johnson – 8 points, 2 blocks
Isaiah Gaddy – 6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 4 blocksIMG_7720

 

Holy Innocents’
Jules Erving – 19 points, 11 rebounds, 1 block
Cole Smith – 13 point, 4 reboundsIMG_7721