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Ten second half threes ignite No. 2 GAC in romp of No. 2 St. Pius X

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3ANo. 2 GAC 85, 4ANo. 2 St. Pius X 64

Two of Georgia’s best private school programs clashed at the X-Dome for No. 2 St. Pius X’s home opener. It was a game of runs, but ultimately the No. 2 ranked Spartans (1-3) unleashed a barrage of threes to notch their first win of the season, drilling 14 to race past the Golden Lions (2-2) in convincing fashion 85-64.

GAC got on the board first and led 4-0 as Ben Sheppard swooped in for a layup. The Golden Lions answered quickly with a 7-0 run using backdoor cuts. The three-headed backcourt of Hunter McIntosh, Belmont-signee Ben Sheppard and Roy Dixon quickly turned the tables using a frantic defense pressuring the passing lanes to turnover a usually efficient St. Pius.

A 13-0 run rapidly ballooned the Spartan lead to 17-7 with 1:30 remaining in the first period. Sheppard found McIntosh for a three-pointer at the buzzer to give GAC a 20-12 lead after one, a foreboding sign for how the rest of the night would play out.

At the 4:24 mark of the second quarter, GAC held a 27-15 lead and looked to land the knock out punch but St. Pius’ experienced seniors, Brian Gonzalo in particular, would have none of it. Freshman Chase Cormier nailed a corner three to help spark the Golden Lions before Gonzalo picked up a steal and completed an And-1 to cut the lead to 29-23 with 3:32 remaining.

St. Pius’ trademark full court press began to swarm the Spartans as Gonzalo fueled the comeback, scoring all 12 of his points in the frame and trimming the GAC lead to 31-29 with 1:52 left following a pair of Matt Gonzalo free throws.

The Spartans landed a counter punch as McIntosh and Baskerville combined for 12 points in the quarter to extend the lead to 38-31 before Matt Gonzalo hit a pullup jumper at the horn to head into the half down 38-33.

Over the next 16 minutes, the Spartans left no doubt that last year’s state title run wasn’t a fluke and that their 0-3 start to this season was. McIntosh and Sheppard traded three balls to quickly spark a 6-0 run that left the score at 44-33 at the 6:44 mark.

Sheppard, who played set-up man in the first half with six assists, began to hunt his shot in the third quarter and drilled a deep straight away three to push the lead back to eight after the Golden Lions dug in. Cormier answered from deep minutes later, once again cutting the Spartan lead to five, but again Sheppard dialed up a triple to make it a 55-47 game at the 2:25 mark.

Cole Perusek got in on the action and knocked down a three off a McIntosh assist to make it an 11-point game, the junior stepping up big with 13 points on the night off the bench.

In the quarter the Spartans buried six three-pointers led by Sheppard’s three and McIntosh’s pair, putting the game nearly out of reach with a 63-49 advantage heading into the fourth.

In a game of counter punches between heavyweights, Sheppard and the Spartans finally landed the knockout blow in the fourth quarter, hitting four more threes to finish with 10 over the final 16 minutes of the game. Sheppard’s fourth trifecta ran the score up to 68-49 with 6:28 remaining, another quick start to open a quarter with a 5-0 spurt.

Sheppard recorded a double-double in fitting fashion with 5:06 left to play, flipping to McIntosh for another three, Sheppard finishing the night with 21 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists and 4 steals while McIntosh poured in a game-high 25 points to go with his team-best 7 rebounds.

 

My Take

It’s not often that St. Pius X gets ran out of their own gym, in fact it was the Golden Lions’ largest home loss since losing to Lithonia 55-44 in 2015. St. Pius showed flashes of their championship contending pedigree but 14 threes were just too much to overcome. With the question looming of who will replace Everett Lane’s scoring, the Gonzalo brothers answered the bell early on. Matt looked more aggressive over the first three quarters scoring 14 points, but was shutout in the fourth. Brian provided a massive lift in the second quarter and carried the Golden Lions with 12 points and outstanding defensive effort but was unable to sustain his production in the second half. The Golden Lions were a bit sloppy with the ball to open the game, GAC a half step quicker and playing the passing lanes which led to run outs. The Golden Lions eventually settled in but their early missteps helped the Spartans grow a 17-7 lead. St. Pius had few open looks but cashed in when available, freshman Chase Cormier logging important minutes with a pair of threes.

GAC will tell anyone that listens that they have the best three-guard backcourt in the state. They are definitely in the discussion especially when they are knocking down shots. The Spartans won’t lose too many games when they drill 14 threes. The season debut of Chris Hinton was a major lift. The All-American defensive lineman heading to Michigan has sweet feet, pouncing around the court like a nimble cat but with the frame of a bulldozer. He is still working his way into basketball shape but his presence immediately demands attention and his low post passing is a crucial element to brings another dynamic to Coach David Eaton’s offense. With all the attention on Hunter McIntosh, Ben Sheppard and Roy Dixon – rightfully so – it was the Spartan role players that really provided a lift. Production wise, GAC is about seven deep right now but that’s all they’ll need if Cole Perusek and Clifton Baskersville continue to play well. Perusek, a 6-foot-4 junior, provides energy on the glass and a versatile piece that can stretch the floor. He finished with 13 points off the bench while Baskerville, a junior guard, sank three threes en route to 13 points. Dixon had a quiet game offensively but played solid defense and helped the offense flow. McIntosh has a knack for being in the right place at the right time, credit his elite IQ for that. The recent Tulane-offeree is a jump shooting guard with size and a nose for rebounding. He plays well off of Sheppard who stole the show. After tallying six assists in the first quarter alone, the Belmont-signee decided to lead the charge from deep with his five second half triples. His 6-foot-5 size and length allows him to glide to the basket when attack the rim and shoot over smaller defenders on the perimeter. Now nearing full strength, GAC has the pieces in place to defend their state title and will continue to play one of the toughest schedules in the state to prepare themselves for March.

Top Performers

GAC
Hunter McIntosh – 25 points (5 threes), 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Ben Sheppard – 21 points (5 threes), 4 rebounds, 10 assists, 4 steals
Clifton Baskerville – 13 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
Cole Perusek – 13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
Roy Dixon – 6 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Chris Hinton – 4 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

St. Pius X
Matt Gonzalo – 14 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block
Brian Gonzalo – 12 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals
Riley Costas – 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block
Niko Broadway – 7 points, 3 assists
Patrick Snipes – 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist
Zach Ranson – 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks (Ejected 4Q)

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

Statewide Recap 11-27-18

sportal

BOYS

AAAAAAA

No. 2 Meadowcreek 61, Lakeside-DeKalb 43: UAB-signee Jalen Benjamin continued his hot play with 22 points, 4 assists and 3 steals. USF-signee Jamir Chaplin dropped in 18 points and 4 rebounds.

Milton 67, No. 4 Discovery 63: Milton hit 11-of-12 free throws in the fourth quarter to sink Discovery. Evan Hurst led the Eagles with 18 points while Malachi Martin posted 15 points and 12 rebounds. Donaven Hairston finished with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals. In the loss, Jaden Walker tacked on 18 points and 5 rebounds for Discovery. Hasahnn Reynolds had 12 points and 7 rebounds while Longwood-signee Leslie Nkereuwem finished with 12 points and 9 rebounds.

No. 8 Lambert 92, Woodstock 62: Luke Champion drilled 5 threes en route to 21 points and 4 steals. Mitch Ganote recorded a triple-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists and 5 steals. Braxton Beaty scored 15 points and Colin Granger powered in 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Duluth 78, 6ANo. 10 Dacula 57: Devin Evans double-doubled with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Kendall Peabody added 15 points and 6 rebounds while Jordan Blue tallied 14 points and 6 assists. Trent Gordon had 14 points and 8 rebounds.

Roswell 62, Central Forsyth 59: In the loss, Brandon Sherer scored 24 points. Joakeim Celestin had 15 points and Jake Craft scored 9.

Tift County 60, Cook 34: Marquavius Johnson netted 22 points and Jatorian Warren scored 17.

Mill Creek 58, Archer 46: Kendall Latney and Zion Wimby scored 14 apiece in the win.

AAAAAA

No. 2 Alexander 76, Creekside 54: Coach Jason Slate won his 400th career game as Malik Battle went for 22 points and 6 assists.

Douglas County 56, No.5 Langston Hughes 42: JJ Richards scored 14 points and Omarion Smith had 11 points as the Tigers upset the two-time defending state champs. In the loss, PJ Carter was held to 10 points and Tyrel Morgan had 9.

No. 7 Tucker 56, Forest Park 53: Tucker struggled to put away winless Forest Park. Nicholas Watson had 20 points and 7 steals. Dartmouth-commit Nate Ogbu had 12 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks. Jermontae Hill tossed in 9 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 62, No. 9 Mundy’s Mill 59: Rayquan Brown had 17 points in the loss while Chris Lango scored 14 and Jordan Black netted 12.

Lee County 64, 4ANo. 8 Westover 54: Javian Johnson torched Westover for 31 points.

Centennial 72, Dunwoody 71: Logan Turner scored 21 points and hit a buzzer beater to knock off Dunwoody. Colin Kahl led the Knights with 24 points while Kyle Duncan (12) and KJ Spooney (10) combined for 22 points.

Lanier 53, Walnut Grove 34: Sion James double-doubled with 13 points and 11 assists for the Longhorns. Jalen Surles scored 10 points and Sean Foster added 9. In the loss, Quantae Rogers scored 13 points.

Lovejoy 73, Drew 39: Omari Callahan scored 20 points and Braelen Pierce netted 16 as the Wildcats raced past Drew. Marlon Brownfield added 10 points while Shazmere Thomas and Fredrick Williams netted 7 and 6 points, respectively.

Cambridge 82, Alpharetta 64: Kamar Robertson finished with 27 points and Matt Cleveland had 24 against a shorthanded Alpharetta team. Bryce Boutelle added 17 points and Bryce Klacynski chipped in 7 points.

Greenbrier 65, Cross Creek 64 OT: In the loss, Jatravious Stewart scored 18 points and Eric Gore had 16. Kobe Stewart (10) and Monroe Atkins (9) pitched in offensively.

Winder-Barrow 69, North Oconee 57: Brandon Bannis went for 26 points in the win. Tyreek Perkins scored 13 points and Rico Thomas had 12. 6-foot-6 sophomore Isaiah Nelson-Ododa finished with 8 points, 12 rebounds and 8 blocks.

South Paulding 75, Northgate 31: Cam Armstrong scored 16 points to pace the Spartans. Shane Gibson (10), Chandler Travis (9), Caleb Duncan (8) and Elisha Paul (8) rounded out the scoring.

Houston County 56, Crisp County 54: Austin Sloan scored 12 points. Charles Brown had 11 and TJ Morgan netted 9.

AAAAA

No. 1 Southwest DeKalb 77, Clarkston 34: KD Johnson had 18 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Eugene Brown III tacked on 15 points. Chandler Sanders chipped in 12 points and James Glisson III added 9 points and 7 rebounds.

No. 5 Eagle’s Landing 49, Locust Grove 46: The Eagles survived a scare from an upset-minded Wildcat team. Randon Elloie saved the day. In the loss, Locust Grove got 23 points from Quan Hall and 8 from Renarldo Smith.

No. 6 Columbia 68, Arabia Mountain 48: Devin Longstreet scored 26 points and Liron Thomas had 19 in the win.

No. 10 Cedar Shoals 79, Madison County 54: Quincy Canty piled in 26 points and 8 rebounds while Tyler Johnson had 22 points and 7 boards to overwhelm Madison County. Demetrius Glenn added 13 points. Traveon Latimore scored 20 points in the loss while Dylan Carey netted 12.

Lithia Springs 72, Grady 67: Anthony Hardy dropped 23 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists. Antonio Lewis had 18 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Quanterius Purifoy contributed 13 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Dewan Wright led Grady with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Franky Fernandez had 9 points and 5 rebounds.

East Paulding 90, Rockmart 51: Azer Tidor (18), Silas Johnson (16) and Aaron Brewer (14) led the Raiders. Chattooga transfer Glenn Walker had a game-high 20 for Rockmart.

Jones County 60, Union Grove 44: Bryson Wooten scored 12 points and Tre Dean had 11. Chavis Mathis chipped in 8 points, 5 rebounds and 6 steals. Marquise Jackson (8) and Joe Jackson (7) pitched in.

Paulding County 91, Cedartown 74: Jervon Morris netted 23 points and had 5 steals. Keon Sedgwick scored 15 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Corleone Thomas pitched in 14 points and 6 steals. John Cook had 7 points and 10 rebounds. Christian Burdette added 9 points and 6 rebounds.

Miller Grove 78, Chamblee 64: Shomik Shahjahan had 18 points and 3 steals to lead the Wolverines to their first win of the season. Zyair Greene added 16 points and 6 rebounds.

AAAA

No. 1 Upson-Lee 70, Monticello 32: The Runnin’ Knights ran their winning streak to 66 games behind Zyrice Scott’s 23 points and 11 assists.

No. 3 Sandy Creek 74, Riverdale 29: Jabari Smith finished with 16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Keith Williams added 12 points and 5 rebounds while Drexel-signee TJ Bickerstaff posted 11 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists. Matt Williams chipped in 11 points and 3 assists. DeShon Proctor battled for 10 points and 5 rebounds.

No. 4 Woodward Academy 70, North Clayton 56: Walker Kessler totaled 23 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks in his triple-double performance. Michael Whitmore had 11 points, 4 assists and 4 steals. Jacorrei Turner added 9 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Kevin Powell posted 8 points and 6 rebounds while Logan Stephens chipped in 7 points and 4 boards.

No. 5 Henry County 47, Druid Hills 41: Wisdom Uboh tallied 16 points and 9 rebounds in the win. Josh Steele had 12 points and 4 assists while Gaven Sands chipped in 12 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals.

No. 6 Baldwin 64, Dublin 43: William Freeman and Donte Justice scored 12 points apiece while Justin Webb and Jermyus Simmons each scored 9 in the win.

No. 10 Americus-Sumter 87, Dougherty 58: Joshua Lusane had 18 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists as the Panthers overpowered the Trojans.

Heritage-Catoosa 64, Pickens 53: Zach Goss had 24 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in the loss. Seth Bishop added 13 points and 8 rebounds. Owen Moss came away with 8 points, 3 assists and 3 steals.

Troup County 53, McIntosh 50: Quavo McFarland scored 15 points. Isiah Cox added 12 points and 8 rebounds. Ricco Person scored 10 points and Brandon Smith chipped in 9 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

Chestatee 60, Providence Christian 36: Kyle Bowmar scored 12 points and Jonah Bull had 10.

Howard 56, First Presbyterian Day 40: Collin Tarver (12), Leon Pitts (12), Kelvin Burrell (8) and Tremaine Reeves (7) led Howard to victory. In the loss, Charles Smith scored 9 points and Jordan Jones was held to 5.

Eastside 62, Hampton 57: Killien Glover (16), Darrell Duncombe (11) and Caleb Woods (10) carried the Eagles to the finish line in Region 4 play.

AAA

No. 2 GAC 85, 4ANo. 2 St. Pius X 64: GAC turned a 38-33 lead at the half into a statement win as Belmont-signee Ben Sheppard ignited the Spartans, hitting three of his five threes in the third quarter to grow the lead to 63-49. GAC hit 14 threes, 10 coming in the second half. Sheppard finished with 21 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists and 4 steals. Hunter McIntosh scored a game-high 25 points to go with his 7 rebounds and 2 steals. Cole Perusek added 13 points and 3 rebounds while Clifton Baskerville collected 13 points and 3 assists. Brothers Matt and Brian Gonzaslo led St. Pius X with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Brian scored all 12 points in the second quarter while Matt was held to five points in the second half. Niko Broadway and Riley Costas added 7 points apiece.

No. 3 Johnson-Savannah 80, Beach 47: Emondre Bowles finished with 24 points, 4 assists and 5 steals. Shamar Jones netted 18 points and 5 steals. Lamont Sams had 8 points and 7 rebounds while Brandon Harris had 7 points against his old school. Mike Graham had 8 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals in the win.

No. 4 Cedar Grove 73, Stone Mountain 39: Towers transfer Jakeem Faulkner posted 19 points and 10 rebounds while Kanaris Cummings had 18 points, 11 rebounds and 3 steals. Jeffery Daniels tallied 11 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.  Devon Barnes had 10 points, 8 assists and 3 steals.

No. 6 Westside-Macon 88, Mary Persons 61: Javian Mosley pumped in 29 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Des Foston added 19 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Kowacie Reeves Jr. chipped in 17 points and 2 rebounds while Rico Campbell finished with 7 points and 6 boards.

Rutland 91, Crawford County 63: Jordan Stephens posted 22 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals.

Jackson County 64, Johnson-Gainesville 53: Kalib Clinton scored 28 points and Cameron Shaw netted 17 to lead the Panthers. Jesse Harbin scored a game-high 31 in the loss.

Southeast Bulloch 60, Jenkins 51: The Yellowjackets continued their turnaround by matching last year’s win total already at 2-1. Tyler Bailey had 16 points and 8 rebounds followed by Bryce Stephens’ 16 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Jefferson 92, Habersham Central 58: Donsha Gaither (23), Jacob Radaker (17), Kam Robinson (10) and Spencer Darby (10) led a balanced attack.

Redan 68, Lovett 61 OT: Ryan Mutombo had 18 points and 3 blocks in the loss. Michael Hardee and Jay Joshi scored 12 apiece.

East Jackson 69, Tallulah Falls 52: Tay Howards went for 27 points and Makayl Rakestraw netted 22.

Cherokee Bluff 73, Monroe Area 49: Griffin Neville had 19 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 11 steals. Palmer Weaver chipped in 8 points and 3 rebounds. Rolando Razo added 8 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals.

AA

No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins 86, Effingham County 41: Preston Crisp poured in 27 points. Bernard Pelote scored 15 and freshman Alfred Coaxum had 13. Quay Dillard netted 12.

No. 7 Northeast-Macon 93, A-PublicNo. 1 Wilkinson County 90: The Raiders rallied past the Blue Storm at The Palace behind Ty’Ree Gilbert’s 33 points and Cam Cherry’s 31. In the loss, Wilkinson County got 28 points and 4 rebounds from Jalen Lamar. Jacob Crockett had 21 points and 6 rebounds. Christian Lamar tallied 11 points and 7 rebounds.

No. 9 Elbert County 79, Washington-Wilkes 48: AJ James pounded away for 30 points and 13 rebounds. Ty Hill scored 17,

Dodge County 64, Telfair County 58: RJ Carr (16), Chris Clark (15), Michael Carr (12), Lamont Torres (10) and Timmy Johnson (9) led the charge.

Social Circle 43, Commerce 26: In the loss, Ian McConnell scored 9 points.

Jeff Davis 57, Appling County 34: Ja’Queze Kirby eclipsed the 1,000-point barrier with his 17 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks.

A-Private

No. 1 St. Francis 76, No. 8 Lakeview Academy 58: CJ Riley netted 21 points and picked up 5 assists. Xavier-commit Dwon Odom finished with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Chase Ellis double-doubled with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Jusaun Holt had 10 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

No. 4 ELCA 84, No. 3 Greenforest 83 OT: College of Charleston-signee Trevon Reddish scored 23 points. Kamari Smith added 18 points and Kelvin Jones netted 14 along with Mekhi Cameron. Felix Uadiale dominated the glass, posting 13 points, 28 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks.

No. 6 Holy Innocents’ 107, Spalding 75: Chance Moore piled in 32 points and 10 rebounds while Garrison Powell posted 20 points and 10 rebounds. Alex Hyatt double-doubled as well with 13 points and 18 rebounds.

No. 7 Walker 71, Galloway 56: The Wolverines opened the game on a 22-0 run to provide enough separation. Burke Chebuhar posted 19 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block. Chandler Baker double-doubled with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 1 block. Omar Cooper tacked on 18 points and 5 assists. Galloway received 16 points from Anthony Arrington and 15 from Wyatt Duncan. Janard Mike and Ryan Swanson each scored 7 points.

No. 9 Mt. Pisgah 75, Atlanta Classical 40: Chase Tucker (13), James Madison-signee Quinn Richey (12), Chandler Minton (10) and Benjy Tucker (10) all cracked double figures for the Patriots.

Hebron Christian 63, Loganville Christian 62: In the loss Loganville Christian got 18 points from Tre Stafford and 16 from Cam Anderson. Freshman Jamal Price tallied 12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.

Tattnall Square 43, Strong Rock 35: Kaden Toth scored 15 points and Paul Kelley had 12 in the win.

Mt. Vernon Presbyterian 70, The King’s Academy 60: Morgan Mulrain (17), Jordan Wicker (14), Justin Douglas (10) and Austin Douglas (9) combined to stop TKA.

Paideia 56, Weber School 43: Paideia completed its first three-game winning streak since 2015-16. Jaylan Troutman scored 17 points. Jordan Robinson netted 12 and Leo Saltzman scored 11 points.

Excel Christian 99, Morris Innovative 23: Rayshawn Womack scored 19 points followed by Kalil Holley’s 18 and Jacob Day’s 15. Trippe Anderson chipped in 12.

Brookstone 41, Mt. de Sales 36: Matthew Daniel had 14 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

A-Public

Atkinson County 61, Fitzgerald 56: Joe Arnold scored 21 points in the loss. Tyrese Powers had 14 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Central-Talbotton 78, St. Anne-Pacelli 66: Ian Mathews had 30 points in the loss. Josh Douglas and Travis Harper each scored 10 points.

Webster County 70, Westwood 67: Junior point guard Keundre Campbell erupted for 46 points. Rasheed Jenkins added 17 in the win.

 

GIRLS

AAAAAAA

No. 10 North Cobb 51, No. 3 Cherokee 50: North Cobb survived missed free throws down the stretch to upset Cherokee. Sydney Thomas led North Cobb with 13 points. Babin Van der Waal added 8 points followed by 6 apiece from Azonya Austin, Madison Edge and Dayuna Colvin. Cherokee received 15 points from North Georgia-signee Lacie McCoy. Olivia Herrera and Courtney Cates both scored 10 points while Kate Johnson had 9.

North Gwinnett 48, South Forsyth 25: Malia Fisher scored 19 points and Riley Jackson had 15 in the win.

Roswell 54, Forsyth Central 36: Roswell got 17 points from Kennedy Powell and 14 from Lindsay Pruitt.

AAAAAA

No. 1 Lovejoy 76, Drew 21: Anaya Boyd finished with 21 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 blocks.

No. 3 Northview 49, 7ANo. 8 North Forsyth 40: Rice-signee Ashlee Austin dumped in 17 points. Asjah Inniss scored 10 and Markiema Lancaster netted 9. Makayla Davis chipped in 8 points.

No. 6 Douglas County 71, Langston Hughes 50: Clemson-signee Amari Robinson piled in 31 points. Dymon Cook scored 11 points and Desirae Jackson had 10.

No. 8 Dacula 57, Duluth 41: Freshman Lazaria Spearman had 14 points and 7 rebounds. Keyanna Gibbs netted 11 points and Valdosta State-signee Kendall Bollmer scored 10. Aiyanna Hamilton scored 9 points. Nyla Moore collected 6 points, 5 assists and 3 steals. Chelsey Abel snagged 8 rebounds.

No. 10 Pope 76, Chattahoochee 21: Cheyenne Holloman scored 26 points. Kara McKiernan and Katie Ward scored 12 apiece. Abby McKinley and Kaitlin Barham each scored 9.

Alpharetta 61, Cambridge 55: Jalyn Tillerson scored 22 points and Kendall Phillips had 20 in Alpharetta’s region victory. Mary Grace Durham added 6 points.

New Manchester 71, Mays 31: Makaila Cange totaled 11 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals. Vanderbilt-signee Kyndall Golden recorded 12 points, 10 rebounds and 7 blocks. Anaya Cone had 10 points and 4 rebounds.

Gainesville 75, Clarke Central 49: Tija Blackwell scored a game-high 29 points. Tia Shelton (18) and Lauren Teasley (15) both cracked double digits.

Centennial 45, Dunwoody 29: Bailey Hebermehl (14) and Aerial Nathan (13) combined for 27 points in the win.

Johns Creek 57, North Atlanta 34: Sam Breslow scored a team-high 12 points for the Gladiators while Wilnie Joseph earned a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

AAAAA

No. 5 Eagle’s Landing 67, Locust Grove 55: Jalisa Dunlap scored 19 points followed by Jaleah Storr’s 15 and Reyonna Hopkins’ 14.

Cass 62, Fannin County 49: The Lady Colonels moved to 4-0 behind Amber Brittian’s team-high 14 points. Sharia Wade and Payton Stoddard each scored 13. Claire Davis chipped in 10.

AAAA

No. 3 Madison County 64, Cedar Shoals 45: Old Dominion-signee Jordan Bailey pumped in 30 points and 17 rebounds followed by Kayla McPherson’s 10 points. Sydney Armstrong and Mallory Bates added 9 each.

No. 6 Luella 63, Salem 40: Keely Brown (17), Imani McNeal (15) and Paris Miller (14) did the heavy lifting for Luella.

Heritage-Catoosa 57, Pickens 49: Emily Wiley led the Generals with 24 points. Ansley Bice scored 15 and Regan Armour netted 14. Mykenzie Weaver finished with 19 points and 6 rebounds in the loss. Torie Williams added 10 points and 6 assists. Amanda Nelson posted 8 points and 6 rebounds.

Chestatee 58, Providence Christian 24: Maggie McNair (16) and Emma Easterwood (15) paced the War Eagles. Christina Garcia chipped in 10 points in support.

North Murray 53, Calhoun 23: Sarah Plemons scored 19 points to pace the Lady Mountaineers. Tenley Gladson netted 16 and Korbin Tipton chipped in 10.

AAA

No. 4 Jefferson 47, Habersham Central 26: Deshona Gaither (13) and Livi Blackstock (11) led the Lady Dragons.

No. 7 GAC 48, St. Pius X 31: Freshman Kaleigh Addie netted 14 points followed by Ava Irvin’s 10. USC Upstate-signee Maya Timberlake had 10 reobunds.

Franklin County 56, Seneca (SC) 41: Bailee Breedlove continued her offensive onslaught with 29 points. Rose Boyd added 11.

Islands 53, Groves 27: Elizabeth Sierzant netted 24 points and Diamond Garvin collected 21 rebounds.

Cherokee Bluff 56, Monroe Area 53: Madi Phillips had 16 points and 13 rebounds. Timber Gaither scored 12 points. Chelsea Reece recorded 10 points, 5 assists and 5 steals. Brenau-signee Maddie Thomas had 9 points and Alexis Mize scored 8.

AA

No. 1 Dodge County 88, A-PublicNo. 1 Telfair County 58: The Squaws hammered Telfair County behind Destanee Wright’s 34 points and Europe Brown’s 17. Kaonte Goolsby (8), Ileisha Mitchell (8), Jamyya Tillman (7) and Aniyah Black (6) all chipped in.

No. 3 Rabun County 85, Stephens County 39: Presbyterian-signee Georgia Stockton collected 20 points and 9 rebounds. Brooke Henricks added 15 points and 4 steals. Destiny Deetz had 10 points and 9 rebounds. Laken Stiles finished with 8 points and 5 steals while freshman Sophie Woodard netted 9 points.

No. 8 Fitzgerald 86, Atkinson County 11: Trinity Jones finished with 21 points while KP Paulk had 20 points and 7 steals in the rout. Kyah Crook tossed in 11 points and 5 rebounds.

No. 10 Bryan County 50, Savannah Christian 33: Olonna Rawls poured in 22 points and 5 steals. Jay Black had 6 points and 13 rebounds. Shelby Gunn scored 8 points.

Hapeville Charter 47, South Atlanta 34: Jada Hardison had 22 points and 8 rebounds. Jer’maya Moore pitched in 13 points and 7 rebounds.

A-Private

No. 3 Holy Innocents 55, 4ANo. 1 Spalding 40: Jill Hollingshead posted 15 points. Freshman Marya Hudgins netted 12 points and Jada Farrell scored 11. Aniaya Jester led Spalding with 17 points.

No. 7 Calvary Day 46, Pinewood 40: Zhani Thompson (13), Charity Carter (12) and Mahkayla Premo (11) balanced the Lady Cavs offense.

No. 8 ELCA 65, Greenforest 41: Rice-signee India Bellamy poured in 32 points and Weronika Hipp netted 19 in the win. Taylor Barnett scored 6 points.

Prince Avenue 48, Apalachee 46: Karlee Armstrong (19), Maddi Britt (16) and Janie Henderson (11) carried the Wolverines.

Tallulah Falls 44, East Jackson 42: Haven Rollins scored 20 in defeat.

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 2 Girls Rankings

sportal

Class AAAAAAA

1. Collins Hill (4-0)
2. Westlake (2-0)
3. Cherokee (4-0)
4. Hillgrove (3-1)
5. Pebblebrook (3-0)
6. McEachern (1-1)
7. Grayson (4-1)
8. North Forsyth (2-1)
9. Norcross (1-4)
10. North Cobb (3-0)

Class AAAAAA

1. Lovejoy (3-2)
2. Forest Park (4-0)
3. Northview (2-0)
4. Lanier (5-0)
5. Stephenson (3-3)
6. Douglas County (1-2)
7. Valdosta (2-1)
8. Dacula (4-2)
9. Glynn Academy (3-0)
10. Pope (2-1)

Class AAAAA

1. Villa Rica (3-0)
2. Buford (3-0)
3. Harris County (3-0)
4. Southwest DeKalb (3-0)
5. Eagle’s Landing (2-2)
6. Rome (1-0)
7. Woodland-Stockbridge (3-2)
8. Carrollton (1-0)
9. Arabia Mountain (4-1)
10. Statesboro (4-0)

Class AAAA

1. Spalding (2-0)
2. Carver-Columbus (3-0)
3. Madison County (4-0)
4. Henry County (4-1)
5. Flowery Branch (1-1)
6. Luella (4-1)
7. West Laurens (2-0)
8. Westover (1-0)
9. Burke County (0-0)
10. Marist (2-1) 

Class AAA

1. Beach (3-0)
2. Johnson-Savannah (1-3)
3. Dawson County (3-0)
4. Jefferson (3-0)
5. Hart County (2-1)
6. Peach County (1-0)
7. GAC (1-2)
8. Morgan County (1-1)
9. Tattnall County (2-0)
10. Sonoraville (2-1) 

Class AA

1. Dodge County (1-0)
2. Swainsboro (1-0)
3. Rabun County (0-0)
4. Laney (2-1)
5. Early County (1-0)
6. Douglass (1-4)
7. Josey (1-2)
8. Fitzgerald (2-0)
9. Banks County (4-0)
10. Bryan County (2-0)

Class A-Private

1. Wesleyan (4-0)
2. St. Francis (2-0)
3. Holy Innocents’ (1-3)
4. Stratford Academy (2-0)
5. Paideia (4-0)
6. Lakeview Academy (2-2)
7. Calvary Day (2-0)
8. ELCA (1-2)
9. Athens Academy (3-1)
10. Darlington (2-0)

Class A-Public

1. Telfair County (1-0)
2. Wheeler County (1-1)
3. Marion County (0-0)
4. Georgia Military College (2-0)
5. Calhoun County (1-0)
6. Greenville (3-0)
7. Turner County (0-0)
8. Pelham (0-0)
9. Central-Talbotton (1-1)
10. Quitman County (2-0)

Class AAAAAAA is still trying to sort itself out early on in the season. No. 1 Collins Hill has a hold of the top spot but the pack is closing in. No. 9 Norcross, who drops three more spots, took Collins Hill to double overtime before falling 72-64. The Lady Blue couldn’t ride that momentum as they lost again to Class 6A No. 3 Northview 57-50. No. 3 Cherokee won an ugly low-scoring Keller Williams Classic Championship over host No. 8 North Forsyth 31-28. The Lady Warriors picked up the pace later in the week with an 80-43 rout of Mays. The bottom of the poll sees some teams on the climb after Brookwood (2-2) exits. The Lady Broncos were blown out by Class 5A No. 5 Eagle’s Landing 71-51 and by a young Sequoyah team 69-47. Brookwood’s slide from No. 4 to unranked opens the door for No. 4 Hillgrove and No. 5 Pebblebrook to round out the Top 5. Hillgrove suffered a 59-48 loss to Cherokee but bounced back with a 57-54 win over Class 2A No. 6 Douglass. Pebblebrook took care of Alexander 69-44 before beating Creekside 56-48. No. 6 McEachern rises three spots following a 67-52 win against Parkview while No. 7 Grayson does the same, beating last week’s No. 1 team in Class 3A, the defending state champs Johnson-Savannah 73-62. Debuting in the poll is No. 10 North Cobb. The Warriors have wins over Class 5A No. 9 Arabia Mountain 54-39, Class 4A No. 10 Marist 58-39 and Riverwood 45-24. They put their shiny new ranking on the line as they visit No. 3 Cherokee this Tuesday.

No. 1 Lovejoy lost both games at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest in Duncanville, Texas, but there is no need to panic in Class AAAAAA just yet. The Wildcats lost to DeSoto (TX) 53-36 and to Duncanville (TX) 43-39 while No. 2 Forest Park continued to make hay back in Georgia, dismantling Newton 49-22. Circle December 8th for not only the SportalShowcase, but for when Lovejoy visits Forest Park. The Panthers have the biggest frontline in Georgia going 6-foot-4, 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-2 with Destiny Thomas (UCF) and super sophomores Sania Feagin and Jasmine Stevens. They will test Lovejoy’s lack of major impactful size in the frontcourt. No. 3 Northview isn’t in the league of Lovejoy or Forest Park yet, but they picked up a 57-50 win over Class 7A No. 9 Norcross behind Asjah Inniss’ 18 points and the trio of Markiema Lancaster (13), Ashlee Austin (12 – Rice) and Maya Richards (10 – Charleston Southern). No. 6 Douglas County sinks two spots after struggling to score in a 43-40 loss to Class 5A No. 7 Woodland-Stockbridge. The Lady Tigers were tied at 30 heading into the fourth quarter before Clemson-signee Amari Robinson left the game and did not return for the final period for an undisclosed reason. She finished with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals and 1 block in three quarters of action. No. 5 Stephenson moves into the Top 5, bouncing back from a 60-49 loss to Class A-Private No. 1 Wesleyan to beat Class 3A No. 7 GAC 56-50. No. 7 Valdosta holds tight at No. 7 after losing to Class 5A No. 2 Buford 70-46 but beating Class 3A No. 2 Johnson-Savannah 55-53.

In Class AAAAA, No. 1 Villa Rica held off Class 3A No. 2 Johnson-Savannah 53-43 thanks to Kentucky-signee Deasia Merrill’s 17 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists. Just when it looked like No. 2 Buford could be sliding back to the pack, the Wolves earned statement wins over Class 6A No. 7 Valdosta 70-46 and Class 7A No. 7 Grayson 67-58 to prove they are still in the title hunt. No. 4 Southwest DeKalb defeated No. 7 Woodland-Stockbridge 69-57 after the Wolfpack edged Class 6A No. 6 Douglas County 43-40. No. 5 Eagle’s Landing fared well against Class 7A beating Brookwood 71-51 and Lambert 53-19 but struggled against the best in Class 4A losing to No. 2 Carver-Columbus 70-52 and No. 1 Spalding 60-53. No. 8 Carrollton tipped-off their season with a 51-33 drubbing of Fayette County. Lithia Springs (2-2) and Wayne County (2-1) exit the Top 10. The Lions lost to Alexander 47-39 while the Yellowjackets were stung by Class 2A No. 1 Dodge County 62-50. Cracking the poll are No. 9 Arabia Mountain and No. 10 Statesboro. The Rams, anchored by 6-foot Anderson-signee Kennedi Manning and tough combo guard Alina Shoemake, hold wins over Roswell (71-49), Marietta (48-39) and Woodstock (57-54) with their lone loss 54-39 to Class 7A No. 10 North Cobb. Statesboro is coming off a 62-26 win over Cross Creek.

No. 1 Spalding tipped-off their Class AAAA title defense by beating Langston Hughes 54-38 and Class 5A No. 5 Eagle’s Landing 60-53. No. 2 Carver-Columbus answered with a 70-52 victory against Eagle’s Landing. No. 3 Henry County is hitting their groove as well. The Warhawks went 3-0 at the Beach Bash at Gulf Shores and returned home to beat Ramsay (AL) 60-49. 5-foot-9 senior guard Briana Juniel has proven to be an immediate difference maker for Henry County. The transfer from Sacramento already has 1,300+ points in her career and has been picking up major D-I interest. After spending a week out of the poll, No. 6 Luella shoots right back in to replace Baldwin (1-1), who was beat 64-42 by Jones County. Luella scored wins over Dutchtown 56-42 and Class 2A Preseason No. 1 Josey 65-48. Freshman Paris Miller posted 26 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists against Josey while junior Keely Brown has been averaging 21 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals.

Defending Class AAA state champion No. 2 Johnson-Savannah slides one spot after their 1-3 start. The Atomsmashers have tested themselves but have come up short thus far, losing to Class 7A No. 7 Grayson 73-62, Class 6A No. 7 Valdosta 55-53 and to Class 5A No. 1 Villa Rica 53-43. You won’t find a tougher start to the season in Class 3A considering that Johnson now travels to crosstown rival No. 1 Beach on Tuesday. The Atomsmashers come in much more battletested than the Bulldogs who have beaten up on Bradwell Institute 62-52 and May River (SC) 75-39. No. 4 Jefferson shoots up six spots after beating No. 5 Hart County 64-54 to win the Tabo’s Tip-Off Classic Championship. Sophomore Livi Blackstock was named tournament MVP after scoring 15 points in the title game in support of freshman Natalia Bolden’s 18. The Dragonettes withstood a 27-point outburst from Western Kentucky-signee Torrion Starks. Inactive Cook (0-0) exits the poll temporarily and is replaced by No. 9 Tattnall County who has wins over New Hampstead 66-35 and at Effingham County 53-44. The Warriors are powered inside by 5-foot-10 senior post Kayla Garrett.

Having a newfound target on their back in Class AA hasn’t gone so well for No. 7 Josey, who sinks four more spots. The Eagles have played pretty good competition, earning a 66-49 win over Class 7A North Gwinnett but losing to Class 4A No. 6 Luella 65-48. Josey opened the season with a 68-43 loss to Class 6A No. 7 Valdosta. The Eagles’ two blow out losses look bad in comparison to No. 6 Douglass who climbs three spots after three losses. No one in Class 2A has even come close to challenging themselves like the Lady Astros have. Even though they went 0-3 last week, no one can say they’ve played as well as the Stros did. Douglass lost 51-50 to Class 7A No. 8 North Forsyth, 57-54 to Class 7A No. 4 Hillgrove and 62-53 to Class 4A No. 5 Flowery Branch. All of Douglass’ pretty losses won’t mean a thing if they can’t handle their business in Class 2A play, but their results point to a team being able to compete with anybody on any given day. Jacksonville State-signee Nekiyah Thompson and the rest of the Astros are more than able to run the table the rest of the regular season. No. 1 Dodge County knocked Class 5A Wayne County from the Top 10 with a 62-50 victory paced by Destanee Wright’s 23 points and Europe Brown’s 19. No. 2 Swainsboro went on the road to crush Dublin 71-35. No. 4 Laney creeps up another spot even after seeing their 64-game winning streak snapped in a blowout loss against North Augusta (SC). No. 3 Rabun County and No. 9 Banks County will have golden opportunities to snag resume building wins at the North Georgia Showcase. Rabun County battles North Forsyth while Banks County takes on Class 3A No. 3 Dawson County.

No. 1 Wesleyan continues to cruise in Class A-Private, beating Class 6A No. 5 Stephenson 60-49 and Class 6A No. 10 Pope 69-42. No. 8 ELCA plummets five spots after a rough start to the season, losing to McMinn Central (TN) 60-46 and Collierville (TN) 74-49 at the Bradley Central Thanksgiving Tournament. The Chargers only had six players available and are dealing with eligibility issues. No. 4 Stratford Academy jumps two spots after wins over No. 9 Athens Academy 70-47 and Prince Avenue 55-35, who exits the poll (0-2) after also losing to Rutland 47-46. Also departing is Landmark Christian (1-3). The War Eagles lost 67-38 to Creekside. Into the rankings are No. 7 Calvary Day and No. 10 Darlington. Calvary Day has been one of the most consistent winners in Class A-Private, posting a 27-3 record a year ago. The Cavaliers have wins over Evans 65-40 and Islands 58-25 to open the year. Darlington has beaten Armuchee 71-40 and Calhoun 52-22.

Class A-Public may have a new title challenger in No. 4 Georgia Military. The Bulldogs were 10-0 to open last year with Deandria Stephens before she lost eligibility. Stephens is back for her sophomore season and has GMC rolling again, upping her average to 18 points per game early on. If she is able to make an impact all season, the Bulldogs are likely to improve upon last year’s 24-4 mark. They have already hammered First Presbyterian Day 63-19 and Tattnall Square 57-24. No. 2 Wheeler County looked human in an ugly 35-32 win over Jeff Davis. Defending champs No. 6 Greenville have wins over Shaw 69-61 and Kendrick 70-42 to highlight their opening week. Bowdon (1-2) exits the poll after losses to Central-Carrollton 46-45 and Bremen 60-55. The Sheryl Brown era is off to a rocky start at Taylor County (0-2). Legendary Head Coach Matt Troutman is gone and so are the wins for the Vikings, losing 59-17 to Heard County and failing to score in the second half against Upson-Lee in a 71-13 disaster. Entering the Top 10 are No. 9 Central-Talbotton and No. 10 Quitman County. Both teams have wins over Jordan, Central cruising 64-33 and Quitman winning 65-46. Central lost 56-42 at Class 5A No. 3 Harris County.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 2 Boys Rankings

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Class AAAAAAA

1. McEachern (3-0)
2. Meadowcreek (3-1)
3. Wheeler (3-1)
4. Discovery (5-1)
5. Grayson (5-1)
6. Norcross (1-2)
7. Westlake (3-2)
8. Lambert (4-0)
9. Pebblebrook (3-1)
10. Peachtree Ridge (3-1)

Class AAAAAA

1. Tri-Cities (2-1)
2. Alexander (2-1)
3. Coffee (1-0)
4. North Atlanta (2-1)
5. Langston Hughes (1-2)
6. Heritage-Conyers (2-1)
7. Tucker (4-2)
8. South Cobb (2-1)
9. Mundy’s Mill (3-0)
10. Dacula (0-3)

Class AAAAA

1. Southwest DeKalb (2-1)
2. Buford (3-0)
3. Fayette County (2-1)
4. Lithonia (4-2)
5. Eagle’s Landing (0-1)
6. Columbia (3-0)
7. Carrollton (1-0)
8. Woodland-Stockbridge (2-2)
9. Hiram (2-1)
10. Cedar Shoals (0-2)

Class AAAA

1. Upson-Lee (2-0)
2. St. Pius X (2-1)
3. Sandy Creek (3-1)
4. Woodward Academy (1-1)
5. Henry County (3-0)
6. Baldwin (1-1)
7. Carver-Columbus (0-2)
8. Westover (0-1)
9. LaFayette (2-0)
10. Americus-Sumter (1-0)

Class AAA

1. Morgan County (2-0)
2. GAC (0-3)
3. Johnson-Savannah (0-1)
4. Cedar Grove (1-0)
5. Pace Academy (3-0)
6. Westside-Macon (1-0)
7. Dawson County (2-1)
8. Liberty County (2-1)
9. Hart County (2-1)
10. East Hall (2-2)

Class AA

1. Woodville-Tompkins (2-0)
2. Therrell (0-2)
3. Washington County (0-0)
4. Thomasville (2-0)
5. Metter (0-0)
6. Swainsboro (1-0)
7. Northeast-Macon (1-1)
8. South Atlanta (1-0)
9. Elbert County (0-0)
10. Glenn Hills (3-0)

Class A-Private

1. St. Francis (2-2)
2. Mt. Bethel (2-2)
3. Greenforest (1-1)
4. ELCA (0-1)
5. Trinity Christian (3-2)
6. Holy Innocents’ (1-2)
7. Walker (2-0)
8. Lakeview Academy (2-1)
9. Mt. Pisgah (3-1)
10. Darlington (0-0)

Class A-Public

1. Wilkinson County (0-0)
2. Georgia Military College (1-1)
3. Drew Charter (5-3)
4. Macon County (0-0)
5. Treutlen (1-0)
6. Wilcox County (1-0)
7. Lanier County (2-0)
8. Calhoun County (1-0)
9. Pelham (0-0)
10. Greene County (0-0)

There is some early movement among the Class AAAAAAA Top 10. No. 3 Wheeler has quickly become one of the hottest teams in the state, climbing two spots after scoring wins over GISA superpower Holy Spirit Prep 76-68 in overtime before beating defending Class 3A state champion No. 2 GAC 76-66. The Wildcats benefit from No. 5 Grayson’s first loss of the year. After beating Class 6A No. 10 Dacula 66-54, the Rams lost at the Jared Cook Classic to debutant No. 10 Peachtree Ridge. The Lions have followed the lead of first-year Head Coach Marcus Diggs seamlessly. Peachtree Ridge has wins over Grayson 57-56 and Dacula 90-83. The Lions’ only loss came in wild fashion to No. 8 Lambert 88-80 in overtime after Mitch Ganote forced the extra period off a missed free throw and put-back at the buzzer while Colin Granger scored a career-high 42 points. Out of the rankings is Mountain View (3-1). The Bears fell 51-36 to undefeated Berkmar, who flies under the radar for at least one more week. No. 6 Norcross has yet to win a game against in-state competition, but their 78-64 win over Bishop Snyder (FL) could prove to be a springboard as they try to find chemistry. No. 7 Westlake beat Class 5A No. 4 Lithonia 74-69 before dropping to Holy Spirit Prep 72-61.

Class AAAAAA sees No. 1 Tri-Cities survive another week atop the rankings. The Bulldogs rallied from down 41-19 at the half against No. 4 North Atlanta to ultimately stun the Warriors in overtime 90-81. Tri-Cities wasn’t as fortunate against Class 5A No. 4 Lithonia, losing 76-72. After a humbling season opening loss to national power Mountain Brook (AL), No. 2 Alexander rebounded with a pair of wins at the Spartan Turkey Jam in Birmingham, Alabama. They beat Northridge (AL) 69-52 and Sacred Heart (AL) 72-38. No. 8 South Cobb beat Huntsville (AL) 68-55 following their 74-40 loss to Mountain Brook at the Turkey Jam. No. 5 Langston Hughes survived Class 4A No. 7 Carver-Columbus 86-79 in double overtime behind Tyrel Morgan’s 26 points and 11 rebounds and Patrick Carter Jr.’s 24 points and 5 rebounds. The Panthers dropped a heartbreaker to Class A-Private No. 3 Greenforest 62-60 at Holiday Hoopsgiving. No. 10 Dacula is having déjà vu, digging themselves another early hole to start the season. The offensively talented Falcons sink six spots and are now 0-3 with recent losses coming against Class 7A No. 2 Meadowcreek 66-48 and Class 7A No. 10 Peachtree Ridge 90-83. Minus three starters, two coming off the football field this week, Sequoyah (1-2) could not handle their premature Top 10 ranking. The Chiefs rallied behind Jacksen Greco’s 29 points but fell short against Marietta 68-63. Sequoyah laid an egg the following day vs. Pope, getting blasted 97-54. Once Myles McGee and DJ King return to the court, the Chiefs’ upside can be properly measured. Sequoyah is replaced by No. 9 Mundy’s Mill. The Tigers are off to a quick start with unsigned 6-foot-5 senior wing Rayquan Brown and 6-foot-7 Jordan Black leading the charge. Brown averaged 29.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks through his first two games while Black scored 19 points and 6-foot-5 post DeMarcus Fannin averaged 12.5 points and 12.5 rebounds. Mundy’s Mill’s 80-71 win at Luella is their best to date. They have a favorable schedule heading into their December 8th showdown at the SportalShowcase against South Paulding.

The tug-o-war has begun in Class AAAAA, as No. 1 Southwest DeKalb reclaims the No. 1 ranking after a statement 79-69 win over Class 7A No. 6 Norcross at Holiday Hoopsgiving – without three transfers, Maurice Harvey and Terrence Edwards key starters sitting out. Eugene Brown III caught fire from deep, hitting 7 threes en route to 25 points to pace the Panthers. Brown earned offers from Xavier and Kennesaw State – Yes, Kennesaw State – after the game. KD Johnson piled in 23 points, 8 assists and 5 steals while James Glisson III posted 18 points and 4 steals. No. 2 Buford has been no slouch either. They slide back behind Southwest DeKalb but the Wolves beat South Gwinnett 67-58 and Stephenson 93-45 to win the Parkview Tip-Off Classic. No. 4 Lithonia is up a spot after a busy week. The Bulldogs beat Milton in overtime 70-63, drilled No. 10 Cedar Shoals 57-40 – who tumbles four spots – lost to Class 7A No. 7 Westlake 74-69 and capped off the week with a 76-72 win over Class 6A No. 1 Tri-Cities. After an 0-2 start, No. 8 Woodland-Stockbridge has quickly regained its footing, beating Class 6A No. 7 Tucker 60-59 and Douglass 69-60. Maynard Jackson’s time in the poll was short lived. The Jags (2-2) dropped back-to-back games to Dutchtown 60-47 and newly ranked Class 2A No. 8 South Atlanta 77-41. No. 9 Hiram replaces Maynard Jackson. The reigning semifinalist has re-tooled with 2020 guard JaVyen Brown, a McEachern transfer and 2020 three-point specialist Arshad Crepsac, who also started his high school career at McEachern. Crepsac has seen an increased role offensively this season while 6-foot-8 center Nathan Presnell is still one of Georgia’s best big men. Their only loss came in overtime to Campbell 80-77.

Over in Class AAAA, No. 1 Upson-Lee began their title defense with wins over Taylor County (72-43) and Lamar County (71-38) to run the two-time state champs’ winning streak to 65. No. 2 St. Pius X lost to Mountain Brook (AL) 57-41 after the nationally ranked program drilled Class 6A ranked teams Alexander and South Cobb. No. 3 Sandy Creek edged Class 3A No. 2 GAC 70-66. No. 4 Woodward Academy beat The Heritage School 63-58 as Walker Kessler went for 17 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists and 9 blocks. No. 5 Henry County is up another spot after two more impressive wins. The Warhawks hammered Valdosta 53-26 and knocked off Class A-Public No. 3 Drew Charter 58-42. No. 10 Americus-Sumter handled their business against Lee County 71-63 in their season opener, Josh Lusane posting 17 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks.

After being knocked off their perch in the Class AAA Final Four as No. 2 GAC sank 13 threes, No. 1 Morgan County is finally back on top of the poll. The Bulldogs shined at Holiday Hoopsgiving, beating Class 7A No. 9 Pebblebrook 70-64 and Class A-Private No. 1 St. Francis 82-67. The three-headed senior backcourt of Stevin Greene, Tyrin Lawrence and Austin Peay-signee Alec Woodard overwhelmed the opposition. Against Pebblebrook, Woodard finished with 23 points and 5 rebounds while Tyrin Lawrence had 18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Greene chipped in 18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. In their win over St. Francis, Greene was on fire from deep, the 5-foot-9 point guard dropping in 29 points while Lawrence scored 19 and Woodard netted 17. As everything clicked for the Bulldogs, GAC saw their difficult non-region schedule lend them a 0-3 start. The defending state champs lost 70-66 to Class 4A No. 3 Sandy Creek and to Class 7A No. 3 Wheeler 76-66. Hunter McIntosh poured in 28 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists against Wheeler, but the absence of 6-foot-5 post Chris Hinton has been glaring inside for the Spartans to start the year. New-look No. 3 Johnson-Savannah opened the season with a 65-53 loss to Lanier (AL) at Holiday Hoopsgiving. Emondre Bowles scored 18 points and Brandon Harris netted 16. No. 6 Westside-Macon is up three spots after beating Pike County 97-52, but more so because of the losses in front of them. No. 7 Dawson County slips a spot after losing to Cumberland Christian 75-64. No. 10 East Hall is down three spots after falling to newly ranked No. 9 Hart County 78-60 at the Tabo’s Tip-Off Classic. The Bulldogs earned an 87-77 win over Walnut Grove after losing their tournament opener to Berkmar 73-59. Hart County replaces Redan (1-3), who lost 63-58 to Alpharetta.

There is a new number one in Class AA. No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins earns its first top ranking in school history after punishing Class 6A Bradwell Institute 91-51. All-State guard Preston Crisp dumped in 32 points followed by Bernard Pelote’s 17, Deante Green’s 11 and freshman Alfred Coaxum’s 10. For comparison, Class 6A No. 6 Heritage-Conyers only beat Bradwell 52-39. No. 2 Therrell blew a 64-51 lead heading into the fourth quarter against Class A-Private No. 6 Holy Innocents’ at Holiday Hoopsgiving to lose 91-85 in overtime. 6-foot-5 sophomore Robbie Armbrester was unstoppable inside, hanging 28 points and 18 rebounds while Ra’Sean Frederick added 18 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals. The Panthers have one glaring achilles heel however – no shooters. The loss of DeAndre Brown to Holy Spirit Prep was apparent against Holy Innocents’ as Therrell scored 70 points in the paint, 25 points off turnovers, 22 second chance points and 22 fast break points, but the Panthers got just 9 points off the bench, shot 1-of-9 from three (the one coming at the buzzer from Roman Son to force OT) and just 8-of-21 from the foul line. Holy Innocents’ only led for 2 minutes and 24 seconds the entire game. If Therrell can’t find floor spacers or help off the bench, the Panthers could run into trouble against teams that can match their physicality and pack it in and rebound. Elsewhere in the state, Dublin (0-1) and Chattooga (1-2) exit the Top 10. Dublin was defeated by No. 6 Swainsboro 75-63 at home. Chattooga, missing three of their top seven players, have battled a lack of practice and participation stemmed by injuries. They finished 1-2 at the Dalton Invitational with a pair of losses to Tennessee (TN) and Morristown-Hamblen East (TN). Into the poll is longtime heavyweight No. 8 South Atlanta. Expected to go through a rebuilding process, Coach Michael Reddick’s team had none of it as they walloped Class 5A Maynard Jackson 77-41, knocking the Jaguars from the Top 10 after Ja’Quavian Florence dropped 28 points and John Lawton scored 15. Also debuting is No. 10 Glenn Hills, another team expected to have an extreme makeover after graduating a massive class. Juniors 6-foot-7 Eman Jones and 6-foot-5 John Whitehead are developing into two of the area’s best prospects and most exciting players to watch. The Spartans get a big Region 4 test as they host 2-0 Butler on Tuesday.

For another week, Class A-Private will belong to No. 1 St. Francis, but the margin of error is dwindling. The Knights were outgunned by an experienced senior-laden Class 3A No. 1 Morgan County team 82-67. No. 2 Mt. Bethel could have moved into the top spot, but a less than dominant 65-61 win over Miller Grove and a 59-55 loss to Lanier (AL) gives the Knights one more week atop the heap. No. 3 Greenforest played well at Holiday Hoopsgiving, beating Class 6A No. 5 Langston Hughes 62-60 before falling to Class 7A No. 9 Pebblebrook 57-51. No. 6 Holy Innocents’ looked poised to move into the top five after beating Class 2A No. 2 Therrell 91-85 in overtime, but a shaky 52-50 loss to Sacred Heart (AL) keeps them stuck in neutral. Whitefield Academy (1-2) is a casualty this week after losing 57-47 to Hillgrove then a bad 72-37 loss to North Cobb. They are replaced by No. 9 Mt. Pisgah. The Patriots floated near the bottom of the poll early last season but never gained enough traction to stick. James Madison-signee Quinn Richey is averaging 20.3 points and 8 rebounds while Chandler Minton and Chase Tucker both average over 13 points per game in support. 6-foot-7 sophomore Nate Gordon could be developing into a difference maker, averaging 7.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4 blocks early in the season. The Patriots’ best win came to open the year against Centennial in overtime, 77-71.

Moving up a spot in Class A-Public is No. 3 Drew Charter. The Eagles won the North Forsyth Keller Williams Classic Championship by beating Class A-Private No. 8 Lakeview Academy 66-65 and in the title game, Cherokee 59-55 behind Furman-signee Marcus Foster’s 24 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. No. 2 Georgia Military clings onto their second position after blowing a double-digit lead to Evans, 65-60. No. 5 Treutlen looked like the Vikings of old, running McIntosh County Academy out of the gym 89-50. No. 7 Lanier County beat MCA 71-54.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

Statewide Recap 11-24-18

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BOYS


AAAAAAA

No. 1 McEachern 72, Carver (AL) 52: Sharife Cooper posted 18 points, 7 rebounds and 11 assists. Jared Jones had 12 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. Isaac Okoro and Alyn Breed each scored 12 points.

Wasatch Academy (UT) 75, No. 2 Meadowcreek 67: Tre Williams (22), Richie Saunders (18) and Mike Saunders (15) did the damage for the Utah basketball factory. UAB-signee Jalen Benjamin scored 25 for Meadowcreek. USF-signee Jamir Chaplin (17) and Temple-signee Damian Dunn (10) scored in double digits.

No. 3 Grayson 49, Wenonah (AL) 42: The Rams gutted out a low scoring game behind Deivon Smith’s 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks.  Ashton Malone scored 8 points. Josh Smith tallied 7 points and 5 rebounds while Reco Hallmon had 5 points and 5 boards.

No. 5 Wheeler 76, 3ANo. 1 GAC 66: Charles Smith IV netted 20 points and Roscoe Eastmond had 20 points and 5 assists in the win. Sam Hines added 10 points and 15 rebounds. Malachi Rhodes and Kenny Burns scored 10 apiece. Hunter McIntosh went for 28 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in the loss for GAC. Roy Dixon scored 14 and Ben Sheppard had 12.

No. 10 Pebblebrook 57, A-PrivateNo. 3 Greenforest 51: Devin Gordon dropped in 24 points and Jalen Harper had 14 in the win. Anthony Boyd led Greenforest with 13.

South Gwinnett 83, Siegel (TN) 58: Zawdie Jackson finished with 19 points and 5 assists in the win. Jaheim Hudson had 14 points and 5 rebounds while Max Harris chipped in 14 points and 3 assists. Gerald Tillman added 11 points and 2 assists.

South Forsyth 74, Denmark 50: Devin McGlockton double-doubled with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Jefferson Stepp netted 17 points.

AAAAAA

No. 5 North Atlanta 64, Creekside 52: Campbell-signee Messiah Thompson had 17 points and 7 assists. Josh Johnson added 14 points and 5 rebounds while Andrew Robinson chipped in 11 points and 4 rebounds. Michael Ashley produced 9 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. Jarontez Garrett had 9 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals. Koby Isaac led Creekside with 19 points and 5 rebounds. Devin Bell scored 11 points. Josh Favors finished with 10 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists while John Moliere had 7 points and 9 rebounds.

Evans 65, A-PublicNo. 2 Georgia Military 60: Cam Cabarrus scored 20 of his 23 points in the second half to rally the Knights past GMC and move to 4-0.

Houston County 74, Mary Persons 72: Charles Brown netted 21 points. HB Morgan scored 10. TJ Morgan (9) and Austin Sloan (7) chipped in for the Bears. Mary Persons saw Dee Morton score 26 points. Dre Zellner (13), Ty Bouie (13) and Brandon Hogan (11) all cracked double digits.

AAAAA

No. 5 Lithonia 76, 6ANo. 1 Tri-Cities 72: Eric Gaines scored 24 points while Brison Rockcliffe and Justin Myles scored 17 apiece as the Bulldogs knocked off No. 1 Tri-Cities.

Chamblee 68, Spalding 58: Zachery Mackson piled in 29 points followed by Rodney Smith’s 23.

AAAA

No. 6 Henry County 58, A-PublicNo. 4 Drew Charter 42: Josh Steele finished with 17 points and 4 rebounds. Lay Davis added 14 points and 8 rebounds. Wisdom Uboh totaled 11 points, 5 rebounds and 10 assists.

Cross Creek 83, Harlem 45: Eric Gore scored 21 points and Kobe Stewart netted 18.

Grady 81, Mays 79 2OT: Michael Stevens scored 20 points to pace Grady. Jaylen Dunham had 16 points while Dewan Wright had 12 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals. Jeff Riddle added 10 points and Kyle Hanson scored 7. Mays got 28 points from Marvin McGhee.

Rabun Gap (NC) 63, Eastside 54: Caleb Woods scored 14 and Kenney Garrick had 12 in the loss.

AAA

No. 5 Pace Academy 47, Starr’s Mill 37: Cole Middleton collected 14 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks for the Knights. Josh Mininberg hit 3 threes on his way to 11 points. Reign Watkins (9) and Myles Todd (7) provided an offensive lift. Jamaine Mann powered Starr’s Mill with 14 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks. Daryl Rice added 10 points and Navy-signee Nate Allison mustered 8 points and 8 rebounds.

AA

No. 6 Northeast-Macon 71, Rutland 50: Darius Dunn hung 25 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals. Ty’Ree Gilbert added 8 points and 3 rebounds. Jordan Stephens led Rutland with 20 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Marco Hughes tossed in 9 points, 3 assists and 4 steals.

South Atlanta 77, 5ANo. 9 Maynard Jackson 41: The Hornets boat raced the Jaguars behind Ja’Quavian Florence (28) and John Lawton (15).

Banks County 83, Stephens County 78: Carl Cleveland ignited the Leopards en route to scoring his 1,000th career point. The junior exploded for 45 points.

A-Private

Lanier (AL) 59, No. 2 Mt. Bethel 54: Antwan Burnett and Rongie Gordon powered Lanier with 17 and 13 points, respectively. In the loss, Stanley Eze scored 17 points and Jordan Meka totaled 15.

Mt. Pisgah 79, Hebron Christian 60: James Madison-signee Quinn Richey (18), Nate Gordon (16) and Chandler Minton (15) led a balanced Patriots attack.

A-Public

Bowdon 91, Dade County 58: Chris Parker poured in 32 points. Dusty Hopson netted 15 while Kolton Drummond and Cam Buchanan scored 8 apiece. Seth Farmer netted 7.

 

GIRLS

AAAAAAA

No. 1 Collins Hill 58, Sandy Creek 48: Jordan Releford (18), Katherine Fourie (13) and UGA-signee Javyn Nicholson (11) led the Eagles.

No. 3 Cherokee 80, Mays 43: Kate Johnson (13), Sydne Watts (12), Olivia Herrera (10) , Lacie McCoy (10) and Gracie Mixson (9) overwhelmed Mays.

AAAAAA

No. 8 Dacula 60, Peachtree Ridge 52: Aiyana Hamilton erupted for 26 points and 9 rebounds. Lazaria Spearman posted 15 points and 16 rebounds.

No. 9 Pope 79, East Coweta 52: Cheyenne Holloman scored 24 points and Abby McKinley netted 22. Teya Holloman tallied 16 points and 13 assists.

AAAAA

No. 1 Villa Rica 53, 3ANo. 1 Johnson-Savannah 43: Kentucky-signee Deasia Merrill overwhelmed the Atomsmashers with 17 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists. Tee Windom added 12 points. Aliyah Hindsman contributed 11 points and 6 rebounds.

No. 3 Harris County 72, Rockdale County 45: Ny’Azjha Carter poured in 27 points to pace the Tigers. Taziaha Fanning posted 17 points and ZiKeyah Carter-Ransom added 12.

Cass 69, Clarkston 35: Londaisha Smith and Claire Davis scored 14 points apiece for the Lady Colonels. Ariana Hames scored 9 points followed by 7 points each from Sharia Wade and Brianna Stephenson.

 

AAAA

No. 5 Flowery Branch 62, 2ANo. 9 Douglass 53: Ashlee Locke was a difference maker inside with 22 points. Caroline Wysocki netted 17 followed by Ashley Scott (11) and Ashley Woodroffe (10).

Northwest Whitfield 55, Coahulla Creek 36: Jada Griffin dumped in 17 points. Ally Morrow led Coahulla Creek with 12 points.

AAA

AA

No. 1 Dodge County 62, 5ANo. 9 Wayne County 50: Destanee Wright scored her 1,000th point of her career en route to 23 on the night. Europe Brown netted 19. Kylie Hart scored 8 and Lesha Mitchell added 7.

No. 8 Banks County 62, Stephens County 35: GCSU-signee Jaycie Bowen broke out to score her 1,000th career point during her 29-point outburst. Kailynn Gilstrap scored 11 points. Heather Vaughan, Amber Williams and Kennedy Smith all scored 6 points.

A-Private

Charles Henderson (AL) 54, No. 4 Holy Innocents’ 52: Maori Davenport had 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks in the win while Niaira Jones (15) and Tatyana Siler (12) broke double figures. In the loss Marya Hudgins finished with 13 points and 8 rebounds. Cierra Foster posted 10 points and 6 rebounds. Rachel Suttle chipped in 9 points and 8 rebounds. Jada Farrell collected 8 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists while Jillian Hollingshead was held to 8 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists.