Category Archives: Girls Recaps

Game Night Recap 11-29


PRO Movement
Store Banner

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

Milton 84, No. 6 Pebblebrook 79: Josh Dixon went off for 37 points. Devan Rush added 19 points and Seth Fitzgerald scored 9. Avery White contributed 8 points while Roman Atlow chipped in 6.

Collins Hill 67, Hebron Christian 51: In the loss, Jelani Mason had 17 points and 5 rebounds. MaTaj Glover added 16 points and 5 assists.

Mountain View 81, Discovery 56: Mike White (17), QJ Jones (16), Bronson Blair (13) and Richard Rojas (11) powered the Bears. KT Sherman and Jah-Mel Bruce added 7 apiece.

Cherokee 85, Woodstock 48: Tayden Owens finished with 21 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. Lawrence Sanford posted 16 points, 4 assists and 3 steals while Cameron Pope collected 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 block. Mason Bennett (9), Dastin Hart (8) and Braylin Giddens (6) all pitched in on offense.

Buford 70, Harrison 40: Harrison was led by Jordan Howe’s 20 points.

North Cobb 66, Allatoona 42: Evan Daniel scored 19 points. Mekhi Sherman had 9. Damonte Pellot tallied 8 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists while Jalan Johnson racked up 8 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Gio Harris netted 8 points.

Lambert 68, Mill Creek 49: Keenan Gagen posted 31 points and 4 assists. Freshman William Dopfer collected 16 points and 11 rebounds. Niko Wilson tallied 10 points and 4 assists. Continue reading Game Night Recap 11-29

Game Night Recap 11-18


PRO Movement
Store Banner

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

Osborne 81, Banneker 32: Akai Fleming paced the Cardinals with 17 points. Justin McCarter and Keshawn McPherson scored 16 points apiece. Maquis Copney added 10 points.

Duluth 74, Clarkston 47: David Culbreath (16), Mike Sharpless (13) and Shep Smedlund (8) balanced the attack.

Kennesaw Mountain 59, Lassiter 56: Hayden Hall scored 17 points followed by Elijah Ford’s 16 points and Jake Whitaker’s 15.

Brookwood 56, Discovery 43: Christian Reid paced the Broncos with 19 points. Nate Daniel had 8 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks while Evan Dunston scored 8 points. Alex Young, RJ Williams and Jason Johnson all netted 6 points.

Campbell 87, Stephenson 62: David Clark went for 29 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocks. Isaiah Stone (17), Sharif Mosley (14), Kaylay Robertson (11) and Fe’Royre High (9) paced the offense. Continue reading Game Night Recap 11-18

Game Night Recap 11-15


PRO Movement
Store Banner

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 3 Grayson 86, A D-INo. 1 King’s Ridge 68: Gicarri Harris went for 19 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists. Anthony Alston (14), CJ Hyland (12) and Kayden Allen (10) all reached double figures. Alabama A&M-signee Chad Moodie double-doubled with 12 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block.

Hillgrove 70, 4ANo. 10 Holy Innocents’ 64: Holy Innocents’ was led by Will Hopkins’ 21 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks. Freshman Devin Hutcherson added 18 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks. Harrison Verlander and PJ Mace scored 8 points apiece. Caleb Wilson was held to 6 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Denmark 50, Mountain View 48:  Keinan McFarlande scored 18 points. Mountain View was led by Mike White’s 17 points and Bronson Blair’s 14.

Brookwood 68, Winder-Barrow 59:  Christian Reid had 14 points and 3 assists. RJ Williams finished with 13 points and 4 assists. Alex Young double-doubled with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

West Forsyth 48, Mill Creek 44: Will Moore had 16 points and 4 rebounds while Lachlan Povenz scored 10 points and Braden Halloran netted 8. Mill Creek was led by Jonathan Taylor’s 17 points and 4 assists. Nate Eroh collected 11 points and 9 rebounds.

Archer 63, South Forsyth 38: Kahmare Holmes had 13 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals. Elijah Davis posted 9 points and Bryce Kennedy chipped in 7 points and 5 rebounds.

Cherokee 84, Centennial 71: Cameron Pope (24), Lawrence Sanford (19) and Tayden Owens (16) charged the attack. Braylin Giddens added 11 points.

Class AAAAAA

Woodward Academy 69, Griffin 66: Brandon Peters posted 23 points and 4 rebounds. Deke Cooper added 13 points, 4 rebounds and 1 block.

Creekview 59, Cass 54: Luke Godwin finished with 18 points and 5 rebounds followed by Luke Jack’s 17 points and 5 rebounds. Nolan Tricker added 10 points and 5 rebounds.

North Atlanta 56, Midtown 52: Josh Griffith posted 28 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Josiah Coleman had 11 points, 6 rebounds and 1 block. Joshua Goode tallied 7 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

Douglas County 75, Banneker 42: Shamar Echols (11), Authur Johnson (9) and Khalid Racine (9) led the Tigers.

Class AAAAA

No. 6 Mays 54, 7ANo. 7 Berkmar 44: Mykel Williams led the charge with 27 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Derron Lindsey had 16 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Bryan Glass added 8 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Chamblee 56, Roswell 55: In the loss, Will Petteys scored 14 points. Robby Hunter had 12 while Michael Duncan and Jaylen Nelson pitched in 10 points apiece.

Class AAAA

Class AAA

No. 4 Beach 72, South Effingham 60: Shamarrie Hugie posted 22 points. James Leach had 15 points, Chandler Reid 13 and Tyrese Bellamy 9.

Bremen 51, Pepperell 28:  Cade Costanzo finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals. Carson Ballew and Sully Senft each scored 7 points.

Class AA

Providence Christian 67, Lakeside-DeKalb 63: Thomas Malcolm finished with 20 points and 8 rebounds. Devin Long tallied 17 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists. Samuel Thacker scored 15 points while Kamron Carryl tacked on 12 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists.

Walker 48, Lassiter 34: 6-foot-8 freshman Moustapha Diop put up 17 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks. Noah Pederson scored 9 points. Andrew Carey had 8 points and 6 rebounds.

East Jackson 58, Lumpkin County 46: Hunter Cooper scored 13 points and Cal Faulkner added 10 in the loss.

Athens Academy 63, West Hall 58: Isaac Rorey tallied 17 points, 4 rebounds and 10 assists. Justen Goudelock scored 16 points and Westbrook Adams had 15. Kymel Williams totaled 13 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.

Mt. Paran 57, Fellowship Christian 34: Cameron Hewling had 18 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals while Tony LoPresti scored 8 points.

Class A D-I

No. 9 Woodville-Tompkins 59, Richmond Hill 56: Alfonzo Ross dropped in 17 points and Terrence Bush scored 10.

Class A D-II

Non-GHSA

Cumberland Christian 73, Arlington Christian 71: In the loss, Ethan Carter hung 28 points. Davon Aikens (12), Cameron Catholic (11), Jayden London (9) and Noah Henderson (8) balanced the attack.

 

GIRLS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 1 Brookwood 67, Winder-Barrow 20: UAB-signee Jade Weathersby had 14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 6 steals. Danielle Osho scored 14 points while Ohio State-signee Diana Collins tallied 12 points and 5 assists. Kennedy Daniels added 8 points and 5 steals.

No. 3 Norcross 63, A D-INo. 1 Galloway 59: Jania Akins scored 23 points while Veronaye Charlton (18) and Mariyah Valrie (12) combined for 30.

Grayson 66, Mays 46: Tatum Brown dumped in 27 points. Jyahni Smith chipped in 14.

North Cobb 49, Etowah 48: Chisom Eziomume scored at the buzzer, part of her 8 points to win the game. Sonia Velez led the way with 11 points. Erinne Giles scored 9 and Armani Shaw chipped in 8 points.

Denmark 58, Mountain View 33: Hannah Lopez poured in 23 points while Emma Hempker added 16. Naomi Manoj hit 3 threes en route to 13 points.

West Forsyth 54, Mill Creek 48: In the loss, freshman Bella Ragone posted 19 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals. Kayla Harper had 8 points and 7 rebounds.

Class AAAAAA

No. 6 North Forsyth 61, Forsyth Central 24: Valdosta State-signee Erin Whalen netted 16 points. London Weaver provided 14 points and freshman Gabbie Gliatta tossed in 11.

No. 9 New Manchester 46, 5ANo. 5 Hiram 42 OT: Freshman Andrea Guilford piled in 19 points. Kyara Lawrence posted 13 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists.

Johns Creek 44, Chattahoochee 39: Nylah Nuri recorded 14 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals. Grace Landeck netted 12 points and Meredith Hillam double-doubled with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Riverwood 73, Alpharetta 55: Lizzie McGrath (19), Jada Wood (18) and Hannah McConnell (12) balanced the offense.

Morrow 52, Ola 48: Anaya Lewis led Ola with 16 points, 14 rebounds and 4 steals. Emmanuel-signee Emma Leonard had 14 points and 8 rebounds. Jasmine Watson finished with 8 points and 5 rebounds.

Douglas County 55, Banneker 35: Destiny Davis scored 12 points and Jocelyn Faison added 10.

Class AAAAA

No. 8 Arabia Mountain 89, Dunwoody 26: Myori Pruitt scored 22 points. Sierra Burns finished with 19 points and 9 rebounds. Malaya Jones chipped in 13 points and Loyal Croxton added 12. Dunwoody was led by Anderson Bowe’s 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Decatur 50, Paideia 38: Cornelia Ellington led the Bulldogs with 19 points. Colby College-signee Marlo Simms posted 14 points. Jade Gamory netted 7 points.

Locust Grove 64, Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 16: Aijah Manning erupted for 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 steals. Leilani Ward tallied 14 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists.

Blessed Trinity 71, Mt. Bethel 38: Christina Lair poured in a school-record 36 points.

Class AAAA

No. 3 Griffin 62, 6ANo. 8 Woodward Academy 56: Zy Thompson scored a game-high 26 points followed by Aaliyah Duranham’s 16 points and Leah Turner’s 9. Kayla Whitner led Woodward Academy with 17 points while George Washington-signee Sara Lewis posted 14 points, 7 rebounds and 5 steals.

No. 6 Westminster 53, 5ANo. 9 GAC 47: GAC was led by Arlington Christian-transfer Elizabeth Luick’s 16 points. Trinity Thomas scored 12, Myla Benton netted 11 and Asia Johnson finished with 8 points.

No. 7 East Forsyth 62, 6ANo. 10 Woodstock 43: Woodstock was led by Bree Rogers and Emily Jacobs’ 11 points apiece. Cam Schlichting added 10.

North Oconee 65, KIPP Atlanta 45: Freshman Laura Frances Willis compiled 18 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Madison Forbes scored 12 points. Aiyanna Peavy had 9 points and 5 rebounds. Reese Riddle totaled 7 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.

Cherokee Bluff 62, Apalachee 33: Claire Carlson recorded 16 points, 6 assists and 6 steals. Mia Williams had 16 points and 3 steals. Emma Reynolds finished with 9 points and 2 assists.

Class AAA

No. 1 Hebron Christian 82, Discovery 12: JaKerra Butler (14), Jayden Watts (11) and Aubrey Beckham (10) all reached double digits.

No. 2 Lumpkin County 63, East Jackson 38: The Indians led 61-13 after three quarters. Averie Jones (16), Emmanuel-signee Kate Jackson (14), Emory-signee Mary Mullinax (13) and Ciera Brooks (13) powered the offense.

No. 10 Oconee County 33, Clarke Central 23: Macey Matthews dropped in 11 points.

Class AA

No. 8 Banks County 63, Jackson County 16: Addison Hoard scored 13 points and Madison Adams netted 10. Emmie Chitwood (9), Ryleigh Murphy (8), Reese Murphy (6) and Carley Segars (5) balanced the attack.

Athens Academy 77, West Hall 12: India Sheats scored 17 points and Josie Collins tallied 11 points and 5 assists. Maddy Wicker posted 10 points and 8 rebounds. Adair Marvel tossed in 8 points.

Class A D-I

No. 9 Bryan County 62, Effingham County 28: Kayley Wedlow recorded 16 points, 3 assists and 4 steals. Jasmine Mikell had 14 points. Kenzie Stucker produced 10 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals.

Class A D-II

Greene County 58, Mt. de Sales 50: Amauria West scored 18 points, Dajah Hobes netted 17 and Sonovia Reynolds pitched in 15.

Non-GHSA

Westminster-Augusta 60, Horse Creek 29: India Williams dumped in 30 points while Aimee Spurlock added 16.

2021-22 GHSA Basketball State Championship Recaps


 

MARCH 9

CLASS A-PUBLIC

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

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

CLASS 4A

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


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


MARCH 10

CLASS 2A

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

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

CLASS 5A

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


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


MARCH 11

CLASS 3A

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


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

CLASS 6A


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

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

 

MARCH 12

CLASS A-PRIVATE

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

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

CLASS 7A

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

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

Game Night Recap 1-18

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 4 Berkmar 104, Duluth 50: Ole Miss-signee Malique Ewin finished with 34 points and 15 rebounds. Jermahri Hill had 18 points and Jameel Rideout tallied 13 points and 7 assists. Brycen Blaine netted 11 points.

No. 9 East Coweta 82, No. 5 McEachern 79: Sammy Moss scored 21 points, Alabama State-signee Josh Cameron netted 19 and Kent State-signee Delrecco Gillespie chipped in 17. Austen Colton scored 15.

Walton 35, North Cobb 34: Luke Flynn scored 20 points and Harrison Morris netted 8. Alex Acosta posted 17 points and 11 rebounds in the loss while Demonte Pellot added 12 points.

West Forsyth 85, Gainesville 54: Georgia College-signee Jake Mooney posted 25 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks while Grant Moore had 16 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks. Sam Maynard had 8 points and Caleb Lesch netted 7 points and dished out 6 assists.

Lambert 58, South Forsyth 52: Niko Wilson tallied 25 points and 5 rebounds. Keenan Gagen netted 15 points and James Tyre had 10 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists. Gabe Mullis led South Forsyth with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. Caleb Underwood scored 11.

Newnan 56, St. Anne-Pacelli 45: Zion Brown netted 23 points and Wesley Drake scored 15. Javieon Walden chipped in 8. Continue reading Game Night Recap 1-18