Category Archives: Girls Basketball

Statewide Recap 11-18

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 2 Norcross 74, 6ANo. 1 Gainesville 62: Kyle Sturdivant scored 20 points to best KJ Buffen’s 21 for the Red Elephants. The Blue Devils led wire-to-wire, opening up with a 26-5 lead after the first quarter.

No. 3 Wheeler 75, Mt. Bethel 57: EJ Montgomery finished with 18 points and 7 rebounds to lead the Wildcats. Austin Johnson posted 14 points and 5 rebounds. Roscoe Eastmond had 11 points and 8 assists. Isaac Martin scored 12 points, Isaiah Holt 7 and Brandon Younger tallied 5 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Jordan Meka led Mt. Bethel with 19 points and 6 rebounds while Jaquez Gilbert had 13 points and 5 rebounds.

No. 4 Grayson 101, A-PrivateNo. 2 Greenforest 59: The Grayson press completely unraveled Greenforest at the Jared Cook Classic. Charleston Southern-signee Travis Anderson had a team-high 20 points and 4 assists. Nick Edwards scored 17 and DJ Williams added 15. Kenyon Jackson, fresh off the football field, pitched in 11 points.

No. 7 Newton 97, Heritage-Conyers 84: Ashton Hagans ignited a 97-point night, going for 24 points, 7 assists and 3 steals. Tre Clark finished with 20 points, 4 assists and 3 steals. Tyrease Brown netted 16 points to go with his 3 assists and 2 steals. Dre Butler added 14 points and Armani Harris had 10 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Juwan Johnson scored 8 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Heritage was led by Ryan Clements’ 24 points. Trelan Scott (16), Samaje Jones (13) and Josh Archer (12) each found double digits. Adrian Boykin added 9 points.

No. 8 Duluth 72, Brewbaker Tech, AL 42:  Will Huzzie paced the Wildcats with 19 points while Adam Flagler netted 13. Christian Kelly and Trent Gordon scored 8 apiece.

Pebblebrook 57, No. 9 Meadowcreek 52: DJ Murray shined on the big stage with 24 points to power Pebblebrook to a big win at the On The Radar Tip-Off Classic. Emmanuel Collier scored 13 points while Jamir Chaplin had 12 points and 5 rebounds in the loss for the Mustangs. Dequarius Nicholas finished with 10 points.

Discovery 57, Carver, AL 49: Kalu Ezikpe posted a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds at the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament. Jaylen Bussey scored 16 points and London Riley and Ian Hardy each scored 8. Leslie Nkereuwem added 11 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Berkmar 54, 3ANo. 3 Cedar Grove 46: Ben Soumahoro went for 17 points and 5 rebounds. Tony Johnson added 12 points and 8 rebounds.  Jamari Dean double-doubled for the Saints with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Jordan Hill tallied 11 points and 6 rebounds.

Peachtree Ridge 78, 6ANo. 10 Cambridge 43: Florida State-signee Devin Vassell lit up the Bears with 27 points.

Hoover, AL 59, Etowah 48: Tusculum-signee Adrian Cohen finished with 17 points and 4 assists while Jaxon Etter went for 15 points and 6 rebounds in the loss.

Marietta 78, Arabia Mountain 65: Jordan Sterling scored 19 points and Cameron Robinson pitched in 10, but it wasn’t enough for the Rams.

Mill Creek 65, Winder-Barrow 37: Kendall Latney netted 12 points and Matthew McDowell tossed in 11 in the Hawks’ win at the Tabo’s Thanksgiving Tournament.

Parkview 70, Redan 60: Ahmir Langlais collected 20 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks to power Parkview inside. Chris Conner netted 18. Devrit Gros scored 10. Freshman point guard Javen Smith dropped in 33 points and 6 assists for Redan.

Kennesaw Mountain 69, Forsyth Central 62: Josh Strong netted 24 points followed by Jalyn McCreary’s 17 and Jordan Barnes’ 14.

South Gwinnett 64, Johns Creek 58: Freshman Max Harris had 11 points and 2 rebounds in the Comets’ victory. Johns Creek received 14 points and 7 rebounds from Jack Greenslit.

Milton 66, Sacred Heart, AL 60: Christian Wright finished with 17 points and 6 assists as the Eagles continued their hot start to the season. JP McGhee added 12 points and 9 rebounds while Donaven Hairston had 10 points, 5 assists and 8 steals. Victor Wilson scored 20 for Sacred Heart.

North Paulding 55, Woodland-Bartow 34: Dylan Sloss scored 12 points and Kevin Worth added 10 in the Wolfpack win.

Woodstock 63, River Ridge 61: Columbus State-signee Dylin Hardeman erupted for a Woodstock-record 43 points to lead the Wolverines. River Ridge got 14 points from Chris Williams, 13 from Jameel Ndiaye, 11 from Kobe Braddock and 10 from Matt Robbins in the loss.

Class AAAAAA

No. 2 Dacula 73, Harris County 61: Brenden Tucker piled in 23 points and 4 rebounds. Mekhail Bethea put up 18 points and 4 rebounds. Arusha Hunter added 17 and Quincy Ademokoya tossed in 14 in his GHSA debut.

No. 9 Bradwell Institute 84, Liberty County 73:  Khalyn Weekley’s GHSA debut opened with a bang, dropping 35 points and leading the Tigers to an easy victory after leading by as many as 30 points.

Lanier 72, A-PrivateNo. 6 Lakeview Academy 62: Alex Walker and Sean Foster scored 15 apiece to carry the Longhorns to an early season upset. Adrian Martin dropped in 14 points.

Alexander 62, A-PrivateNo. 7 North Cobb Christian 59: Brady Spence tallied 13 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks to control the paint inside. Chris Lunsford had 11 points and 3 assists. Jaylon Brown produced 10 points, 5 assists and 6 steals while Julius Porter added 9 points.

Brunswick 96, Ware County 71: Daquan Humphreys (21) and Marcus Scott (20) combined for 41 points in the blowout.

Lakeside-Evans 84, Josey 77: Kalen Williams pumped in 40 points and 11 rebounds to slice and dice the Eagles. Tucker Gilbert added 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Mundy’s Mill 54, Griffin Christian 50: The Tigers picked up another win at the Hampton Tip-Off Classic. Kirshon Thrash netted 14 points while John Coats chipped in 13. Jalen Thrash tagged on 10 points.

Chattahoochee 69, Lassiter 50: Will Bracknell knocked in 22 points while Grant VanBeveren did his damage inside with 17 points. Freshman AJ White netted 12.

Lovejoy 67, Luella 47: Jamal Reynolds paced the Wildcats with 12 points followed by Malcom Rouse’s 9. Jerrod Means had 7 points and 8 rebounds. Fernandez Watson tallied 6 points and 12 rebounds while Cameron Jenkins netted 6 points.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Buford 77, Lakeside-DeKalb 45: The Wolves rolled the Vikings at the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament. Georgia Southern-signee David Viti dropped in a game-high 18 points. Donnell Nixon netted 13. Bobby Miller scored 12 points followed by Brandon Green and Ashton Young’s 11 apiece. Damon Davis led the Vikings with 16 points. Elwood Moore added 10.

No. 2 Warner Robins 78, Stockbridge 75: Kavonte Ivery pumped in 29 points and Elijah Austell added 24, but the upset-minded Tigers fell just shy of completely shaking up the Class AAAAA rankings.

No. 3 Cedar Shoals 47, Oconee County 42: JaiVanni McDavid tallied 13 points and 6 rebounds while KeiVaziay Ball went for 11 points and 4 rebounds in the win.

No. 4 Miller Grove 47, 7ANo. 6 Mountain View 45: The Wolverines rallied to score an opening night victory at the Jared Cook Classic. Lorenzo Anderson led Miller Grove with 19 points. Kevin Paige added 8 points and Terrence Edwards scored 5. Maurice Harvey held Troy-signee Spencer Rodgers to 10 points on two made field goals and five free throws.

No. 7 Southwest DeKalb 74, Central Gwinnett 55: KD Johnson dropped in 17 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals to pace the Panthers. James Glisson III had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks. Eugene Brown III added 14 points and 7 rebounds and DJ Brittian tagged on 11 points and 3 steals in the win.

No. 9 Lithonia 81, Dawson Christian Academy 45: Christian Parker had 10 points and 6 rebounds while Eric Gaines added 8 points and 5 assists in the win. Luke Chism paced Dawson Christian Academy with 20 points and 5 assists.

No. 10 Starr’s Mill 58, Cherokee 22: Drew Hudson led the way with 18 points followed by 14 points from Julian Lynch. Carson Langham and Jake Bishop scored 10 apiece.

Lithia Springs 56, Sprayberry 40: Christian Horton (16), Karee Anderson (11), Quan Purifoy (11) and Terrence Ashford (9) helped the Lions past the Yellowjackets. Sprayberry was led by Micah McCuen’s 11.

Fayette County 64, Newnan 60: JeKobe Coleman went for 21 points, 2 assists and 3 steals in the win. Ricky Knight Jr. added 16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Josh Dupree collected 12 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals.

Veterans 68, Hapeville Charter 65: Marquez Crews scored 16 points but it wasn’t enough for Hapeville Charter to knock off Veterans. Davin Quinones netted 14 points, Jamaure Ezzard had 11 and Jerrold Colbert chipped in 9 in the loss.

Paulding County 61, North Cobb 57: Tyron Summerour finished with 16 points while Mike Seymour added 12 to help lift the Patriots. Keon Sedgewick had 9 points and 8 rebounds. Jeremiah Reed posted 8 points and 7 rebounds.

Walnut Grove 57, Northview 56: Dominique Duke finished with 19 points and Carter Selman scored 13 as the Warriors picked up a first round win at the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament.

Flowery Branch 63, Apalachee 62: Justin Quick dropped in 28 points as the Falcons held on against the Wildcats. Patsheko Lutumba scored 16. Flowery Branch held Apalachee scoreless over the final 1:10.

Bainbridge 58, Creekside 40: Jaylen Jones netted 23 points in the Bearcat victory.

Class AAAA

No. 1 Upson-Lee 64, Druid Hills 36: Middle Tennessee State-signee Tye Fagan went for 24 points and Travon Walker totaled 15 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks.

No. 2 St. Pius 67, 6ANo. 3 Langston Hughes 58: Matt Gonzalo hit up Langston Hughes for 23 points while Everett Lane went 9-of-9 from the line to finish with 19 points and ice the game. Virginia Tech-signee Landers Nolley was held to 23 points.

No. 3 Sandy Creek 73, 7ANo. 5 Shiloh 68: Jarred Godfrey hung 23 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists in a statement win for the Patriots. Xavier Brewer added 18 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks while TJ Bickerstaff netted 13 points to go with his 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks. Elias King scored 24 for Shiloh. Toneari Lane finished with 8 points and 8 rebounds while Shamarie McCleod had 12 points.

GISATrinity Christian 67, No. 8 Woodward Academy 54: Jamir Williams poured in 31 points to carry Trinity Christian past the War Eagles and Walker Kessler’s monster 32-point 12-rebound 9-block game.

Carver-Columbus 72, 6ANo. 6 Tucker 60: Jevon Tatum scored 27 points and grabbed 6 rebounds and Nick Watson added 14 points but it wasn’t enough to avoid the upset. The Tigers saw an early 19-8 advantage slip away. AJ Watts netted 22 for Carver while Xaiyhir Jacobs chipped in 14 points and 9 rebounds in the impressive win.

Stephens County 90, 3ANo. 7 East Hall 53: DeUndra Singleton was too much inside, posting 18 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks. Ty Nails went for 30 points in the win. Luke Cooper scored 17 in the loss.

Thomson 66, Cass 56:  Aubrey Ivey and Zander Hamilton scored 17 apiece to pace the Bulldogs.

Henry County 90, Pike County 42: Wisdom Uboh scored 21 points followed by Josh Steele’s 17 in the Warhawk rout. Casey Armour contributed 13 points.

Pickens 61, Gilmer 51: Joseph Gossett had 20 points and 5 rebounds while Zach Goss went for 14 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals in the win. Seth Bishop tacked on 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and one block.

Jefferson 66, Douglass 52: The host Dragons picked up a win at the Tabo’s Tip-Off Classic behind Jasper Gibson’s 30 points.

Class AAA

No. 1 Morgan County 84, Therrell 78: Alec Woodard pumped in 36 points to pace the Bulldogs in a wild game at the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament. Tyrin Lawrence notched 25 points and Stevin Greene tagged on 17 points. Cameron Fortson scored 12 for Therrell while 2020 guard Deandre Brown exploded for 36.

No. 2 Johnson-Savannah 81, 4ANo. 4 Baldwin 79 OT: Georgia-signee Amanze Ngumezi was too much inside for the Braves, posting 23 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 blocks in a narrow victory. Shamar Jones hit the game-winner in overtime.

No. 9 Long County 56, Southeast Bulloch 37: Stephan Hugley led a balanced scoring attack with 13 points. Henry Blair, Terry Smith and Khy Collins all scored 9 points. Ryheim Izzard (7) and Christian Bass (5) also chipped in.

Dougherty 62, 4ANo. 7 Westover 58: The Trojans rallied from down 31-17 at the half to race past Westover in front of a capacity crowd. Middle Tennessee State-signee Carlos Curry fueled the comeback with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 9 blocks. Jordan “Snow” Brown dropped in 24 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals for the Patriots.

Class AA

No. 7 Jeff Davis 75, Brantley County 50: Ja’Queze Kirby and the Jackets got the best of Jaylin Williams and Brantley County. Kirby had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Northeast-Macon 88, Twiggs County 65: Darius Dunn and Ty’Ree Gilbert poured in 21 points apiece while Cameron Cherry dropped 20. Kendall Green contributed 11 points.

Class A-Private

No. 1 St. Francis 83, Pinson Valley, AL 72: The Knights picked up another win at the Hoops 4 A Cure Classic behind Chase Ellis’ 16 points, 16 rebounds and 7 assists. Dwon Odom finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Sam Hines added 14 points and 6 rebounds. CJ Riley tacked on 13 points and 4 assists while Sean Paradise went for 7 points and 12 rebounds.

Providence Christian Academy 56, Mt. Paran 53: Al Dorsey exploded for a career-high 28 points while Mitchell Miller sank four clutch free throws to ice the game. Joey Niswonger scored 21 to lead Mt. Paran while also collecting 6 rebounds. Alex Elliott posted an 11-point 10-rebound double-double.

Class A-Public

 

GIRLS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 2 McEachern 73, 5ANo. 6 Southwest DeKalb 52: Victoria Agyin pitched in 16 points to pace the Indians at the Parkview Kickoff Classic. Georgia Tech-signee Jasmine Carson scored 14 and Jewel Smalls netted 13.

No. 4 Norcross 63, 6ANo. 4 Harrison 50: Junior Myra Strickland poured in 25 points in the Blue Devils win at the Parkview Tip-Off Classic. Harper Vick led the Hoyas with 18.

No. 8 Brookwood 52, ML King 43: The Broncos overcame foul trouble to slip past the Lions. Mariah Callaway netted a team-high 18 points followed by Kierra Adams’ 13.

Mill Creek 46, Chamblee 29: Bridget Mukasa netted 15 points.

Grayson 56, Douglass 43: Bianca Fizouaty had 20 points and 5 rebounds. Jazmine Robinson double-doubled with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

Lassiter 55, Chattahoochee 20: Julie Vitale scored 11 points and Wambui Chege chipped in 10 in the win.

North Cobb 54, South Cobb 42: Azonya Austin finished with 17 points and 5 assists at the Marietta Turkey Classic. Sydney Solomon had 9 points and 12 rebounds. Jodi Mullins led South Cobb with 17 points.

Walton 66, Stone Mountain 55: Emma Landroche pumped in 31 points for the Lady Raiders at the Apalachee Thanksgiving Invitational.

Class AAAAAA

No. 2 Winder-Barrow 35, Central Gwinnett 24: Chellia Watson scored 15 points to lead the Lady Doggs in a low scoring game.

No. 3 Lovejoy 69, Starr’s Mill 38: Genesis Bryant led the Wildcats with 16 points followed by Kaziah Terrell’s 14. Anaya Boyd and J’Auana Robinson scored 11 apiece.

Lanier 70, East Hall 53: Georgia State-signee Carly Winters netted 21 points and Macy Thomas scored 12 but it wasn’t enough to stop Lanier.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Buford 71, Duluth 31: Michigan State-signee Tory Ozment scored 15 points in the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament. Ebony Grant added 11 points while Air Force-signee Audrey Weiner and Preston Reid each scored 9.

No. 2 Flowery Branch 55, No. 4 Carrollton 47: Alabama-signee Taniyah Worth finished with 23 points and 7 rebounds. Caroline Wysocki hung 19 points, 5 assists and 9 steals.

No. 3 Eagle’s Landing 48, 7ANo. 10 Lambert 41: Ashley Foster poured in 22 points and Jaleah Storr 9 in the win.

Union Grove 52, Apalachee 41: Amaya Baker (16), Jada Burkett (13) and Abbey Stacy (7) led the Wolverines in scoring.

Class AAAA

Stephens County 69, Tallulah Falls 34: Tykia Thompson scored 12, Nana Eades added 11 and Sara Bailey chipped in 9.

Pickens 48, Gilmer 47: Torie Williams had 17 points, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Mykenzie Weaver added 17 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals and hit the game-winner. Mackenzie Hampton tallied 6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks.

Chestatee 69, Osborne 39: Lindsey Caudell poured in 26 points for the War Eagles. Maggie McNair added 12 points.

Class AAA

Hart County 54, 4ANo. 6 Madison County 51: Torrion Starks finished with 22 points to spark the Bulldogs. Shakendra Grove scored 11 and Taniyah Alexander pitched in 10 points.

Class AA

No. 2 Rabun County 76, Towns County 29: Georgia Stockton went off for 28 points, 3 assists and 4 steals. Jordan Haban added 11 points and 4 steals. Kaitlin Coleman had 8 points and 14 rebounds while Natalie Nix had 9 points and 5 rebounds.

Jeff Davis 52, Brantley County 32: Stephanie Rumph picked up a huge double-double, going for 27 points and 10 rebounds.

Social Circle 44, Johnson-Gainesville 28: Kenny Velasquez and Chelsea Reece scored 13 and 12 points, respectively, in the loss.

Class A-Private

Mt. Paran 47, Providence Christian Academy 27: Lauryn Manion collected 8 points, 3 rebounds and 8 steals in the win. Ashley Johnson, Catherine Etheridge and Savannah Casey all scored 8 points as well.

Class A-Public

Statewide Recap 11-17

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

Kennesaw Mountain 79, Chattahoochee 50: The Jalyn McCreary-era kicked off with a bang as the Preseason First Team All-State selection hung 19 points and 10 rebounds in his varsity debut. Josh Strong picked up where he left off last season with 14 points and 4 assists.

Rockdale County 69, Loganville 63: After scoring only 13 points against No. 9 Meadowcreek, the Bulldogs bounced back behind Sayvon Traylor’s 30 points.  In the loss Jamar Moore had 23 points, 13 rebounds and 2 blocks. Akil Covington had 15 points and 3 rebounds for the Red Devils.

Milton 75, Dawson Christian 49: Christian Wright pumped in 37 points and JP McGhee totaled 8 points and 14 rebounds in the Eagle win.

Class AAAAAA

Lakeside-Evans 109, Augusta Christian 82: The Panthers steamrolled the SCISA’s Lions, proving again that the best basketball is played in the GHSA. Kalen Williams went for 34 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. TyShun Briscoe added 18 points, 3 rebounds and 5 steals. Tucker Gilbert posted 16 points and 13 rebounds. Brad Hilley tallied 17 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

Mundy’s Mill 65, Luella 41: Jordan Black (16) and John Coats (12) combined for 28 points in the Tiger victory.

Creekview 70, North Forsyth 50: KJ Jenkins poured in 29 points to lift the Grizzlies.

North Atlanta 80, Osborne 39: The new look Warriors received 17 points and 8 assists from Messiah Thompson in a 41-point rout. Desmond Thomas scored 17 points and Vallon Toussant pitched in 4 points and 15 rebounds. Josh Johnson scored 12. Jarmaine Miles led the Cardinals with 20 points.

Pope 68, Sprayberry 61: Jackson Baylark finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 8 blocks. Josh Luttrell drilled five threes en route to an 18-point performance. Micah Paulk added 15. Sprayberry saw Micah McCuen go for 25 points and 9 rebounds while Idaho-signee Khadim Samb had 12 points and 7 rebounds.

Lovejoy 50, Decatur 41: Jamal Reynolds scored 18 points and Omari Callahan added 11 in the Wildcats win; Coach Quantavias Allen’s first at the helm of Lovejoy. Freshman Travon Smith scored 15 for Decatur while Chalin Hippe netted 9.

Class AAAAA

No. 5 Columbia 90, Henry County 72: Josh Taylor collected 22 points, 18 rebounds and 4 blocks as the Warhawks had no answer inside. Lorenzo McGhee tallied 26 points and 9 rebounds. Keondre Kennedy netted 20.

No. 8 McIntosh 97, New Manchester 62: The Chiefs routed New Manchester using a balanced onslaught. Naj Ashley-Emory scored 18 points while Cole Guenther led the way with 20 points, 4 steals and 4 blocks. Chaz Hardin chipped in 15 points and Zach Pina netted 12.

Lithia Springs 91, Chapel Hill 55: The Lions got 18 points from Keyshawn Phillips and 12 from Terrence Ashford in the win.

Stockbridge 78, Washington 54: Kavonte Ivery powered in 25 points and Trillis Brown added 11 for the Tigers. Kaelon Hinton, Davian Johnson and Elijah Austell all added 10.

Cass 56, Hephzibah 47: Carter Hedden (15), Ashton Burley (13) and Justice Hayes (10) all cracked double figures in the Colonels’ win at the Evans Hoopfest Tip-Off Tournament. Ethan Carter chipped in 9 points.

Class AAAA

North Clayton 69, Forest Park 54: Joseph Wimbley netted a game-high 18 points as the Eagles used a 24-6 third quarter to surge past the Panthers. Xavier Valley (14), Jermaine Lattimore Jr. (12), Jaimonnie Watkins-Causey (8) and Christopher Williams (8) all had strong nights scoring the ball.  Fabian Hill led Forest Park with 16 points followed by Jayden Walker’s 9.

Spalding 49, Troup County 40: Jay Jefferson went for 23 points and 5 assists, but it wasn’t enough to deny the Jaguars an early season victory.

Class AAA

Union County 48, Gilmer 34: Pierson Allison scored 10 points as the Panthers outscored the Bobcats 33-6 in the second half.

Franklin County 80, Habersham Central 54: Micah Roebuck got buckets with 26 points and Malique Combs tacked on 16 as the Lions cruised. Zach Gay added 11 points.

Class AA

Class A-Private

No. 1 St. Francis 84, Brewbaker Tech, AL 70: The No. 1 ranked Knights opened up the season at the Hoops 4 A Cure Classic and received 22 points from Dwon Odom in a winning effort. Chase Ellis added 20 and Sam Hines chipped in 15 points.

Galloway 41, Providence Christian Academy 36: The Storm came up short in a low scoring affair. Al Dorsey netted 9 points in the loss.

GIRLS

Class AAAAAAA

Class AAAAAA

No. 8 Forest Park 62, North Clayton 27: Freshman post Sania Feagin had her way inside with 15 points. Sarah Matthews scored 12 and Jasmine Stevens added 11 points. Jada Showers and Jasmine Holcombe scored 8 apiece to pace the Eagles in the loss.

River Ridge 40, North Paulding 31: Savannah Samuel dropped in 16 points followed by Faith Arthur’s 15 to beat the Wolfpack.

Pope 63, Sprayberry 47: Cheyenne Holloman scored a team-high 18 points to power Pope. Abby McKinley chipped in 14 points and Teya Holloman netted 11.

Class AAAAA

Class AAAA

No. 3 Henry County 63, Columbia 25: Auburn-signee Brook Moore scored 16 points and Janaya Wadsworth tacked on 14 in the win. Shontrice Austin had 11 for Columbia.

Class AAA

Union County 44, Gilmer 39: The Panthers used a 10-1 run to race past the Bobcats. Aubree Pack scored a team-high 15 points including the go-ahead three-pointer with 2:28 left. Andelin Hill tossed in 9 points.

Class AA

Class A-Private

Class A-Public

Statewide Recap 11-16

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 2 Norcross 79, Walnut Grove 42: Dalvin White put in 16 points for Norcross, followed closely by the 15 points of Kyle Sturdivant and Brandon Boston’s 12. RJ Selman led Walnut Grove with 14 first-half points before an injury prematurely ended his night.

No. 10 Collins Hill 82, Heritage-Conyers 63: Chris Parks notched a double-double with 27 points and 11 rebounds. Mandarius Dickerson (23 points), Justin Lee (15 points, 11 rebounds) and Elijah Wilson (11 points) all contributed in the win for Collins Hill. Trelan Scott led a balanced scoring night for Heritage with 16 points, followed closely by Adrian Boykin’s 15 and Josh Guilford’s 14.

Mill Creek 64, West Forsyth 53: Jayden Marshall made five three-pointers en route to 23 points on the night. Noah Kenney followed up with 21 of his own.

Campbell 76, Marietta 69: Junior Donovan Grant set up camp behind the arc, going 7-for-11 from three-point range and scoring 27 points total. Point guard Terrell Burden added 20 points, 8 assists and 3 steals, while senior Kiya Randolph pitched in 17 points.

Class AAAAAA

No. 10 Cambridge 67, Walton 55: Kamar Robertson and David Banks each scored 18 points to lead the Bears. Robertson added 7 assists as well. Bryce Boutelle chipped in 14 points.

Douglas County 83, No. 4 Tri-Cities 77 OT:  Cam Copeland pumped in 24 points and Rickey Clark scored 17 points to pace the Tigers. Malik Battle netted 14 points and Ernest Randle triple-doubled with 11 points, 17 rebounds and 11 blocks to sneak past the Bulldogs and open up Region 5 play with a bang. Unsigned lefty wing Eli Lawrence poured in 25 points in the loss. DaMarcus Johnson and Jon Young each had 12.

North Atlanta 66, Lovett 29: Messiah Thompson stuffed the stat sheet with 26 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals.

Class AAAAA

Flowery Branch 71, Chestatee 49: Justin Quick double-doubled with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 4 steals. JJ Greene added 17 points and 6 rebounds, Devon Wainer had 10 points and 4 rebound while Joey Nidoy chipped in 7 points and 6 rebounds.

Class AAAA

Blessed Trinity 64, Centennial 49: In a balanced team effort, the Titans pushed past the Knights. Ben Shappard led the charge with 21 points, buoyed by Andy Swade’s 15 and Will Marin’s 14 points.

Class AAA

No. 4 Greater Atlanta Christian 61 4ANo. 8 Woodward Academy 35: Hunter McIntosh led all scorers with 28 points for GAC, 23 of which came in the first half, whereas Walker Kessler led Woodward Academy with 8 points.

Dawson County 61, Jefferson 41: Cullen Reed led the Tigers with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Jeremiah Crumley added 13 points and 8 rebounds. Campbell Reed scored 10 points and Ryan Gallekamp grabbed 8 rebounds. Jefferson was led by Jasper Gibson’s 24 points and Jacob Radaker’s 12.

Class AA

No. 5 Thomasville 70, 4A No. 7 Westover 56: Behind Mississippi State-signee Reggie Perry’s 25 points and Titus Wright’s 11, the Bulldogs secured an early statement victory over Class AAAA No. 7 Westover in a battle of two of South Georgia’s best. Kris Gardner (21 points) and Cameron Weston (16 points) contributed offensively to Westover in a losing effort.

Class A-Private

No. 5 Wesleyan 77, Hebron Christian Academy 67: Christian McLean led the Wolves with 34 points, followed by Stevie Crawford’s 19 and Grant Summers’s 13 points.

GIRLS

Class AAAAAAA

Mill Creek 58, West Forsyth 24: Kayla Mulkey led the Hawks with 14 points, aided by Bridget Mukasa and Madison Riley, who both broke double digits in the point column (13 and 10).

Class AAAAAA

No. 6 Douglas County 88, Tri-Cities 33: Preseason All-State selection Amari Robinson led the Douglas County Tigers with 18 points.

Centennial 52, Blessed Trinity 39:  Florida Gulf Coast-commit Shekinah Guthrie dropped in 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to power the Knights past the Titans. Divine Guthrie added 9 points and 11 rebounds. Bailey Herbermehl netted 7 points.

Class AAAAA

No. 2 Flowery Branch 69, Chestatee 38: Caroline Wysocki filled up the stat sheet for Flowery Branch with 18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals and 3 blocks. Carly Shaw added 14 points and 7 rebounds and Lexie Sengkhamee added 12 points in the win. University of Alabama-signee Taniyah Worth eclipsed 1,000 career points tonight with 9 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists. 

Class AAAA

Class AAA

No. 8 Dawson County 68, 4ANo. 4 Jefferson 56: Dawson County led by as many as 15 points late in the third quarter and was able to weather a comeback bid by Jefferson that trimmed the deficit to eight. Calli Watson led Dawson County with 16 points off of five three-pointers; Kaylee Sticker had 15 points and Anna Lowe scored 10 points. Emma Brown chipped in 9. The Dragons received 16 points from McKenzie Tyner and 11 from Jazmin Allen. Akera Benton and freshman Livi Blackstock chipped in 7 apiece.

Class AA

Class A-Private

GISA Trinity Christian 66, Our Lady of Mercy 64: A career-high 51 points to go along with 17 rebounds, 6 steals and 3 blocks from Florida State-signee & 2016 Class A-Private Player of the Year Morgan Jones wasn’t enough to overcome Trinity Christian. The Lions were powered by Catherine Skebo’s 29 points and 8 rebounds. Abby Bragg flirted with a triple-double collecting 19 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. Chan Hendrix snagged 11 rebounds.

 

Fayette County Lady Tigers impress with cross-county win over Sandy Creek

Contributed by Rob Grubbs   (@RCGJr226070)
Photo by CD Photography (@FayetteSports)

Fayette County 58, Sandy Creek 32

Trinity Brown
Trinity Brown || CD Photography

FAYETTEVILLE, Georgia – Two teams that had impressive finishes to last years’ season faced off in an early inter-county rivalry game. The Sandy Creek Lady Patriots made it to the Class AAAA Final 4 where they would lose to eventual champion Columbus. Graduation was not kind to Coach Janie Hodges and the Lady Patriots as they lost their dynamic backcourt duo of ShanQuaylia Stanton and Kasey Toles from last year’s team. This year’s team will be focused more on a strong inside game from their star post players, Daija Powell and Paris Thompson.

Fayette County Coach John Strickland also lost a key player from last year’s Class AAAAA Sweet 16 team, Darryl Langford who is at the Naval Academy now, but brought back a deep roster with strong senior leadership. In contrast to Sandy Creek, the Lady Tigers bring experience to the backcourt but are young inside. The matchup was a classic opportunity for both teams to see where they are and what needs work. Since this is was a non-region game, one team was going to win while the other was going to learn more about themselves.

Sandy Creek jumped out to an 8-5 first quarter lead with all points scored by Powell.  The new guard tandem of Nina Lum and Jania Hodges were constantly feeding the ball down low, and Powell was moving in the paint with ease. As the game progressed, the Lady Tigers continued to rotate players, making wholesale changes at almost every break.  Guards Maegan Brantley, Sidney Sims and Trinity Brown were playing fast and they slowly turned the defensive pressure up which wore down the Patriots. After taking a 22-18 lead into the half, the Lady Tigers dominated the third quarter with their full court press and depth to pull away.

Afterwards, Strickland was proud his post players who were getting the first significant playing time of their career. “Naomi Franco and Celine Akande played outstanding against their inside players, who are really good. We know what we have in our frontcourt, we know what to expect from Maegan, Trinity and Sidney, but I was really encouraged with how Naomi and Celine played. If they continue to progress, that will open up more of our offense.”

Strickland also wanted to brag more on his ladies latest academic feats than the game, he said, “This has the potential to be a special group.”

In the end, it was Fayette County 58-32 with Brown and Barkley leading scorers with 15 each. Franco played a solid game in the post, just missing a double-double with 9 points and 9 rebounds. Powell led the Lady Patriots with 15; look for them to improve as the season goes along and their guard play gets more comfortable and confident.

Top Performers

Fayette County
Maegan Barkley – 15 points, 3 rebounds
Trinity Brown – 15 points, 3 rebounds
Naomi Franco – 9 points, 9 rebounds
Sidney Sims – 8 points, 9 rebounds

Sandy Creek
Daija Powell – 14 points, 8 rebounds
Paris Thompson – 10 points, 3 rebounds

No. 1 Northview escapes Towne Lake with season-opening win over scrappy Wolverines

No. 1 Northview 61, Woodstock 51

The Class AAAAAA No. 1 ranked Northview Lady Titans hit the road to visit a new-look Woodstock Wolverines team with Jared Hughes at the helm, his first official game on the sidelines after coming over from Rome to replace long-time head coach Julie Crowe. Last season it was the Titans who hosted the Wolverines to open the year with Northview scoring a dominant 57-44 victory. The tables were nearly turned on Tuesday as Woodstock pushed the Titans to the limit before falling 61-51.

Arriving just 15 minutes before game-time after an hour and 45-minute commute, Northview opened up slow with fouls piling up. Starting point guard Asjah Inniss was ushered to the bench with two fouls in just a minute and 50 seconds, immediately testing Northview’s depth.

The Titans managed to push the lead to 10-4, but at the 3:46 mark, it was Maya Richards’ turn to pick up her second foul and head to the bench. With two key cogs on Coach Chris Yarbrough’s bench, the Wolverines made their move. Freshman point guard Kayden Montgomery sparked a 7-0 run to take an 11-10 lead, hustling to earn second-chance points by hitting the glass and deflecting an assist to physical post Ivana George, who scored all six of her points in the first half.

In search of a basket to stem the tide, Coach Yarbrough knew to punch it inside to All-State forward Ashlee Austin.

Woodstock had opportunities to take a lead heading into the second quarter but three turnovers in near succession held the score at 13-13 after one. Highly touted freshman combo guard Eden Sample carried the offensive burden in the first quarter with Inniss and Richards sidelined and the Titans already with nine team fouls. The smooth shooter scored six points and netted 12 of her team-high 16 in the first half.

Playing with two fouls, Inniss reentered to start the second quarter and ignited the Titans. A quick steal led to an And-1 and before long Northview found itself leading 22-14 with 5:37 left to play, a 9-1 run.

Coach Hughes’ Wolverines settled down and cut the lead to 27-22, George and Montgomery working an inside-out game. On the other side, Austin continued to pound away inside. She went 5-of-6 from the line and finished the night with 16 points, 14 rebounds and four steals.

Down 10 with seconds remaining, Montgomery banked in a three at the buzzer to keep the Wolverines in striking distance heading into the half down 34-27.

Northview came out of the locker room with something to prove in the second half. Clamping on a diamond press, the Titans ripped off a 13-0 run to put the Wolverines on the ropes, now down 20 at 47-27 less than three minutes into the third.

Just a few more baskets away from Goliath landing the knockout punch to David, the underdogs found their stone in the form of 5-foot-11 sophomore Sophia Singer. After scoring just four points in the first half, the potential laced wing poured in 10 of Woodstock’s 11 points in the frame including back-to-back threes to put the Wolverines’ upset bid back on life support, heading into the fourth quarter down 54-38.

The Singer onslaught continued in the final frame as Woodstock sparked a 7-0 run to bring the score to 54-45. The closest the Wolverines would draw would be at the 4:06 mark after Singer put in two of her game-high 21 points off an offensive rebound to make the score 55-48.

From that point on, the Titans finally got a hold of Singer and contained her to one point the rest of the way and was able to nurse a healthy 8-to-10-point lead to the finish line. Northview scored all their fourth quarter points from the charity stripe, going 7-of-10.

My Take

It wasn’t the prettiest way to start the season – a foul fest – but No. 1 Northview was able to hang on. There looked like upwards of four future D-I players on the court. Ashlee Austin is still the most consistent player for Northview and she will be asked to become even more of a cornerstone now that Shannon Titus is at Mercer. The 2019 6-foot-2 forward crashed the glass hard as always and looked even better on the perimeter than last year, comfortable going between her legs and off the dribble to create for shooters in the corner. In due time, I’d like to see her finish those drives through defenders instead of kicking out, but she did a good job of not forcing any bad shots. As good as Austin was, Asjah Inniss was the energizer bunny and the straw that stirred the drink for Northview. The quick and wiry sophomore looked like the game slowed down for her after she tended to play a little too fast as a freshman. Inniss has great hands on the perimeter and can get to a ton of 50/50 balls. Her 13 points and nine steals were a major difference maker. The Titans didn’t function nearly as well on both sides of the ball while she was in foul trouble. Freshman Eden Sample has a pretty stroke and good body control when she finds herself on the low block. She’s able to finish through contact. She stepped up big time with Inniss on the bench and will be counted on to stretch defenses. She has a bright next four years. An unsung hero was undersized senior post Camil Butler. She saw sporadic minutes last season but had to play a big role right away with Maya Richards on the bench. She finished with five points (5-of-6 FT), three rebounds, one assist, two steals and two blocks. She was automatic from the foul line and very composed when she found the ball in her hands. Great lift off the bench.

Woodstock is young and a little banged up, especially at the guard position. That did not stop Jared Hughes’ team from competing the entire 32 minutes. Down 20 points to the No. 1 team in the state, the Wolverines could have easily laid over and took a 30-point loss, but instead they battled and found a new go-to girl in Sophia Singer. After seeing Singer last season as a freshman, you could tell there was potential there. The daughter of Western Illinois football hall of fame quarterback Paul Singer, Sophia stands close to 6-foot tall with an agile frame and long wingspan. She long jumps 17.5 and runs the 200M, so the athleticism to go with her height is definitely apparent. She broke out last night and started to let it fly after a timid first half. When aggressive, Singer can score in the paint, mid-range and knock down the corner three. If she can stay aggressive on offense, she could be just what Coach Hughes needs to push the Wolverines back into the playoffs. She also mixed it up on defense, picking up a nice block on Austin inside and spent the fourth quarter defending Inniss up top, showcasing her ability to guard multiple positions. Aside from Singer’s big performance, freshman Kayden Montgomery played a nice floor game. Not blessed with the size or speed of her opposition, Montgomery was deceptively mobile and used her IQ to craft her way into making plays. She drained two threes and dished out five assists in her first varsity start. She will be thrown into the fire as a youngster and should come out better for it once her career is said and done.

Top Performers

Northview
Ashlee Austin – 16 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, 1 block
Eden Sample – 16 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Asjah Inniss – 13 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 9 steals
Maya Richards – 7 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block

Woodstock
Sophia Singer – 21 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block
Kayden Montgomery – 10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals
Bree Burnett – 6 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal