GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

Statewide Recap 1-11-19

BOYS

AAAAAAA

No. 3 Meadowcreek 67, Central Gwinnett 48: UAB-signee Jalen Benjamin finished with 24 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists. Emmanuel Collier hit five threes en route to 15 points. USF-signee Jamir Chaplin had 12 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists while Temple-signee Damian Dunn tossed in 8 points and 13 rebounds.

No. 4 Discovery 61, Mountain View 41: Longwood-signee Leslie Nkereuwem double-doubled with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Jaden Walker had 12 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Hasahnn Reynolds finished with 11 points and 5 assists.

No. 7 Newton 81, Archer 66: Armani Harris (19), Tre Clark (18), Shawn Smith (15) and Tyrease Brown (12) carried the Rams as Newton drilled 15 threes.

Etowah 51, Cherokee 46: Etowah prolonged Cherokee’s disappointing season as Jaxon Etter hung 26 points and 5 steals.

Marietta 79, Hillgrove 72: Treylan Smith (20), John Allen (16), Travis Burrus (14) and CJ Sinclair (12) led a balanced Blue Devil attack. Hillgrove was led by Jaiden Julian’s 22 points and Orry Clements-Owens’ 21.

Tift County 70, Camden County 63: Marquavius Johnson poured in 27 points. Tyree Marshall netted 19 and Jatarion Warren scored 12.

AAAAAA

Douglas County 72, No. 3 South Paulding 60: Marquise Collins piled in 28 points off the bench. Jeremiah Smith (13) and JJ Richards (11) rounded out the attack. Cam Armstrong scored 16 in the loss.

No. 5 Chattahoochee 86, Centennial 55: AJ White (30), Franklin Bailey (18), Cam Sheffield (17) and Grant Van Beveren (10) tore up Centennial’s defense.

No. 7 Lakeside-Evans 67, No. 10 Evans 56: The Knights failed their biggest test of the season as the Panthers handed Evans their first loss. Kalen Williams had 22 points while Tyshun Briscoe scored 19. In the loss Christian Chambers netted 17.

No. 9 Sequoyah 86, Harrison 62: Jacksen Greco hit 8-of-13 threes to finish with 31 points.

Alpharetta 71, Dunwoody 54: North Carolina A&T-signee Brandon Barron had 23 points and 6 assists. Kalik Brooks tallied 20 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals while Jaden Stephens chipped in 11 points and 14 rebounds.

Tucker 73, Forest Park 42: Jermontae Hill scored 21 points. Braelon Seals (10), Nic Watson (8) and Dartmouth-signee Nate Ogbu (8) powered the Tigers.

Lanier 65, Apalachee 53: Sion James scored 27 points followed by Sean Foster’s 14. Jehloni James contributed 9 points.

Mundy’s Mill 66, Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 49: Jordan Black (22), Rayquan Brown (18) and Demarcus Fannin (12) overpowered Mt. Zion.

Creekside 91, Northgate 48: Devin Bell exploded for 34 points (8-10 3PT) and 5 assists. John Moliere double-doubled with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Niles McAdoo and PJ Murray scored 7 points apiece.

AAAAA

Loganville 59, No. 1 Buford 54: The Red Devils went on the road to stun the Wolves behind Jamar Moore’s 16 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. Akil Covington scored 12 points and Sheldon Arnold picked up 11 points and 3 assists.

No. 2 Fayette County 82, Whitewater 63: JeKobe Coleman scored 19 points. Joshua Dupree had 15 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Ricky Knight Jr. finished with 15 points and 5 assists. Terrell Bradley tallied 12 points and 6 rebounds.

Grady 63, No. 10 Lithia Springs 57: Dewan Wright and Michael Stevens Jr. scored 21 points apiece in the upset.

Rome 74, Woodland-Cartersville 68: Caleb Byrd scored 34 points.

Cedar Shoals 71, Johnson-Gainesville 30: Tyler Johnson finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds. Quincy Canty posted 12 points and 7 rebounds while Demetrius Glenn netted 11 points.

Paulding County 78, Cass 68: Jervon Morris scored 24 points. Kevin Brown had 16 points followed by Joab Bogan (11) and Keon Sedgwick (10).

Warner Robins 70, Veterans 42: Jacobi Coleman had 16 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals. Quon Dillard had 16 points and 9 rebounds while Trevon Williams chipped in 10 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals.

AAAA

No. 1 Upson-Lee 87, Spalding 50: Derrius Hayes broke out with 17 points. Travon Walker had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks. Zyrice Scott finished with 12 points, 8 assists and 4 steals. Jarrett Adderton added 13 points and 6 rebounds.

No. 2 Sandy Creek 67, Cartersville 54: Drexel-signee TJ Bickerstaff compiled 23 points and 15 rebounds. Keith Williams III had 17 points and 8 rebounds. Julian Alexander had 8 points and 6 assists while Jabari Smith chipped in 8 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks. DeShon Proctor tacked on 6 points and 11 rebounds.

No. 7 Carver-Columbus 72, No. 5 Americus-Sumter 67: AJ Watts scored 23 points followed by Devin Flowers’ 20 points, 6 assists and 5 steals. Jacyias Credle had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Jalen King double-doubled with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

No. 8 Baldwin 65, Westside-Macon 61: Donte Justice scored 15 points followed by Jermyus Simmons’ 14 and Torez Hicks’ 10. Kowacie Reeves Jr. and Javian Mosley led Westside-Macon with 15 points apiece. Rico Campbell finished with 14 points while Des Foston had 12 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists.

Eastside 46, No. 9 Salem 45: Myles Rice and Killien Glover scored 10 points apiece to lead Eastside in the upset. Jerry Mays and Darrell Duncombe netted 8 points each. Lance Smith (12) and Montez Swann (11) led Salem in defeat.

No. 10 Denmark 80, Chestatee 60: Sutton Smith finished with 16 points and 7 assists while Ze’Vian Capers posted 15 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Trevor Bryk had 10 points and 7 rebounds. Joseph Scott tacked on 10 points and 5 rebounds. Adonnis Tolbert pitched in 8 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Woodward Academy 62, Druid Hills 44: Walker Kessler went for 27 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 7 blocks. Logan Stephens scored 8 points followed by Will Demorest’s 7 points and 6 rebounds.

Pickens 67, Ridgeland 60: Seth Bishop went for 23 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Hunter Hermann scored 12 points. Zach Goss, Brady Moore and Tucker Lowe all scored 10 points apiece.

Hardaway 55, Shaw 54: In the loss Rod Winfrey scored 18 points while Darnell Moran contributed 8 points and 3 rebounds.

Blessed Trinity 63, White County 54: Jack Stephans (18), James Bryant (17) and Andy Swade (14) carried the Titans.

Cross Creek 60, Richmond Academy 40: Kobe Stewart and Jatravious Stewart scored 17 points apiece. Eric Gore and Corey Trotter each netted 9 points.

AAA

No. 2 GAC 64, Marist 51: Hunter McIntosh (16), Clifton Baskerville (13), Cole Perusek (10), Roy Dixon III (10) and Belmont-signee Ben Sheppard (9) paced the Spartans.

No. 3 Dawson County 71, Fannin County 36: Jasper Gibson finished with 23 points, 3 rebounds and 4 steals while Luke Chism had 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals. Ahmad Kamara chipped in 13 points and 5 rebounds.

No. 8 Cedar Grove 59, Towers 36: Kanaris Cummings (11), Devon Barnes (10), Jeffery Daniels (8) and Montre Montfort (8) led a balanced offensive attack.

Lovett 80, Fellowship Christian 44: Zach Minetola had 16 points and Colin Goldberg added 11.

Beach 72, Southeast Bulloch 68: In the loss Ryan Swanson had 22 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals. Bryce Stephens had 17 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals. Janard Mike netted 12 points.

Butler 70, Laney 66: Jyheem Rollins scored 33 points.

Calhoun 63, Sonoraville 49: Gage Maffetone (14) and Caleb Boone (13) led the Yellow Jackets. Bralin Barton, Jake Prather and Xaxton Goodson all scored 8 points.

AA

No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins 67, Jeff Davis 42: Preston Crisp tallied his 1,000th career point with his 25-point outing. Bernard Pelote scored 17.

No. 3 Northeast-Macon 56, Bleckley County 45: Darius Dunn (15), Cam Cherry (12), Ty’Ree Gilbert (8), Travion Solomon (8) and Kendall Green (6) balanced the Raider offense.

No. 6 Elbert County 62, Monticello 22: AJ James scored 18 points while Terrence Hester had 15 points and 6 rebounds to power the Blue Devils.

Social Circle 64, Banks County 56 OT: Bryan Oglesby netted 18 points to pace the Redskins. KJ Reid and Ennis Woolfolk scored 16 apiece.

Rockmart 57, Chattooga 47: The Yellow Jackets took advantage of a shorthanded Chattooga team without two starters. Sam DePew netted 15 points followed by Juke Boozer’s 11 points and Chandler Cooper’s 10.

Heard County 60, Lamar County 44: Alijah Huzzie totaled 20 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Khalil Cofield scored 18 points and Tray Dunson had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

A-Private

No. 1 St. Francis 57, No. 5 Walker 55: Xavier-commit Dwon Odom finished with 22 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists and 5 steals including a steal and game-winning layup at the buzzer. Chase Ellis muscled in 18 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals. Jordan Brown scored 8 points and CJ Riley netted 7. Chandler Baker carried Walker with 30 points. Burke Chebuhar added 9 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists. Chris Newell scored 8 points.

No. 2 Mt. Bethel 64, Mt. Pisgah 62: James Madison-signee Quinn Richey scored 18 points and Nate Gordon had 16 in the near upset of Mt. Bethel. JoJo Peterson added 9.

No. 6 Wesleyan 67, Paideia 35: JD Kavel scored 20 points followed by Jalen Fulwood (11) and Micah Smith (10).

No. 8 Lakeview Academy 81, Commerce 52: Blake McIntyre netted 26 points. Adam Cottrell had 15 points and 8 assists. Conley Millwood chipped in 11 points. Holden Cooper and Arturo Varela each tallied 6 assists. Jalen Dorsey (12) and Chandler Martin (10) led Commerce.

No. 10 Holy Innocents’ 66, Galloway 54: Chance Moore finished with 21 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks while Garrison Powell pitched in 14 points and 7 rebounds. Devin Farrell netted 14 points. Justin Wilson collected 6 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 steals. Galloway was led by Wyatt Duncan’s 16 points and 4 steals. Anthony Arrington double-doubled with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Will Winn scored 10 points.

Riverside Military 65, Athens Christian 46: Isaac Teasley had 15 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists. Khalid Duke posted 14 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists. Jordan Battles pitched in 13 points and 8 rebounds.

Tallulah Falls 62, George Walton 58: In the defeat, Brelan Holston had 16 points and 7 assists.

Athens Academy 58, Towns County 53: Lawrence Jang scored 22 points and Deion Colzie netted 13. Hugh Laughlin (11) and Barrett McLanahan (10) chipped in.

Darlington 56, Bowdon 48: Andrew Land scored 22 points while Barrick Wade had 18 points off 4 threes.

Stratford Academy 72, Mt. de Sales 65: Mississippi State-signee Devin Butts finished with 28 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Jack Miscall and Ben Baxley scored 13 points apiece. Christian Palmer netted 10 and Isaiah Josey added 7.

A-Public

Wilkinson County 81, Twiggs County 51: Jalen Lamar finished with 29 points, 9 rebounds and 10 assists.

 

GIRLS

AAAAAAA

No. 3 North Cobb 66, North Paulding 44: Sydney Thomas netted 27 points in the win.

No. 5 Cherokee 66, Etowah 26: Olivia Herrera and North Georgia-signee Lacie McCoy scored 13 points apiece. Ashlyn Andrus added 9 points.

No. 6 Grayson 65, Rockdale 59: Catherine Alben finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Malia Grace had 15 points and 8 rebounds while Nadia Howard tallied 10 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals.

Hillgrove 51, No. 7 Marietta 45: Kennedi White scored 14 points and GCSU-signee Michelle Smith had 12 to muddy up the Region 3 race. Marietta was led by Charlay Conway’s 19 points. Eva Knox, Ajia Smith and Jayda Lowe all scored 6 points apiece for Marietta.

No. 9 North Forsyth 51, Lambert 29: Ansley Allen and Caroline Martin scored 18 points apiece.

Archer 61, Newton 43: In the loss Jada Franklin scored 14 points.

Roswell 58, Lassiter 37: Georgia State-signee Kennedy Powell scored 16 points while Emmanuel College-signee Lindsey Pruitt netted 13.

AAAAAA

No. 1 Lovejoy 75, Drew 30: Genesis Bryant led the Wildcats with 21 points while Anaya Boyd had 14 points and 3 blocks. J’Auana Robinson scored 11 points.

No. 2 Forest Park 63, Tucker 10: Alana Denson (17), Sarah Matthews (15) and Sania Feagin (10) powered Forest Park.

No. 7 Dacula 43, Habersham Central 38: Valdosta State-signee Kendall Bollmer scored 11 of her 14 points in the fourth quarter to secure the victory. Lazaria Spearman had 11 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. Keyanna Gibbs scored 8 points and Chelsey Abel notched 6 points and 7 rebounds.

Johns Creek 60, No. 10 Pope 47: Wilnie Joseph (15), Jill Davis (10) and Kate Powers (10) helped upset the Greyhounds.

Lanier 64, Apalachee 44: Nala Lawrence scored 14 points.

Centennial 63, Chattahoochee 28: Bailey Hebermehl netted 19 points and Aerial Nathan scored 14 in the win.

AAAAA

AAAA

No. 1 Carver-Columbus 85, Americus-Sumter 27: Columbus State-signee Janya Love-Hill pumped in 27 points. Olivia Cochran scored 15 points while Kionna Gaines had 11 and Sadrea Mabry added 10.

No. 5 Flowery Branch 87, West Hall 27: Ashley Scott tied the school record with 7 threes en route to 21 points.

West Laurens 52, Howard 31: Calmela Mack finished with 14 points and 3 steals. MaKayla Murray had 8 points and 3 steals while Jakerra Wilbur posted 7 points and 5 assists. Ashanti Surrey netted 6 points. MaKayla Kemp totaled 3 points and 4 steals.

Pickens 81, Ridgeland 33: Mykenzie Weaver went for 29 points, 8 rebounds and 10 steals. Torie Williams added 12 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals. Chloe Walker chipped in 9 points, 3 assists and 4 steals. Cassidy Richards finished with 8 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.

Woodward Academy 56, Druid Hills 50: Freshman Sydney Bowles dropped in 25 points, 18 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks. Clara Snell had 14 points and Zoe Scott tallied 5 points and 8 rebounds. Maddy Cronin grabbed 6 rebounds and collected 2 assists and 3 steals.

North Clayton 66, Hampton 56: Denetra Sneed was everywhere with 26 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 8 steals and 1 block. T’mya Parker finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 block. Kyleah O’Neal had 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. Jada Showers collected 10 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists and 6 steals.

Chestatee 73, Denmark 19: Christina Garcia (17) and Maggie McNair (16) led the War Eagles. Beth Eddins scored 9 points. Emma Easterwood had 6 points, 7 assists and 9 steals. Logan Wiggins posted 7 points and 6 rebounds.

Eastside 59, Salem 45: Dasia Burgess netted 16 points. Alysee Dobbs had 15 points and 7 rebounds.

AAA

No. 1 Morgan County 60, Franklin County 46: Junior guard Tamia Benford scored a career-high 28 points. Miranda Powell netted 14.

No. 3 Jefferson 60, Monroe Area 39: Natalia Bolden scored 17 points followed by Livi Blackstock and Deshona Gaither’s 10 apiece.

No. 4 Johnson-Savannah 61, Savannah 32: J’Mya Cutter had 23 points, 5 assists and 5 steals. Jasmine Thompson posted 15 points and 10 rebounds.

East Hall 48, No. 7 North Hall 45: Alexis Burce finished with 16 points while Aaliyah Edwards and Audrey Griffin scored 8 apiece.

No. 10 Dawson County 58, Fannin County 32: Maddie Anglin and Sophia d’Oliveira scored 14 points apiece. Rachel Swafford had 9.

Sonoraville 85, Calhoun 46: Alexa Geary and Abby Chambers scored 17 points apiece. Grace Darnell (13), Maliyah Parks (11) and Lindsay Bowman (10) all reached double digits. In the loss, Emily Sorrow (7) and Lyndi Rae Davis (6) led Calhoun.

North Murray 46, Haralson County 17: Tenley Gladson scored 12 points. Korbin Tipton netted 9 points and Baylee Gable had 7.

AA

No. 1 Dodge County 67, Southwest-Macon 63: Destanee Wright (28), Europe Brown (14) and Shauna Coley (14) helped the Squaws remain undefeated in region play.

No. 5 Bryan County 69, Bacon County 23: Olonna Rawls scored 21 points followed by Shelby Gunn’s 18 points. Jay Black netted 10 points.

No. 6 Rabun County 74, Putnam County 54: Brooke Henricks had 13 points and 6 rebounds while Beth Payne added 12 points and 9 rebounds. Laken Stiles finished with 9 points and 5 assists. Hanna Cannon scored 9 points.

No. 9 Banks County 74, Social Circle 24: Heather Vaughan matched the Redskins with 24 points. GCSU-signee Jaycie Bowen scored 12 points, as did Amber Williams.

Union County 48, Oglethorpe County 19: The Panthers used a 23-0 run to open the game. Ava Hunter (10), Kait McCarter (9) and Rebekah Chambers (8) powered the offense.

Temple 59, Jordan 25: Ruby Collins scored 18 points while Tori Chivers tacked on 14 points, 5 assists and 8 steals. Mackenzie Holt added 13 points and 5 rebounds.

A-Private

No. 1 Wesleyan 58, No. 6 Paideia 33: AC Carter finished with 16 points and 17 rebounds. Izzy Larsen added 15 points and 8 rebounds. Alyssa Philip (11) and Nicole Azar (9) both chipped in offensively.

No. 5 Lakeview Academy 63, Commerce 27: Eliza Snyder finished with 28 points and 5 rebounds. Jackie Allen posted 12 points and 4 rebounds. Joelle Snyder scored 7 points. Sadie Thrailkill had 6 points and 6 rebounds while Maddy Towles chipped in 6 points and 4 rebounds.

No. 8 Stratford Academy 54, Mt. de Sales 24: Nadia Reese poured in 22 points.

Pinecrest Academy 45, Whitefield Academy 19: Meghan Sullivan scored 22 points. Aryn Spain had 8.

Prince Avenue 49, Hebron Christian 39: Janie Henderson led the Wolverines with 16 points. Noelle Hynes scored 12 points followed by Karlee Armstrong’s 10 points and Maddi Britt’s 8.

Savannah Christian 56, McIntosh County Academy 36: Paige Dennis (14), Mallory Robinett (11) and Kayla Jones (9) paced the Raiders.

A-Public

Towns County 46, Athens Academy 42: In the loss Ali Rumpel gobbled up 15 points and 13 rebounds. Meredith Reynolds scored 14 points and Jaila Salley-Barnett had 7 points and 3 assists.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Spielin' & Dealin' Podcast

Spielin’ & Dealin’ Ep. 63: Will McEachern win state? Region 7-AAAAAA breakdown. Morgan County boys. The next Asia Durr?

***SUBSCRIBE/DOWNLOAD/LISTEN ON iTUNES***
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Will nationally ranked McEachern win state? [0:40]
Region 7-AAAAAA Boys analysis [10:59]
Morgan County update [20:38]
How good is 2021 PG Kayla McPherson? [24:02]

Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 8 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

1. Westlake (14-0)
2. Collins Hill (16-1)
3. North Cobb (15-0)
4. Norcross (11-7)
5. Cherokee (13-3)
6. Grayson (13-2)
7. Marietta (10-5)
8. Pebblebrook (14-2)
9. North Forsyth (11-4)
10. Colquitt County (11-2)

Class AAAAAA

1. Lovejoy (15-3)
2. Forest Park (15-2)
3. Northview (12-3)
4. Glynn Academy (14-2)
5. Stephenson (10-7)
6. Douglas County (13-4)
7. Dacula (13-3)
8. Valdosta (14-2)
9. New Manchester (14-2)
10. Pope (13-3)

Class AAAAA

1. Villa Rica (15-0)
2. Buford (13-1)
3. Eagle’s Landing (11-3)
4. Harris County (12-3)
5. Southwest DeKalb (13-5)
6. Veterans (14-2)
7. Carrollton (12-5)
8. Locust Grove (12-4)
9. Statesboro (16-1)
10. Jones County (14-3)

Class AAAA

1. Carver-Columbus (15-0)
2. Spalding (12-3)
3. Madison County (16-1)
4. Henry County (16-2)
5. Flowery Branch (13-3)
6. Luella (14-3)
7. Westover (10-2)
8. Marist (11-4)
9. Baldwin (10-4)
10. Perry (8-4)

Class AAA

1. Morgan County (12-3)
2. Beach (14-3)
3. Jefferson (14-2)
4. Johnson-Savannah (9-6)
5. Hart County (12-4)
6. GAC (8-8)
7. North Hall (12-4)
8. Tattnall County (11-5)
9. Peach County (9-3)
10. Dawson County (11-6) 

Class AA

1. Dodge County (15-1)
2. Douglass (12-5)
3. Fitzgerald (15-0)
4. Laney (14-1)
5. Bryan County (15-0)
6. Rabun County (13-1)
7. Swainsboro (10-2)
8. Early County (12-1)
9. Banks County (13-3)
10. Washington County (12-3)

Class A-Private

1. Wesleyan (16-0)
2. St. Francis (9-3)
3. Holy Innocents’ (8-6)
4. ELCA (10-3)
5. Lakeview Academy (12-4)
6. Paideia (13-1)
7. Mt. Paran (12-1)
8. Stratford Academy (14-1)
9. Calvary Day (12-3)
10. Darlington (10-3)

Class A-Public

1. Marion County (12-0)
2. Georgia Military College (8-1)
3. Telfair County (11-3)
4. Greenville (16-1)
5. Wheeler County (10-4)
6. Calhoun County (13-2)
7. Clinch County (7-2)
8. Central-Talbotton (8-3)
9. Dooly County (10-3)
10. Wilcox County (10-4)

 

There are some changes near the bottom of the poll in Class AAAAAAA. No. 8 Pebblebrook falls three spots after a 60-51 loss at Rockdale. No. 5 Cherokee benefits the most this week, rising four spots after scoring two road wins against Walton 79-45 and River Ridge 63-29. No. 7 Marietta moves up three spots behind Cherokee thanks to a No. 9 North Forsyth loss to Roswell 55-52, dropping the Raiders two spots as they couldn’t overcome the absence of leading scorer Ansley Allen. Mill Creek (12-5) exits the Top 10 with losses on the road against Duluth 47-42 and Class 4A No. 5 Flowery Branch 62-47. Debuting in the poll is No. 10 Colquitt County, who survived Camden County 62-58 in double overtime. Junior Janiah Ellis has taken over the reins of the offense, upping her production from 7.8 points and 3.5 rebounds a year ago to 22.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game.

Class AAAAAA sees no movement as the state’s best team and best backcourt made a statement at the She Got Game Classic as No. 1 Lovejoy pounded Class A-Private No. 3 Holy Innocents’ 64-46. The Wildcats drilled 11 threes and the Golden Bears had no answers for juniors Genesis Bryant (16 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 6 steals) and Anaya Boyd (15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 5 blocks). At the bottom of the poll, No. 9 New Manchester avoided a trap game at Langston Hughes, pulling out a 52-48 victory.

No. 1 Villa Rica holds tight in Class AAAAA after a 51-45 win at Rome. No. 3 Eagle’s Landing crawls ahead of No. 5 Southwest DeKalb after the Panthers dropped to Dillard (FL) 57-45 and Class 4A No. 2 Spalding 54-45. No. 9 Statesboro is down three spots following a 69-62 loss at Class 2A No. 7 Swainsboro, the Blue Devils’ first defeat of the season. No. 4 Harris County knocked Warner Robins (9-5) from the Top 10 with a 45-42 win. Also out of the poll is Wayne County (11-2) who lost 49-32 at Ware County. Two new teams debut in No. 8 Locust Grove and No. 10 Jones County. The Wildcats have won six-straight with their latest triumph coming at Union Grove 52-51, but more impressively Locust Grove won the Mary Persons Christmas Tournament by beating Class 2A No. 1 at the time Douglass 69-62, Upson-Lee 70-57 and Monticello 63-58. Star senior point guard Zamiya Passmore is averaging 23.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 4.1 steals. Jones County enters the rankings with wins over Dutchtown 56-31 and at Upson-Lee 45-33 last week.

The best player in Georgia regardless of classification, grade or position is Class AAAA No. 3 Madison County’s sophomore point guard Kayla McPherson. She is the best girls player I’ve watched over the past four years; she is a mini-Asia Durr and she will be in the WNBA if she continues to improve at the rate she is going. The 5-foot-7 dynamo torched Class 3A No. 5 Hart County for 64 points – a school-record – in the Red Raiders’ 93-68 victory. McPherson didn’t rack up the points against a nobody school, she did it against one of the best in their respective classification with a D-I point guard in Torrion Starks (Western Kentucky) and it wasn’t a layup line blow out. It was a 63-52 game before McPherson unleashed the knockout blow with 20 points in the fourth quarter. She finished with 64 points (11 threes), 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal. And-1s, step-back threes, impossible finishes, slick dribbling and great court vision, McPherson is mixtape lore and must-watch entertainment before she heads to college. Offensively, the Red Raiders are a two-man show with McPherson and Old Dominion-signee Jordan Bailey who dumped in 17 points and 16 rebounds, but having the best player in the state on their team makes Madison County a legitimate title contender if McPherson stays hot come February and March. Elsewhere in the state, No. 2 Spalding beat Josey 51-40 and Class 5A No. 5 Southwest DeKalb 54-45. No. 5 Flowery Branch took care of last week’s Class 7A No. 8 Mill Creek 62-47. Northwest Whitfield (14-3) drops out of the rankings after losing at the buzzer to Coahulla Creek 46-44. They are replaced by No. 9 Baldwin, who finally resurfaces after a 70-40 win at Richmond Academy. Unsigned senior guard Crystal Corley is averaging 16.1 points and 5.4 rebounds.

No. 3 Jefferson rallied from down 28-14 in the second quarter to eventually score a crucial Region 8-AAA victory over No. 5 Hart County 66-61 as both teams chase No. 1 Morgan County in the classification’s toughest region. The Bulldogs couldn’t bounce back from their loss to the Dragons as they fell on the road against Class 4A No. 3 Madison County 93-68, nearly outscored by sophomore sensation Kayla McPherson who dropped 64 points. In the loss, Western Kentucky-signee Torrion Starks played well with 21 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals while 6-foot sophomore Taniya Alexander gobbled up 20 points, 12 rebounds and 3 steals. No. 4 Johnson-Savannah hosts No. 2 Beach this Tuesday with a chance to get some revenge for their 55-53 overtime defeat back in late November. No. 10 Dawson County sinks four spots following a 63-56 loss at Cherokee Bluff. Rutland (11-5) wasn’t as lucky, as their third straight loss drops them from the poll. The Hurricanes were beat by returnee No. 9 Peach County 48-43 and fell at Kendrick 54-51.

In Class AA, No. 1 Dodge County finally got the monkey off their back by beating East Laurens 88-80 after the Falcons swept the Squaws last season. No. 7 Swainsboro handed Class 5A No. 9 Statesboro their first loss of the season, 69-62. No. 8 Early County spanked Class A-Public No. 6 Calhoun County 52-25. No. 10 Washington County slips one spot after losing 46-35 to Southwest-Macon who now gets a crack at Dodge County to prove their legitimacy in not only Region 3, but statewide. The Patriots were blasted at home by the Squaws in their first meeting 63-27.

There is no movement in Class A-Private. No. 1 Wesleyan defeated Dillard (FL) 63-57 at the She Got Game Classic. No. 2 St. Francis turned back No. 7 Mt. Paran 59-42 on the road. No. 3 Holy Innocents’ lost 64-46 to Class 6A No. 1 Lovejoy at the She Got Game Classic. No. 6 Paideia survived at Galloway 58-56. No. 10 Darlington held off North Murray 41-36.

Turner County (10-5) couldn’t survive a week in the Class A-Public poll, losing to falling No. 10 Wilcox County 66-63 and rising No. 7 Clinch County 64-52. Wilcox County is down three spots after suffering a 61-26 beatdown at the hands of debutant No. 9 Dooly County, who is streaking, winners of nine-straight. The Bobcats avenged their 37-32 season-opening loss at Wilcox County in dominating fashion.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 8 Boys Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

1. McEachern (12-0)
2. Grayson (14-2)
3. Meadowcreek (14-4)
4. Discovery (14-3)
5. Wheeler (14-4)
6. East Coweta (15-1)
7. Newton (11-3)
8. Norcross (10-7)
9. Pebblebrook (12-5)
10. Berkmar (13-4)

Class AAAAAA

1. Coffee (12-2)
2. North Atlanta (12-4)
3. South Paulding (13-4)
4. Alexander (13-5)
5. Chattahoochee (14-3)
6. Tri-Cities (11-4)
7. Lakeside-Evans (14-2)
8. Sprayberry (14-2)
9. Sequoyah (12-4)
10. Evans (16-0)

Class AAAAA

1. Buford (14-1)
2. Fayette County (14-2)
3. Southwest DeKalb (13-5)
4. Eagle’s Landing (12-3)
5. Woodland-Stockbridge (13-3)
6. Kell (12-4)
7. Lithonia (12-6)
8. Statesboro (14-3)
9. Jones County (13-4)
10. Lithia Springs (13-3)

Class AAAA

1. Upson-Lee (13-1)
2. Sandy Creek (11-3)
3. St. Pius X (14-2)
4. Henry County (16-1)
5. Americus-Sumter (11-1)
6. Thomson (12-2)
7. Carver-Columbus (10-3)
8. Baldwin (9-5)
9. Salem (10-3)
10. Denmark (14-3)

Class AAA

1. Morgan County (14-1)
2. GAC (11-4)
3. Dawson County (14-3)
4. Pace Academy (11-5)
5. Jefferson (11-5)
6. Hart County (12-4)
7. Central-Macon (12-3)
8. Cedar Grove (10-3)
9. Johnson-Savannah (10-6)
10. Kendrick (12-3)

Class AA

1. Woodville-Tompkins (16-0)
2. Therrell (12-6)
3. Northeast-Macon (12-2)
4. South Atlanta (11-5)
5. Thomasville (13-1)
6. Elbert County (13-2)
7. Vidalia (15-2)
8. Spencer (12-3)
9. Washington County (10-5)
10. Glenn Hills (14-3)

Class A-Private

1. St. Francis (12-3)
2. Mt. Bethel (10-4)
3. Greenforest (10-4)
4. ELCA (8-6)
5. Walker (11-3)
6. Wesleyan (11-4)
7. Christian Heritage (13-0)
8. Lakeview Academy (10-5)
9. Trinity Christian (7-9)
10. Holy Innocents’ (6-9)

Class A-Public

1. Calhoun County (15-0)
2. Hancock Central (10-3)
3. Treutlen (13-1)
4. Wilcox County (13-1)
5. Georgia Military College (7-2)
6. Terrell County (11-2)
7. Macon County (9-2)
8. Pelham (9-3)
9. Marion County (7-3)
10. Greene County (11-4)

 

The first week of 2019 was fairly status quo in Class AAAAAAA outside of the middle of the poll. No. 1 McEachern beat Findlay Prep (NV) 60-53 before rallying from down 31-16 at the half to stun Imhotep Charter (PA) 62-58 at the Cancer Research Classic to solidify their No. 1 ranking for the entire country. No. 2 Grayson outlasted Region 8 foe Shiloh in overtime 61-59 while No. 3 Meadowcreek lost to Bartlett (TN) 62-50 before rebounding with wins over Whitney Young (IL) 56-53 and Brentwood Academy (TN) 46-43. No. 8 Norcross is down two spots after flopping at the Cancer Research Classic, getting blown out by Montverde Academy (FL) 88-56 and losing 70-67 to DeMatha (MD). No. 6 East Coweta rises two spots after breaking Class 2A No. 2 Therrell’s heart at the buzzer with Brandon Stroud picking up a loose ball off a rebound and scoring at the horn to win 63-61.

In Class AAAAAA, No. 2 North Atlanta survived two hard-fought Region 7 battles, beating Alpharetta 65-58 and winning at Pope 61-54. No. 5 Chattahoochee exploited a disinterested Cambridge defense to hit a school-record 18 threes in a 98-84 romp; Cam Sheffield (26), AJ White (25), Grant Van Beveren (23) and Franklin Bailey (18) combining for 92 points. No. 4 Alexander falls a spot after beating Class 5A No. 6 Kell 79-65 in the Lake City Classic Championship, but losing at the buzzer to Douglas County 48-47. No. 7 Lakeside-Evans jumps two spots and leapfrogs No. 10 Evans who is the classification’s lone unbeaten. The Panthers ripped up Heritage-Conyers 70-48 while we still wait for Evans to play a quality opponent. The Knights travel to Heritage on Tuesday and host Lakeside on Friday with a chance to officially stamp their legitimacy. No. 9 Sequoyah sinks two positions after rallying from down seven heading into the fourth quarter to beat Allatoona 59-58, but losing at No. 8 Sprayberry 96-88.

No. 1 Buford claimed third-place at the Arby’s Classic by beating Wenonah (AL) 66-59, but No. 2 Fayette County is the talk of Class AAAAA after drilling 14 threes to beat rival Class 4A No. 2 Sandy Creek 72-71 in an instant classic. No. 4 Eagle’s Landing earned bragging rights with their 60-53 win over Class A-Private No. 4 ELCA and now will try to slow down red-hot No. 5 Woodland-Stockbridge, winners of 11-straight. The victor will take control of first-place in Region 4 while No. 9 Jones County still looms, the Greyhounds losing to a Travon Walker-less Class 4A No. 1 Upson-Lee 58-51. Warner Robins (11-4) drops from the Top 10 following a 56-51 loss at Houston County. They are replaced by re-entry No. 8 Statesboro. The Blue Devils drilled Region 2 rival New Hampstead 58-38 and won at Swainsboro 48-44.

Class AAAA No. 1 Upson-Lee remained unbeaten at The Castle, holding off Class 5A No. 9 Jones County 58-51 without the services of All-American defensive lineman Travon Walker. In their annual beatdown of Stephens County, No. 2 St. Pius X saw Matt Gonzalo become the school’s all-time assist leader in a 71-47 rout. No. 6 Thomson shoots up four spots after beating No. 8 Baldwin 65-60 behind the senior trio of Zander Hamilton (18), Aubrey Ivery (17) and Malcolm Daniels (11) who combined for 46 points. Chapel Hill (7-4) departs from the rankings after a sobering 58-43 loss to Troup County in their Region 5 opener. No. 10 Denmark cracks the Top 10 for the first time in school history. The first-year program has won eight-straight behind the core of sophomore point guard Sutton Smith and juniors 6-foot-5 Ze’Vian Capers and 6-foot-6 Adonnis Tolbert.

No. 2 GAC dominated East Hall 82-54 in Region 7-AAA, Hunter McIntosh netting 27 points. No. 5 Jefferson has quickly made an impact since arriving in the Top 10 to end 2018. The Dragons bounce up four spots after beating No. 6 Hart County 59-54 behind Spencer Darby’s 11 points and 10 apiece from Kam Robinson and 6-foot-8 Jacob Radaker. No. 8 Cedar Grove’s swoon continued, losing to Class 5A No. 7 Lithonia 53-46 to drop three more spots.

Class AA No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins used a Deante Green bucket with five seconds left to remain unblemished in a 67-65 win over First Baptist (SC) at the Low Country Showcase. Preston Crisp was named MVP with 29 points. No. 3 Northeast-Macon’s prayers were answered as Darius Dunn scored 29 points including hitting a beyond half court Hail Mary at the buzzer to stun No. 9 Washington County 62-61. No. 7 Vidalia slips one spot after getting blown out by a now healthy Swainsboro team 72-51, making the juggernaut Region 2 picture that much more interesting with Metter (11-3, 4-1), Vidalia (15-2, 4-2), Swainsboro (7-7, 4-2) and Jeff Davis (12-5, 4-2) all chasing Woodville-Tompkins (16-0, 5-0) in the classification’s best region. Out west, No. 8 Spencer beat Greenville 91-77 as sophomore 6-foot-3 guard Jaylin Sellers dumped in 41 points. Bleckley County (10-7) exits the poll following their fourth consecutive loss. They were beat at Montgomery County 75-64 and in overtime at Dodge County 68-61. Resurfacing is No. 10 Glenn Hills, who will try to stay in the state picture for good. First-place in Region 4 is on the line at rival Butler (10-2) this Tuesday. The Spartans defeated the Bulldogs 76-69 in their first meeting. Juniors 6-foot-7 Eman Jones (21.2 points, 4.4 rebounds) and 6-foot-5 John Whitehead (20.1 points, 8.6 rebounds) carry Augusta’s most exciting team.

No. 1 St. Francis bashed Mt. Pisgah (9-6) 89-69 to send the Patriots out of the Class A-Private poll following their third straight loss against ranked opponents. No. 3 Greenforest finally usurps No. 4 ELCA for third-place after beating Cumberland Christian 84-73 and the Chargers lost to Class 5A No. 4 Eagle’s Landing 60-53. Following Mt. Pisgah out of the rankings is Riverside Military (10-4) who suffered a tough loss to Prince Avenue 52-43. Back into the Top 10 are No. 9 Trinity Christian and No. 10 Holy Innocents’. In a wishy-washy classification from teams six through 10 in the poll, the two most talented teams should have staying power from now on unless they are knocked off by an unranked opponent. The Lions and Golden Bears have too much talent and have played too good of a non-region schedule to be punished for their sub .500 records in a watered-down class.

No. 1 Calhoun County continues to impress in Class A-Public, winning at Early County 73-71 and defeating No. 8 Pelham 65-48. No. 2 Hancock Central has quite the resume as well, completing the season sweep of defending champs Wilkinson County with a 76-66 win at The Palace. Dooly County (9-4) was knocking on the door of the Top 10, but suffered two heartbreakers against No. 4 Wilcox County 67-65 and at No. 7 Macon County 64-54. Things won’t get easier for the Bobcats as they host No. 3 Treutlen on Tuesday. No. 10 Greene County tumbles six spots after a coaching blunder, holding the ball for five minutes to start the fourth quarter then getting called for a five-second violation and allowing the only points of the quarter to be scored by Zy Wright on an And-1 in a brutal 35-32 loss at Aquinas. The feel-good story of Chattahoochee County (13-3) comes to a brief pause as the Panthers fall from the rankings after a 74-58 loss at debutant No. 9 Marion County.

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

No. 2 Fayette County sweeps No. 2 Sandy Creek behind 14 threes; Richard second half heroics

5ANo. 2 Fayette County 72, 4ANo. 2 Sandy Creek 71

TJ Bickerstaff free throw

Since picking up their first win of the year back on November 13th at Sandy Creek 74-66, road bumps have been few and far between for Class 5A No. 2 Fayette County (14-2). On Friday night, the Tigers had a chance to earn a season sweep of their cross-town rival Class 4A No. 2 Sandy Creek (10-3) in front of a nearly packed house. The game started and ended with star forward TJ Bickerstaff at the foul line.

The Patriots got off to a quick start, leading before a second even ticked off the clock as Drexel-signee TJ Bickerstaff sank two technical free throws after Fayette County was T’d up during warmups. The Patriots led 8-1 with 6-foot-8 sophomore Jabari Smith using a soft jump hook around the rim, but Fayette County regained their composure with 6-foot-4 senior point guard Terrell Bradley – back from an early season suspension – getting into the paint and finishing.

Coach Jon-Michael Nickerson turned to his bench early and inserted 6-foot-5 sophomore Deshon Proctor into the game, who paid dividends right away with six first quarter points including a slam off a Bickerstaff assist with 1:40 left to play to give Sandy Creek a 16-13 edge.

Twenty seconds later however, Bickerstaff would pick up his second foul and head to the bench.

At the end of one, Sandy Creek led 18-16 after Kingston Calhoun knocked down a three with 37 seconds left from Bradley to slice into the lead.

Bickerstaff checked back into the game at the 6:38 mark before picking up his third foul just 17 seconds later and he would check out with 5:55 on the clock and sit the rest of the half with his Patriots leading 20-19.

Fayette County went on a 5-0 spurt with Bickerstaff benched, JeKobe Coleman drilling his third three of the game as the Tigers picked apart the Patriot zone.

The Tigers had another 6-0 mini-run sparked by Joshua Dupree, who chased down a layup attempt on the fast break to pin it on the backboard then trailed the play heading the other way as Bradley found him open for a transition three to make it 29-25 before Ricky Knight Jr. cashed in on his own three to push the lead to 32-25 with 1:43 left in the second quarter.

Like a game of tug of war, it was Sandy Creek’s turn to pull on the rope as Julian Alexander and Smith scored late to trim the deficit to 34-32 heading into halftime.

The Patriots scored the first four points of the second half to nudge ahead 36-34, but at the 6:23 mark Bickerstaff was whistled for his fourth foul on a charge and was banished back to the bench.

The depth and the well-rounded play of Sandy Creek shined in Bickerstaff’s absence as Proctor continued to pose a problem for the guard-oriented lineup of Fayette County, receiving a dish from Alexander and powering home a two-handed flush to give the Patriots some cushion with 5 minutes to play in the third quarter now up 42-36.

Just when it looked like Sandy Creek would gain separation, Fayette County’s three-point barrage started to bomb from deep. The Tigers went on an 8-0 run with Knight hitting back-to-back threes in the right corner to give Fayette County a 44-42 lead at the 3:34 mark.

With the Patriot zone now concerned about the outside shooting of Fayette County – the Tigers hitting 14 threes on the night – the middle of the zone was wide open for 6-foot-4 sophomore William Richard to score two of his 16 second half points up close.

Sandy Creek responded on offense with Alexander scoring six of his 12 points in the quarter and Keith Williams III breaking loose for eight points, nailing two threes. The Patriots finished with a flurry as Proctor banked in a three-pointer at the buzzer to give Sandy Creek a 57-52 lead after three quarters with their star player having played less than 10 minutes.

Bickerstaff re-entered the game at the 6:50 mark and immediately demanded the ball on a post-up and went to the line where he split a pair of free throws.

Following a scoreless first half, Richard netted eight points including two threes as Fayette County regained the lead with 5:05 to play, 65-63.

Back and forth the two rivals went over the final five minutes.

Sandy Creek got a third dunk from Proctor as the Patriots moved ahead 69-68 at the 3:05 mark.

Trying to nurse a one-point lead with less than two minutes to play, Alexander’s cross court pass was intercepted by Knight and finished on the other end to give the Tigers a 70-69 lead with 1:33 to play.

The Patriots responded by dumping it down low to Bickerstaff who made a strong move toward the middle of the paint to take back a 71-70 lead with 1:12 remaining.

On the other end, Richard scored his 16th and final point off the bench to give Fayette County the lead for good with less than a minute to play.

The Patriots got a bad look at the basket with 28.1 seconds left and had to foul twice to send Coleman to the line. The three-point sniper missed the front end of the one-and-one and gave the ball back to Sandy Creek now with 17.5 left on the clock.

Sandy Creek drove and dropped off to Proctor who was body-checked but no whistle came. The ball squirted loose and in a wild scramble the Patriots temporarily regained possession before a kickball was called and Sandy Creek had the ball out of bounds with 5.6 seconds remaining.

Coach Nickerson got the ball into the hands of Bickerstaff who drew a foul and was sent to the line for two free throws with 1.8 seconds left on the clock. Bickerstaff missed the first and after a timeout, missed the second as the Tigers held on in dramatic fashion to sweep the season series.

My Take

Friday night was one of the best games of the season. The largest lead of the game was seven points for both teams while there were too many lead changes to keep up with. Fayette County is the real deal in Class 5A and a legitimate state title contender with how they shoot the three. They banged in 14 threes and destroyed the Patriots zone. Fayette County’s guards are interchangeable with everyone standing between 6-foot-0 and 6-foot-4 and all able to stroke the deep ball as five players connected from distance. 6-foot-4 senior point guard Terrell Bradley has found his groove after serving his suspension. He’s got great size for the lead guard position and has a nice touch when whipping the ball inside. His length even led to three blocked shots. Fayette County might not have one sure-fire D-I prospect but they have a ton of mouth-watering D-II and JUCO options that can help programs quickly. 6-foot-3 senior Josh Dupree is a bouncy glue guy that can affect the game on both ends, 6-foot junior JeKobe Coleman is a lethal three-point shooter along with 6-foot-2 senior Ricky Knights Jr., both canning five three-pointers. The biggest difference maker however was 6-foot-4 sophomore William Richard who came off the bench and scored all 16 of his points in the second half. Richard doesn’t really have a position, but he plays anywhere from three through five for Coach Andre Flynn. His activity on the glass, his soft touch inside and his ability to step outside and hit the three makes him the perfect compliment in the Tigers’ guard-oriented lineup. Fayette County has the talent to run the table the rest of the regular season and position themselves for a deep run in Class 5A.

In the loss, there were good takeaways for Sandy Creek. Their depth was key with 6-foot-5 sophomore Deshon Proctor leading the way with 15 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. He is a man-child inside with his strength and he looked a lot more comfortable playing around the basket than he did in the summer. Similar to Proctor is 6-foot-8 sophomore Jabari Smith who looked like a completely different player than when I last saw him at Carrollton over the summer months. Smith showed toughness with his slender frame, playing with his back to the basket. He scored on a pretty baby hook to ignite his night and showed that he could put the ball on the floor and hit the three. His five blocked shots around the rim were key as well. Smith has a high ceiling with his skillset and it was nice to see him not fall in love with his guard skills and stand on the three-point line. 6-foot-3 senior Julian Alexander had a nice spurt in the third quarter but went scoreless in the fourth. He’s a solid all-around scorer that should be in the mix for D-II schools. Junior guard Keith Williams III had a quiet first half but he had an important eight-point stretch in the third quarter. It was a nightmarish night for Drexel-signee TJ Bickerstaff who could never find a flow in the game. With foul trouble hampering his play, he had a chance to save the day at the end but it wasn’t in the cards. I was surprised with how much zone Sandy Creek played against such a potent outside shooting team. The Patriots had some weak close outs and a few mental breakdowns on rotations which hurt them.

Top Performers

Fayette County
Ricky Knight Jr. – 22 points (5 threes), 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
JeKobe Coleman – 17 points (5 threes), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
William Richard – 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Terrell Bradley – 8 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks

Sandy Creek
Deshon Proctor – 15 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
Jabari Smith – 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 block
Julian Alexander – 12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
Keith Williams III – 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block
TJ Bickerstaff – 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

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