Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Short-handed No. 2 Therrell guts out nail-biter against No. 4 South Atlanta

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No. 2 Therrell 54, No. 4 South Atlanta 52

After bursting onto the scene last year, sweeping the then defending state champion South Atlanta Hornets in three games by a total of 15 points, Therrell has returned to prove that last year’s Elite Eight finish was no fluke. Hit with the transfer bug, losing leading scorer to DeAndre Brown to Holy Spirit Prep, No. 2 Therrell (7-3) has proven they can push through adversity and did so again on Tuesday night, handing No. 4 South Atlanta (9-1) its first loss of the season in front of a spirited home crowd without the services of 6-foot-5 All-State power forward Robbie Armbrester.

Short-handed without their star post presence, the Panthers needed someone to step up especially once the Hornets came out of the gates hot, stinging Therrell with a quick 8-2 spurt paced by 6-foot-3 junior shooting guard Ja’Quavian Florence, who turned defense into offense with eight points and four steals in the opening eight minutes.

Therrell caught their breath and regrouped early behind Tyrese Ransom. The junior guard slithered to the hoop to trim the lead to two.

At the end of one, South Atlanta held a 14-11 advantage.

6-foot-5 junior swingman Ra’Sean Frederick scored 11 of his team-high 19 points in the first half and knocked down a three to knot the game at 14 just over a minute into the second quarter.

Defense and physical play set the tone right away for both teams as neither could take ahold of the lead for good. South Atlanta’s 2-3 zone slowed down Therrell’s attack but Cameron Fortson muscled his way to six points in the quarter to become a factor while Florence continued to shine for the Hornets, knocking down a pair of triples as the Region 6 rivals went into the half tied at 26.

Points were hard to come by in the third quarter as after a Gary Davis layup at the 4:09 mark, the score remained Therrell 32 and South Atlanta 31 until 2:28 left to play.

The pace soon quickened as Florence struck again with his defense, pilfering and putting down a fast break jam to ignite the South Atlanta crowd and move the Hornets ahead 37-36 with 1:01 remaining.

The Panthers answered however behind Preseason All-State point guard Roman Son, who had been quiet up until the waning moments of the third. Son attacked the basket and finished a late layup that gave Therrell a 38-37 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Ransom extended the Panther lead to 43-39 at the 6:03 mark after converting an And-1. The Hornets responded by moving to a full court press to try and change the pace. The move worked as Florence sparked a 7-2 run to take a 48-45 lead with 3:17 remaining as he found Rohan Garner in the corner for a three-pointer then collected another steal and went coast-to-coast for an And-1, but missed his free throw attempt.

With Georgia State and Columbus State in attendance, the Lakers already offering, Son kicked it into high-gear and seemed to thrive in crunch time. Though he only scored seven points on the night, the true point guard made two of the biggest plays down the stretch, spoon-feeding Ransom for a layup and then Frederick to take a 49-48 lead before Florence answered with a layup and Frederick later was sent to the line to split a pair of free throws, leaving the game squared at 50 with 1:30 left.

South Atlanta had opportunities down the stretch but failed to capitalize.

6-foot-6 sophomore forward Julius Lymon raced down the floor and pulled up from 15-feet, missing the shot and going over the back to send Ransom to the line where he sank a pair of free throws to give Therrell a 52-50 lead with 43 seconds to play.

Now down two, the Hornets found the ball in the hands of freshman guard John Lawton who felt pressure in the corner and threw the ball away to Frederick before Corey Donaldson was fouled and sent to the line with 21.2 seconds remaining.

Donaldson left the door open by splitting a pair of free throws. Florence got a clean look at the other end and missed, but got his rebound and had the ball knocked away with 6.5 seconds.

On the ensuing inbound, the Hornets had to settle for a Demetrius Headspeth layup with 2.5 seconds left on the clock making it 53-52.

It looked like Therrell was able to run out the clock before being fouled but South Atlanta was gifted 1.8 seconds and saw Frederick head back to the line.

Frederick sank his first attempt but missed the second. Gary Davis rebounded and heaved the full length of the court but there was no South Atlanta miracle to be had, Therrell surviving 54-52.

 

My Take

It’s always a classic when these two premier Class AA schools meet. Therrell was up against it without double-double machine Robbie Armbrester available to play but as all good teams do, the Panthers had key role players step up. Tyrese Ransom netted 14 points while getting the start. The lefty found himself at the right place at the right time and scored half his points in the fourth quarter including going 3-for-3 from the line. Three-point shooting could be an achilles heel for the Panthers and South Atlanta made life tough for them by sitting in a 2-3 zone and with enough size inside to protect the rim and outrebound the Panthers 37 to 23. Therrell hit three deep balls on the night, getting two from Ra’Sean Frederick who has taken his game to the next level now that his role has increased after the loss of DeAndre Brown to Holy Spirit Prep. Frederick is a big 6-foot-5 southpaw that affects the game in many ways with his physicality. His three-point shot is a little flat but it goes in and his willingness to mix it up on the glass gives Coach Eddie Johnson another imposing force when crashing the boards. Roman Son had a quiet game offensively, but his spurt in the last two minutes helped the Panthers settle themselves and regain momentum. His quickness, toughness, ability to both find the open man and finish through contact will translate well to the next level, but to really solidify himself as one of the premier guards in a deep 2020 class, he will have to craft a three-point shot that will keep defenses honest and stretch them out to create even more lanes for scoring and assisting.

South Atlanta had opportunities all night to steal a massive Region 6 road win but could not seal the deal. There were silver linings in the loss however as Ja’Quavian Florence was outstanding, finishing with 24 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 6 steals and 1 block after promising me before the game that he would put on a show – he did just that. If you follow Sandy’s Spiel year-round, you’d know that Florence was a name I tabbed back in June and its quite refreshing to see him rise to the occasion in a big spot. While his athleticism and scoring are easy to notice, it was his quick hands on defense that really separated him tonight. Florence is rounding into a nice prospect that could garner some D-II/LM D-I sniffs come his senior year. 6-foot-6 sophomore Julius Lymon had a wasted freshman campaign after breaking his wrist and enduring an essential redshirt season. He had some hype coming into last year but will have to work hard to remind people about his potential. He didn’t have a massive game and did have a poor decision down the stretch, but there’s a lot to like about his frame and mobility. He collected 10 rebounds and keeps the ball high on putbacks. He also swatted away four shots. Going from someone who had steam going into their freshman year to a player that no one has talked about, 5-foot-11 freshman point guard John Lawton has some promise. Much like Lymon, he showed his youth late in crunch time, but you can’t teach Lawton’s toughness and aggressive on-ball defense. While he can get a little too chippy on defense, if you’re being defended by Lawton you will know it. He did not back down from the challenge of checking Roman Son and got right in his chest, flustering Son into committing an offensive foul with a shoulder. Lawton has some bounce for a freshman and quickness to get into the paint where he dropped off a few nice passes. He will have some freshmen moments, but the good will outweigh the bad this season and Lawton could be a sneaky name to track for the next four years and could be next in the long line of quality guards that Coach Michael Reddick has helped produce.

Top Performers

Therrell
Ra’Sean Frederick – 19 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks
Tyrese Ransom – 14 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Cameron Fortson – 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks
Roman Son – 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals
Corey Donaldson – 6 points, 1 rebound, 2 steals

South Atlanta
Ja’Quavian Florence – 24 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 6 steals, 1 block
Demetrius Headspeth – 10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks
Julius Lymon – 4 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks
Gary Davis – 4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
John Lawton – 2 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 5 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

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

 Class AAAAAA

1. Lovejoy (10-2)
2. Forest Park (11-1)
3. Stephenson (8-4)
4. Northview (9-1)
5. Douglas County (8-3)
6. Lanier (9-1)
7. Valdosta (8-1)
8. Dacula (9-2)
9. Glynn Academy (7-1)
10. New Manchester (9-1)

Class AAAAA

1. Villa Rica (9-0)
2. Buford (8-1)
3. Southwest DeKalb (8-1)
4. Eagle’s Landing (8-2)
5. Harris County (7-1)
6. Statesboro (11-0)
7. Carrollton (6-2)
8. Arabia Mountain (12-2)
9. Veterans (9-1)
10. Wayne County (8-1)

Class AAAA

1. Carver-Columbus (9-0)
2. Spalding (8-2)
3. Madison County (11-0)
4. Henry County (11-1)
5. Flowery Branch (7-1)
6. Luella (10-2)
7. Perry (6-2)
8. Westover (6-0)
9. West Laurens (7-2)
10. Burke County (4-2)

Class AAA

1. Beach (12-0)
2. Johnson-Savannah (5-5)
3. Morgan County (5-2)
4. Jefferson (8-1)
5. Hart County (7-1)
6. Peach County (4-1)
7. GAC (6-6)
8. Dawson County (6-3)
9. Ringgold (9-1)
10. North Hall (7-3)

Class AA

1. Douglass (9-4)
2. Dodge County (8-1)
3. Laney (9-1)
4. Bryan County (11-0)
5. Fitzgerald (10-0)
6. Rabun County (6-1)
7. Early County (7-0)
8. Putnam County (8-1)
9. Swainsboro (6-2)
10. Banks County (7-2)

Class A-Private

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

Class A-Public

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

The top four in Class AAAAAAA has begun to stabilize as No. 3 North Cobb and No. 4 Norcross are indeed for real. The Lady Warriors knocked McEachern (2-3) from the Top 10 with a 50-40 victory while the Lady Blue are healthy and streaking, winning eight-straight highlighted by a 63-56 win over Class 5A No. 2 Buford at the Hawks-Naismith Holiday Classic, Myra Strickland pouring in 25 points while now healthy Yamani Paul scored 15 and Auburn-signee Morgan Robinson-Nwagwu added 12 points, 7 rebounds and 5 steals. No. 10 Cherokee is freefalling, sinking five spots after a 49-48 loss on Lemon Street against debutant No. 9 Marietta. 5-foot-2 Eva Knox snuck in for an offensive rebound off a missed free throw and scored the game-winning layup with seven seconds left to shock the Lady Warriors. Following Marietta into the poll for the first time is No. 8 Mill Creek who replaces Brookwood (6-5), the Lady Broncos’ inconsistent play plaguing them again in losses to Central Gwinnett 53-44 and Class A-Private No. 1 Wesleyan 58-40. Mill Creek polished off another perfect week, beating North Gwinnett 44-34, Discovery 58-45 and Lambert 64-34, Kayla Mulkey netting 16 points in the win.

Region 4-AAAAAA is the strongest region in the state regardless of classification. No. 1 Lovejoy survived No. 3 Stephenson 45-40, while No. 2 Forest Park did damage at the She Got Game Classic in Washington, D.C., beating St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) 47-38 and nationally ranked Long Island Lutheran (NY) 33-28. Outside of Region 4, No. 4 Northview dropped Pope (8-3) from the rankings with a 50-43 win, the Greyhounds also losing at Alpharetta 48-45. No. 5 Douglas County lost 60-53 to Class 7A No. 2 Westlake, but rebounded with a 47-43 win over newly ranked No. 10 New Manchester, the Jaguars’ first loss of the season.

Class AAAAA No. 2 Buford edged Class A-Private No. 3 Holy Innocents’ 48-45 before running out of gas against surging Class 7A No. 4 Norcross 63-56, Tate Walters netting 24 points in defeat. No. 8 Arabia Mountain sinks two spots after a tough loss to a red-hot Roswell team, 58-54. No. 7 Carrollton rises a spot thanks to a 60-48 Region 7 victory over Rome (5-2), who slides out. Griffin (6-2) also slips out of the Top 10 after a hard-fought 50-44 loss to Class 4A No. 2 Spalding. Debuting in the poll is No. 9 Veterans while No. 10 Wayne County reenters, both teams avenging their lone losses to ranked opponents. The Warhawks took down Class 4A No. 7 Perry on the road 58-46. Veterans is powered by 6-foot junior Stacie Jones (15.4 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 1.2 bpg), junior Tamia Luckey (12.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3 apg, 3.4 spg) and senior Madison Perez (12.4 ppg). The Yellowjackets toppled last week’s Class 2A No. 1 Dodge County 54-33.

Defending Class AAAA state champ No. 2 Spalding earned wins over Griffin 50-44 and Class 3A No. 7 GAC 47-45, star 6-foot junior Corriana Evans posting 20 points, 16 rebounds and 5 blocks. No. 3 Madison County saw Kayla McPherson return from her concussion and save the day to remain unbeaten, swooping in to score 31 points in the Red Raiders’ 64-62 nail-biter over Winder-Barrow. No. 10 Burke County falls a spot after losing to South Carolina powerhouse North Augusta 61-49 and to Josey 33-27.

The top of Class AAA sees major shifts as No. 3 Morgan County leaps five spots after upsetting No. 4 Jefferson 60-52, dropping the Lady Dragons two spots.  No. 2 Johnson-Savannah is nearing full strength as freshman Zoriah Mobley made her high school debut, finishing with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Region 7 has been a roller coaster with No. 8 Dawson County and No. 7 GAC going up and down all year. The Lady Tigers lost 58-55 to region foe and debutant No. 10 North Hall while the Lady Spartans beat North Hall 61-54 and Lumpkin County 48-42 but lost 47-45 to Class 4A No. 2 Spalding in a valiant comeback effort. Lovett (6-2) and Tattnall County (7-3) exit the Top 10. The Lions were smashed by Marist 64-17 while Tattnall County lost 74-54 to Bradwell Institute. Making their first appearance in the poll is legendary Head Coach Margaret Stockburger and No. 9 Ringgold. The Lady Tigers scored a 66-51 win at North Murray last week.

A 77-50 win over Class A-Public No. 8 Wilcox County wasn’t enough to save No. 2 Dodge County from falling out of the top spot in Class AA after losing 54-33 to Class 5A No. 10 Wayne County. Taking their place on the throne is No. 1 Douglass, the Lady Astros continuing to prove to be one of the premier small school teams in Georgia by winning at Class 5A 8-3 Maynard Jackson 53-51. No. 4 Bryan County springs up five spots after scoring dynamo Olonna Rawls erupted for 44 points and 10 rebounds in a 68-64 win over No. 9 Swainsboro, who tumbles five places. No. 5 Fitzgerald moves up two places after a 77-59 win over last week’s Class A-Public No. 1 Telfair County. No. 6 Rabun County turned the tables on No. 10 Banks County, rallying from down 14 at the half to shock the Lady Leopards at home 61-58 behind Laken Stiles’ 16 points and Brooke Henricks’ 15. While the LadyCats climb two spots, Banks County sinks five after the Lady Leopards were also knocked off at newly ranked No. 8 Putnam County 46-44. The War Eagles replace tough-luck Woodville-Tompkins (10-1) who recorded a flawless 3-0 week, illuminating just how deep Class 2A really is.

There are no changes to the poll this week as No. 1 Wesleyan continues to pile on wins in Class A-Private while No. 2 St. Francis waits and hopes that All-State guard Savannah Samuel, gets her eligibility cleared after attempting to play at her third school in three years. The Wolves dissected Brookwood 58-40 behind Callie Weaver’s 21 points and 7 rebounds. AC Carter tacked on 13 points and 9 rebounds while Izzy Larsen double-doubled with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 6 blocks. No. 3 Holy Innocents’ suffered a 48-45 loss to Class 5A No. 2 Buford.

We have a new number one in Class A-Public as No. 1 Marion County rises two spots following a revenge 71-70 win at No. 6 Greenville in a state title rematch. No. 2 Telfair County lost hold on the classification after a 77-59 loss at Class 2A No. 5 Fitzgerald. No. 5 Calhoun County knocked Quitman County (6-2) out of the Top 10 with a 76-27 spanking. Debuting in the poll is No. 9 Bowdon. Coming off an Elite Eight season, new Head Coach Jan Fendley has the Red Devils at 7-2 coming off wins over Cleburne County (AL) and Gordon Lee.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 5 Boys Rankings

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Class AAAAAAA

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

Class AAAAAA

1. Coffee (6-1)
2. Tri-Cities (7-2)
3. North Atlanta (8-3)
4. Sprayberry (10-0)
5. South Paulding (10-2)
6. Alexander (8-2)
7. Brunswick (7-1)
8. Mundy’s Mill (10-1)
9. Cambridge (8-4)
10. Evans (11-0)

Class AAAAA

1. Southwest DeKalb (8-2)
2. Buford (7-0)
3. Fayette County (9-1)
4. Eagle’s Landing (6-1)
5. Woodland-Stockbridge (6-3)
6. Lithonia (8-5)
7. Statesboro (7-1)
8. Carrollton (6-2)
9. Jones County (9-2)
10. Lithia Springs (10-2)

Class AAAA

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

Class AAA

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

Class AA

1. Woodville-Tompkins (9-0)
2. Therrell (6-3)
3. Thomasville (7-0)
4. South Atlanta (9-0)
5. Northeast-Macon (8-2)
6. Washington County (5-1)
7. Bleckley County (9-2)
8. Chattooga (4-3)
9. Elbert County (6-1)
10. Vidalia (9-1)

Class A-Private

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

Class A-Public

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

*Misreported score found after publication

There was complete and utter mayhem last week with upsets coming fast and furious on a nightly basis leading to 13 new teams entering this week’s rankings.

Class AAAAAAA had Top 10 clashes highlighted by No. 1 McEachern knocking off No. 5 Wheeler 77-62 behind Sharife Cooper’s 31 points and Auburn-signee Isaac Okoro’s 27. Even without Temple-signee Damien Dunn, No. 2 Meadowcreek outclassed No. 3 Norcross at the House of Blue 63-55, but the Blue Devils responded with their best game of the season in a 76-60 win over No. 4 Discovery, who was without star guard Jaden Walker due to a leg injury. Brandon Boston dumped in 27 points as Norcross pulled away late. No. 7 Grayson outlasted No. 9 Newton in overtime 68-65. The return of 6-foot-6 future Texas A&M wide receiver Kenyon Jackson has immediately paid dividends for the Rams. No. 8 East Coweta rises a spot after winning at Class 4A No. 2 Sandy Creek 68-62 and beating Village Christian Academy (NC) 81-76. Lambert (10-2) is this week’s lone casualty after a surprising 58-53 loss to 6-5 Parkview who has already surpassed last year’s win total with a gutted roster due to transfers.

Class AAAAAA has been shook. No team is in the same spot as last week. There is a new No. 1 – Coffee.  The Trojans are up two spots after dispatching of No. 7 Brunswick 72-57, giving the Pirates their first loss of the season thanks to a 24-point outburst from All-State guard Jayce Moore. No. 2 Tri-Cities saw their grip on the top spot slip after a 77-55 loss to Village Christian Academy (NC). No. 3 North Atlanta defeated a Kamar Robertson-less No. 9 Cambridge 61-49 and impressed in a tight 63-55 loss against Class 3A No. 1 GAC. No. 4 Sprayberry picked up a quality win over Allatoona 83-71. No. 5 South Paulding surges into the Top 10, debuting after a statement win over No. 6 Alexander 63-61, dropping the Cougars four spots. Cam Armstrong finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds while Pat Love scored 14 points himself. Following a 9-17 season, the Spartans have turned the corner in close games. Last year South Paulding went 2-7 in games decided by four points or less. After harping on learning to win all offseason, Coach Gil Davis’ Spartans are a perfect 7-0 in such games this season. Reappearing in the poll is No. 8 Mundy’s Mill after the Tigers booted Tucker (10-3) from the rankings, sinking last week’s No. 6 ranked team 63-48 at Tucker. Out of Mundy’s Mill’s 10 wins, seven have come by single digits. Class 6A’s only undefeated team other than Sprayberry is No. 10 Evans, who falls one spot. The Knights have beaten who they were supposed to beat, but their strength of schedule is extremely weak compared to the rest of the Top 10. The Knights have defeated only two teams with a winning record and their opponents have a combined 31-43 mark. Lanier (6-3) exits the poll following a 50-49 loss against a very good Mountain View team.

In Class AAAAA, No. 1 Southwest DeKalb continued to roll through adversity, beating Class A-Private No. 3 ELCA 76-71, receiving 24 points from KD Johnson and 18 from James Glisson III. No. 2 Buford is officially scorching, notching wins over Class A-Private No. 10 Holy Innocents’ 84-51 and Class 7A No. 5 Wheeler 77-74 in overtime, Oklahoma State-signee Marcus Watson tallying 31 points and 11 rebounds. No. 3 Fayette County scored a 73-71 win over Class 2A No. 2 Therrell. No. 6 Lithonia sinks a spot after pushing Columbia (6-3) from the rankings with a 79-57 whipping but ending the weekend with a 60-57 loss to Archer. Defending state champion Warner Robins (5-2) is out of the Top 10. The Demons lost 62-57 at Class 4A No. 7 Baldwin and against debutant No. 9 Jones County 53-52. The Greyhounds are making noise in Region 4 behind the senior trio of Jameson Bryant (11.7 ppg, 5 rpg), Marquis Jackson (10.6 ppg) and Tre Dean (10 ppg). They host No. 5 Woodland-Stockbridge on Tuesday, the Wolfpack up two spots after wins over Locust Grove 71-36 and at Stockbridge 68-46. Also debuting is No. 10 Lithia Springs. The Lions are the team to beat in Region 6 led by high-scoring junior backcourt Anthony Hardy and Antonio Lewis. Their latest 82-72 win at Class 4A No. 9 Chapel Hill clinched their ranking.

No. 1 Upson-Lee ran their nation-best winning streak up to 72 games in Class AAAA, beating two-time defending Class 6A state champion Langston Hughes 56-48, withstanding a career-day from PJ Carter, who netted 8 threes en route to 28 points. Five-star 6-foot-6 UGA defensive end Travon Walker was unstoppable inside, carrying the Knights with 22 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks. Zyrice Scott had 11 points, 9 assists and 4 steals. No. 2 Sandy Creek tripped against Class 7A No. 8 East Coweta 68-62 but righted their wrongs by surviving Dacula 110-106 in triple overtime as Drexel-signee TJ Bickerstaff piled in 32 points and 22 rebounds. No. 3 St. Pius X is rounding into form, picking up wins over Marietta 75-73, Hoover (AL) 59-57 and Milton minus Donaven Hairston, 69-64. Senior point guard Matt Gonzalo scored 16 points in the win over Milton. No. 10 Woodward Academy sinks six spots after going 1-2 without five-star 7-foot center Walker Kessler. Kessler along with four other contributors left the War Eagles short-handed in losses to newly ranked No. 8 Salem 67-63 and Class 3A No. 7 Pace Academy 58-51. Following Salem into the rankings is No. 7 Baldwin. The Braves have found their footing after a slow start and have won four in a row. Their most impressive win came at newly minted Class A-Public No. 1 Hancock Central 67-61 while also earning wins over last week’s Class 5A No. 6 Warner Robins 62-57 and former Class A-Public No. 1 Wilkinson County 76-58, two defending state champs. Shaw (8-3) and Thomson (8-1) depart. Shaw was upended by No. 5 Carver-Columbus 76-63 while Thomson lost at Class A-Public No. 1 Hancock Central 74-46.

The two-horse race in Class AAA is getting interesting as No. 1 GAC continues to flourish, beating North Hall 84-48, Lumpkin County 94-41 and Class 6A No. 3 North Atlanta 63-55, while No. 2 Morgan County held on to beat East Jackson 66-61 and Jefferson 70-63. No. 10 Liberty County falls two spots as Jaden Young endured an injury-filled week. The Panthers defeated Tattnall County on the road 57-45, but loss to Richmond Hill 50-46. Westside-Macon (7-3) narrowly drops from the poll after an 85-84 loss to Kendrick. Reentering is No. 9 East Hall who scored a 76-64 win at Cherokee Bluff.

It was a bad week to be from Augusta in Class AA. Glenn Hills (9-1) and Butler (8-2) both drop out, the Spartans falling from No. 5 and the Bulldogs from No. 9. Glenn Hills cannot shake Laney even when the Wildcats are having a down year at 6-4. The Spartans lost 72-63 and have gone 6-12 against Laney since the 2011-12 season. Last year’s 2-2 mark was soured, losing their final two meetings including in the region championship. Butler, who looked like one of the teams to beat in an ever-evolving Region 4, lost 54-53 at 3-5 Jefferson County. The CSRA is replaced by No. 9 Elbert County and No. 10 Vidalia. The Blue Devils are back on track, getting 28 points and 14 rebounds from AJ James in an 81-38 destruction of Oglethorpe County while Vidalia went into Hazlehurst and beat Jeff Davis 69-60. In the middle of the rankings, No. 5 Northeast-Macon climbs two spots after beating Wilkinson County 69-59 and freefalling Hiram 52-45. No. 6 Washington County drops three spots after beating No. 7 Bleckley County 57-52 but struggling away from home without the whistle losing 78-57 to Class A-Public No. 1 Hancock Central.

The rankings held in Class A-Private as No. 1 St. Francis edged No. 2 Mt. Bethel in the first of many classics, 70-68. CJ Riley went off for 25 points while Xavier-commit Dwon Odom had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists. No. 5 Walker barely hangs onto their spot after a rough 65-61 loss at Mt. Paran, but rebounding to defeat No. 7 Mt. Pisgah 64-63, the Patriots climbing three spots even with the loss. No. 10 Holy Innocents’ and Trinity Christian (4-6) have disappointed. The Golden Bears mercifully put a stop to their four-game losing streak by beating Starr’s Mill 66-57. Holy Innocents’ has played tough competition and now must string together wins to prove it was worth it. The Lions have not transitioned as well as expected, dropping from the Top 10. Trinity Christian has played a difficult schedule as well, but a bad 49-42 loss to 5-7 Westminster was the final nail in their current rankings coffin. They are replaced by No. 9 Christian Heritage, the only unbeaten team left in Class A-Private. The Lions just keep winning, even after losing All-State 6-foot-7 forward Christian Koneman (GCSU) and Sam Dindoffer to graduation from a 27-3 team that captured the No. 2 ranking heading into the playoffs last season. Coach Tyler Watkins’ core of AJ Kent and Evan Lester along with Hardin Chambless and Zach Gentry has carried the Lions.

Class A-Public has been turned upside down as three-time defending state champion Wilkinson County (1-5) goes from No. 1 to unranked. Losses on the road to Warner Robins (59-50), Class 2A No. 5 Northeast-Macon (69-59) and Class 4A No. 7 Baldwin (76-58) seal their fate, with a thumping on the horizon at the hands of Class 4A No. 1 Upson-Lee looming. Shooting up from No. 8 to the top is No. 1 Hancock Central. The Bulldogs are officially back, drilling Class 2A No. 6 Washington County 78-59 and knocking Thomson from the Class 4A polls with their first loss, 74-46. The Bulldogs also have wins over Greene County 70-61 and Wilkinson County 63-59. No. 3 Greene County climbs seven spots after taking down No. 6 Georgia Military 62-49, dropping the Bulldogs four spots. Following Wilkinson County out of the rankings is Drew Charter (5-6). The Eagles have lost five-straight games with their latest loss coming against Cherokee Bluff 70-60. Debuting in the poll is No. 9 Terrell County. The Greenwave beat Webster County 100-28 and Mitchell County 89-49 and now battle No. 4 Wilcox County on Tuesday at the Class A Power Classic. No. 8 Macon County tumbles five spots after losing 55-52 to Schley County. The biggest surprise in Class A-Public is No. 10 Chattahoochee County. Coach Stacy Masten has already matched the Panthers’ win total from the last two seasons combined at 8-2. Heading into the season, Chattahoochee County compiled a record of 13-63 over the previous three years, but behind the play of junior De’Andre Masten, the Panthers have shocked the state. Masten is averaging 14.7 points and has helped Chattahoochee County to wins over Randolph-Clay 53-47, Miller County 62-42 and at Seminole County 68-60.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

Statewide Recap 12-14-18

BOYS

AAAAAAA

No. 2 Meadowcreek 56, Berkmar 46: UAB-signee Jalen Benjamin scored 19 points followed by USF-signee Jamir Chaplin’s 18 points and 7 rebounds.

No. 5 Discovery 69, Mill Creek 52: Ian Hardy finished with 12 points and 5 rebounds while Longwood-signee Leslie Nkereuwem had 11 points and 11 rebounds. London Riley scored 11 points. Hashann Reynolds chipped in 10 points and 4 assists. The Titans drilled 11 first half threes to lead 47-15.

No. 7 Grayson 77, Archer 62: Jevon Tatum netted 21 points. Deivon Smith finished with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Reco Hallmon added 10 points and 5 rebounds. Kenyon Jackson scored 8 points along with Xavier Ayres. Ian Schieffelin finished with 6 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks.

No. 10 Lambert 71, Milton 66 OT: Mitch Ganote refused to be beat, posting 33 points (4 threes), 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 10 steals. Braxton Beaty tallied 16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Colin Granger added 14 points and 5 rebounds.

Marietta 74, Kennesaw Mountain 72 OT: John Allen scored 22 points. Josh Clore (22) and Treylan Smith (10) combined for 32 points.

Lakeside-DeKalb 55, Brookwood 42: Dante Cannon-Ford netted 20 points. Grant Prusik scored 10 points and Elwood Moore added 8.

South Forsyth 49, North Forsyth 43: Devin McGlockton double-doubled with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Nate Hammond scored 13 points.

AAAAAA

South Paulding 63, No. 2 Alexander 61: The Spartans stunned their region rivals behind Cam Armstrong’s 14 points and 7 rebounds. Pat Love netted 14 points. Sha’mi Shields contributed 8 points and 6 rebounds while Shane Gibson finished with 7 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists. Chandler Travis tacked on 7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks. In the loss, Malik Battle scored 16 points and Brady Spence collected 13 points, 15 rebounds and 6 blocks. Bryce Robinson had 10 points and CJ Hawkins pitched in 9 points and 11 rebounds.

No. 4 North Atlanta 61, No. 8 Cambridge 49: In the loss, Matthew Cleveland had 26 points. Bryce Boutelle scored 10 and Sola Adebisi added 8.

Mundy’s Mill 63, No. 6 Tucker 48: Rayquan Brown (14) and Jordan Black (13) led the charge. Demarcus Fannin scored 12 points and Jalen Thrash had 11. In the loss, Nicholas Watson had 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals. Jermontae Hill had 13 points and 7 rebounds. Braelon Seals tallied 8 points.

No. 9 Evans 75, Greenbrier 63: Christian Chambers (24) and Cameron Cabarrus (19) led the Knights.

Creekview 74, River Ridge 46: Griffin Potts scored 19 points and had 3 steals. Grayson Baker had 17 points and 9 rebounds. Ewing Hunter scored 11 points. Paxton Nayman had 9 points and 9 rebounds.

Heritage-Conyers 76, Walnut Grove 67: Trelan Scott scored 23 points followed by Josh Guilford’s 20.

Douglas County 62, Westlake 59: Jermichael Mahorn had 19 points and 3 assists while JJ Richards netted 14 points. Omarion Smith posted 12 points and 7 rebounds. In the loss, D’Antaye Page had 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Chattahoochee 59, Woodstock 46: In the loss, Reggie Fulton had 12 points and 5 rebounds. Jahnay Newton scored 8 points. Brandon Emelogu and Brodie Marcinkowski netted 7 apiece.

Houston County 78, West Laurens 71: Austin Sloan and Charles Brown scored 13 points apiece. TJ Morgan had 12. Kobe Nelson scored 7 while Xavier Duncan, Elijah Williams and CJ Horton all pitched in 6 points.

Lakeside-Evans 99, Grovetown 48: Kalen Williams went for 25 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists while Tyshun Briscoe had 25 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Tucker Gilbert had 15 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists. Dykese King added 12 points, 5 assists and 8 steals. Marquavis Allen scored 10 points.

AAAAA

No. 2 Buford 77, 7ANo. 3 Wheeler 74 OT: Oklahoma State-signee Marcus Watson posted 31 points and 11 rebounds. High Point-signee Eric Coleman Jr. netted 18 points and 11 rebounds and Wingate-signee Donell Nixon chipped in 14 points. Ashton Young added 8 points – six in overtime. In the loss, Denver-signee Roscoe Eastmond had 22 points. Bucknell-signee Malachi Rhodes scored 15 points and Kenny Burns and Cal-signee Charles Smith IV had 10 apiece.

No. 3 Fayette County 73, 2ANo. 2 Therrell 71: JeKobe Coleman scored 19 points. Terry Brown added 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Josh Dupree had 13 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals. Ricky Knight Jr. scored 13 points.

No. 4 Eagle’s Landing 61, Dutchtown 51: CJ Hood tallied 19 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Rashad Elloie posted 16 points and Keith Lamar had 13 points and 5 rebounds.

No. 7 Woodland-Stockbridge 68, Stockbridge 46: Curtis Perdue (18) and Dwayne Chester (11) paced the Wolfpack. Jalen Mason, Sincere Whitehead and Tyrek Washington all netted 8 points.

East Paulding 54, Hiram 47: Hiram’s slide continued as Azer Tidor netted 24 points in an East Paulding upset. Aaron Brewer scored 9 points and Silas Johnson had 8. Nathan Presnell scored 18 in the loss.

Chamblee 56, Clarkston 34: Zachery Mackson scored 23 points. Rodney Smith posted 10 points and 10 assists.

Wayne County 54, Dodge County 40: Amari Harris had 14 points and 6 rebounds while Marcus Trice posted 11 points and 5 rebounds in the win.

Paulding County 101, Cartersville 61: Jervon Morris had 22 points and 4 steals. Kevin Brown contributed 19 points and 11 rebounds. John Cook double-doubled with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Trell Evans and Keon Sedgwick each netted 13 points. Corleone Thomas scored 10 points.

Jones County 55, Locust Grove 53: In the loss, Isaiah Johnson scored 15 and Quan Hall had 11 points.

AAAA

No. 2 Sandy Creek 110, Dacula 106 3OT: Drexel-signee TJ Bickerstaff carried the Patriots with 32 points, 22 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Julian Alexander added 21 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Jabari Smith totaled 20 points and 10 rebounds. In the loss, College of Charleston-signee Brenden Tucker went for 36 points and 6 rebounds. Mekhail Bethea had 27 points and 8 assists. Quincy Ademokoya finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds.

Salem 67, No. 4 Woodward Academy 63: In the loss, Jacorrei Turner had 21 points and 6 rebounds. Kevin Powell pitched in 14 points and 7 rebounds. Michael Whitmore tacked on 11 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals.

No. 6 Carver-Columbus 76, No. 9 Shaw 63: AJ Watts dropped in 24 points. In the loss, Darnell Moran had 13 points and 6 rebounds. Dylan Harris (13) and Brandon Murphy (12) both cracked double figures.

Baldwin 62, 5ANo. 6 Warner Robins 57: Jermyus Simmons (15), Justin Webb (13), Torez Hicks (11) and William Freeman (11) paced the Braves. Warner Robins got 12 points from Keshun Houser and 10 apiece from Shemar Rouse and Trevon Williams.

Eastside 69, Druid Hills 67: Jerry Mays netted 17 points. Caleb Woods scored 11 and Darrell Duncombe had 10 in the win.

Northwest Whitfield 87, Pickens 68: The Dragons got 30 points and 8 rebounds from Seth Bishop. Zach Goss had 10 points and 3 blocks. Owen Moss scored 9 points.

Denmark 75, Flowery Branch 38: Sutton Smith tallied 17 points, 8 assists and 5 steals. ZeVian Capers added 13 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals. Trevor Bryk finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 5 steals. Adonnis Tolbert had 10 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals.

Chestatee 73, West Hall 65: Brenton Nichols scored 21 points while Cameron Gwyn and Jonah Bull netted 17 points apiece. In the loss, Noah Edmondson scored 15 points along with Sawyer Passmore. Devon Williams and Quentin Smith chipped in 9 points apiece.

Cross Creek 60, Midland Valley (SC) 51: Monroe Atkins (16), Kobe Stewart (9) and Jatravious Stewart (8) powered the Razorbacks.

North Clayton 63, Luella 51: Jamoryian Eutsey posted 22 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Jermaine Lattimore netted 15 points. Derrius Martin added 12.

AAA

No. 1 GAC 94, Lumpkin County 41: Belmont-signee Ben Sheppard netted 25 points. Cole Perusek had 15.

No. 3 Cedar Grove 76, Towers 74: Devon Barnes (18), Kanaris Cummings (18), Jeffrey Daniels (15), Jamarcus Glover (12) and Tremayne Hill (9) balanced the Saints.

No. 5 Dawson County 46, North Hall 36: Eli Burruss scored 15 points. Luke Chism had 12 points and 8 rebounds. Jasper Gibson added 7 points and 5 rebounds.

No. 6 Pace Academy 40, Westminster: Cole Middleton posted 11 points and 10 rebounds. Josh Minninberg added 8 points and 4 assists.

No. 7 Hart County 66, East Jackson 48: Rex McCord scored 22 points. In the loss, Tay Howard had 21 points.

No. 9 Central-Macon 75, Rutland 43: Quay Primas posted 15 points and 17 rebounds. Tyre Pearson added 15 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks while Tony Card chipped in 14 points, 3 assists and 4 steals. Harold Thompkins tallied 12 points and 8 rebounds.

No. 10 Westside-Macon 76, Peach County 45: Kowacie Reeves Jr. scored 23 points. Des Foston tallied 12 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Javian Mosley tossed in 12 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Zaylon Carey had 8 points and 11 rebounds. Rico Campbell netted 8 points.

Redan 57, Lovett 45: The Lovett Lions got 12 points from Ryan Mutombo and 11 from Lance Beck.

Long County 75, Brantley County 63: Tostas Pouncey nailed 6 threes and finished with 23 points. Nathan Francis hit 5 threes on his way to 20 points. Khy Collins tallied 11 points and 10 assists.

Cherokee Bluff 76, Fannin County 57: Griffin Neville (18), Jason Everett (15) and Corey Thomas (8) led the Bears.

Calhoun 49, Coahulla Creek 41: Gage Maffetone and Xaxton Goodson scored 12 points apiece. Caleb Boone, Jake Prather and Cedric Lacey all had 7 points.

Franklin County 64, Jackson County 57: The Lions roared back from a 32-12 halftime deficit. Titus Brown and Keylan Rutledge scored 13 points apiece. Micah Roebuck netted 12.

AA

No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins 80, Toombs County 25: Bernard Pelote grabbed 11 rebounds while Preston Crisp snagged 7. Charleston Willingham had 3 steals.

Laney 72, No. 5 Glenn Hills 63: Laney’s ownership of Glenn Hills continued as Tony Sanford scored 22 points.

No. 7 Northeast-Macon 69, A-PublicNo. 1 Wilkinson County 59: Darius Dunn poured in 24 points. Cam Cherry and Ty’Ree Gilbert scored 14 points apiece. Jalen Lamar led Wilkinson County with 18 points followed by Javis Boyd’s 14.

No. 8 Bleckley County 71, East Laurens 53: Nykeem Farrow netted 21 points and Mekell Farrow had 12. Ethan Hulsey scored 10 points. Deandre Pitts and Shontavian Manuel scored 7 apiece.

Rockmart 60, Model 57: Juke Boozer (21) and Glenn Walker (14) paced the Yellowjackets. Model got 17 points from Jabari Burge.

Elbert County 61, Union County 29: Ty Hill posted 15 points, 2 rebounds and 2 steals. Jamison Syphore had 12 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Metrius Fleming pitched in 10 points and 5 rebounds.

A-Private

No. 1 St. Francis 70, No. 2 Mt. Bethel 68: CJ Riley dumped in 25 points. Xavier-commit Dwon Odom finished with 21 points, 10 rebound and 9 assists. Jusaun Holt added 13 points and 12 rebounds. Chase Ellis had 5 points and 8 rebounds.

Mt. Paran 65, No. 5 Walker 61: The Wolverines were upset and in the loss Chris Newell scored 24 points. Chandler Baker had 13 points. Omar Cooper and Burke Chebuhar each had 8 points.

Franklin (NC) 61, No. 7 Lakeview Academy 49: Adam Cottrell had 26 points, 7 rebounds and 5 steals in the loss. Conley Millwood scored 7 points.

Darlington 51, No. 9 Riverside Military 49: JD Hull scored 22 points. Barrick Wade and Andrew Land netted 11 apiece.

No. 10 Mt. Pisgah 82, King’s Ridge 63: James Madison-signee Quinn Richey scored 17 points. Chandler Minton and Chase Tucker had 14 points apiece.

A-Public

No. 3 Macon County 72, St. Anne-Pacelli 56: Lakeviyon Walker finished with 28 points (8 threes), 7 rebounds and 2 steals. Makevion Bonner added 13 points and 8 rebounds.

No. 8 Hancock Central 78, 2ANo. 3 Washington County 59: In the loss, Kejuan Bloodsaw scored 18 points. Keith Foster had 11 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists. Jaden Maze added 10 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals. Ivory Williams tallied 8 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals.

Towns County 86, Commerce 70: In the loss Creed Dunbar had 18 points and Jalen Dorsey scored 17. Tyelon Brock added 10.

Non-GHSA

Arlington Christian 68, Alpha Omega Prep 65: Dexter Redding hit 4 threes and finished with 23 points. Rico Wade had 17 points and 5 assists. Jamar Little netted 14 points. Femi Akinola posted 10 points, 12 rebounds and 8 blocks.

Furtah Prep 67, Mt. Vernon Presbyterian 59: In the loss, Morgan Mulrain scored 19 points. Justin Douglas and Jordan Wicker had 14 and 12 points, respectively.

Cumberland Christian 93, Lighthouse 69: Myson Lowe scored 21 points. Jordan Stanley posted 17 points and 8 rebounds. Jerry Vaughn had 16 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 6 steals. Jovan Tucker added 12 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals. Jaelen Williams had 10 points and 8 rebounds.

The King’s Academy 78, Lanier Christian 54: Robert Foushee (18), Hamilton Walker (17) and Trey Watson (10) paced the Knights.
 

GIRLS

AAAAAAA

No. 6 Grayson 60, Archer 56 OT: Jazmin Robinson finished with 17 points and 9 rebounds. Nadia Howard had 16 points and 6 rebounds. Freshman Cathy Alben chipped in 13 points – 11 coming in the fourth quarter.

Marietta 40, Kennesaw Mountain 27: Lauren Walker scored 8 points followed by Alexis Brewster’s 7 and Eva Knox’s 6.

Newton 59, Sandy Creek 51: Jada Franklin had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Rams. In the loss, Daija Powell scored 18 points for Sandy Creek.

Mountain View 53, Peachtree Ridge 48: Maia Helvy scored 16 points. Kami Collins and Leslie Hodges netted 14 points apiece.

Lambert 59, Milton 41: Ansley Dean and Kristen Knaack scored 12 points apiece. Jenny McKenna netted 11 points.

AAAAAA

No. 1 Lovejoy 45, No. 3 Stephenson 40: Anaya Boyd had 22 points and 10 rebounds in the win.

No. 4 Northview 50, No. 10 Pope 43: Asjah Inniss scored 14 points. Charleston Southern-signee Maya Richards and Rice-signee Ashlee Austin netted 12 points apiece.

No. 8 Dacula 62, Shiloh 44: Jin Sileo scored 16 points. Lazaria Spearman posted 12 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists. Chelsey Abel had 13 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. Nyla Moore finished with 7 points, 5 assists and 7 steals. Valdosta State-signee Kendall Bollmer finished with 9 points and 5 assists.

Johns Creek 50, Dunwoody 30: Wilnie Joseph (11) and Sam Breslow (10) paced the Gladiators.

Gainesville 60, Clarke Central 42: Tia Shelton and Tija Blackwell scored 18 points apiece. Lauren Teasley had 13 points.

Alpharetta 56, Centennial 47: Jalyn Tillerson scored 16 points followed by Mahima Sangtani and Kendall Phillips’ 10 points apiece.

New Manchester 53, Creekside 33: Makaila Cange (12) and Cambria McClure (11) led the Jaguars. Kamryn Bates scored 8 points.

ML King 61, Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 59: Ashlynn Green and Alaija Coates scored 15 points apiece. Terrion Coates pitched in 14 points.

AAAAA

No. 4 Eagle’s Landing 74, Dutchtown 36: Jalisa Dunlap scored 16 points. Mone Florence (13), Reyonna Hopkins (12) and Jailen Cummings (10) paced the Eagles.

AAAA

No. 1 Carver-Columbus 96, Shaw 46: Olivia Cochran posted 24 points, 12 rebounds, 4 steals and 5 blocks.

No. 6 Luella 59, North Clayton 53: Freshman Paris Miller returned to action with 18 points.

No. 10 West Laurens 61, Houston County 29: Calmela Mack scored 23 points to go with her 3 assists and 3 steals. MaKayla Murray added 19 points and 3 steals. Wayne-Tiana Floyd scored 11 points and Jakerra Wilbur tallied 9 assists and 6 steals.

Woodward Academy 54, Salem 46: Freshman Sydney Bowles erupted for 30 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 4 blocks. Clara Snell scored 13 points. Hannah Lovett had 8 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals. Zoe Scott grabbed 11 rebounds.

Northwest Whitfield 66, Pickens 59: In the loss, Mykenzie Weaver had 17 points and 5 rebounds. Torie Williams added 16 points and 7 assists. Sarah Morris chipped in 12 points.

Chestatee 56, West Hall 44: Maggie McNair (14), Emma Easterwood (12), Nicole Sedwick (11), Beth Eddins (8) and Christina Garcia (8) balanced the War Eagles.

North Oconee 46, Oconee County 38: Ansley Hall dropped 24 points. Bella Ripley had 10 points and 11 rebounds.

AAA

No. 8 Morgan County 60, No. 2 Jefferson 52: The Lady Dogs shook up a wide-open Class 3A even more behind Lou Reid’s 15 points and Tamia Benford’s 14.

No. 4 Hart County 77, East Jackson 30: Western Kentucky-signee Torrion Starks scored 26 points while Shakendra Groves hit 7 threes en route to 23 points. Maurissa Thomas had 12 points in the loss.

AA

Putnam County 46, No. 5 Banks County 44: The War Eagles proved they are still a force to be reckoned with in Region 8, upsetting the Lady Leopards. In the loss, Amber Williams had 15 points. Heather Vaughan scored 14 and GCSU-signee Jaycie Bowen netted 8.

No. 7 Fitzgerald 79, Worth County 19: Trinity Jones finished with 20 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals. Zenovia Ellis had 17 points, 3 rebounds and 4 steals.

No. 9 Bryan County 44, Vidalia 40: Olonna Rawls netted 21 points. Jay Black had 7 points and 10 rebounds. Shelby Gunn scored 7.

Temple 45, Mt. Zion-Carrollton 40: Ruby Collins double-doubled with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Tori Chivers added 13 points and 9 steals. Mackenzie Holt netted 9 points.

A-Private

No. 6 Lakeview Academy 57, Franklin (NC) 52: Eliza Snyder dropped in 22 points and 4 rebounds. Joelle Snyder scored 12 points followed by Jackie Allen’s 9. Sadie Thrailkill had 6 points and 7 rebounds. Maddy Towles scored 6.

No. 9 Mt. Paran 65, Walker 12: Kara Dunn (16), Mia Geveke (11) and Maddie Spinetto (7) led the Falcons.

Savannah Christian 69, St. Andrews 13: Mallory Robinett netted a career-high 19 points. Paige Dennis scored 13 points and Kayla Jones added 8.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

Statewide Recap 12-11-18

BOYS

AAAAAAA

No. 4 Norcross 72, Lakeside-DeKalb 61: In the loss, Dante Cannon-Ford had 17 points and 8 assists. Jai Jester scored 13 points. Ben King had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

No. 5 Discovery 53, Duluth 39: Longwood-signee Leslie Nkereuwem had 13 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks. Ian Hardy had 11 points and 5 rebounds. Jaden Walker and Hasahnn Reynolds scored 9 apiece.  Devin Evans led Duluth with 10 points.

No. 7 Grayson 68, No. 8 Newton 65 OT: Deivon Smith carried the Rams with 27 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Reco Hallmon had 13 points and 5 rebounds. Jevon Tatum posted 13 points and 5 rebounds. Josh Smith had 6 points and 5 rebounds. In his season-debut, Texas A&M wide receiver Kenyon Jackson contributed 5 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks.

No. 10 Lambert 85, South Forsyth 68: Mitch Ganote hung 20 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists and 3 steals. Colin Granger had 24 points and 7 rebounds. Braxton Beaty pitched in 17 points and 9 rebounds. South Forsyth was led by Corey Hereford’s 6 threes and 18 points. Jefferson Stepp netted 14 points.

South Gwinnett 52, Rockdale 40: Max Harris (12), Gerald Tillman (11), Ja’heim Hudson (10), Jimaal Crump (10) and Zawdie Jackson (9) carried the Comets.

Shiloh 53, Archer 45: Toneari Lane finished with 24 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.

Kennesaw Mountain 57, Woodstock 47: Jaden Rakestraw finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 blocks for Woodstock. DJ Potts-Heard netted 12 points. Vinny Palmese added 8 points.

AAAAAA

No. 6 Tucker 73, Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 40: Jermontae Hill had 20 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block. Nic Watson had 11 points and 4 rebounds. Braelon Seals scored 11 points. Dartmouth-signee Nate Ogbu had 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

No. 8 Cambridge 79, Johns Creek 68: Kamar Robertson tallied 22 points. Bryce Boutelle scored 17 and Matthew Cleveland had 16. Cole Bearden added 10 points.

Dunwoody 69, Chattahoochee 64: Jared Whitehurst (11), Zion Moore (10) and Richard Jones (9) led the Wildcats to a signature win.

Douglas County 73, Creekside 48: Jeremiah Smith had 16 points while JJ Richards netted 14 in the win. Jermichael Mahorn added 12 points.

Apalachee 57, Loganville 55: Jamonte Wallace netted 20 points including the game-winner.

Pope 72, Alpharetta 65: In the loss, Brandon Barron had 23 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Kalik Brooks posted 17 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Jaden Stephens had 14 points and 7 rebounds.

Allatoona 52, Osborne 41: In the loss, Jordan Jefferson netted 24 points.

Mundy’s Mill 53, Morrow 49: Mundy’s Mill notched another close win, this time getting 14 points from Chris Lango. Jalen Thrash scored 10 points and Rayquan Brown chipped in 9.

South Cobb 61, Creekview 55 OT: The Grizzlies got 18 points from Timmy Davis in the loss. Grayson Baker had 11 and Griffin Potts scored 9.

AAAAA

No. 1 Southwest DeKalb 65, Chamblee 60: James Glisson III posted 16 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists. KD Johnson had 13 points, 3 assists and 4 steals. Jarrett Walton added 10 points and 5 rebounds. Zachery Mackson had 21 points in the loss. Rodney Smith netted 15 points and Iam Irving scored 11.

No. 2 Buford 84, A-PrivateNo. 8 Holy Innocents’ 51: Oklahoma State-signee Marcus Watson had 20 points while Wingate-signee Donell Nixon scored 18. High Point-signee Eric Coleman added 15 points. Brandon Green chipped in 10 points.

No. 4 Eagle’s Landing 89, Ola 27: Dayon James netted 18 points. CJ Hood finished with 17 points, 3 rebounds and 5 steals. Rashad Elloie scored 11.

East Paulding 66, Villa Rica 55: Azer Tidor scored 22 points. Aaron Brewer had 12 points and Silas Johnson scored 11. Micah Hodges led Villa Rica with 21.

Walnut Grove 77, Winder-Barrow 49: Ryan Landers scored 15 points. Avante Lederer and Carter Selman netted 10 apiece.

Lithia Springs 88, Banneker 77: Antonio Lewis exploded for 39 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Anthony Hardy tacked on 26 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists.

Paulding County 80, North Paulding 72: John Cook had 24 points, 10 rebounds and 4 steals. Jervon Morris had 16 points and 5 steals. Kevin Brown netted 16 points. Keon Sedgwick added 10 points and Trell Evans posted 7.

AAAA

No. 3 St. Pius X 75, Marietta 73: Matt Gonzalo had 20 points and Niko Broadway had 16 including the game-winner to escape Marietta. Zach Ranson added 10 points. In the loss Treylan Smith netted 17 points followed by CJ Sinclair’s 14. John Allen and Travis Burruss added 13 points apiece.

No. 4 Woodward Academy 62, Luella 60: Morgan Redding scored 11 points including the game-wining putback. Kevin Powell had 17 points and 9 rebounds. Michael Whitmore had 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 steals. Will Demorest netted 14 points.

No. 5 Henry County 64, Eastside 62: Wisdom Uboh had 13 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists including the go-ahead bucket with 3.1 seconds left. Gaven Sands scored 13 points. Jeqhuan Carter had 12 points and 9 rebounds. Lay Davis chipped in 8 points and 11 rebounds.

Gilmer 72, Pickens 51: In the loss Zach Goss had 20 points and 5 rebounds. Seth Bishop posted 12 points and 6 rebounds. Tucker Lowe netted 9.

West Hall 60, White County 59: Noah Edmondson netted 29 points. Sawyer Passmore scored 13.

AAA

No. 1 GAC 84, North Hall 48: Hunter McIntosh (24) and Belmont-signee Ben Sheppard (19) combined for 43 points.

No. 6 Pace Academy 49, Stone Mountain 48 OT: Cole Middleton posted 16 points and 13 rebounds. Madison Durr had 10 points and 8 rebounds. Reign Watkins chipped in 6 rebounds and 6 assists.

Jackson County 77, Commerce 44: Kedric Zimmer set a school-record with 9 threes on his way to 27 points. Kalib Clinton scored 21. Creed Dunbar led Commerce with 14 points. Jalen Dorsey scored 12.

Jefferson 60, Franklin County 53: Donsha Gaither netted 16 points while Owen Parker and Jacob Radaker had 11 apiece. In the loss, Titus Brown poured in 24 points. Keylan Rutledge had 9 points and 8 rebounds.

Haralson County 60, Calhoun 54: In the loss, Xaxton Goodson had 14 points and Caleb Boone scored 11. Bralin Barton added 8.

Southeast Bulloch 80, Windsor Forest 69: Ryan Swanson had 26 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in the defeat. Bryce Stephens scored 14.

Benedictine 43, Groves 40: Rico Powers netted 21 points.

East Hall 76, Cherokee Bluff 64: Griffin Neville had 15 points in defeat. Palmer Weaver and Bosko Norman had 13 apiece. Devin Wainer pitched in 10 points.  

Vidalia 69, Jeff Davis 60: Ja’Queze Kirby went for 21 points, 15 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals and 5 blocks in the loss. CJ Parker scored 17 points and Bran Swain had 9. Ti King chipped in 8 points.

AA

Jordan 62, Columbus 57: Tra’Quan Davis scored 18 points. Teejay Mathis had 16 points while Terrelle Barnes (12) and Kentrel Green (11) both cracked double figures.

Dublin 59, Dodge County 57: Chris Clark scored 17 points. Lamont Torres netted 13 points and RJ Carr had 9.

Hapeville Charter 62, BEST Academy 54: Miles Carter (21) and Zavier Carter (15) combined for 36 points. Calel Burns added 9 points.

A-Private

No. 1 St. Francis 68, Whitefield Academy 36: Xavier-commit Dwon Odom finished with 20 points and 7 assists. Chase Ellis had 11 points and 8 rebounds. Jusaun Holt tallied 10 points and 5 rebounds. CJ Riley had 10 points and 5 assists. Kai Simmons pitched in 9 rebounds and 4 blocks.

No. 10 Mt. Pisgah 51, Cross Keys 20: Benjy Tucker scored 16 points. Gabe Carter and Jaden Anderson netted 10 apiece.

Athens Christian 61, Providence Christian 54: In the loss, freshman Davis McCarn had 21 points.

Darlington 60, Mt. Zion-Carrollton 41: JD Hull and freshman Wit Szymanski scored 18 points apiece.

Wesleyan 62, Mt. Vernon Presbyterian 36: Micah Smith led the Wolves with 19 points. Chase Hill (11), Jalen Fulwood (10) and JD Kavel (10) all hit double digits.

A-Public

Bowdon 65, Excel Christian 49: Chris Parker posted 31 points. Cam Buchanan added 12.

Non-GHSA

New Creation 90, KONOS 32: Kendall Norrington scored 19 points. Isaiah Duffy netted 14 followed by David Thomas’ 12.

 

GIRLS

AAAAAAA

No. 6 Grayson 75, Newton 61: Jazmin Robinson had 18 points and 7 rebounds. Nadia Howard posted 18 points and 5 rebounds.

No. 7 North Forsyth 46, West Forsyth 30: Caroline Martin had 15 points. Lilly Bales added 11 points and 5 rebounds. Morgan Giordano grabbed 12 rebounds. Ansley Allen chipped in 5 points and 12 rebounds.

Marietta 37, St. Pius X 27: Charlay Conway and Alexis Brewster scored 8 apiece. Eva Knox and Lauren Walker each added 6 points. Lindsey Broadway had a game-high 11 points in the loss.

South Forsyth 52, Lambert 33: Ashley Breindl scored 21 points. Ansley Dean had 7 to lead Lambert.

Mill Creek 44, North Gwinnett 34: Madison Riley and Kayla Mulkey scored 15 points apiece.

AAAAAA

No. 4 Northview 65, North Atlanta 19: Rice-signee Ashlee Austin scored 21 points. Charleston Southern-signee Maya Richards added 12 points. Markiema Lancaster (11) and Talladega-signee Makayla Davis (10) cracked double digits.

No. 5 Douglas County 71, Creekside 39: Clemson-signee Amari Robinson had 12 points. Dymon Cook scored 11 and Desirae Jackson had 9. Alexia Gunn-Taylor led Creekside with 22 points.

No. 8 Dacula 65, Peachtree Ridge 32: Valdosta State-signee Kendall Bollmer hit a school-record 9 threes en route to 27 points. Lazaria Spearman had 18 points, 17 rebounds and 2 blocks. Nyla Moore tallied 5 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals.

Alpharetta 48, No. 10 Pope 45: Jalyn Tillerson (14), Mahima Sangtani (13) and Simone Lett (12) powered the Lady Raiders in the upset.

Dalton 57, Sprayberry 45: Lauren Parker dumped in 26 points and 15 rebounds.

Johns Creek 49, Cambridge 48: Carson Tanguilig scored 18 points.

New Manchester 69, Tri-Cities 29: Anaya Cone had 15 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. Makaila Cange posted 14 points, 13 rebounds and 2 assists.

AAAAA

No. 1 Villa Rica 81, East Paulding 31: Tee Windom led the Wildcats with 19 points. Kentucky-signee Deasia Merrill netted 15 points while Dekyia Cofield had 11.

No. 4 Eagle’s Landing 63, Ola 41: Jalisa Dunlap and Jaleah Storr scored 16 points apiece.

Starr’s Mill 54, Jonesboro 51 OT: Alice Anne Hudson dropped 29 points including free throws to seal the win.

AAAA

No. 4 Henry County 72, Eastside 38: Brianna Juniel finished with 19 points and 9 rebounds. Ja’Niah Alexander scored 17 points followed by Paris Mullins’ 11 points and 9 rebounds. Janiya Jones netted 10 points.

No. 5 Flowery Branch 65, Blessed Trinity 32: With Ashlee Locke out for a month with an ankle injury, Ashley Woodroffe (14), Caroline Wysocki (11) and Shaina Kriews (11) stepped up.

No. 6 Luella 51, Woodward Academy 39: Keely Brown had 21 points and 9 rebounds. Imani McNeal chipped in 14 points.

Gilmer 59, Pickens 58: In the loss Mykenzie Weaver scored 22 points, 4 rebounds and grabbed 5 steals. Torie Williams had 13 points and 8 assists. Olivia Simmons had 8 points and 9 rebounds.

North Oconee 56, Oglethorpe County 16: Jenna Tulenko scored 17 points. Ansley Hall added 13 points. Maddy Dickens tossed in 7 points.

Chestatee 48, Marist 46: Christina Garcia scored 13 points to lead the War Eagles. Nicole Sedwick (11), Emma Easterwood (8) and Beth Eddins (6) helped fuel the victory. Maggie McNair hit two free throws in overtime to clinch the win.

AAA

No. 2 Jefferson 48, Franklin County 38: Livi Blackstock scored 18 points. Deshona Gaither had 16 and Natalia Bolden netted 9.

No. 4 Hart County 73, Monroe Area 20: Western Kentucky’s Torrion Starks totaled 27 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 7 steals. Taniya Alexander had 19 points and 13 rebounds.

East Hall 56, Cherokee Bluff 29: Ivey Shadburn (12), Alexis Bruce (10), Angel Rodriguez (8), Audrey Griffin (6) and Nehemiah Jinks (6) led a balanced East Hall attack.

Calhoun 56, Haralson County 46: Railey Greeson (15), Lyndi Rae Davis (14), Dora Moore (6) and Emma Rogers (6) paced Calhoun.

Kendrick 61, Westside-Macon 42: Itavia Montgomery scored 14 points. Mersaides Sistrunk netted 12 points along with Jayde Everette. Ivana Rockemore posted 8 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

AA

No. 1 Dodge County 66, Dublin 33: Destanee Wright (19), Europe Brown (16) and Kylie Hart (12) led the Squaws.

No. 7 Fitzgerald 77, A-PublicNo. 1 Telfair County 59: Trinity Jones went for 29 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals. Hayleigh Ross had 17 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 6 steals and 1 block. Keyara Boone tossed in 10 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks.

No. 8 Rabun County 79, Stephens County 65: Brooke Henricks had 21 points and 6 rebounds. Laken Stiles posted 18 points, 5 assists and 8 steals. Presbyterian-signee Georgia Stockton netted 10 points. Stephens County was led by Renejah Verdell’s 21 points and KiKi Howard’s 18.

No. 9 Bryan County 68, No. 4 Swainsboro 64: The Redskins made a statement as Olonna Rawls went ballistic, erupting for 44 points and 10 rebounds. Jay Black had 7 points and 13 rebounds.

Hapeville Charter 59, Coretta Scott King 38: Ashley Eberhart finished with 27 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Ja’dah Thomas had 11 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Jermaya Moore tallied 10 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks. K’Shouri Hodge tacked on 5 points, 15 rebounds and 6 blocks.

A-Private

No. 1 Wesleyan 69, Cedar Shoals 51: Izzy Larsen had 25 points and 4 rebounds. AC Carter pitched in 18 points and 7 rebounds. Alyssa Phillip scored 11 points. Callie Weaver added 7 rebounds.

No. 5 ELCA 58, Galloway 34: Weronika Hipp piled in 26 points followed by Rice-signee India Bellamy’s 14. Megan Darden added 10 points.

Savannah Christian 61, Jenkins County 28: Paige Dennis scored 17 points and Kayla Jones had 12 in the win.

A-Public

Commerce 44, Jackson County 40: Bryanna Sanders (14) and Jeanece Smith (12) paced Commerce. Carson Anderson hit five threes for Jackson County on her way to 17 points.

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