GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

Statewide Recap 1-26

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 1 McEachern 83, Marietta 64: Treylan Smith scored a game-high 29 points in Marietta’s loss. McEachern received 17 points from Isaac Okoro and 15 from Sharife Cooper. Jared Jones (14) and new transfer Charles Smith IV (9) combined for 23 points.

No. 2 Norcross 64, No. 8 Meadowcreek 63: It took a buzzer-beating Kyle Sturdivant three to stun the Jamir Chaplin-less Mustangs. Detroit-commit Cory Hightower had 22 points and 13 rebounds in the loss. Duquesne-commit Amari Kelly had 15 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks.

No. 10 Duluth 71, Mill Creek 57: Adam Flagler scored 23 points to lead the Wildcats. Will Huzzie finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Jordan Johnson scored 11 points and DJ Smith had 10 points and 5 assists.

Discovery 71, North Gwinnett 62: Jaylen Bussey hit five threes and finished with 18 points. Jaden Walker added 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Leslie Nkereuwem posted 10 points and 10 rebounds while Mikey Moncrease netted 10 points.

Etowah 52, Roswell 41: Julian Baldwin double-doubled with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Tusculum-signee Adrian Cohen put up 17 points and 7 rebounds. Jaxon Etter finished with 13 points and 5 steals.

Parkview 51, Brookwood 33: Gregory Blackwell scored 14 points while Ahmir Langlais collected 10 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks. Chris Connor scored 9 points and Jamiel Wright tacked on 8.

Kennesaw Mountain 82, North Paulding 59: Josh Strong dropped 28 points while Jalyn McCreary netted 23. Khalil Shaheed scored 13 points and Gabe Armstead had 11.

Berkmar 60, Lakeside-DeKalb 24: Tony Johnson pumped in 22 points and Dara Olonade had 10 points and 5 rebounds. Tichic Fikipo double-doubled with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Lambert 87, Milton 54: Mitch Ganote finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals. Austin Deckard added 16 points and 4 rebounds. Jordan McIlwain tacked on 16 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.

North Cobb 57, Hillgrove 47: Kevin Hester double-doubled again with 19 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Class AAAAAA

Mays 67, No. 3 Douglas County 55: Mays upset the Tigers. In the loss, Malik Battle (13) and Rickey Clark (12) combined for 25 points.

No. 4 Tri-Cities 55, Alexander 49: Eli Lawrence collected 14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Jon Young pitched in 9 points and 5 rebounds while Tarez Huddleston had 9 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks. Alexander was led by Sidni White’s 12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Corey Smith had 11 points and 3 assists. Brady Spence totaled 8 points, 8 rebounds and 5 blocks. Bama Lunsford tacked on 8 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.

No. 5 Brunswick 60, Glynn Academy 56: Marcus Scott had 15 points and 5 assists.

No. 6 Stephenson 51, Tucker 49: Bryce Latimer streaked down the court for a layup at the buzzer to shock Tucker. Latimer finished with 19 points. Nate Ogbu had a game-high 20 in defeat.

No. 9 Cambridge 53, Dunwoody 44: Bryce Boutelle scored 15 points followed by Kamar Robertson (12) and Matt Cleveland (10).

Creekview 56, Sprayberry 52: KJ Jenkins poured in 31 points. Paxton Nayman grabbed 15 rebounds. In the loss, Idaho-signee Khadim Samb had 19 points.

Johns Creek 57, Northview 46: Jack Greenslit scored 17 points. Austin Hillam netted 14 points and Will Penland had 11.  Neil Ilenrey chipped in 10.

Forest Park 63, Mundy’s Mill 62 OT: The Panthers caught the Tigers off guard with an upset. Mundy’s Mill was led by Jordan Black’s 24 points, Rayquan Brown’s 21 and Kirshon Thrash’s 15.

Lakeside-Evans 64, Grovetown 51: Kalen Williams had 18 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Tucker Gilbert posted 6 points and 13 rebounds. Brad Hilley netted 10 points.

Class AAAAA

No. 2 Warner Robins 80, Bainbridge 49: Jacolbey Owens pumped in 30 points. Georgia State-signee Nelson Phillips put in 15 points and Jaron Zanders added 11.

No. 3 Miller Grove 35, No. 6 Southwest DeKalb 34: The Wolverines escaped a hostile environment as James Glisson III’s last-second shot missed. KD Johnson led the Panthers with 15 points while Glisson and Demarion Johnson had 7 apiece.

No. 4 Lithonia 75, Arabia Mountain 33: In the loss, N’Kyzie Hawkins scored 11 points.

Chamblee 62, Clarkston 39: Rodney Smith (16), Andrew Brown (13) and Chance Moore (10) paced the Bulldogs.

McIntosh 52, Riverdale 42: The Chiefs won on Senior Night behind Chaz Hardin’s 15 points and Naj Ashley-Emory’s 10 points. Cole Guenther scored 7 points. Andrew Pinckney and Garrett LeClaire chipped in 6 apiece.

Cedar Shoals 69, Johnson-Gainesville 48: JaiVanni McDavid finished with 20 points, 5 assists and 4 steals. Jaiden Williams posted 12 points and 5 assists while Quincy Canty had 6 points and 13 rebounds.

Starr’s Mill 55, Fayette County 48: Drew Hudson paced the Panthers with 26 points. Carson Langham had 10 points.

Class AAAA

No. 1 Upson-Lee 75, Spalding 39: MTSU-commit Tye Fagan scored 25 points in the blowout.

No. 6 Mary Persons 107, West Laurens 58: Cam Holden had 19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 7 steals. Desmond Williams poured in 24 points and 5 rebounds. Dee Morton had 19 points and 4 assists. Tre Edge tallied 13 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Rekia Weaver put in 13 points and 8 rebounds.

No. 9 Sandy Creek 78, No. 7 Cartersville 52: Sandy Creek ran wild at home against Cartersville. TJ Bickerstaff dominated with 25 points and 18 rebounds. Jarred Godfrey posted 15 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists. Xavier Brewer had 11 points and 5 rebounds while Chris Porter chipped in 11 points and 3 rebounds. Kam Miller tallied 10 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Cartersville was led by TJ Horton’s 22 points and Furman-signee Jaylon Pugh’s 14 points.

No. 8 Westover 76, Columbus 50: Jordan Brown collected 25 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Kris Gardner had 17 points and 4 steals. Mike Isler posted 8 points and 12 rebounds.

No. 10 Woodward Academy 62, North Clayton 45: Walker Kessler posted 24 points, 9 rebounds and 6 blocks.

Pickens 74, Ridgeland 67: Joseph Gossett had 18 points and Seth Bishop contributed 16 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Keinyuan Hooks tallied 14 points, 4 rebounds and 12 assists. Zach Goss had 14 points.

Rome 70, Kell 56: Savvon Delgado scored 25 points in the loss while Jahwan Smith added 20.

Blessed Trinity 77, Chestatee 40: Junior guard CJ Abrams erupted for 32 points to pace the Titans. Ben Shappard had 13 points.

Troup County 64, LaGrange 48: The suddenly red-hot Tigers beat rival LaGrange behind Montez Crowe’s 21 points and Jay Jefferson’s 10 assists.

Stephens County 87, Madison County 55: Colby Smith and Tay Cooper scored 9 points apiece in the loss.

Jefferson 61, Oconee County 57: The Dragons clinched a state playoff berth in Year 1 under Coach Kevin Morris. Jasper Gibson and Donsha Gaither scored 15 points apiece.

Eastside 62, Luella 47: Jerry Mays finished with 20 points in Eastside’s Region 4 win.

Northside-Columbus 78, Shaw 67: In the loss, Lincoln Smith had 17 points and 6 rebounds. TJ Mitchell had 16 points and 5 rebounds while Kam Parker scored 10 points.

Class AAA

No. 1 Morgan County 69, East Jackson 41: Tyrin Lawrence scored 22 points to pace the Bulldogs, surpassing the 1,000-point barrier in the process. Stevin Green had 12 points. The Eagles were led by 10 points apiece from Xavier Clark and Miles Addington.

No. 3 Johnson-Savannah 76, Beach 51: Shamar Jones scored 22 points and UGA-signee Amanze Ngumezi posted 10 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists.

No. 4 GAC 96, Lumpkin County 29: Ben Sheppard (20), Roy Dixon (16), Branden Harris (13) and Hunter McIntosh (12) combined for 61 points.

No. 5 Cedar Grove 87, McNair 48: Jamari Dean tallied 17 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. Keshun Byrd scored 17 points and Kanaris Cummings added 15 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists. Malik Johnson had 15 points, 4 assists and 3 steals. Tworn Seals scored 8 points and Marcus Reid had 7.

No. 7 Westside-Macon 71, Southwest-Macon 69: Greg Holloway posted 18 points and 8 rebounds while Javian Mosley tacked on 13 points and 4 assists. Des Foston netted 12 points and Omar Jones had a double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds. Brenden Anderson scored 9.

No. 10 Central-Macon 70, Pike County 45: Tymir Robinson hung 33 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals against lowly Pike County.

Dawson County 58, North Hall 44: Jeremiah Crumley scored 19 points to lead the Tigers. Campbell Reed (13) and Cullen Reed (12) combined for 25 points. Ryan Gallenkamp had 6 points and 9 rebounds.

Calhoun 59, Murray County 34: Bralin Barton and Gage Maffetone scored 16 points apiece while Davis Allen had 15 in the win.

Franklin County 73, Monroe Area 69: Franklin County got 29 points from Micah Roebuck and 13 from Zach Gay. Isaiah Glasper scored 19 points in defeat while Lakendric Lyles had 14. Elijah Goodman had 10 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks.

East Hall 55, Union County 49: Deonta Evans scored 10 points for the Vikings. Union County got 15 points from Pierson Allison and 14 from Sawyer Drake.

Class AA

Washington County 76, East Laurens 36: Jeremiah Gundy collected 14 points and 5 rebounds. Conner Frazier had 12 points and 5 rebounds while Jalen Jackson scored 11 points. Curtis Brown (6) and Josh Parker (5) pitched in.

Dodge County 74, Telfair County 61: DeMarcus Caines poured in 30 points and Nick Cummings added 16. RJ Carr tossed in 13 points while Chris Clark had 7.

Class A-Private

No. 1 St. Francis 81, Mt. Pisgah 37: Dwon Odom had 17 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. CJ Riley had 12 points, 5 assists and 4 steals. Ben Jones netted 11 points. Chase Ellis posted 8 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Caleb Snyder pitched in 7 points and 4 rebounds. Madison Durr had 5 assists.  

No. 4 Stratford Academy 75, Tattnall Square Academy 55: Devin Butts drained six three-pointers to finish with 26 points. Christian Palmer netted 17 points and Jaden Harris had 16. Nathan Hunt tossed in 9 points.

No. 5 Lakeview Academy 86, Providence Christian 35: Drew Cottrell (16), Jack Blackburn (15), Noah Linder (12) and Blake McIntyre (10) led the Lions in double figures.

No. 9 Mt. Vernon Presbyterian 71, No. 10 WD Mohammed 28: The Mustangs wiped the floors with the Caliphs. Marques Frye scored 18 points and Morgan Mulrain had 17 points. Will Mitcham had 14 points and Tahj Keeton netted 11.

Walker 57, Pinecrest Academy 53: Omar Cooper scored 17 points and Chandler Baker netted 9. Burke Chebuhar scored 10 points.

Darlington 73, Bowdon 56: JD Hull turned in 20 points, Andrew Land hit five threes for 15 points and Barrick Wade netted 14 to lead the Tigers. Eli Brooks and Sam Tackeberry scored 11 points apiece.

Savannah Christian 57, Savannah Country Day 28: Justin Anderson (11), Lance McKenzie (10), Gavin Jeffries (9) and George Hawley (9) led the Raiders.

Class A-Public

No. 2 Woodville-Tompkins 58, Calvary Day 30: Preston Crisp (19), Deante Green (15) and Charleston Willingham (14) powered the Wolverines.

Commerce 72, Athens Christian 63: Jamecus Cox scored 23 points while freshman Creed Dunbar had a career-high 17 points, all in the second half, to go along with 5 rebounds and 2 assists.

Non-GHSA

The King’s Academy 83, Lanier Christian Academy 73: Brock Hoover had 25 points while Trevor Holland netted 16. Ethan Palmer scored 15.

 

GIRLS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 5 Cherokee 53, Woodstock 30: Lacie McCoy scored 12 points, Sydne Watts had 11 and Olivia Herrera added 8 points.

Parkview 60, Brookwood 57: Freshman Sussy Ngulefac poured in 20 points and ODU-commit Hannah Sadler knocked down a pair of late free throws to secure the win. Sadler added 9 points. KiKi Adams had 20 points in the loss. Taylor Cushenberry tossed in 14 points.

Roswell 56, Etowah 35: Catherine Sandridge had 16 points and 5 rebounds. Ally Sekelick and Sophia Burke each scored 11 points. Lindsay Pruitt tossed in 10 points.

Class AAAAAA

No. 1 Lovejoy 51, ML King 39: Azhana Maxwell’s game-high 23 points wasn’t enough for the Lions. Kayla Brown had 6 points and 13 rebounds for the Lady Wildcats.

No. 2 Winder-Barrow 53, Dacula 52: Chellia Watson had 15 points and 5 assists in the win.

No. 8 Tucker 45, No. 7 Stephenson 43: Jesani Buchanan and Kerrigan Johnson scored 12 apiece for the Tigers. Kassidy Broussard led Stephenson with 12 points while Sierra Wynn added 7 points and 13 rebounds.

Alexander 82, Tri-Cities 34: Chloe Pollock (16), Mary Kate Eubanks (15) and Kiara Watson (11) overwhelmed Tri-Cities. The Bulldogs were led by freshman Shynique McGee’s 12 points.

Northview 46, Johns Creek 27: Ashlee Austin scored 12 points. Maya Richards and Asjah Inniss scored 10 apiece. Eden Sample netted 7 points and Makayla Davis chipped in 5.

New Manchester 61, South Paulding 45: Ja’lisya Glover scored 15 points followed by Makaila Cange and Tracy Lavender chipped in 14 points apiece.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Buford 60, Clarke Central 29: Air Force-signee Audrey Weiner scored 11 points and Tate Walters had 10. Michigan State-signee Tory Ozment chipped in 9.

Cass 55, Woodland-Cartersville 16: Aaliyah Curtis and Sharia Wade scored 9 apiece. Payton Stoddard had 8 points and Lyric Curtis pitched in 7 points.

Class AAAA

No. 5 Luella 85, Eastside 68: Kamya Hollingshed went for 30 points and moved into second-place on Luella’s All-Time scoring list.

No. 6 Madison County 73, Stephens County 48: Jordan Bailey piled in 27 points and Kayla McPherson added 20. In the loss, Tykia Thompson scored 13 points and Bre Taylor had 12.

Pickens 77, Ridgeland 43: Shelby Cook had 14 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Mykezie Weaver netted 14 points. Torie Williams added 12 points and 3 assists while Mackenzie Hampton tallied 9 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

LaGrange 61, Troup County 46: Aryan Dozier dumped in 32 points.

Jefferson 64, Oconee County 35: Jazmin Allen poured in 22 points and Mariah Starks pitched in 17 in the win.

Class AAA

No. 5 Johnson-Savannah 50, No. 2 Beach 45: J’Mya Cutter scored 20 points and Jazmine Thompson had 15 as the Atomsmashers rallied from down 12 points to edge Beach. Ja’brekia Bass had 14 points in the loss.

No. 4 Central-Macon 52, Pike County 21: Tyleia Williams collected 16 points and 10 steals. Kayia Greene had 12 points and 10 rebounds while JeNya Wilder posted 11 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 steals. Jada Clowers chipped in 8 points, 4 rebounds and 4 blocks.

No. 8 Hart County 53, Jackson County 24: Taniya Alexander double-doubled with 16 points and 15 rebounds. Torrion Starks and Shakendra Grove scored 13 points apiece.

Calhoun 54, Murray County 39: Anna George scored 18 points and Erin Davis added 17 in the win. Ashlyn Brzozoski had 12.

Morgan County 44, East Jackson 29: Taylor Wilson and Tamia Buford netted 11 points apiece. Shiquita Sturdivant had 8 points in the loss.

Union County 61, East Hall 53: Bailey Daniel scored 20 points and Kait McCarter had 15 in the win.

North Hall 74, Dawson County 69 OT: Kaylee Sticker had 22 points in defeat. Sophia D’Oliveria scored 19 and Anna Lowe netted 11.

Class AA

East Laurens 63, No. 3 Washington County 56: Destinee Ellison had 16 points and Nijeria Jordan added 14 points and 5 rebounds, but the Lady Hawks lost their third-straight game. Miracle Parker (13) and Jada Darrisaw (10) both chipped in.

No. 7 Rabun County 78, Monticello 52: Recent Presbyterian-commit Georgia Stockton poured in 27 points and 6 rebounds. Laken Stiles had 17 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Destiny Deetz added 8 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals. Madison Abbott pumped in 27 points in the loss.

Bleckley County 73, Dublin 44: Jahnaria Brown exploded for 28 points, 17 rebounds and 6 blocks.

Class A-Private

Galloway 58, Paideia 41: Caitlin Felts scored 13 points and Jada Ryce had 10 in the win.

Lakeview Academy 58, Providence Christian 43: Sadie Thrailkill had 18 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals. Tori Taylor netted 17 points while Maddie Blackburn pitched in 11 points and 4 assists.

Class A-Public

No. 3 Telfair County 58, 2ANo. 10 Dodge County 52: Brandy Mackey (21), Tanajawa Graham (11) and Ny’Asia Howard (8) powered the Lady Trojans. Dodge County was led by Europe Brown’s 19 points. LaShauna Coley and Destanee Wright scored 9 apiece.

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Hiram stings previously undefeated No. 7 Villa Rica

Hiram 63, No. 7 Villa Rica 57

With Region 7-AAAAA nearly all sewn up, lone Class AAAAA unbeaten No. 7 Villa Rica traveled to Hiram with their perfect 17-0 record in tow. After dropping in the Week 10 Class AAAAA poll, the Wildcats had an opportunity to pass the eye test and earn yet another road win. Instead, the Hornets (12-7, 6-3) stung Villa Rica (17-1, 10-1) and handed the Cardiac Cats their first flatline of the year, 63-57.

Hiram jumped out to an early 12-3 lead with 1:26 remaining in the first quarter. 6-foot-8 junior center Nathan Presnell hurt the smaller Wildcats inside. The football quaterback set the tone early with seven first quarter points including a put-back slam to get the crowd into it.

Villa Rica was able to compose themselves and clawed back into the game on an 8-0 run to close the quarter. Caleb Smith finished through contact for an And-1, as did JJ Franklin, but both missed their free throw attempts. Franklin was able to grab the carom off his miss and added a lay-up to effectively cap off a four-point play, cutting the Hiram lead to 12-11 after eight minutes.

Threes from Raphael Rogers and sophomore Arshard Crepsac expanded Hiram’s lead to 26-18 at the 3:37 mark of the second quarter. Just when it looked like the Hornets would pull away and push their lead into double digits, Villa Rica would answer back. Latrell Swanigan scored eight points in the second quarter and gave the Wildcats their fourth And-1 opportunity of the half, converting on the free throw to cut the lead to five at 26-21.

Hiram carried a 37-27 lead into the half, led by Presnell’s 11 points and Crepsac’s three threes. Darius Johnson scored eight of his nine points in the frame to give Coach Darius Hodge’s team some cushion.

Crepsac knocked down his fourth three-pointer of the game to give Hiram a 42-31 advantage at the 5:45 mark.

With the game slipping away, Coach Jason Robinson turned to senior guard Javonte Hart. After a quiet two-point first half with no field goals made, the 5-foot-11 playmaker began to go to work. Hart sparked an 8-0 run, fueled by his two threes and an assist.

As Hart came to life, so did 6-foot-6 junior Micah Hodges. The Wildcat used his length on the offensive glass and scored five of his 11 points in the quarter.

The quarter ended on Hart’s 10th point of the stanza, scoring on a buzzer beater to bring the deficit to 48-44.

It looked like momentum was finally swinging into Villa Rica’s corner, but the Wildcats were never able to seize a fourth quarter lead.

Jayden Henry finished on an And-1 off a put-back to grow the lead to seven points and then Presnell found Khalil Baker on a high-low feed to make it 53-44 with 5:57 to play.

Slowly, the Wildcats started to inch closer but were burning clock in doing so. Hart drove and dished to Franklin for a three to make it 56-52 at the 47.3 mark. After a Johnson five-second call, the Wildcats regained possession, but subsequently turned the ball back over on a travel.

With Hiram leading 59-55 with 17.8 seconds remaining, the Hornets threw the ball away on the inbound and Hart came away with the steal and was sent to the foul line. Hart split the free throws and Crepsac was fouled and hit two free throws to seal Villa Rica’s fate, the lefty going 6-of-6 from the line for the game, 4-of-4 in the fourth quarter and finishing with a game-high 18 points.

My Take

I was expecting a very competitive game and that’s exactly what I got. I think this week’s Spielin’ & Dealin’ hit the nail on the head with Villa Rica, so there’s no need to beat a dead horse. Javonte Hart was impressive and nearly willed his team to victory, finishing with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. He made winning plays and took advantage of Hiram’s smaller/less physical guards. One thing Villa Rica has going for them, is that they are very balanced, seeing four players crack double figures. At the same time, I’m not sure they have a true “go-to guy” that they can put the ball in his hands and he can get them a bucket whenever they need it. Hart was the closest thing to that tonight, but outside of Region 7, the competition is much different and much tougher. No. 1 Buford was in the house scouting – it’s imperative for anybody in the region to avoid the Wolves. Villa Rica doesn’t have much size outside of 6-foot-6 Micah Hodges, who showed flashes in the paint. Wings Latrell Swanigan and JJ Franklin hit two threes apiece.

Nathan Presnell should be on college programs’ radars. The 6-foot-8 junior averages 15 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. He is the quarterback of the football team. He is a good athlete with nice footwork in the low post. If he focused all his time into basketball, he could be a guy that receives D-I interest. He has a little current Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket and former South Forsyth star Evan Cole in his game, but he’s not as refined. He was comfortable taking 15-footers, although his shot was flat tonight. He was active on defense, not just blocking shots but getting deflections and saving loose balls. In a state that’s often been starved for true size in the post, Presnell could be an option in 2019. Sophomore Arshard Crepsac caught my eye as well. The sophomore is 6-foot tall and possesses a pretty lefty stroke that was on point. He showed his mettle going 4-of-4 from the line late in the fourth quarter as well. He has some smooth qualities but will have to be able to get to the hole more, as on Thursday, all his points came from beyond the arc or the foul line. Khalil Baker hurt the smaller Villa Rica frontline at times too. He’s not as polished as Presnell in the post and didn’t look like much of a threat when on the baseline from 10-15 feet, but Baker worked hard on the glass and had a nice left-handed hook on a duck-in seal off a high-low. Baker is a guy who’s not afraid to mix it up in the paint and can scratch out some good minutes.

Top Performers

Hiram
Arshard Crepsac – 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Nathan Presnell – 16 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
Khalil Baker – 10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Darius Johnson – 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
Jayden Henry – 7 points, 1 rebound

Villa Rica
Javonte Hart – 15 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks
Latrell Swanigan – 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks
JJ Franklin – 12 points, 5 rebounds
Micah Hodges – 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks

GHSA Basketball, Spielin' & Dealin' Podcast

Spielin’ & Dealin’ Ep. 41: Newton, Powderpuff schedules, the rich get richer

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***SUBSCRIBE/DOWNLOAD/LISTEN ON iTUNES***
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  • Road Trip Recaps [0:40]
  • GHSA upholds Discovery’s appeal [7:35]
  • Gainesville climbs back to No. 1 [13:22]
  • Buford usurps Warner-Robins to get back to No. 1 in 5A [16:01]
  • No. 3 Newton’s big week [17:31]
  • Why undefeated No. 7 Villa Rica and No. 8 Maynard Jackson (19-1) drop [19:55]
  • New 4-star at McEachern? [27:45]

Sponsored by:  @sportalspace

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Game Stories

Genesis Bryant leads No. 1 Lovejoy past No. 8 Tucker in dominant fashion

Contributed by Rob Grubbs   (@RCGJr226070)

Sponsored by:   @sportalspace

January 23, 2018 (Lovejoy, GA): On paper, it appeared to be a great matchup, the Lovejoy Lady Wildcats (19-1, 10-1), ranked No. 1 in AAAAAA, against the No. 8 ranked Tucker Lady Tigers (14-6, 8-3) on Tuesday night, both from Region 4. Tucker had won seven of its last eight and played tough against the Class AAAAAAA No. 1 Westlake Lady Lions before Christmas and seemed poised to push Lovejoy for a chance at region supremacy. But as the game unfolded, it became apparent that while Tucker was a good team, Lovejoy was a great team.

Just as a fine-tuned sportscar has multiple components that work together in unison to provide maximum production, Head Coach Cedric King has built his team in a similar fashion. He has the power of a proven scorer in sophomore Genesis Bryant. Bryant is unique in that she can score at will, but she also brings her entire team for the ride.  They have the proven leadership of senior low post player Kayla Brown who can dominant the game in the paint and provide a defensive stopper.  Add to the mix sophomore Anaya Boyd who has the skills to run the court like a point guard, shoot from the outside and post up against anyone.  Top all of that off with a roster full of role-playing stars who fit the mold to perfection, and Lovejoy can play with anyone.

In the end, the Lady Wildcats completely dismantled the Lady Tigers for a convincing 68-33 win. With the regular season winding down, Coach King has his team steadily improving and ready to make a championship run. Even the reserves who got to play the final minutes for Lovejoy in relief seemed to have something to prove, they play with an edge.

The game started slowly for Lovejoy, they picked up two quick fouls and seemed to be a little hesitant early. The score was tied just passed the halfway point of the first quarter when the Lady Wildcats stepped on the throttle. Bryant and J’Auana Robinson both hit threes and when Mariah Spain drove the length of the floor after a steal for a layup to end the first quarter, they capped off a 12-1 run in just three minutes.

Bryant was brilliant throughout, she scored 14 points in the first half alone to extend the lead. As good as she was at creating scoring opportunities, Kayla Brown, the only senior on the roster,  was equally impressive down low,  she dominated the middle and imposed her will on the glass, gathering 11 rebounds. Tucker could not keep up with all the offensive fire power of the Wildcats.

The second quarter was an offensive clinic by Lovejoy, they scored on a perfect inbound pass from Robinson to Brown, a baseball pass from Bryant the entire length of the court to Brown for an easy layup and a deep three from Avanna Preston. Everything was working in the repertoire.

In the second half, Coach King substituted in waves, he seemed to have unlimited depth at his disposal. Eight of his players had points in the first half and two more joined the scorer’s sheet in the second half. Each player seemed to bring a specific skill set that complimented the team as a whole. After a three-point play by Bryant near the end of the third quarter, the Lady Wildcats had extended the lead to 58-20.  Lovejoy was solid from the charity stripe as well, hitting 22-of-33 free throws (67%).

For Tucker, the game got out of hand quickly and took them out of their game plan.  Senior guard Kierra Guthrie was able to dribble and penetrate, but the shots would not fall for the Lady Tigers and the constant pressure eventually wore them down.  Junior Jasani Buchanan continued to fight, she scored early in the third quarter off a steal and later scored on a nice drive to the basket. She led the Lady Tigers in scoring with 10 points.

Senior guard Kayla Baise would make two three-pointers in the fourth, hopefully giving Tucker something they can pull from the rubble to carry into the next game.

As bad as the final score, the Lady Tigers are still in third-place in Region 4-AAAAAA, only one game behind No. 7 Stephenson for second.  It is time to put this one behind them and finish strong in their final four games in the regular season, including their finale at home against the same Lovejoy team.

Afterwards, Coach King still saw room improvement, but was pleased overall. “Our girls competed and executed well, but we still need to improve our mental toughness. We tell them, don’t let anyone steal your joy while playing, which is important to getting better.”  He also cited the play of junior Preston as key, “Avanna played a big part of the win tonight, I was proud of her, but as a team, there are a lot of areas we can improve.” The thought of Lovejoy getting better and mentally tougher should cause a lot of concern for the rest of class AAAAAA and with their youth and good coaching, they will be good for a while.

Top Performers

Tucker
Jasani Buchanan – 10 points, 5 rebounds
Summer Dilwood – 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
Kayla Blaise – 6 points

Lovejoy
Genesis Bryant – 23 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals
Anna Boyd – 15 points, 7 rebounds
Kayla Brown – 5 points, 11 rebounds

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Game Stories

Savannah Samuel stars with 23 of 29 River Ridge second half points to carry Lady Knights past Sequoyah, 54-48

River Ridge 54, Sequoyah 48

River Ridge moved into third-place in R6-AAAAAA

The War Lodge was host to an important Region 6-AAAAAA matchup between Sequoyah (16-5, 7-4) and the River Ridge Knights (15-5, 8-3). Deadlocked at 7-3 apiece in the standings, the winner would control third-place in the top-heavy region while No. 3 Harrison (16-4, 11-0) and No. 4 Creekview (13-6, 8-2) manned the top spots. The Lady Knights shook off a nightmarish opening four minutes to regain their composure and methodically chip away at an early deficit, eventually gaining control and closing out a 54-48 road win behind sophomore Savannah Samuel’s sensational night.

The Lady Chiefs jumped all over the Knights, forcing four quick turnovers and leading 8-0 at the 6:09 mark. Coach Jason Taylor laid into his players, exclaiming they were about to get ran out of the gym if they didn’t take better care of the ball. Another two minutes went by and things didn’t get much better, the Lady Chiefs up 14-4 as Sydney Rosant and AnnaLynne Bennett scored six apiece in the frame.

River Ridge would close on an 11-4 run to end the quarter down 18-15, Mary Allen Mansell sparking the Lady Knights with six early points and Samuel adding five.

The two teams traded buckets in the second quarter. Peyton Satterfield got hot with two threes for Sequoyah, but River Ridge’s size began to pose a problem as 6-foot-2 Lexi Palmer and 6-foot Faith Arthur scored four points apiece around the basket. Arthur added a contested jumper in the lane at the buzzer as the Knights entered the half trailing 28-25.

In the third quarter, Samuel took over. The 6-foot-1 wing led the charge as the Knights pounded the smaller Lady Chiefs on the boards. Samuel’s first six points of the quarter all came on put-backs as River Ridge finally got over the hump and seized their first lead of the game at 33-31 with 3:55 remaining.

At the end of three, River Ridge held a 37-36 advantage. Samuel scored 10 points in the quarter while Arthur crashed the glass alongside Samuel for second chance opportunities.

The Knights shut down senior leader Alyssa Cagle, who had only two points, both coming from the free throw line in the first quarter. With Cagle unable to find a field goal, the Lady Chiefs scrambled for baskets. Sequoyah trailed 41-40 before Samuel drilled a three in the corner to go up four with 3:33 left.

Samuel would finish with a game-high 30 points, scoring 23 of her team’s 29 second half points.

Macy Williams knocked down two free throws for the Chiefs to cut the lead to 46-44 with 2:18 to play, but Samuel continued to score at will, netting 13 points in the final frame, going 8-of-10 from the line.

Rosant floated in a tough bucket in the lane with 54 seconds remaining to make it a 50-48 game, but the Lady Chiefs were unable to keep the ball out of Samuel’s hands as she punished them from the line.

Sequoyah had a last gasp to make it a one possession game, but the Lady Knights got a crucial stop that resulted in a Leigh Codiniera rebound and two free throws at the other end with 13 seconds left to ice the game 54-48.

My Take

Cherokee County girls basketball just got that much more interesting. It would be too cliché to say a star was born, considering Savannah Samuel has averaged 20.9 points and 5.6 rebounds, but the 6-foot-1 sophomore transfer from Collins Hill has changed the outlook of an entire program. Gwinnett County’s loss is Cherokee County’s gain. Samuel was phenomenal, taking over the game against one the state’s best programs over the past four years. A lanky, fluid athlete that’s all arms and legs, Samuel can get to the hoop and finish through contact. She can stretch teams out to the three-point line and is a nuisance on the glass. She has a High Major D-I ceiling and could be one of the best players the county has seen in quite some time, a county with a rich tradition of girls basketball. River Ridge’s frontline did major damage against the Chiefs; Sequoyah’s one glaring weakness. While the entire roster took a backseat to Samuel in the second half, Faith Arthur and Lexi Palmer were relentless on the boards, taking Samuel’s lead. Arthur has a physical, sturdy frame that allows her to play inside and out. With three players standing over 6-foot, the Knights have the ability to dominate the paint. Freshman Leigh Codiniera showed promise and composure while handling the point guard duties. She went 4-of-4 from the line including the final two points of the game. Depth will be a major issue for the Knights come state tournament time. Outside of their starters, Sabrina Roberts and Emily Ruth combined for three rebounds and one steal; the only stats contributed by the bench.

Sequoyah looked like they were going to blitz the Lady Knights, coming out with intense defensive pressure, but eventually River Ridge settled in and the Lady Chiefs’ large lead evaporated by the end of the first quarter. Sydney Rosant came out firing. There’s not many shots the high-scoring junior won’t take. She was finding baskets early on and hit her season average with 13 points. The insertion of AnnaLynne Bennett into the starting lineup over tallest player, 5-foot-9 Emily Seres, paid early dividends. The engine that makes Sequoyah go, unsigned senior Alyssa Cagle, was held to two first quarter free throws. While she was unable to score, she affected the game in other ways, the 5-foot-6 bulldog leading the Lady Chiefs with eight rebounds, five assists and three steals. Her offense hasn’t been as consistent this year, but credit some of that to her deferring to Rosant. Sophomore Macy Williams had six points. She’s instant energy off the bench for Coach Derrick DeWitt. Williams is the next in a long line of tenacious Lady Chief guards. She is a major competitor on the floor.

Top Performers

River Ridge
Savannah Samuel – 30 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block
Faith Arthur – 8 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks
Lexi Palmer – 6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, 2 blocks
Mary Allen Mansell – 6 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Leigh Codiniera – 4 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

Sequoyah
Sydney Rosant – 13 points, 2 rebounds
Peyton Satterfield – 10 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
Macy Williams – 6 points, 1 rebound, 2 steals
AnnaLynne Bennett – 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block
Colby Carden – 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals
Alyssa Cagle – 2 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals

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