GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Game Stories

6A No. 2 Harrison controls tempo, but 7A No. 2 Collins Hill grinds out 42-39 win

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Contributed by Rob Grubbs  (@RCGJr226070)

Sponsored by:   @sportalspace

7ANo. 2 Collins Hill 42, 6ANo. 2 Harrison 39

Harrison was able to neutralize Collins Hill’s size advantage for most of the game

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. – In men’s basketball, most games are won with athleticism and skill, the tallest players and those that leap the highest usually determine the outcome.  But the ladies game has more room for diversity of style, it can be more of a tactical match of wits and the ability for the head coach to relate and motivate his team.  In the nightcap of the Queens of the Hardwood Classic, two of the best teams in the state faced off with completely different roster styles. The Harrison Lady Hoyas (7-2), who lost the state championship last season to Mays by one point, are currently ranked No. 2 in Class AAAAAA while Collins Hill (9-1) is ranked No. 2 in Class AAAAAAA. Harrison has a small quick line-up, they start four guards and a forward, while Collins Hill is exactly the opposite, they start four forwards and one guard. The game was a low scoring affair as the Lady Hoyas dictated the pace, but the Lady Eagles held on for the 42-39 win.

Collins Hill has All-State forward 6-foot-2 Jada Rice (NC State) and University of Georgia-commit 6-foot-3 Jayvn Nicholson and as Head Coach Brian Harmon said, “We prefer to work our offense inside and which opens up our outside shots.”

That is how the game started, Nicholson scored the first basket in the paint for Collins Hill to set the tone early. The Lady Hoyas prefer to run a motion offense with multiple passes and controlling the ball for long periods of time. Their typical possession contained up to 15 passes as they looked for the open shot, with the entire team working in orchestrated precision that resembles synchronized swimming in some instances. You could sense that the Lady Eagles’ height inside was affecting Harrison, as most of their shots had a much higher arch than normal and at the halfway mark of the first quarter, the Lady Hoyas still had not scored a point. Senior Harper Vick finally broke the ice with a three at 3:34 mark in opening quarter to tie the game at 3.

The change of pace from Harrison caused frustration for Collins Hill, with the Lady Hoyas controlling offensive possessions for long periods of time, they effectively took away what the Lady Eagles do best. The patience was paying off for Harrison as they jumped out to a 10-8 lead after the initial quarter.

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With their post players effectively neutralized, Collins Hill showed that to be a champion you must adapt, and junior guard Bria Harmon (Purdue) took control of the Lady Eagle offense, hitting a runner early in the second quarter to tie the game up. Harmon, who is a Gwinnett Daily Post Super 6 pick (along with Nicholson) and Coach Harmon’s daughter, continued to look for scoring opportunities throughout the game.

Coach Harmon called upon junior Katherine Fourie off the bench to supplement the scoring and she came up big. She entered the game with the Lady Hoyas up 16-14 and scored six points in less than two minutes, including a three to push Collins Hill to a 22-16 halftime lead.

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Coach Harmon said, “Katherine can provide instant offense for us, which we needed, I just had to figure the right moments to get her in there.”

When he put her in, she came through, as she led all scorers with 15 points, all of them clutch.

Harrison continued the game plan in the third but behind Harmon, the Lady Eagles were slowly growing the lead behind Harmon and with the clock clicking down in the third quarter, Lady Hoya senior guard Sarah Woghiren hit a three at the buzzer to turn a 9-point deficit into a more manageable 31-25 game entering the fourth.

After a Jaron Stallworth basket, the Lady Eagles were up 37-30 with 4 minutes remaining, but Harrison head coach Steve Lenahan, in his 10th season, saw his plan coming into focus as the Lady Hoyas scored six unanswered to pull within one point with two minutes left.

Harrison had two possessions to take the lead but could not convert on either one and then “instant offense” Fourie hit a three-pointer with 1:13 remaining that seemed to ice the game at 40-36.

The Lady Hoyas didn’t bring the word quit with them on the bus from Kennesaw and when Vick converted a free throw to complete a three-point play to bring the game to 40-39 with 37 seconds, they were just a turnover away from another chance to snatch a win. However, Collins Hill broke the press and Nicholson hit two free throws to ice the game for the 42-39 win.

Coach Harmon was frustrated but pleased with the outcome. He closed with, “We have to do a better job of forcing our tempo instead of just allowing ourselves to play our opponents game, that is the lesson that we learned tonight.”

He had a classroom-style chat with the team on the bench for about ten minutes before they headed home.  Hopefully, it is a lesson his team learned, as the head coach of their next opponent was in the building to observe and scout.

Great teams separate themselves from the good teams by the way they adjust, Collins Hill has the roster, it us up to them to learn from tonight and move forward.

Rob’s Takeaways

  1. Junior Bria Harmon is a three-year starter at point guard and usually has the take of setting up the post players down low, but tonight, she took on more scoring responsibility and kept the Lady Eagles in the game throughout. She played excellent defense, and has extremely quick hands and feet. Being the head coach’s daughter can bring its own set of challenges, but she saw the direction the game took and understood it was her responsibility to score.
  2. I was excited to see Jada Rice and Jayvn Nicholson work inside and was disappointed they were regulated to a spectator role for much of the time. They will need to adapt, as several coaches from other top high school programs were in attendance for the game and took notes on how to neutralize their presence.
  3. The Players of the Game, as determined by the teams’ head coaches were UAB-signee Audrey Jordan for Harrison and Bria Harmon for Collins Hill.
  4. Coach Harmon had excellent utilization of Katherine Fourie, he brought her into situation when the Lady Eagles needed points and she delivered.
  5. As the region slate heats up, Harrison needs to find a consistent scorer to depend on, will that be Harper Vick, Sarah Woghiren, Audrey Jordan? Who will take the shots with the game on the line?
  6. Does Collins Hill get maximum exposure from “instant offense” Katherine Fourie off the bench or would she be better suited for the starting five? Coach Harmon will have to continue playing his hunch here as the region and playoff games get more important down the road.
  7. Up next – for Harrison, they face Lambert on Thursday night at the Hawks-Naismith Classic. Collins Hill plays Buford in the same tournament.

Top Performers

Collins Hill
Katherine Fourie – 15 points, 4 assists, 2 steals
Bria Harmon – 14 points, 4 rebounds
Javyn Nicholson – 6 points, 8 rebounds
Jaron Stallworth – 5 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks

Harrison
Amara Newsom – 10 points, 2 rebounds
Audrey Jordan – 8 points, 7 rebounds
Harper Vick – 7 points, 3 assists

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Game Stories

Explosive fourth quarter powers No. 2 Wesleyan past Fayette County at Queens of the Hardwood Classic

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Contributed by Rob Grubbs  (@RCGJr226070)

Sponsored by:   @sportalspace

No. 2 Wesleyan 83, Fayette County 58

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ga – In girls high school basketball, the holiday tournaments give teams the opportunity to play against competition from other classifications and parts of the state, it is a good gauge of where they are and what they need to work on before region games heat up in January.  The Fayette County Lady Tigers, who advanced to the Sweet 16 last year in Class AAAAA, have gotten off to a strong start and got the chance to face one of the most storied ladies’ programs in the state, the No. 2 Wesleyan Lady Wolves. Under the leadership of Head Coach Jan Azar, Wesleyan has won 12 state championships in the past 16 years.  The current edition is led by the talented senior duo of point guard Amaya Register who is signed to Old Dominion and Furman-signee Sutton West, but an otherwise young supporting cast. While the Lady Tigers (8-2) played Wesleyan even through the first quarter, emerging star sophomore AC Carter dominated on the offensive and defensive sides of the court and led the Lady Wolves (6-1) to an impressive 83-58 win.

The opening tip of the game gave a glimpse what was to transpire as West easily tipped the ball out to Carter who had an easy lay-up for the opening score. West would score on their next possession to go up 4-0 less than one minute in and a sudden feeling of a blow-out wafted overhead, but Lady Tiger senior forward Rikkelle Miller knocked down a three to answer, which seemed to settle her team down. Miller hit another three-pointer at the end of the first quarter to tie things up at 20. An otherwise impressive first quarter by the Lady Tigers did have one negative, the sharpshooting Miller picked up two quick fouls, the second one only three minutes into the game, it would significantly affect the way Fayette County Head Coach John Strickland rotated her in and out to protect her.

The Wolves struck quickly to start the second half, they went on a 9-0 run over the first 3 minutes. Register and Carter scored during the run that put the Lady Wolves up for good. The Lady Wolves may have stars, but their roster is strong from top to bottom and minutes are spread out.  When West sat down in the second quarter, Sophomore Izzy Larsen got productive time and scored off an offensive rebound and put back. Another sophomore, Lauren Hill, hit a three from the top of the key and Register followed suit. Fayette County senior guard Trinity Brown, who had the task of answering the Wesleyan press all game, kept the Lady Tigers within striking distance, she slashed to the basket on two occasions for lay-ups to keep her team close. At the half, the Lady Wolves were up 40-31.  After the 9-0 run to start the quarter, the Lady Tigers matched points the rest of the half.

The third started like the first, Carter hit a triple on the first play. It was the start of a surgically precise third quarter where the Lady Wolves operated at will. They hit six three-pointers in the quarter alone, Carter and Register with two each, and Nicole Azar and Hill also getting one. Maegan Barkley was a bright spot in the second half for the Lady Tigers, she made an athletic steal at mid-court and a drive for the basket plus the foul to keep Fayette County within reach at 58-45.

By the fourth quarter, the game was decided. It was an opportunity to showcase some skillsets and get some younger players some playing time. Carter impressed the crowd with a strong defensive rebound and then drove the length of the floor for the lay-up. She was almost unguardable throughout the game.  Miller would add one more three with 6 minutes remaining, but the Lady Wolves closed out strong for the 25-point win.

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Coach Azar was proud of the effort afterwards, “We have not played in 11 days, so I was really impressed at our shooting, we shot the ball really well. And made shots on the offensive end allow us to set up the press. Fayette County is a good team, we just hit the shots that let us jump out to a big lead and put it away.”

The Lady Wolves are going to be sending a lot of good teams home with 25-point losses as the season progresses.

Rob’s Takeaways

  1. The Wesleyan Lady Wolves arrived at the gym 25 minutes prior to game time, they literally walked off their bus, put on tournament tee-shirts and started their warm-up routine.
  2. Senior Sutton West is a state championship machine, she currently has 7 (two in basketball, once in soccer and four in track). She has the chance to get four more this year. She is their best defender and usually draws the opponent’s best player. She can bring the ball up court, effectively maneuver the press and score off the dribble.
  3. The Lady Wolves offense runs through AC Carter, Amaya Register typically makes an entry pass to her at the free-throw line and she either drives to the hoop from a spin move, passes to a cutter headed to the basket, or back out to Register who resets the play.
  4. Early foul trouble on Fayette County’s Rikkelle Miller hurt the Lady Tiger game plan. Her ability to score from beyond the three-point line was paramount to keeping the Tigers in the game.
  5. Fayette County’s senior guard combo of Trinity Brown and Meagan Barkley have been in Coach Strickland’s system since freshman year and are athletic and physical.  Their play and leadership make them the favorite in Region 3-AAAAA.
  6. Wesleyan freshman Alyssa Phillip has been getting increased playing time in Coach Azar’s system. There is a lot of depth in front of her, but you can see her potential. Great size and physical around the basket.
  7. Coach Azar’s daughter, freshman Nicole is a three-point sharpshooter and another weapon off the bench for the Lady Wolves. She had two in the game.
  8. At one point during the game, Coach Azar and Register were having a strategy conversation during a Fayette County free throw about the technical aspects of the upcoming possession. The discussion sounded like a graduate level class lecture. The Wesleyan basketball IQ is off the charts.
  9. Fayette County has two post players that are getting their first significant playing time, sophomore Naomi Franco and junior Celine Akande. They have great potential to improve and give the guard-laden team more options as the season progresses.
  10. Regardless of what the PA announcer said – it’s Wesleyan – not Wesley-Anne.
  11. The Players of the Game, as determined by the teams’ head coaches were Maegan Barkley for Fayette County and Amaya Register for Wesleyan.
  12. Up next – for Wesleyan, they face Miller Grove on Tuesday at the War Eagle Classic @ Woodward Academy. Fayette County travels to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the Crescom Invitational.

Top Performers

Wesleyan
AC Carter – 27 points, 15 rebounds
Sutton West – 10 points, 10 rebounds
Amaya Register – 18 points, 6 assists

Fayette County
Maegan Barkley – 15 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
Rikkelle Miller – 16 points, 4 rebounds
Trinity Brown – 10 points, 6 assists
Sydney Sims – 4 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 5 Boys Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

  1. McEachern (6-0)
  2. Grayson (7-1)
  3. Norcross (8-2)
  4. Collins Hill (9-1)
  5. Mountain View (7-2)
  6. Wheeler (6-3)
  7. Newton (7-2)
  8. Meadowcreek (7-2)
  9. Pebblebrook (6-2)
  10. Duluth (7-3)

Class AAAAAA

  1. Langston Hughes (6-2)
  2. Dacula (5-3)
  3. Brunswick (9-1)
  4. Tri-Cities (9-2)
  5. Gainesville (2-5)
  6. Jonesboro (5-1)
  7. Douglas County (5-2)
  8. Bradwell Institute (8-3)
  9. Stephenson (8-2)
  10. Coffee (2-4) 

Class AAAAA

  1. Warner Robins (7-0)
  2. Buford (5-2)
  3. Columbia (6-2)
  4. Miller Grove (6-3)
  5. Southwest DeKalb (7-3)
  6. Lithonia (9-2)
  7. McIntosh (6-0)
  8. Maynard Jackson (10-0)
  9. Statesboro (7-2)
  10. Woodland-Stockbridge (7-2) 

Class AAAA

  1. Upson-Lee (10-0)
  2. St. Pius X (8-1)
  3. Sandy Creek (6-1)
  4. Mary Persons (7-1)
  5. Cartersville (2-0)
  6. Westover (7-4)
  7. Baldwin (5-3)
  8. Salem (8-3)
  9. Americus-Sumter (8-1)
  10. Carver-Columbus (8-1)

Class AAA

  1. Morgan County (7-0)
  2. Johnson-Savannah (8-1)
  3. Jenkins (6-2)
  4. Cedar Grove (3-2)
  5. Greater Atlanta Christian (6-2)
  6. Westside-Macon (4-3)
  7. Windsor Forest (8-2)
  8. Dougherty (8-3)
  9. Monroe Area (7-0)
  10. Dawson County (6-2) 

Class AA

  1. Glenn Hills (6-0)
  2. Banks County (7-0)
  3. South Atlanta (7-1)
  4. Dublin (7-1)
  5. Thomasville (9-1)
  6. Swainsboro (6-2)
  7. Chattooga (6-0)
  8. Jeff Davis (7-2)
  9. Laney (7-2)
  10. Berrien (7-3) 

Class A-Private

  1. St. Francis (7-1)
  2. Aquinas (6-1)
  3. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (8-1)
  4. Wesleyan (2-2)
  5. North Cobb Christian (6-2)
  6. Christian Heritage (8-0)
  7. Greenforest (3-4)
  8. Landmark Christian (6-2)
  9. King’s Ridge Christian (5-2)
  10. WD Mohammed (6-1) 

Class A-Public

  1. Central-Talbotton (11-0)
  2. Woodville-Tompkins (9-1)
  3. Calhoun County (8-1)
  4. Montgomery County (7-1)
  5. Wilkinson County (4-3)
  6. Manchester (4-0)
  7. Lanier County (7-1)
  8. Macon County (3-1)
  9. Pelham (7-2)
  10. Wilcox County (7-3)

 

Hold on tight, Week 5 has the most movement we’ve seen all year. Top teams couldn’t avoid upsets and now heading into region play, the best of the best are starting to square off. In Class AAAAAAA, No. 1 McEachern held off No. 10 Duluth 82-66 at the SEBA Hoop Festival. The Wildcats ran out of gas after trailing 51-47 heading into the fourth quarter. Isaac Okoro couldn’t be stopped, posting 32 points and 11 rebounds while super sophomore Sharife Cooper added 26 points and 5 assists. The Indians’ size gave Duluth some issues with Babatunde Akingbola collecting 11 points, 9 rebounds and 6 blocks. Adam Flagler paced the Wildcats with 18 points followed by Will Huzzie’s electric 15 points and 7 rebounds. No. 3 Norcross was stunned in overtime by Lakeside-DeKalb (4-5) by a score of 56-55, Damon Davis hitting the game-winner and finishing with 17 points. No. 2 Grayson rises three spots after handling their business, knocking off No. 7 Newton 74-73, Archer 68-49 and Class 6A No. 5 Gainesville 65-63 in overtime. Vaulting up six spots is red-hot No. 4 Collins Hill. The Eagles scored wins over No. 5 Mountain View 49-48 and Duluth 54-50. The Bears of Mountain View still rose two spots thanks to their nail-biting wins over Discovery 46-45 and Newton in overtime, 66-65. No. 6 Wheeler slips three spots after a 71-68 home loss to No. 9 Pebblebrook, who rejoins the Top 10 replacing Peachtree Ridge (9-1) who suffered their first loss of the season to Etowah 49-46, the Eagles sneaking up the list of valid contenders at 8-1.

In Class AAAAAA, no one is playing better than the defending state champs, No. 1 Langston Hughes. If you didn’t believe me when I said Virginia Tech-signee Landers Nolley is the state’s most unstoppable scorer, maybe you’ll believe me now. He hung 51 on Mays in a 75-66 win and followed up with 40 points and 8 rebounds in an outstanding 63-58 win over Holy Spirit Prep. No. 2 Dacula hasn’t clicked on all cylinders just yet, but the Falcons picked up a pair of wins over South Gwinnett in overtime 61-54 and Pope 68-53 at the SEBA Hoop Festival. Dr. Russ Triaga has stepped down as head coach, leading to assistant Byron Wilson sliding over a seat to take over his dream job. No. 3 Brunswick rises a spot after beating No. 10 Coffee 64-61. The Trojans are out of excuses now with their football players finally back on the court. If they don’t take off right away, they will have to work their way back into the Top 10. They had a heartbreaking buzzer-beater loss to Tift County 54-52, courtesy of the Blue Devils’ Marquavius Johnson. In the loss, Jayce Moore dumped in 20 points, matching Montae Terrell’s 20 for Tift. No. 4 Tri-Cities creeps up three spots after wins over New Manchester (83-71), South Paulding (73-59), Eagle’s Landing (68-56) and Marietta in overtime (74-70). No. 5 Gainesville is down two more spots, desperately trying to finish out their brutal 9-game stretch to start the season. Battling suspensions, the Red Elephants nearly escaped Class 7A No. 2 Grayson, but lost in overtime 65-63. Sitting at 2-5 overall, Gainesville is 0-4 vs. GHSA opponents; their only wins coming at the Memphis vs. Atlanta Roundball Classic. Tucker (7-3) falls out of the poll following a 54-40 loss to debutant No. 9 Stephenson. The Jaguars have now won 8-straight games behind their dynamic guard play of Bryce Latimer and Drevion Evans.

Though they might not have a state title favorite right now, Region 5-AAAAA is loaded with potential Final Four teams. No. 3 Columbia moves up a spot after losing to No. 6 Lithonia 53-52, but beating rival No. 4 Miller Grove 60-58. Lithonia jumps four spots thanks to their win. No. 5 Southwest DeKalb sees no movement after beating Class 6A No. 3 Brunswick 58-44, but losing to Class 3A No. 2 Johnson-Savannah 62-55 at the Memorial Health Holiday Classic. Elsewhere in the classification, No. 8 Maynard Jackson remained undefeated by helping knock Lithia Springs (7-3) out of the rankings, surviving on the road in overtime 69-64. The Lions have now lost three straight games, suffering losses at Banneker 88-82 and to Cass 52-48. Leading scorer Anthony Hardy has missed the last two games with an injury. Replacing Lithia Springs is No. 10 Woodland-Stockbridge. The Wolfpack make their first appearance in the Top 10. They hold wins over Stockbridge 67-66 and Class 6A’s newly ranked Stephenson 70-65. The junior backcourt of Curtis Perdue and Jalen Mason is leading the way. Perdue is averaging 15.3 points while Mason, the Miller Grove transfer, is tallying 12.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per night.

No. 1 Upson-Lee is winning by an average of 40.8 points per game in Class AAAA. They trashed Taylor County 69-11 and at one point had allowed only four points deep into the third quarter. They will finally get their first test of the season on Wednesday down at the City of Palms. The Knights meet Kaukauna High School out of Wisconsin. Jordan McCabe, a West Virginia-signee and YouTube sensation, will likely be the best player Upson-Lee has ever played against in a high school game. No. 2 St. Pius trounced Stephens County (7-1) and dropped the Indians from the Top 10. It wasn’t just their 79-65 loss to the Golden Lions that forced the Indians out, but it was their lackluster 60-57 win over 2-7 Habersham Central that sealed their fate. They had beaten the Raiders 91-48 at Stephens County on December 1.  The Indians however aren’t the only team that struggled this week. Region 1’s No. 9 Americus-Sumter and No. 10 Carver-Columbus are down four and six spots, respectively. Carver suffered a bad 56-52 loss to Class 2A Spencer (4-4) while Americus-Sumter was defeated by Northside-Columbus 58-56. No. 5 Cartersville benefits and jumps up three spots to their preseason position after finally opening the season and doing so with two impressive wins over Paulding County (76-54) and at Calhoun (54-27).  No. 6 Westover is hot on their tail, moving up four spots with wins over Early County (81-72), Class 5A No. 9 Statesboro (69-51) and Glynn Academy (68-59). Replacing the aforementioned Stephens County Indians is preseason No. 6, No. 8 Salem. The Seminoles have finally found their groove, having to do so without Heritage-Conyers transfer Avante Lederer who is lost for the season with an injury. Seniors Tehjuan Powell and Tabias Long are carrying the load. Powell is averaging 17.9 points per game while Long is totaling 11.4 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.6 steals on average. Junior point guard Montez Swann is providing 10 points per game and is the team’s leading three-point shooter.

Savannah is rising in Class AAA. No. 2 Johnson-Savannah beat Class 5A No. 5 Southwest DeKalb 62-55 while No. 3 Jenkins beat up Class 6A No. 8 Bradwell Institute 75-47 and edged No. 7 Windsor Forest 72-62, the Knights still moving up two spots in the process. No. 5 Greater Atlanta Christian is down three spots as they continue to struggle how to solve Coach Joe Dix’s East Hall Vikings. The Vikes are only 2-4 but they have now won three-straight games dating back to last season against GAC following their 88-74 victory in Valhalla. Perennial powers Calhoun (1-2) and Pace Academy (2-2), the defending two-time state champs, exit the Top 10. The Yellow Jackets suffered a bad loss at Model 62-53 and then were outmatched by Class 4A No. 5 Cartersville 54-27 at home. Pace Academy faces a tough stretch ahead and will need to find a leader to carry them through their early two-game losing streak which has been prolonged due to snow postponements. Into the poll is No. 9 Monroe Area and No. 10 Dawson County. The Hurricanes are 7-0 under long-time legend Bolling Dubose, who coached for over 40 years at Jefferson before landing the job in Monroe. Their last three wins have come against Social Circle (61-38), at Apalachee (61-60) and Winder-Barrow (73-60). 6-foot-7 senior forward Elijah Goodman is averaging 15.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 1.3 blocks. Juniors Isaiah Glasper (14.3 ppg) and Michael Gray (9.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.7 bpg) are playing well along with senior stat sheet stuffer Devin Sheats, the 6-foot-4 wing averaging 7.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Dawson County has rebounded nicely after blowing a 17-point halftime lead against Blessed Trinity and have now won three in a row behind Cullen Reed, Jeremiah Crumley and Campbell Reed.

In Class AA, No. 8 Jeff Davis is down four spots following a 62-59 loss at Vidalia and a 66-54 loss to No. 6 Swainsboro. No. 4 Dublin is rolling, heading to the championship game at the Kreul Classic. Monticello (5-3) and Washington County (4-2) are rolling, but in the wrong direction following the Hurricanes’ losses to Thomson 71-66 and at Elbert County 75-64. The Golden Hawks were tripped up by Northeast-Macon 52-51. Into the poll are familiar faces No. 9 Laney and No. 7 Chattooga. Laney pushed No. 1 Glenn Hills to the brink 62-61 while Chattooga has blasted their opponents in North Georgia. The Indians are led by 5-foot-5 junior point guard “Nuk Nuk” Adams. The speed merchant is averaging a team-high 19 points per game off the bench, pacing Chattooga’s relentless attack.

Class A-Private is seeing No. 1 St. Francis and No. 3 ELCA start to rack up the quality wins. The Knights drilled Southwest Atlanta Christian 93-32 and then beat No. 4 Wesleyan 62-52; the Wolves rising two spots due to No. 5 North Cobb Christian losing to Paulding County 83-74 and No. 8 Landmark Christian slipping three spots following a 97-63 drubbing at the hands of Class 3A No. 5 GAC. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy took care of No. 9 King’s Ridge Christian 77-54 and stomped Drew Charter 88-35. They will host defending two-time state champion No. 7 Greenforest on Friday. The Eagles are back in the Top 10 after beating No. 10 WD Mohammed 64-50. Jaylyn Clark is averaging 17.3 points to pace Greenforest while Christian Jackson is netting 16.7 points and grabbing 6 rebounds a night. Exiting the poll is Stratford Academy (2-3) and Mt. Vernon Presbyterian (4-2). Stratford took two tough losses in Florida while the Mustangs faltered against Whitefield Academy 54-46. Making their first appearance in the Top 10 is North Georgia’s No. 6 Christian Heritage. The Lions haven’t played the toughest schedule in Dalton, but they have handled their business thus far. If they can get out of Chickamauga with a win on Friday at Gordon Lee, they will likely have a Top 10 showdown with North Cobb Christian on January 5. 6-foot-7 forward Christian Koneman is the star of the Lions. He played his travel ball with the Atlanta All-Stars, seeing elite competition over the spring and summer months. The veteran group turns to Zach Gentry at point guard and three-point threat Sam Dindoffer on the wing. AJ Kent brings some athleticism at the swingman spot while freshman Evan Lester is a post presence.

Stop the presses. We have a new No. 1 in Class A-Public. No. 1 Central-Talbotton has been a juggernaut this year and now get the No. 1 title to go along with it. The Hawks beat Dooly County 75-68 behind Tayne Smith’s 29 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists and ZyTavian Hill’s 29 points and 14 rebounds. No. 3 Calhoun County loses their grip on Class A-Public after getting upset by No. 6 Manchester 53-49. JahNile Hill took it to USF-signee Rashun Williams, pouring in 23 points while the Blue Devils held Williams to 11. Manchester jumps four spots. No. 2 Woodville-Tompkins’ rise continues following their 64-39 win over Beach. No. 4 Montgomery County bumps up one spot after an impressive 92-74 thumping of Vidalia behind Daveuan Coglin’s 31 points. No. 8 Macon County is reeling, tumbling five spots after losing to No. 5 Wilkinson County 69-61. Keep an eye on No. 7 Lanier County. The Bulldogs are quietly putting together a nice resume, adding wins over Turner County (59-41), 3A Islands (53-46) and 5A New Hampstead (58-51). Hancock Central (5-4) departs from the poll after a 67-56 loss to Greene County. No. 9 Pelham is back thanks to a 79-76 win over Terrell County.

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Etowah makes statewide statement with upset of undefeated No. 9 Peachtree Ridge

 

Contributed by Cody Butler  (@CodeMan10x)

Sponsored by:   @sportalspace

Etowah 49, No. 9 Peachtree Ridge 46

Etowah (8-1) closed the door late on Peachtree Ridge in a 49-46 win Saturday at the Gwinnett Daily Post Metro Atlanta Challenge. Etowah made plays down the stretch to escape Gwinnett County with a Top 10 win over the previously unbeaten Lions (8-1). 6-foot-5 wing Adrian Cohen delivered the game winning three for the Eagles with under a minute left in regulation.  Etowah executed their game-plan of defending Florida State-signee Devin Vassell for most of the night, holding him well below his 25-point per game averaging, scoring just 11 points. Vassell went scoreless in the first and fourth quarters, the two pivotal periods Peachtree Ridge struggled to knock down shots as a team.

Etowah took a 12-3 lead in the first after the sensational play of 6-foot-4 junior wing Jaxon Etter. Etter scored eight points quickly setting the Eagles out front of a struggling Lions offense.

Peachtree Ridge head coach Keith Arrington was critical of his team’s shot selection during a timeout, citing too many missed threes and not enough penetration. Etowah guard Nick Nagy frustrated Vassell most of the game leaving no room for separation, making the future Seminole work for every basket.

Peachtree Ridge went on a run of their own as the score tightened to 16-12 with 5:26 to go in the half. The plan to feed Vassell in the second quarter became more successful as he scored six of his 11 total points in the next few minutes.  An Etowah timeout created adjustments though as the Eagles put themselves in control again up 27-19 at halftime.

Cohen, a Tusculum-signee, made his presence known in the second quarter with six consecutive Etowah points. Cohen possesses combo guard skills to drive the basketball and knock down the open shot.

The undefeated Lions wanted no part of losing their first game as they turned up the intensity down eight in the third quarter. Constant pressure on the ball forced Etowah into mistakes.  Back-to-back three-pointers from Vassell and guard Devon Higgs cut the Etowah lead to 32-31 with 2:18 left in the third. The Eagles scored only eight points in the quarter as momentum flipped to the Lions heading to the fourth.

Peachtree Ridge took their first lead of the game on a Hirum Maxey three-pointer making it 36-35 with 5:05 remaining. While Vassell struggled to find open looks in the final frame, Maxey stepped up and made shots to keep the Lions in it. The 6-foot-1 guard finished the game with 12 points, six in the final minutes down the stretch.

Etowah remained poised and answered the Lions run with key three-pointers from Nagy and Cohen to close out the game. Peachtree Ridge led 40-38 with less than four minutes left before Nagy caught and released a three from downtown to regain the lead, 41-40. Peachtree Ridge went back in front 45-44 on a Maxey turnaround with 1:15 remaining but the celebration was short lived.

After a quick timeout and whiteboard session with Etowah head coach Jason Dasinger, the Eagles made the biggest play of the night and proved to be the better team on this Saturday.  Cohen called for the ball and sank the game winning three with 40 seconds left to put Etowah up for good. Cohen finished the game with 16 points and five rebounds.  Etowah kept the ball out of Vassell’s hands down the stretch and left Gwinnett County with the Lions stunned.

Top Performers

Etowah
Adrian Cohen – 16 points, 5 rebounds
Jaxon Etter- 10 points
Nick Nagy – 9 points

Peachtree Ridge
Hirum Maxey – 12 points
Devin Vassell – 11 points

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

Statewide Recap 12-16

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 1 McEachern 82, No. 8 Duluth 66: The Wildcats ran out of gas and the three balls stopped dropping as the Indians turned a 51-47 advantage after three into a 16-point win. Isaac Okoro finished with 32 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Sharife Cooper netted 26 points to go with his 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. Babatunde Akingbola had 11 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist and 6 blocks. Jared Jones added 8 points, 6 rebounds and 1 steal. The Wildcats hit 8 threes. Adam Flagler posted 18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Will Huzzie tacked on 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks. Lamont Smith had 11 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists in the loss.

Lakeside-DeKalb 56, No. 2 Norcross 55 OT: In the upset of the year, the Vikings stunned Norcross with a late Damon Davis three. Davis finished with 17 points.

Pebblebrook 71, No. 3 Wheeler 68: Grant Howard dropped 25 points and Canisius-signee Mervin James added 17 points in the Eagle win. DJ Murray chipped in 12 points. The Wildcats were led by EJ Montgomery’s 20 points and Isaac Martin’s 18. Tennessee State-signee Austin Johnson had 12 points and 5 rebounds while Brandon Younger scored 11.

No. 7 Mountain View 66, No. 4 Newton 65 OT: Kevin Kayongo knocked down a three to stun the Rams at the buzzer. In the loss Ashton Hagans finished with 22 points, 16 rebounds and 8 assists. Armani Harris had 16 points and 4 rebounds while Dre Butler chipped in 11 points and 7 rebounds.

Etowah 49, No. 9 Peachtree Ridge 46: The Eagles soared to 8-1 as they upset the Lions, handing Peachtree Ridge their first loss of the season. Adrian Cohen totaled 16 points and 5 rebounds. Jaxon Etter had 10 points and 5 rebounds. Julian Baldwin put up 9 points and 8 rebounds. Nick Nagy netted 9 points. Carter Ingersoll gobbled up 15 rebounds. Florida State-signee Devin Vassell was held to 11 points.

No. 10 Collins Hill 78, Forestview (NC) 48: Mandarius Dickerson netted 19 points and Justin Lee chipped in 16. Chris Parks scored 14 points and Alec Oglesby tacked on 11 points. Forestview was led by Darian Anderson’s 14 points and Logan Botts and Jalen Baldwin’s 10 apiece.

GICAAMt. Bethel Christian 61, Berkmar 52: Jaquez Gilbert scored 17 points for the Eagles while Tony Johnson had 15 for the Patriots. Stanley Eze was named MVP for Mt. Bethel.

Discovery 71, South Gwinnett 58: Jaylen Bussey netted 19 points to power the Titans. Jaden Walker had 11 points and 5 assists. London Riley scored 12 points.

Hoover (AL) 62, Kennesaw Mountain 53: Clemson-commit Trey Jemison was named game MVP with 15 points, 15 rebounds and 2 blocks for the Buccaneers. Jamari Blackmon had 24 points and 6 rebounds. Marion Humphrey finished with 15 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists. Josh Strong led the Mustangs with 20 points and 3 steals. Jalyn McCreary added 12 points and 7 rebounds. Jordan Barnes tallied 8 points and 6 assists.

Tift County 54, 6ANo. 8 Coffee 52: Marquavius Johnson drilled a three at the buzzer to stun Coffee. Johnson finished with 6 points while Montae Terrell netted 20 points and dished out 8 assists and Rashod Bateman scored 10 and grabbed 7 rebounds. Jayce Moore had 20 points in the loss. Dalrone Donaldson pitched in 8 points and Jordan Moore scored 7.

Mill Creek 84, Central Gwinnett 65: Kendall Latney and Zion Wimby scored 14 apiece while Brandon Fletcher chipped in 13 points.

Class AAAAAA

No. 1 Langston Hughes 63, Holy Spirit Prep 58: The Panthers scored a wonderful win over GISA state champion Holy Spirit Prep. The state’s most unstoppable scorer did it again, Virginia Tech-signee Landers Nolley going for 40 points (7 threes) and grabbing 8 rebounds.

No. 6 Jonesboro 65, Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 43: Jamari Smith had 19 points and 7 rebounds. Brandon Walker scored 11 points.

No. 10 Douglas County 85, New Manchester 51: Cam Copeland scored 15 points while Rodney Lewis and Malik Battle each scored 14. Marquise Collins tacked on 13.

Cambridge 47, Dunwoody 32: David Banks led the way with 12 points. Kamar Robertson added 11 points. Kyler Ingram and Bryce Boutelle scored 9 apiece.

Johns Creek 73, Northview 66: Neil Ilenrey scored 21 points and Jack Greenslit had 13. Will Penland netted 13 points and Austin Hillam scored 10.

Centennial 57, Chattahoochee 55: Freshman point guard AJ White had 20 points in the loss.

Sprayberry 76, Kell 74 OT: Justin Perry poured in 22 points in the defeat. Cameron Lockett (15), Savvon Delgado (12) and Rakim Thompson (12) all cracked double figures for the Longhorns.

Lanier 44, Brookwood 40: Chris Smalls scored 13 points and Taj Adams had 10 in the loss.

Harrison 64, North Cobb 54: Jack Brunswick netted 18 points and Elijah Williams produced 11 points and 8 rebounds in the win.

Northgate 57, BEST Academy 53 OT: Matthew Mitchell pumped in 31 point and Josh Anderson scored 17 to score the overtime victory.

Dalton 74, Northwest Whitfield 63: Jalen Westfield scored 25 points.  Aaron Fraire double-doubled with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Trey Ramsey collected 11 points and 16 rebounds.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Warner Robins 96, Jones County 75: Trevon Williams scored 20 points and Nelson Phillips added 18 points in the win. Jacolbey Owens netted 12 points and Champ Dawson finished with 13 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. In the loss, Garrian Wade pumped in 25 points for the Greyhounds. Adam Jackson scored 23 and Byrson Wooten netted 8.

No. 3 Miller Grove 78, Therrell 50:  Maurice Harvey dropped 22 points followed by Lorenzo Anderson and Jermon Clark’s 12 apiece. Timothy Stargell had 6 points and 5 assists.

No. 4 Columbia 63, Henry County 52: Lorenzo McGhee double-doubled with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Josh Taylor had 9 points and 13 rebounds. LJ Thomas scored 14 points and dished out 4 assists. Wisdom Uboh had 17 points in the loss. DeAndre Rice collected 15 points and 7 rebounds.

Cass 52, No. 9 Lithia Springs 48: Mark Chester had 22 points and Ashton Burley netted 19 in the win. Justice Hayes added 8 points.

Eagle’s Landing 60, Starr’s Mill 39: Mercer-signee Brandon Thomas had 17 points. CJ Hood chipped in 14 points and Tarrence Evans netted 12.

Cedar Shoals 56, Clarke Central 51: Quincy Canty double-doubled with 17 points and 16 rebounds. Tyler Johnson contributed 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Paulding County 83, A-PrivateNo. 4 North Cobb Christian 74: Tyron Summerour netted 19 points for the Patriots. Kevin Brown (13), Mike Seymour (12), KJ Shade (10) and Jeremiah Reed (9) all pitched in.

Redan 82, Arabia Mountain 78 OT: Freshman Javen Smith torched Arabia Mountain with 28 points, 4 assists and 3 steals. Tez Glover had 16 points and 6 rebounds. Siah Gray added 12 points and 5 assists while Linard Cole totaled 12 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks. Jordan Sterling paced the Rams with 21 points. Ta’Kari Rogers-Olive posted 16 points while Jaelin Simpson and N’Kyzie Hawkins scored 11 apiece in the loss.

Chamblee 57, Decatur 44: Chance Moore netted 17 points and Zachery Mackson and Rodney Smith put in 15 points apiece.

Class AAAA

No. 3 Sandy Creek 89, North Clayton 53: TJ Bickerstaff collected 22 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals. Chris Porter had 16 points, 4 assists and 2 steals. Julian Alexander finished with 12 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals. Xavier Brewer tossed in 11 points and Kam Miller contributed 9 points and 8 rebounds.

No. 6 Mary Persons 80, Jackson 74: Cam Holden piled in 38 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks. Tre Edge had 15 points and 7 rebounds. Dee Morton posted 12 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Desmond Williams netted 10 points.

No. 8 Cartersville 54, 3ANo. 6 Calhoun 27: Cartersville received 16 points and Perignon Dyer and 15 from Furman-signee Jaylon Pugh. Isaac Gridley added 10 points. Davis Allen had 8 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks in the loss.

No. 9 Baldwin 59, A-PublicNo. 6 Wilkinson County 51: The Braves took care of business at The Palace. Torez Hicks, Javez Lumpkin, Rodney Walker and Justin Webb all scored 10 points, Webb double-doubled with 10 rebounds.

No. 10 Westover 68, Glynn Academy 59: The Patriots rode their backcourt to a win at the U-Save-It Classic. Cam Weston collected 23 points, 4 assists and 2 steals. Jordan Brown netted 15 points. Mike Isler Jr. had 11 points, 12 rebounds and 2 steals. Ikenine Ochie tallied 9 points and 10 rebounds.

East Jackson 77, Athens Christian 62: Jace Bonds scored 20 points and Makayl Rakestraw netted 15. Kohl Phillips had 19 for Athens Christian.

Shaw 84, Kendrick 74: Jalen Ken (17), Lincoln Smith (14), Darnell Moran (14), TJ Mitchell (10) and Trey Lee (10) all cracked double figures.

Blessed Trinity 58, Hillgrove 40: Reid Gonzalez and Andy Swade scored 12 apiece. Jack Stephans netted 10 points.

Class AAA

No. 7 Westside-Macon 111, Pike County 57: Khavon Moore tallied 28 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocks in the rout. Greg Holloway had 22 points and 6 rebounds. Javian Mosley grabbed 13 points and 4 rebounds while Kowacie Reeves Jr. netted 12 points and Des Foston had 5 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.

Dawson County 53, Forsyth Central 39: Jeremiah Crumley had 21 points and 10 rebounds. Campbell Reed netted 16 points and Cullen Reed collected 8 points and 11 rebounds. Kane Pelfrey added 4 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals. Ryan Gallenkamp had 4 points and 5 rebounds.

Monroe Area 73, Winder-Barrow 60: Elijah Goodman scored 22 points and Isaiah Glasper netted 17 for Monroe Area. Devin Sheats added 13 points and Michael Gray double-doubled with 10 points and 10 rebounds, moving to 7-0.

Class AA

No. 2 Banks County 64, West Hall 54: Carl Cleveland scored 22 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Darius Bonds had 14 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists and 2 blocks and Dylan Orr finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. Gabe Martin tacked on 11. Noah Edmondson led West Hall with 15 points followed by Braden Martin (11), Tae Reed (9) and Jesse Malik (8).

No. 3 South Atlanta 84, Whites Creek (TN) 73: Jalen Stegall poured in 30 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Ja’Quavian Florence netted 20 points for the Hornets. Whites Creek was led by Dylan Wade’s 18 points and 9 rebounds and Dennis Stallings’ 17 points.

No. 4 Jeff Davis 64, Appling County 55: Chandler Davenport dropped in 16 points. Ja’Queze Kirby posted 14 points while Kirese Manley netted 11 and Tae Thomas scored 10.

No. 5 Dublin 65, North Broward Prep (FL) 52: Clarence Jackson had 21 points and 9 rebounds at the Kreul Classic.

Northeast-Macon 52, No. 10 Washington County 51: Jeremiah Gundy had 14 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals and 4 blocks in the loss. Jamarius Dixon pitched in 10 points and 3 rebounds. Curtis Brown posted 10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals while Jawan Dukes tacked on 7 points and 6 rebounds.

Dodge County 68, A-PublicNo. 9 Wilcox County 58: Nick Cummings poured in 26 points. RJ Carr had 15 points and DeMarcus Caines chipped in 12. Noah Wilcox netted 7.

Class A-Private

No. 3 ELCA 88, Drew Charter 35: Trevon Reddish went for 18 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Malachi Rhodes  double-doubled with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Kamari Smith finished with 11 points and 5 assists while Devon Dorsey scored 12 points. KJ Jones picked up 7 points and 4 steals. Jamaine Mann tacked on 9 points and 8 rebounds.

No. 8 King’s Ridge 44, Pinecrest Academy 22: Eric Coleman posted 23 points and 7 rebounds in the win.

No. 10 Mt. Vernon Presbyterian 44, North Forsyth 30: Morgan Mulrain scored 13 points and dished out 2 assists. Cam Bennett had 11 points and 8 rebounds. Marques Frye totaled 7 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists.

St. Anne-Pacelli 53, Atlanta International 47: Tyrese Hicks finished with 18 points and freshman Ian Matthews added 16 points in the Vikings’ second straight win.

Class A-Public

No. 4 Woodville-Tompkins 63, Beach 39: Preston Crisp dropped 19 points. Deante Green scored 13 points while AJ Hassel and Charelston Willingham netted 9 apiece.

No. 5 Montgomery County 92, Vidalia 74: Daveuan Coglin piled in 31 points to blow past the Indians.

No. 10 Manchester 53, No. 1 Calhoun County 49: The Blue Devils led wire-to-wire, stunning Calhoun County. USF-signee Rashun Williams was held to 11 points while JahNile Hill poured in 23 points.

 

GIRLS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 2 Collins Hill 42, 6ANo. 2 Harrison 39: Katherine Fourie led the Eagles with 15 points, 3 assists and 2 steals. Purdue-commit Bria Harmon netted 14 points and had 3 rebounds.  Amara Newsom led the Lady Hoyas with 10 points and 3 rebounds. UAB-signee Audrey Jordan collected 8 points and 6 rebounds.

No. 7 Cherokee 54, River Ridge 39: Lacie McCoy and Kate Johnson each scored 9 points. Olivia Herrera and Laiken Wade added 8 apiece.

Lambert 61, Marietta 58: Skylar Aledia finished with 24 points. Jaleah Green collected 18 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists and drew 3 charges. Summer Edwards added 7 points and 10 rebounds. Katie Schwind had 7 assists.

Kennesaw Mountain 43, Allatoona 27: Gracie O’Neill led the way with 9 points. Maya Inman chipped in 7 points and 12 rebounds. Mikayla Montag had 8 points and 7 assists.

Woodstock 61, West Forsyth 39: Carly Henderson scored 15 points to power Woodstock in the battle of Wolverines.

Class AAAAAA

No. 5 Northview 59, Johns Creek 28: Ashlee Austin netted 17 points. Eden Sample scored 14. Asjah Inniss and Maya Richards each scored 9 points while Megan Cistulli dropped in 6.

No. 8 Stephenson 56, No. 1 Lovejoy 53: Genesis Bryant scored 18 points but the Wildcats were stunned by the Jaguars.

No. 10 Northside-Warner Robins 43, 3ANo. 3 Central-Macon 36: JeNya Wilder had 18 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals in the loss. Jada Clowers added 14 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Pope 53, Walton 46: Cheyenne Holloman had 17 points followed by Abby McKinley’s 12 and Talia Cloud’s 8 in the win.

Douglas County 41, New Manchester 36: The Lady Tigers handed the Lady Jaguars their first loss of the season. Amari Robinson had 17 points and Desirae Jackson netted 15. Kyndall Golden scored 11 points in the loss.

Class AAAAA

No. 8 Villa Rica 74, Cass 47: Aliyah Hindsman posted 18 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Jaila Orozco collected 14 points and 8 rebounds. Emmy Parham netted 13 points and Kyndal Coleman had 12 points and 5 rebounds. Deasia Merrill finished with 11 points as the Wildcats won the SMI Carroll County Christmas Classic.

Class AAAA

No. 7 Madison County 64, 3ANo. 9 Hart County 56: Torrion Starks scored 23 points on her way to 1,000 total in her career, but the Bulldogs could not score a win. Freshman Taniya Alexander netted 20 points.

Stephens County 51, Habersham Central 42: Anaiah Wilson (17), Nana Eades (13) and Tykia Thompson (12) paced the Indians.

Burke County 59, Westside-Augusta 32: Quin’deja Hamilton had 28 points off 6 threes. Kianni Westbrook netted 13 points.

Chestatee 63, North Oconee 60: Cooper Wilson scored 23 points. Cameron Gwyn netted 11 and Josue Bustamante chipped in 10.

Class AAA

No. 6 Johnson-Savannah 55, Tattnall County 38: Bubbles Williams poured in 16 points followed by Jasmine Thompson’s 12. Giana Copeland collected 7 points, 7 rebounds and 11 blocks. Kashay Hankerson led Tattnall County with 21 points off 5 threes.

No. 7 Dawson County 59, Forsyth Central 40: Calli Watson netted a season-high 22 points. Emma Brown scored 12 points and Cadey Ayers had 7. Abi Chatham and Sophia D’Oliveira both had 6 points.

No. 10 North Murray 53, Bremen 38: Sarah Plemons scored 13 points followed by Tenley Gladson’s 12 and Kailee Tipton’s 8.

Jenkins 57, Islands 38: In the loss, Diamon Garvin scored 14 points and Elizabeth Sierzant had 12.

Calhoun 41, Cartersville 36: Erin Davis had 13 points and Railey Greeson netted 12 points.

Class AA

No. 7 Banks County 55, 4ANo. 8 West Hall 36: Allison Smith scored 16 points. Jaycie Bowen added 11 and Morgan Lyons netted 8.

No. 8 Dodge County 50, A-PublicNo. 7 Wilcox County 34: Europe Brown dropped in 23 points and Zanessia Mitchell netted 13. Destanee Wright added 11.

Washington County 57, Northeast-Macon 45: Nijeria Jordan dropped in 26 points, 9 rebounds and 5 steals for the Lady Golden Hawks. Destinee Ellison added 17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals. Miracle Parker contributed 10 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals.

Bleckley County 61, Hawkinsville 19: Jahnaria Brown finished with 17 points.

Bryan County 53, Claxton 32: Olonna Rawls went off for 28 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals. Brooklyn Hewitt scored 8 points and Jabrai Boyd netted 7.

Class A-Private

No. 2 Wesleyan 83, Fayette County 58: The Lady Wolves rolled at Whitewater’s Queens of the Hardwood. AC Carter posted 27 points and 15 rebounds. Sutton West added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Amaya Register notched 18 points and 6 assists. Fayette County was led by Rikkelle Miller’s 16 points and 4 rebounds and Maegan Barkley’s 15 points. Trinity Brown added 10 points and 6 assists.

No. 9 Athens Academy 41, Walker 36: Maddie McCleary scored 13 points, Greer Moseley had 12 points and Rose Bone grabbed 10 rebounds.

Class A-Public

No. 9 Woodville-Tompkins 53, Windsor Forest 38: Algeria Scott and Kenrianna Bennett netted 13 apiece for Woodville-Tompkins.

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