Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

No. 1 South Paulding grinds out perfect region record at No. 9 Alexander

No. 1 South Paulding 58, No. 9 Alexander 46

Perfection was on the line as No. 1 South Paulding (24-1, 16-0) traveled to No. 9 Alexander (17-7, 11-5) with a chance at polishing off a perfect record in Region 5-AAAAAA. It would not come easy as a sea of black packed Alexander’s gym, ready to see their Cougars attempt to avenge a 52-50 road loss just six days earlier.

The players and fans were more than familiar with each other but also were the coaches. South Paulding head coach Gil Davis and Alexander head coach Jason Slate both come from the Tim Criswell coaching tree at Carrollton and Davis became an understudy for Slate while the two were at Lithia Springs.

With familiarity and two talented teams, breads fierce competition.

Alexander jumped up to a 12-5 lead keyed by big man Damion Howell inside and Grant Howard on the perimeter.

South Paulding opened up taking some uncharacteristically bad shots that the Cougars capitalized on. Howell gobbled up rebounds and established himself early around the basket with six of his eight points in the game in the first six minutes.

After Davis’ timeout, the Spartans began to settle in and phase out the loud home crowd while pulling from their own rambunctious student section which lit up half court as they whited-out the section. Georgia State-signee Kane Williams got his first bucket of the game with just over two minutes left in the first quarter.

Sophomore Chandler Travis came off the bench and provided a spark, drilling a three and connecting on a late And-1 to close Alexander’s lead to 19-16 heading into the second quarter.

South Paulding captured its first lead of the game at the 5:53 mark on a Williams three. But a monster dunk from Howell and foul trouble for Ja’Cori Wilson saw the Cougars regain a 27-23 edge at the 2:18 mark with Wilson heading to the bench with his third foul.

DJ Jackson came away with a steal and was fouled hard going to the hoop with 3 seconds left on the clock and split a pair of free throws to send the game into the half with South Paulding trailing 29-27.

In the third quarter, Williams quickly tied the game at 29.

Wilson added a turnaround and then Jackson hit a three, but Wilson picked up his fourth foul with 2:51 remaining in the third quarter with the Spartans up 34-31 and had to return to the bench.

South Paulding slowly started to impose its will but the Cougars wouldn’t fade. Sophomore Cameron Armstrong flew in for a tip-in to cut the lead to 36-33, but on the other end Williams bullied his way to the basket for his seventh point of the quarter and completed the And-1. Drew Shepherd proceeded to drain a three with under a minute left and the score stayed 42-35 at the end of three, South Paulding’s largest lead of the game.

At the 6:03 mark with the Spartans continuing to pull away, Chris Lunsford found Armstrong for a three to keep it a two possession game at 45-39. The Cougars added a free throw to make it 45-40, but that would be as close as they would get. Over the final 4:40, the Spartans put the game away with a 13-6 run.

Williams slid his way for another And-1 to go ahead 50-40.

The Cougars made their final push and trimmed the lead back to 50-44 with 2:15 remaining but the Spartans iced it from the line going 6-of-8 in the fourth quarter.

My Take

Hands down it was the best atmosphere I have been in all season long and as far as both student sections bringing it, probably the best fan participation in my two years covering the GHSA. Alexander rode the home crowd early and South Paulding came out firing some quick and bad shots as the Cougars’ press sped them up. I would have loved to see Damion Howell get more post touches. The inside-outside game of him and Grant Howard worked perfectly in the first half but after Howell’s powerful slam in the second quarter, he never scored again and didn’t get many opportunities to. Howard came out of the gates hot with seven first quarter points and 10 points in the first half, but he managed just four points in the second half as the Spartans clamped down. Cameron Armstrong stepped up in the absence of third leading scorer Rod Rapley (11.9 ppg). The sophomore hit two rainbow threes. Rapley’s athleticism and scoring was missed down the stretch when the Cougars started to run out of gas. Zeek Copeland was quiet with three points but Chris Lunsford added some energy with seven points off the bench.

It’s never going to be overly pretty, but South Paulding is the No. 1 ranked team in the state for a reason. They play with a chip on their shoulder, Drew Shepherd their emotional leader. He and DJ Jackson both pitched in eight points apiece which is all you need when Kane Williams and Ja’Cori Wilson are rolling. After a 2-point first quarter, Williams turned it on, attacking the basket. He had 14 of his game-high 21 points in the second half. Wilson was hampered with foul trouble but when he was in the game he produced. He scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds in front of Longwood. The first quarter MVP for South Paulding was hands down Chandler Travis. With Tank Withers and Parker Berry unavailable in the backcourt along with Jordan Burge in the low post, Travis stepped in and breathed life into the Spartans when they were struggling in the first quarter. He finished with six points, all in the opening period.

Top Performers

South Paulding
Kane Williams – 21 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
Ja’Cori Wilson – 15 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal
DJ Jackson – 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Drew Shepherd – 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Chandler Travis – 6 points, 2 rebounds

Alexander
Grant Howard – 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Damion Howell – 8 points, 12 rebounds
Cameron Armstrong – 8 points, 2 rebounds
Chris Lunsford – 7 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Spielin' & Dealin' Podcast

Spielin’ & Dealin’ Ep. 3 (2/2/17)

***SUBSCRIBE/DOWNLOAD/LISTEN ON iTUNES***
***FOLLOW/DOWNLOAD/LISTEN ON PODBEAN***

Debutants in the rankings, is Aquinas for real?, are the GAC girls the most talented team in Class AAA?, No. 10 Tallulah Falls at No. 6 Lakeview Academy recap, top games this weekend and 1-on-1 with Northview Lady Titans head coach Chris Yarbrough

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Spielin' & Dealin' Podcast

Spielin’ & Dealin’: GHSA referee exclusive

***SUBSCRIBE/DOWNLOAD/LISTEN ON iTUNES***
***FOLLOW/DOWNLOAD/LISTEN ON PODBEAN***

Episode 2 features an exclusive interview with a current GHSA referee. Technical fouls, assignments, home cooking, the toughest calls to make and more are discussed as the stakes are at an all-time high as region tournaments and the state tournament approaches.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

GHSA Statewide Recap 1-31

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

Shiloh 68, No. 1 Newton 57: The nationally ranked Rams were knocked from the ranks of the unbeatens as Shamarie McLeod scored 18 points and Brandon Blair and Brian Coffey both scored 11. Coffey added 7 assists. Greg James scored 10 points and TJ Massenburg had 7. In the loss, Isaiah Miller scored 24 and JD Notae had 21.

No. 7 Westlake 85, No. 3 Pebblebrook 76: The Lions swept Pebblebrook and regained control of Region 2 as Collin Sexton sat out with an injury. Chuma Okeke finished with a monstrous 36 points and 28 rebounds. In the loss, Dwight Murray posted 17 points and 4 assists. Mervin James had 16 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks.

No. 4 Norcross 73, Central Gwinnett 62: Rayshaun Hammonds led the Blue Devils with 15 points. Jordan Goldwire scored 12 and both Lance Thomas and Kyle Sturdivant finished with 11. Jalen Hillery led the Black Knights with 14 points.

No. 5 Berkmar 49, Meadowcreek 47: Indiana-signee Al Durham hit a jumper at the buzzer to edge the Mustangs. Durham finished with 12 points while Zach Cooks had 11 and Jay Estime finished with 10. The Patriots closed the game on a 13-0 run.

Discovery 44, No. 10 Mountain View 43: Kalu Ezikpe hit two free throws with 4.3 seconds left to knock off the Bears. Ezikpe finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Keshawn Overstreet had 10 points and 7 rebounds. Jaylen Bussey added on 9 points and 5 rebounds.

Roswell 58, Walton 52: Sophomore Miles Herron scored a game-high 16 for the Hornets. Jordan Merriman had 15 and Jayden Comma netted 12.

Mill Creek 50, Peachtree Ridge 47: Christian Mancillas led the Hawks with 13 points followed by freshman Kendall Latney and junior Chris Birch’s 8 apiece. Devin Vassell led the Lions with 18 points.

Collins Hill 73, Duluth 61: JaQuan Morris dropped in 23 points and Kenny Stanciel had 15 points and 7 rebounds. Max Clark tallied 8 points and 8 assists. Justin Lee finished with 9 points and 11 rebounds. Duluth received 16 points from Will Huzzie and 14 from Jalen Hodges.

Milton 78, Forsyth Central 59: Sophomore Donaven Hairston finished with 10 points, 3 steals and a block in the win for the Eagles.

Grayson 64, South Gwinnett 54: Kenyon Jackson had a breakout performance with 20 points, 15 rebounds, 3 steals and 5 blocks. Nick Edwards had 17 points and 5 rebounds. Travis Anderson scored 11 points. Terrell Greene had 6 points and 7 rebounds. Gerald Buncum grabbed 9 boards and blocked 2 shots.

Hillgrove 73, Marietta 54: For the 10th consecutive season, head coach Ed Morris has led his Hawks into the state tournament. Demierre Black scored 21 points and Jon Dabney added 14. Justin Davidson finished with 10 points.

Class AAAAAA

No. 1 South Paulding 66, No. 6 Langston Hughes 64: After trailing by 11 points with 4 minutes remaining, the Spartans found a way to surge past the Panthers using a 17-4 run to close. Kane Williams had 19 points and 8 rebounds while Ja’Cori Wilson scored 19 to sweep the season series and earn a state playoff bid.

No. 2 Gainesville 90, Winder-Barrow 47: KJ Buffen posted a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds while adding 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks. Jarred Rosser had 18 points and 7 rebounds. Kajuan Hale added 9 points and 5 assists. Brent Kelly netted 9. Jarrel Rosser scored 8.

No. 3 Jonesboro 87, ML King 41: MJ Walker scored a game-high 28 points and added 4 rebounds and 5 assists. Jamari Smith posted 12 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists. Jaylon Terrell had 14 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists.

Northview 51, No. 4 Alpharetta 48: The Raiders were stunned at home by the visiting Titans who entered with just five wins on the year. Justin Brown and Zane Patel scored 14 apiece to lead the upset. Mason McBee netted 12.

No. 5 Lakeside-Evans 74, Heritage-Conyers 71: The Panthers swept the Patriots behind Deon Berrien’s 18 points and 10 rebounds and Kalen Williams’ 24 points and 3 boards. The Patriots were led by Isaiah Banks’ 26 points. Byron Abrams had 19 and Jordan Thomas scored 16.

Brunswick 71, No. 8 Richmond Hill 56: College of Charleston-signee Kymani Dunham was too much to handle inside posting 27 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks. Daquan Humphreys scored 12. Jaylen Jackson added 11 points.

No. 10 Dacula 81, Habersham Central 18: Gary Bishop dropped 21 points, Mekhail Bethea had 15 and Arusha Hunter netted 14 as Dacula clinched a state tournament berth out of Region 8.

Dalton 83, South Cobb 70: The Catamounts defended their home floor and inched closer to a Region 6 title by beating the Eagles. Nasir Porter-Love exploded for 38 points while Jalen Westfield hit six threes and finished with 20 points.

Dunwoody 48, Chattahoochee 45: Sidi Diallo and Turner Nims scored 13 apiece for Dunwoody. Jeff Powell added 8 points.

Tri-Cities 78, Douglas County 74: June Lewis and Malik Battle scored 21 apiece in the loss for the Tigers.

Cambridge 70, Johns Creek 64 OT: Kamar Robertson led the Bears with 18 points. David Banks and Bryce Boutelle both had 11.

River Ridge 58, Creekview 57: Noah Fitzgerald scored 20 points, Christopher Williams had 15 and Cael Chatham netted 11 to beat the Grizzlies.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Buford 63, Walnut Grove 46: David Viti and Dawson Wehunt both scored 12 points in the win. Nick Jones scored 12 and RJ Selman had 11 for the Warriors.

No. 3 Warner Robins 71, Houston County 48: Jacolbey Owens had 18 points, Jaydon Norman scored 12 and Nelson Phillips had 11 in the win. Zion Johnson scored a game-high 19 for the Bears in the loss.

No. 4 Miller Grove 63, Lithonia 50: Tae Hardy scored 17 points and Jalen Mason had 13 in the win. Maurice Harvey chipped in 10.

No. 5 Columbia 79, Chamblee 51: Kevon Eskridge buried eight three-pointers – six in the fourth quarter – to lead the Eagles with 26 points. Jalen Cobb added 16 and TJ Boykin scored 12. Kenton Eskridge finished with 11. Chamblee was outscored 32-7 in the fourth quarter. Odell Ferrell had 15 points, Glenn Robinson scored 14 and Jalen Knowlton had 10 but it wasn’t enough to survive Columbia’s three-point barrage of 13 on the night.

No. 7 Union Grove 79, Ola 35: Austin Atkins and Joel Fordyce scored 12 apiece for the Wolverines. Braelen Bridges had 10 and Donnell German scored 8.

No. 8 Riverwood 72, Lithia Springs 59: On Senior Night, Charnchai Chantha pumped in 22 points and dished out 10 assists. Josh Brown had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Rudy Fitzgibbons and Elijah Jenkins netted 11 apiece.

Cass 49, No. 9 Carrollton 40: CJ Bennett poured in a season-high 27 points to establish the Colonels as one of Region 7’s top teams.

Decatur 44, No. 10 Maynard Jackson 42: Terrill Hall had 14 points and Chalen Hippe had 13 in the win. Mikhail Johnson scored 8 and Uriah Pickens-Roberts netted 7 for the Bulldogs.

Flowery Branch 63, Clarke Central 57: The Falcons closed on a 17-1 run to stun the Gladiators. Brannon Clark finished with 27 points (17-18 FT), 7 rebounds and 3 assists. John Mills had 13 points, 4 assists and 4 steals while Justin Quick chipped in 10 points and 4 rebounds.

Stockbridge 56, Hampton 43: Quintus Evans scored 15 points to lead the Tigers. Brenton Cox added 11 points. Kelton Dawson netted 8.

McIntosh 59, Griffin 52: Cole Guenther led the Chiefs with 19 points. Chaz Hardin had 17 points and Joseph Cummings netted 15 in the win.

Kell 54, Hiram 50 OT: The Longhorns survived Hiram thanks to Savvon Delgado’s 21 points and Demetris Page’s 15. Caelon Ball chipped in 8 points and Wayne Bryant netted 7.

Eagle’s Landing 49, Woodland-Stockbridge 39: Mohammed Abubukar and Brandon Thomas scored 12 apiece. CJ Hood added 9 in the win.

Johnson-Gainesville 67, Loganville 52: Kylan Curry finished with 13 points and 10 assists to lead the Knights. The Red Devils got 11 points, 13 rebounds and 3 steals from Jamar Moore. Akil Covington added 7 points, 2 rebounds and 1 steal in the loss.

Class AAAA

No. 1 Upson-Lee 70, Howard 41: 10 different players scratch the scorebook on Upson-Lee’s Senior Night, as they start and play all five seniors in the first quarter. Travon Walker led the Knights with 15 points and 9 rebounds in just three quarters.

No. 2 Henry County 66, North Clayton 63: The Warhawks avoided a letdown on the road by edging the Eagles. Damion Rosser scored 19 points and Seth Brown had 17 in the win. Javon Greene netted 15. North Clayton was led by Michael Lee’s 22 points, Keondre Kennedy’s 16 and Jamal Buster’s 11.

No. 3 Americus-Sumter 69, Shaw 61: Kiante Sims collected a double-double of 28 points and 10 rebounds to power the Panthers. Eric Hall had 11 points and 4 assists.

No. 4 Sandy Creek 67, Cedartown 44: Evan Jester had 23 points and 5 rebounds while Chris Porter produced 18 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Xavier Brewer finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds and KJ Wilkins pitched in 10 points and 5 assists.

No. 5 LaGrange 74, Chapel Hill 62: Laperion Perry scored a team-high 20 points for the Grangers. Kenan Gray and Bryan Fanning both added 13.

No. 7 Richmond Academy 68, Cross Creek 60: Moses Williams piled in 22 points followed by Jason Weaver’s 17 and DT Stephens’ 16. Jesse Marshall led Cross Creek with 16 points in the loss.

No. 9 St. Pius X 69, Jefferson 49: Matt Gonzalo had 13 points, 7 assists and 5 steals to ignite the Golden Lions. Carson Seramur scored 13 points and Troy Stephens added 10 points. Kasen Rainey led the Dragons with a game-high 20 points.

Pickens 69, Southeast Whitfield 50: Pickens received 19 points and 4 rebounds from Seth Bishop. Avery Luke and Hunter Hermann both scored 11 points. Blake Gorth finished with 9 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks.

Blessed Trinity 64, White County 42:  Ben Shappard scored a game-high 21 for the Titans. Kyle Swade and CJ Abrams both had 16 points. White County was led by John Ward’s 14 points and Dillon Wilson’s 10.

Stephens County 84, North Oconee 53: Deundra Singleton had 23 points to lead the Indians. Malik Feaster added 15 and Ty Nails scored 14.

Northwest Whitfield 58, Gilmer 55: Kyle McCutcheon netted 15 points to lead the Bruins. Grant Terrell scored 12 and Alex Hooker added 9.

Class AAA

No. 1 Westside-Macon 104, Jackson 71: Khavon Moore had 38 points, 18 rebounds and 4 assists in front of Providence. Trey Foster added 24 points and 7 rebounds while Samone Reed produced 18 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Chris Lamar made a splash on Senior Night, drilling a deep fourth quarter three.

No. 2 Liberty County 111, Pierce County 79: For the fourth time this year, the Panthers erupted for over 100 points. Will Richardson became the fastest player to score 1,000 points as he dropped in 35 more tonight. Davion Mitchell netted 20 and Jyaunti Haggray had 18 to pace five players in double figures. Jaalon Frazier added 11 and Tyreon Freeman scored 10.

No. 6 Greater Atlanta Christian 64, Fannin County 42: Hunter McIntosh pumped in 23 points and Jeffrey Blake added 10 to lead the Spartans.

Dawson County 81, No. 7 East Hall 73: The Tigers stunned the Vikings behind Jeremiah Crumley’s 21 points and Joseph Cronin’s 17. Dawson County outscored the Vikings 32-19 in the fourth quarter. Kane Pelfrey (14) and Ryan Gallenkamp (11) also cracked double figures. Luke Cooper netted a game-high 26 for the Vikings. Sedrion Morse added 17 points while Mahki Brown (13) and Luke Holtzclaw (11) also were in double figures.

No. 8 Cedar Grove 54, Westminster 51: Devon Barnes had 13 points and 4 rebounds while Blake Austin posted 14 points to carry the Saints. Jamari Dean finished with 8 points and 10 rebounds. Omar Davis netted 8 points.

Crisp County 69, No. 9 Dougherty 65: Quentaivous Dean poured in 39 points and 7 rebounds as the Cougars upset Dougherty. Dean is now sitting at 998 career points.

Calhoun 81, Bremen 47: Malik Lawrence had 18 points and 6 assists for the Yellow Jackets. Chapin Rierson posted 12 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. Chase Goble added 12 points, Davis Allen scored 8 and Kaylan Aker had 7 points and 4 rebounds.

Adairsville 52, Sonoraville 46: Ronald Hardin had 20 points and 5 rebounds in the upset win. Juan Perez added 9 points and 6 rebounds while James Sims posted 8 points and 7 boards.

Class AA

No. 1 South Atlanta 104, BEST Academy 40: Jalen Stegall dropped a career-high 32 points and hit five three-pointers in the process. He also added 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals.

Vidalia 69, Toombs County 60: Tahj Jones banged in a game-high 31 points to power the Indians.

Class A-Private

No. 4 Aquinas 89, Warren County 52: Tre Gomillion was a wrecking ball, posting 23 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Dajuan Hill had 19 points and 11 rebounds. Gerald Merriweather finished with 11 points and 2 assists. Jelani Shakir had 9 points and 6 assists while Trent Bowdre notched 9 points and 4 rebounds.

No. 8 Whitefield Academy 79, No. 3 St. Francis 74 OT: Senior guard Isaiah Hart was unstoppable for the Wolfpack, catching fire and throwing in 43 points. Jimmy McCarthy added 14 points. In the loss, CJ Riley had 19 points and 3 assists while Dwon Odom finished with 15 points and 5 assists. Chase Ellis had 15 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Sean Paradise added 12 points and 7 rebounds.

No. 6 Lakeview Academy 72, Riverside Military 45: Tre Gober scored 22 points and Drew Cottrell added 12 in the Region 8 victory. Josh Randolph recorded 10 rebounds and Ryan Lackey and Jack Blackburn tallied 7 and 5 assists, respectively.

Wesleyan 72, Atlanta International 41: Grant Frerking had 16 points followed by Christian McLean and JD Kavel’s 13 apiece. Sean McDonough netted 11.

Mt. Zion-Carroll 67, Gordon Lee 52: CJ Ackles scored 20 points, TJ Cagle had 19 and Christian Corn chipped in 10 in the win.

Class A-Public

No. 6 Lincoln County 76, Taliaferro County 48: Ahmad Rand triple-doubled with 21 points, 15 rebounds and 10 blocks. Freshmen Jalen Jackson and Zy Wright scored 15 and 12 points respectively.

                                                     

GIRLS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 6 Lambert 71, South Forsyth 52: Jaleah Greene and Mandy Clarke both scored 13 points to pace the Longhorns. Molly Williams added 12 points. Summer Edwards finished with 10 points and 8 assists. Leah Cote had 9 points and 7 rebounds.

Marietta 63, Hillgrove 57: Taylor Smith scored 25 points and Tatiana Foster had 18 including going 8-for-8 from the line in the fourth quarter to clinch a playoff berth.

Class AAAAAA

No. 2 Winder-Barrow 60, Gainesville 56: Taylor Hawks poured in 30 points but it wasn’t enough for the Red Elephants to earn a win on Senior Night.

No. 5 Northview 66, Alpharetta 58: Ashlee Austin finished with 18 points while Megan Cistulli and Asjah Inniss scored 13 apiece to balance the Lady Titans. Shannon Titus pitched in 12 points.

No. 10 Creekview 40, River Ridge 38: Sydney Rumble splashed in a three at the buzzer to knock off the Knights. Kennedy Cater scored 18 points to pace the Grizzlies. Hannah Fitzgerald scored 8 points and Emily Wilkie added 6.

Chattahoochee 49, Dunwoody 46: Siena Gore scored a game-high 22 points and Alayna Ford posted 13 points and 9 rebounds to carry the Cougars to a Region 7 victory.

Johns Creek 64, Cambridge 28: Sydney Tanguilig led the Gladiators with 15 points followed by Markeima Lancaster’s 14.

Class AAAAA

No. 3 Flowery Branch 51, Clarke Central 44: Lexie Sengkhamme netted 18 points to lead the Falcons. Queen Scott had 9 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Julianne Sutton finished with 9 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks while Janoah Williams chipped in 4 points and 6 rebounds. Taniyah Worth was held to 4 points and 6 rebounds.

No. 6 Griffin 59, McIntosh 55: The Bears survived McIntosh. The Lady Chiefs were led by Savannah Soles’ 15 points and Rylee Calhoun and Kennedi Miller’s 14 apiece. DeLayne Rotolo added 8.

No. 7 Villa Rica 62, Paulding County 30: Deasia Merrill had 13 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks. Jaila Orozco had 11 points and 7 rebounds. Emerald Parham netted 9 points and handed out 2 assists.

No. 8 Eagle’s Landing 49, Woodland-Stockbridge 37: Kiera Howard paced the Eagles with 14 points. Reyonna Hopkins scored 8 points and Jaleah Storr added 7. Ashley Foster and Sahara Wells chipped in 6 points apiece.

Starr’s Mill 65, Riverdale 51: Freshman Ashtyn Lally led the Panthers with 17 points.

Woodland-Cartersville 46, East Paulding 44: Lexie Robinson scored 12 and Carli Clymer and Jamison Kilgo scored 11 apiece to get the Wildcats their second win of the season.

Class AAAA

No. 3 West Hall 47, Chestatee 27: Avery Prather and Anna McKendree both scored 10 points in the win. Megan English had 8 and Danielle Hinkelman added 6 points.

No. 5 North Oconee 59, Stephens County 24: Emma Weynand netted a game-high 20 points followed by Camryn Williams’ 13 points. Keller Barks added 6 points and 6 assists.

North Clayton 62, No. 9 Henry County 50: After starting the season 1-7, North Clayton won its 11th straight and moved their record to 14-9. Dalania Clardy scored 17 points and Monea Battle added 16 in the win. Henry County received 21 points and 17 rebounds from Usoreia McWhorter and 15 points from Brooke Moore.

No. 10 Northwest Whitfield 74, Gilmer 44: Nicole Bates dropped in a team-high 17 points. Bria Clemmons added 13 points, 5 assists and 3 blocks. Hallie Brooker netted 12 points and had 4 assists and 2 blocks. Rylee Meret scored 10 points.

Pickens 57, Southeast Whitfield 51: Autumn Young and Madison McClure scored 11 apiece for the Nettes. Taylor Wigington chipped in 10 in the win.

Class AAA

No. 1 Beach 56, Jenkins 32: Judasia Hills double-doubled with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Madison Evans collected 9 points and 5 steals. Maryyana Page finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

No. 5 Calhoun 68, Bremen 55: Jana Johns hung 29 points and 14 rebounds. Cassie Henderson added 17 points and Ashlyn Barnes finished with 7 points and 9 rebounds. Ryan Brzozoski netted 6 points.

East Hall 54, Dawson County 48: Carly Winters led the Vikings with 17 points. Kylah Mize netted 15 and Macy Thomas chipped in 12 points. Maggie Griffin finished with 7 points.

Sonoraville 54, Adairsville 47: Josie Summerville led the way with 22 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals. Nakiyah Washington had 13 points and 5 rebounds.

Class AA

No. 2 Dodge County 49, Southwest-Macon 40: Jurnee Powell scored 14, Tierra Hamilton added 12 and Haley Holloway finished with 10 points in the win.

No. 4 Fitzgerald 63, Berrien 52: Kirstin Crook powered the Hurricane attack with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. T’Kayshza King finished with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals. Shalynn Thornton scored 14 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Hayleigh Ross and Briana Richardson both scored 8 points.

No. 5 Rabun County 69, Social Circle 31: Hallie Reeves finished with 13 points, 5 assists and 8 steals while Georgia Stockton added 13 points and 2 steals. Brooke Henricks chipped in 11 points and 7 rebounds.

No. 7 Bryan County 64, St. Vincent’s 32: Julianne Brown poured in 28 points. Olanna Rawls tossed in 12 points followed by Yasmine Crawford’s 8. Shelby Gunn added 6 points.

Hapeville Charter 61, Douglass 57: In front of Mercer, 2018 guard Shekinah Howard finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Kaniya Thomas added 14 points and 5 assists. Gayla Bostic chipped in 10 points and 9 rebounds.

Class A-Private

Athens Academy 43, Athens Christian 32: Gabby Mastandrea had 20 points and Jarrett Kemp posted 9 points and 10 rebounds to move the Spartans to 14-9 overall.

Savannah Christian 40, Portal 22: Mary Price Brown powered the Raiders with 23 points, 6 rebounds and 7 steals.

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 11 Girls Rankings

4 Comments

***SUBSCRIBE TO THE SPIELIN’ & DEALIN’ PODCAST***
***FOLLOW THE PODCAST ON PODBEAN***

Class AAAAAAA

  1. Norcross (21-2)
  2. McEachern (16-6)
  3. Collins Hill (20-2)
  4. Archer (18-4)
  5. Brookwood (18-5)
  6. Lambert (20-2)
  7. Mill Creek (19-3)
  8. Colquitt County (18-4)
  9. Newton (18-4)
  10. South Forsyth (16-7) 

Class AAAAAA

  1. Harrison (19-4)
  2. Winder-Barrow (17-5)
  3. Douglas County (21-3)
  4. Grovetown (17-6)
  5. Northview (19-3)
  6. Lovejoy (20-3)
  7. Mays (12-8)
  8. Tucker (16-6)
  9. Stephenson (16-7)
  10. Creekview (16-7) 

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (20-2)
  2. Southwest DeKalb (20-4)
  3. Flowery Branch (16-5)
  4. Carrollton (21-1)
  5. Warner Robins (21-1)
  6. Griffin (20-1)
  7. Villa Rica (20-2)
  8. Eagle’s Landing (19-3)
  9. Wayne County (16-3)
  10. Maynard Jackson (18-2) 

Class AAAA

  1. Cross Creek (19-4)
  2. Americus-Sumter (19-3)
  3. West Hall (18-5)
  4. Jefferson (17-5)
  5. North Oconee (18-3)
  6. Columbus (17-4)
  7. Heritage-Catoosa (21-2)
  8. Carver-Columbus (18-4)
  9. Henry County (17-5)
  10. Northwest Whitfield (17-5) 

Class AAA

  1. Beach (20-1)
  2. Greater Atlanta Christian (16-6)
  3. Johnson-Savannah (19-2)
  4. Franklin County (18-4)
  5. Calhoun (18-4)
  6. Ringgold (17-5)
  7. Cook (17-6)
  8. Peach County (17-3)
  9. Haralson County (20-4)
  10. Monroe (15-4)

Class AA

  1. Laney (21-1)
  2. Dodge County (20-2)
  3. Model (17-5)
  4. Fitzgerald (16-2)
  5. Rabun County (21-2)
  6. Banks County (15-6)
  7. Bryan County (16-4)
  8. Swainsboro (15-6)
  9. Vidalia (18-4)
  10. Dade County (17-6) 

Class A-Private

  1. St. Francis (18-4)
  2. Holy Innocents’ (23-1)
  3. Wesleyan (19-4)
  4. Lakeview Academy (19-4)
  5. Calvary Day (18-3)
  6. Pinecrest Academy (14-3)
  7. Landmark Christian (18-3)
  8. Darlington (18-5)
  9. Aquinas (17-5)
  10. Fellowship Christian (13-7) 

Class A-Public

  1. Pelham (20-1)
  2. Telfair County (19-2)
  3. Woodville-Tompkins (19-4)
  4. Greenville (20-3)
  5. Wheeler County (18-3)
  6. Marion County (18-4)
  7. Hancock Central (16-4)
  8. Macon County (16-6)
  9. Wilcox County (17-5)
  10. Taylor County (15-5)

It was a status quo week in Class AAAAAAA with everyone winning out except for Marietta (18-5), who drops from the poll. The Blue Devils beat North Cobb 57-51 and 42-29, but sandwiched in between was an ugly 76-40 loss to rival No. 2 McEachern. The Lady Indians also blew out North Paulding 87-48. Replacing Marietta is No. 10 South Forsyth. The War Eagles have won four straight games entering their Region 5 showdown with No. 6 Lambert on Tuesday. The Longhorns clipped the War Eagles 67-58 in their first meeting. Down in South Georgia, No. 8 Colquitt County looks determined to stay in the rankings and is officially the cream of the crop out of Region 1. The Packers crushed Tift County 62-27 after losing 56-53 in overtime on the road in their first meeting and drilled Camden County 66-35.

Things are starting to get sticky in Class AAAAAA but Harrison still holds onto their No. 1 ranking after suffering a 64-45 loss at Class A-Private No. 1 St. Francis. Without guards Sydne Wiggins (Rice) and Harper Vick, the Hoyas held their own against the Knights and their pair of McDonald’s All-Americans (Maya Dodson – Stanford, Kasi Kushkituah – Tennessee). A 15-3 second quarter put the game out of reach, but Harrison remained competitive behind Avery Jordan’s 12 points off four threes. The top five teams in Region 4 all lost this week, leading to some shuffling. Lovejoy was upset by Mundy’s Mill 49-41 after beating No. 8 Tucker on the road 42-37. The loss sees the Wildcats slip three spots to No. 6. Tucker rebounded with a 62-50 win over No. 9 Stephenson, but proceeded to lose against Class AAAAA No. 2 Southwest DeKalb 46-41. Over in Region 5, No. 3 Douglas County turned back No. 7 Mays for the second time this season, 63-54. Even with the loss the Raiders creep up two spots. Don’t sleep on Mays. Out of their 8 losses, five have come out of state, two have come against Douglas County and one came against Class AA No. 1 Laney.  No. 5 Northview broke the school record in wins with a dominant 76-52 win over Region 7 foe Johns Creek. Gainesville (15-6) was the lone casualty this week after losing to Lanier 64-58. They are replaced by No. 10 Creekview.

In Class AAAAA, No. 1 Buford took care of No. 3 Flowery Branch for the second time this year 51-46, but were blown out at home by Class A-Private No. 3 Wesleyan 73-50. Even with their lopsided loss, the Wolves retain the top ranking. No. 2 Southwest DeKalb climbs over the Falcons after Flowery Branch fell to Class AAA No. 2 Greater Atlanta Christian 66-58. Griffin suffered their first loss of the season at Columbia, 52-48, dropping the Bears two spots to No. 6. Carrollton is on the rise, moving up to No. 4 with their second victory over No. 7 Villa Rica 58-52 in Region 7. Harris County (16-4) drops out after losing at No. 5 Warner Robins 53-46. Something stinks in the state of Denmark as Maynard Jackson sinks from No. 5 to No. 10. The Jaguars had some peculiar results this week. They beat Carver-Atlanta 63-59 and Lithia Springs 56-53 before falling to Decatur 47-44. Though the loss to Decatur is a bit shocking, the two wins are interesting as well considering in their first meetings they beat Carver 76-39 and Lithia Springs 70-28. Maynard Jackson visits Decatur in a rematch on Tuesday with first-place on the line in Region 6.

There is a changing of the guard in Class AAAA as North Oconee relinquishes their hold on the No. 1 spot and slips to No. 5 after suffering a 56-48 loss to Jefferson, who skyrockets back into the poll at No. 4 after grabbing ahold of first-place in Region 8. It is now Cross Creek’s turn to have the No. 1 ranking target on their back. The Razorbacks, powered by 6-foot-2 power post and Memphis-signee Alana Davis, have lost just one game in the state of Georgia. They were defeated by Class AAAAAA No. 4 Grovetown 65-63 on the road in overtime before getting their revenge 57-51 on Dec. 30. Davis averages 17.6 points, 11.9 rebounds and 4.1 blocks as one of the state’s premier low block scorers. The next highest riser aside from Jefferson is No. 2 Americus-Sumter. The defending state champion Panthers beat No. 6 Columbus in overtime 49-46 to move up four spots. Senior Timia Swanson dropped in 17 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and 1 block. On the year, the 5-foot-9 forward is averaging team-bests of 18.5 points, 11.1 rebounds and 4.7 steals. Near the bottom of the poll, No. 7 Heritage-Catoosa took down No. 10 Northwest Whitfield 65-51. Sandy Creek (15-6) lost at Chapel Hill 59-46 and at last-place Cartersville 34-32, leading to the Patriots to drop out.

The best rivalry in the entire state lived up to its billing as No. 1 Beach won the season series against No. 3 Johnson-Savannah, scoring a 52-49 road win in Region 3-AAA. The Atomsmashers lose their grip on the No. 2 spot and are overtaken by Greater Atlanta Christian, who defeated Class AAAAA No. 3 Flowery Branch 66-58 after handling East Hall 71-49 on the road. No. 5 Calhoun defeated visiting No. 9 Haralson County 74-65, dropping the Rebels five spots. Monroe sinks five spots as well to No. 10 after they were beaten by poll debutant No. 7 Cook, 68-43. Cook now grabs ahold of first-place in Region 1. With the Hornets’ arrival in the Top 10, Hart County (19-4) drops out after a 49-48 loss to Morgan County.

Class AA No. 2 Dodge County dispatched of Class A-Public No. 2 Telfair County on the road 58-48 to make up for an early season 66-64 loss. Rabun County was edged by No. 6 Banks County 49-45, dropping the Wildcats to No. 5. Region 2 is getting messy as Bryan County (9-3), Swainsboro (10-2) and Vidalia (9-2) go 7-8-9 in the poll with Swainsboro holding a slim lead for first-place. The Tigers beat Bryan County 54-51 before the Redskins pounded Vidalia 60-35.  Heard County (16-6) and Hapeville Charter (14-6) depart from the poll. The Braves lost 19-18 to Temple and 44-42 at Jordan while the Hornets were upset at South Atlanta 70-65. Swainsboro and No. 10 Dade County return to the Top 10.

Class A-Private’s top three schools are the best top three out of any classification. No. 1 St. Francis beat Class AAAAAA No. 1 Harrison 64-45, No. 2 Holy Innocents’ beat No. 3 Wesleyan for the second time 81-74 before the Wolves took a bite out of Class AAAAA No. 1 Buford 73-50 at the Buford City Schools Arena. No. 5 Calvary Day finally solved Class A-Public No. 3 Woodville-Tompkins 64-63. Stratford Academy (14-5) and First Presbyterian Day (14-5) fall out. The Eagles beat the Vikings in overtime 45-39 but lost at Tattnall Square Academy 52-46. Into the poll for the first time is No. 9 Aquinas (17-5) and returnee No. 10 Fellowship Christian.

Mitchell County (15-5) was knocked from the Class A-Public Top 10 after a 54-41 loss to No. 1 Pelham and a 36-32 loss to Worth County. Greenville moves ahead of Wheeler County for the No. 4 spot following the Bulldogs’ tough 62-51 loss at No. 3 Woodville-Tompkins. No. 6 Marion County rides a 10-game winning streak into Tuesday’s showdown with Greenville. Treutlen (15-6) was defeated by No. 2 Telfair County 70-46, dropping the Vikings from the rankings. Back into the statewide picture is No. 9 Wilcox County and No. 10 Taylor County.

The Leader In GHSA Basketball Coverage