Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Newton Survives triple-overtime thriller with defending state champion Westlake, 89-83

2 Comments

Newton 89, Westlake 83 3OT

Contributed by Joe Chapman (@Joe_Chapman3)

The moment that the GHSA released the Class AAAAAAA playoff bracket, all eyes fixated on the top right region in hopes of a rematch of last year’s Final Four thriller between Westlake and Newton (Westlake won 64-59). After Newton demolished Peachtree Ridge 100-72 and Westlake topped Roswell 50-37, the dream matchup was set. No. 2 Newton, viewed by many as the best team in the state, against No. 5 Westlake, the defending state champions.

Rarely do games of this magnitude and anticipation live up to the hype. But wow, this may have been the best high school game in the state of Georgia this year regardless of class.

After making the 2-hour trip from Clemson, South Carolina to Covington, Georgia to watch this highly anticipated matchup, I showed up at Newton High School over an hour before tipoff and the gym was already filling up. I knew that this was going to be an incredible matchup when Isaiah Miller threw a self-lob and went between the legs to throw it down in warm-ups. These guys were ready.

It’s hard enough to face the three-guard attack of J.D. Notae, Isaiah Miller, and Ashton Hagans as it is. But with Jamie Lewis out with an undisclosed injury, Westlake needed to play it’s best on the road to come out with a win. Newton struck first and jumped out to a quick 11-4 lead 3 minutes into the first quarter behind a pair of 3’s from senior guard, Darvin Jones, and a 3 and a thunderous poster dunk from Isaiah Miller. The remainder of the first quarter resulted in teams trading buckets and at the end of 1, Newton led 24-16.

In the second quarter, the referees made their presence be felt as they started calling foul after foul, frustrating the capacity crowd. With 4:43 remaining in the first half, and Newton up 30-23, the Rams quickly ran off an 11-0 run behind a trio of 3’s and a big time dunk by super-sophomore, Ashton Hagans. Westlake picked up a couple of buckets late in the first half to make the halftime margin slightly more manageable.

As the 3rd quarter got underway, Auburn signee and top-100 recruit, Chuma Okeke, began to assert his dominance as he quickly rattled off 7 of his team’s first 9 points in the half to cut the deficit to 6 with 3:14 to go in the quarter.

A pair 3’s by J.D. Notae grew the Rams lead back to 12 and by the end of the 3rd quarter, Newton found themselves up 57-48.

With 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter, Westlake pulled within 5. Then, after some Newton misses and turnovers coupled with huge buckets from seniors Okeke and Daniel Lewis, Westlake found themselves up for the first time all night 67-66 with 1:11 left in the quarter.

Senior, Darvin Jones, got fouled with about 22 seconds left and after making the first free throw to tie the game, he missed the second off of the right side of the rim. Coming out of the Westlake timeout, Okeke missed a shot. The ball then landed in J.D. Notae’s arms but he then threw it out of bounds as he tried to make a cross-court pass with about 6 seconds remaining. Okeke then found the ball in his hands again but missed a floater and the game went into overtime.

After going back and forth for the first 3 minutes of the first overtime period, Newton found themselves up 3 with just over a minute left to play. Following a couple of missed layups from Westlake and a Newton free throw, the Rams led 78-74 with 40 seconds left. A Newton turnover led to a miraculous banked 3 by Daniel Lewis to cut the lead to 1 with 25 seconds remaining. Isaiah Miller then hit 1 of 2 from the line and sophomore, Caleb Wallace, hit a floater to tie the game at 79 with 12 seconds left. Ashton Hagans then missed a game-winning 3 attempt and the game went into 2OT.

The second overtime was very low scoring as neither team could buy a basket. Newton had the ball up 83-81 with 51 seconds left coming out of a timeout. After some stalling, Westlake eventually got the steal and senior, Kelvin Simeon, hit a layup off of the assist from Okeke to tie the game at 83. Once again, Newton had the last shot in the 2nd overtime session but Isaiah Miller could not get a floater to fall and then Okeke blocked the Josh Tukes follow attempt and the game went into 3OT.

At this point, the crowd was in disbelief as to what they were witnessing. I knew that this matchup would not disappoint but I never thought that it would end up in a triple-overtime outing. Darvin Jones started the 3rd overtime period with a pull-up jumper. After missed buckets by both teams, Westlake had the ball down 85-83 with 1:39 remaining. A missed layup and a turnover coupled with 4 made free throws from Newton spelled the end for the Lions comeback attempt. Westlake did not score in the final overtime session and Newton came out on top, 89-83.

Despite the loss, Chuma Okeke put on one of the best performances that I have ever seen. The Auburn signee finished with 35 points and 20 rebounds and constantly willed his Westlake squad forward. He finished shooting 12-24 and went to the line 16 times, hitting 11 of them. In the end, Newton was just too much for Westlake to handle, but Okeke did everything in his power to carry his Westlake team. Following Okeke, senior UCF commit, Daniel Lewis, poured in 18 points.

Leading the way for the Rams in scoring was senior Jacksonville-signee, J.D. Notae. Notae found his groove early and finished with 24 points that featured 6 3-pointers. Following Notae was unsigned senior, and one of Sandy’s Spiel’s Under the Radar Seniors, Isaiah Miller, as he poured in 21 points and 10 rebounds. The 6’1 high-flying combo guard did what he does best as he threw down a handful of powerful dunks. He also stepped out and knocked down a 3 while also hitting some midrange jumpers throughout the day. Ashton Hagans is special. He just knows how to run an offense and is so mature for a sophomore point guard. He finished the night with 11 points and a career high 17 assists. He also added 5 steals and 5 rebounds in the win. The pass-first point guard led his team all night and was such a calming presence for the Rams.

The X-factor of this game however, was senior guard Darvin Jones. Jones finished the night with 20 points on 7-11 shooting (3-3 3pt) and 3-4 from the line. He started the game by knocking down a pair of 3 pointers and during the overtime periods, he was not afraid to attack the rim or knock down a pull-up jumper following a Westlake basket. He put on a huge performance for the Rams when they needed it most.

This was hands down one of the top-3 high school basketball games that I have ever watched. Not only were these two teams arguably both top-5 teams in the state, but also the game went into triple-overtime. Newton now moves ahead to face a highly talented Tift County (26-2) squad in the Elite 8. As for Westlake, they take an early exit home following their state championship run last year.

Covington, Georgia was the center of the high school basketball world for the state of Georgia tonight, and it certainly did not disappoint. Here’s to hoping that the Elite 8 games will produce the same excitement as this game did tonight.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Schedules, Scores

Boys Sweet 16 Results

5 Comments

Class AAAAAAA

R8 #3 Grayson 69, R4 #1 Etowah 53
R7 #4 Brookwood 62, R3 #2 Hillgrove 59

R2 #1 Pebblebrook 89, R6 #3 Duluth 76
R7 #1 Norcross 66, R1 #2 Colquitt County 59

R8 #1 Newton 89, R2 #2 Westlake 83 3OT
R1 #1 Tift County 72, R7 #2 Berkmar 55

R2 #3 Wheeler 73, R6 #1 Mountain View 44
R3 #1 McEachern 69, R5 #2 Lambert 50

Class AAAAAA

R6 #2 South Cobb 88, R2 #4 Glynn Academy 79 2OT
R5 #1 South Paulding 90, R1 #3 Coffee 82 OT

R2 #1 Brunswick 66, R8 #2 Dacula 64
R1 #2 Northside-Warner Robins 80, R7 #1 Pope 61

R8 #1 Gainesville 70, R2 #2 Effingham County 44
R5 #3 Langston Hughes 59, R1 #1 Lee County 56

R6 #1 Allatoona 61, R4 #2 Jonesboro 56
R5 #2 Tri-Cities 66, R1 #4 Valdosta 65 2OT

Class AAAAA

R6 #2 Riverwood 64, R4 #1 Eagle’s Landing 63
R5 #1 Miller Grove 55, R3 #2 Starr’s Mill 33

R8 #2 Cedar Shoals 48, R2 #1 Statesboro 35
R5 #4 Lithonia 55, R3 #3 Riverdale 45

R8 #1 Buford 69, R2 #2 New Hampstead 68
R1 #1 Warner Robins 65, R5 #3 Southwest DeKalb 45

R6 #1 Carver-Atlanta 66, R4 #2 Dutchtown 57
R3 #1 Fayette County 66, R5 #2 Columbia 45

Class AAAA

R4 #1 Henry County 82, R6 #2 Lafayette 52
R5 #1 LaGrange 85, R3 #2 Richmond Academy 74

R2 #1 Upson-Lee 76,  R8 #2 Stephens County 71
R3 #3 Thomson 55, R7 #1 Blessed Trinity 48 OT

R8 #1 St. Pius 74, R2 #2 Mary Persons 71
R1 #1 Carver-Columbus 61, R7 #2 Marist 44

R2 #3 Perry 68, R6 #1 Northwest Whitfield 47
R5 #2 Sandy Creek 84, R1 #4 Westover 73

Class AAA

R4 #1 Westside-Macon 88, R8 #3 Monroe Area 57
R5 #1 Pace Academy 49, R3 #2 Johnson-Savannah 41

R2 #1 Liberty County 105, R6 #3 Coahulla Creek 62
R3 #3 Islands 89, R7 #1 East Hall 62

R8 #1 Morgan County 82, R2 #2 Tattnall County 55
R5 #3 Lovett 71, R1 #1 Crisp County 69

R6 #1 Calhoun 67, R4 #2 Central-Macon 61
R3 #1 Jenkins 71, R5 #2 Cedar Grove 56

Class AA

R4 #1 Laney 72, R6 #2 Hapeville Charter 59
R3 #2 Dublin 50, R5 #1 Heard County 45

R2 #1 Swainsboro 68, R8 #2 Monticello 62
R7 #1 Chattooga 68, R1 #2 Thomasville 51

R4 #3 Josey 77, R8 #1 Banks County 68
R1 #1 Early County 93, R7 #2 Rockmart 63

R6 #1 South Atlanta 82, R4 #2 Butler 70
R3 #1 Washington County 72, R5 #2 Callaway 62

Class A-Private

#9 Holy Innocents’ 71, #8 Tattnall Square Academy 56
#1 Greenforest 74, #16 Mt. Paran 43

#5 St. Francis 79, #12 Tallulah Falls 51
#4 Aquinas 40, #20 Stratford Academy 34

#7 Athens Christian 58, #10 First Presbyterian Day 55
#2 Lakeview Academy 60, #15 Wesleyan 58 2OT

#6 Southwest Atlanta Christian 61, #11 Whitefield Academy 59
#3 North Cobb Christian 73, #14 ELCA 44

Class A-Public

#8 Macon County 88, #9 Quitman County 64
#1 Treutlen 75, #16 Lincoln County 60

#5 Wilkinson County 71, #12 Crawford County 43
#4 Taylor County 51, #13 Central-Talbotton 41

#7 Turner County 66, #10 Hawkinsville 62
#2 Calhoun County 75, #15 Towns County 48

#6 Montgomery County 60, #11 Wilcox County 59
#3 Clinch County 71, #19 Manchester 59

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Schedules, Scores

Girls Sweet 16 Results

Class AAAAAAA

R6 #2 Collins Hill 72, R4 #1 Cherokee 48
R5 #1 Lambert 55, R3 #2 Hillgrove 50

R2 #1 Westlake 63, R6 #3 Duluth 60
R7 #1 Norcross 76, R3 #3 Marietta 46

R8 #1 Archer 72, R2 #2 Pebblebrook 43
R1 #1 Colquitt County 41, R7 #2 Brookwood 34

R6 #1 Mill Creek 47, R2 #3 Wheeler 45
R3 #1 McEachern 62, R5 #2 North Forsyth 33

Class AAAAAA

R6 #2 Harrison 43, R4 #1 Tucker 35
R5 #1 Douglas County 68, R1 #3 Houston County 23

R4 #4 Stephenson 59, R6 #3 River Ridge 41
R7 #1 Northview 74, R1 #2 Valdosta 51

R8 #1 Winder-Barrow 38, R4 #3 Jonesboro 34
R5 #3 Mays 81, R3 #4 Greenbrier 28

R4 #2 Lovejoy 35, R6 #1 Creekview 32
R7 #3 Chattahoochee 61, R3 #1 Grovetown 48

Class AAAAA

R4 #1 Eagle’s Landing 53, R6 #2 Lithia Springs 39
R5 #1 Southwest DeKalb 45, R3 #2 McIntosh 26

R8 #2 Flowery Branch 59, R2 #1 Statesboro 36
R7 #1 Carrollton 59, R3 #3 Fayette County 48

R8 #1 Buford 76, R2 #2 Ware County 41
R1 #1 Warner Robins 61, R5 #3 Columbia 43

R6 #1 Maynard Jackson 55, R2 #3 Wayne County 41
R3 #1 Griffin 51, R5 #2 Arabia Mountain 36

Class AAAA

R8 #3 Madison County 48, R4 #1 North Clayton 40
R5 #1 Sandy Creek 81, R3 #2 Richmond Academy 47

R2 #1 Spalding 65, R8 #2 North Oconee 44
R1 #2 Columbus 50, R7 #1 West Hall 47

R8 #1 Jefferson 70, R4 #3 Luella 48
R1 #1 Carver-Columbus 72, R5 #3 Chapel Hill 60

R4 #2 Henry County 61, R6 #1 Northwest Whitfield 48
R3 #1 Cross Creek 44, R5 #2 LaGrange 35

Class AAA

R4 #1 Central-Macon 59, R8 #3 Hart County 46
R3 #2 Beach 61, R5 #1 Redan 41

R2 #1 Tattnall County 49, R6 #3 Ringgold 38
R7 #1 Greater Atlanta Christian 84, R1 #2 Cook 34

R8 #1 Morgan County 56, R2 #2 Pierce County 39
R7 #2 Dawson County 63, R1 #1 Monroe 53

R4 #2 Peach County 56, R6 #1 Haralson County 55
R3 #1 Johnson-Savannah 64, R7 #3 North Hall 38

Class AA

R4 #1 Laney 76, R6 #2 Douglass 61
R5 #1 Heard County 56, R3 #2 Dodge County 55

R2 #1 Bryan County 72, R6 #3 South Atlanta 44
R7 #1 Model 64, R1 #2 Berrien 30

R8 #1 Rabun County 79, R2 #2 Vidalia 55
R1 #1 Fitzgerald 74, R7 #2 Armuchee 60

R6 #1 Hapeville Charter 55, R2 #3 Jeff Davis 50
R3 #1 Bleckley County 45, R7 #3 Dade County 43

Class A-Private

#9 Pinecrest Academy 69, #8 Landmark Christian 65
#1 St. Francis 84, #16 Paideia 35

#5 Holy Innocents’ 65, #12 Tattnall Square Academy 28
#4 Stratford Academy 52, #13 Aquinas 36

#10 Prince Avenue 47, #7 First Presbyterian Day 32
#2 Wesleyan 73, #15 George Walton Academy 26

#11 Darlington 57, #6 Calvary Day 51
#3 Lakeview Academy 59, #14 Greenforest 55

Class A-Public

#9 Hancock Central 39, #8 Taylor County 38
#1 Telfair County 81, #16 Turner County 60

#5 Woodville-Tompkins 53, #12 Wilcox County 47
#4 Marion County 64, #13 Wilkinson County 61

#7 Treutlen 63, #10 Macon County 47
#2 Wheeler County 59, #15 Georgia Military 42

#6 Greenville 57, #11 Terrell County 50
#3 Pelham 66, #19 Lanier County 16

The Leader In GHSA Basketball Coverage