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State Championships Day 3 Recap

Class A-Private

 (G) Wesleyan 51, Holy Innocents’ 48

Trailing the entire game, No. 2 Wesleyan (28-4) found a way to stun No. 3 Holy Innocents’(29-3) after leading for only the final 1:56 of the game.  The Golden Bears led by 17 at one point in the first half but Wesleyan slowly chipped away at the lead before finally capturing their state-leading 12th title. McDonald’s All-American and UConn-signee Mikayla Coombs settled the Wolves in after their early hole, scoring 12 points in the first half and bringing the Wolves to within 34-27 at the half. Wesleyan drew even in the third quarter but could never take a lead, instead settling for a 41-41 tie entering the final period.  Natalie Armstrong scored four of her 11 points in the fourth quarter as Wesleyan outscored Holy Innocents’ 10-7. The Wolves took their first lead on a Sutton West layup at the 1:56 mark and never relinquished their lead. West finished with 8 points while Coombs finished her high school career with 17 points and 9 rebounds. Armstrong tacked on 13 rebounds and 2 blocks to her 11 points. Holy Innocents’ was led by Kennedy Suttle’s 16 points and 13 rebounds, 12 points coming in the first half. Kaila Hubbard had 14 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists while LSU-signee Khayla Pointer finished 3-of-13 for 10 points and 4 assists. The Golden Bears shot 32.7% compared to the Wolves’44.2%.

(B) Greenforest 81, Southwest Atlanta Christian 57

Sometimes you can’t see the Forrest from the trees.  That was an issue for No. 4 Southwest Atlanta Christian (26-6). Unsigned senior guard Justin Forrest poured in a game-high 36 points as the No. 1 Eagles (24-8) repeated as state champions, Head Coach Larry Thompson going 2-for-2 in his two years on the job. While the focus is often Greenforest’s massive front line of 7-foot Ikey Obiagu (Florida State), 6-foot-10 BeBe Iyiola, 6-foot-9 Mohammed Abdulsalem and 6-foot-8 Victor Enoh (Memphis), the engine and key to the Eagles’ success has always been 6-foot-2 guard Justin Forrest.  Forrest scored 19 points in the opening half as he continued to torment SACA’s guards as he’s done the previous two seasons. Fellow senior guard Jandan Duggan added 10 of his 14 points in the first half but the Warriors managed to hang around for most of the half. Unsigned 6-foot-3 senior combo guard Jonathan King threw down a one-handed And-1 slam over Abdulsalem and tallied five assists to pace the offense. Things started to get away from the Warriors late in the half as Florida-signee DeAundrae Ballard picked up his third foul at the 1:29 mark and headed to the bench with SACA down 34-28. The Eagles finished the half on an 11-1 run to take a 38-29 halftime lead and kept the pace in the third quarter pushing ahead 62-39 at the end of three as Ballard continued to struggle. The 6-foot-6 wing finished his high school career with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 6 turnovers while fouling out with 3:50 left to play and SACA down 23. Ballard couldn’t find any hoops in the paint as Obiagu and company protected the rim, the future Seminole totaling 10 rebounds and 4 blocks.  Isaiah Cotton led SACA with 16 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists while King finished with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Greenforest outscored the Warriors 32-16 in the paint.

Class AAAA

(G) Columbus 69, Carver-Columbus 67

Don’t write game recaps until the game is over. No. 4 Carver-Columbus (26-5) outscored No. 5 Columbus 26-13 in the fourth quarter to force an improbable overtime but in the end, Kentucky-signee Tatyana Wyatt would not be denied, draining a three with 9 seconds left to survive their Region 1 rival, 69-67 in an instant classic, capturing their first title. Columbus (25-5) saw a 21-9 first quarter lead evaporate slowly. At the half they led 33-21 and after three, 43-30. Carver’s guards were kept in check but eventually exploded as sophomore J’Nya Love-Hill ignited the comeback, pouring in 25 points and 4 assists in support of star juniors Alycia Reese (13 points, 4 steals) and Mariah Igus (15 points). The Blue Devils led 52-42 with 2:46 left before the wheels fell off. The Tigers closed on a 14-4 run with Reese burying a three to cut the lead to two with 46.3 left. Carver took their first lead of the game in overtime as Love-Hill connected on an And-1 to make it 61-58 with 3:23 remaining. Igus nailed another timely three with 2:14 left to go up 64-62 but Wyatt took over, tying the game from the line and having an answer for every Carver bucket. Down 67-65, Wyatt sank a game-winner as the Blue Devils stormed the court. Wyatt finished with 27 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks, picking up the slack after Ariyah Copeland (Alabama) was lost for the game with an ankle injury at the 2:46 mark when Carver made their run from down 10. Copeland finished with 12 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. Brittany Floyd had 11 points and 3 steals, battling a turnover issue with 8. Trinity Vasquez finished with 9 points and 6 rebounds including two huge free throws mid-way through overtime.

 

(B) Upson-Lee 53, St. Pius X 48

 

Nobody said it would be easy. No. 1 Upson-Lee survived a furious rally led by junior guard Everett Lane in the second half to cling onto a hard fought 53-48 victory to clinch the school’s first state title in front of a sold out McCamish Pavilion, polishing off the state’s lone undefeated season, a perfect 32-0. The Fire Marshal shut the doors on countless fans as a max capacity McCamish Pavilion saw a standing room only crowd for Upson-Lee’s quest for perfection and No. 6 St. Pius’ bid for a somewhat Cinderella ending just 13 minutes away from the Golden Lions’ campus after starting the year 6-5. The Knights led wire-to-wire, never trailing but receiving a scare in the second half. Both teams opened the game with big stage jitters as missed shots and turnovers were a prevalent theme. Upson-Lee turned to star junior Tye Fagan to ease them into the atmosphere as he sank an early three and glided to the basket for seven first quarter points as the Knights took a 12-7 lead into the second quarter.

Upson-Lee held its largest lead of the game late in the first half as 6-foot-6 sophomore post Travon Walker had his way with the Golden Lions’ smaller frontcourt. Walker’s presence was felt primarily on the defensive end, setting the tone with 10 rebounds and three blocks in the first half, helping limit St. Pius to 4-of-22 shooting.

Up 27-14 at the half, the Knights looked to be in control until Walker picked up his third foul at the 6:45 mark of the third quarter with Upson-Lee leading 29-14. From that point on, Lane went on a tear. The sharp shooter reeled off 13 points in the frame and ignited a 15-6 run with Walker on the bench. With the lead cut to 35-29 heading into the fourth quarter, Jacorey Smith blocked Lane’s layup attempt sparking an And-1 at the other end for senior Michael Smith to push the lead back to nine at 38-29. Lane, not deterred, continued to bomb away in the fourth quarter, dropping 10 points in the last eight minutes and finishing his night with a game-high 29 points and 5 rebounds, catching fire from deep going 7-of-15. As Lane poured it on, Fagan slowed down. St. Pius keyed in on the smooth lefty and forced him to score outside of the paint. Fagan scored just three points in the third quarter but sensing a dream season on the brink of destruction, the silky 6-foot-3 scorer went to work. Following another Lane triple that cut the lead to 38-34 with 6:30 left, Fagan got in the lane and dumped off an assist to Michael Smith.

Minutes later Fagan got to the line and sank two free throws then later tossed in two right-handed buckets in a 22 second span to grow the Knights’ lead to 46-38 with 1:56 remaining. Lane cashed in his seventh three-pointer of the night at the 1:10 mark to trim the deficit to 46-41 and then scored on a cut to make it 46-43 with 40.3 left in regulation. Fagan answered on the other end to cushion a 5-point lead. Matthew Gonzalo sliced the lead back to 48-45 with 23.4 left but Pius would never get closer as the Knights went 8-for-10 from the foul line in the fourth quarter after missing 17 free throws in their Final Four victory over No. 2 Henry County.  Upson-Lee outrebounded St. Pius 37 to 29 and outscored them in the paint 32 to 14, Fagan and Walker playing key roles around the rim. Fagan finished with 20 points (8-18 FG), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks while turning the ball over 6 times along with point guard Zyrice Scott. Walker, a star defensive end with an offer to play at Alabama, posted 9 points, 16 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 4 blocks. Scott added 8 points as did Michael Smith. St. Pius’ second leading scorer was senior Carson Seramur with 7 points. Both teams may become familiar foes as Upson-Lee graduates just one starter and St. Pius loses just three seniors off the entire roster, Seramur the only starter.

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State Championships Day 2 Recap

Class AAA

(G) Beach 59, Johnson-Savannah 44 

Not only the bragging rights of a city were won, but a Class AAA state title was decided as No. 3 Beach (29-2) clinched a series victory and their first title since 2000 by beating No. 1 Johnson-Savannah 59-44 after the two teams split 2-2 in the regular season. Beach outscored Johnson 213-211 over their first four meetings before saving their most dominant performance for last, jumping all over the Atomsmashers (27-3) using a stifling defense that held Johnson to 3-of-31 from the field in the first half. Johnson went 0-of-9 from deep while the Bulldogs outrebounded them by 16 and built a 30-13 halftime lead after an 11-1 run closed the half. At the end of three, the game was officially out of hand as Beach ballooned its lead to 45-19. The Bulldogs outrebounded the Atomsmashers 58-33 and held them to 22.4% shooting. Johnson had no answer for the toughness and aggressiveness of Judasia Hills and Jabrekia Bass. Hills went for 19 points and 12 rebounds while Bass added 10 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists. Freshman point guard Madison Evans chipped in 14 points. Jacksonville-signee Alexis Pierce was held to 6 points on 2-of-13 shooting for Johnson. Sy’Marieona “Bubbles” Williams led the Atomsmashers with 12 points and 5 rebounds. J’Mya Cutter had 11 points and 7 rebounds. Iona-signee Olivia Owens saw her prep career cut short as she reinjured her knee at the 5:55 mark of the third quarter and was unable to return, finishing the game on the bench with ice wrapped on her banged up knee. She scored 3 points and had 3 rebounds off the bench. Both teams finish the season with their only losses coming to one another.

(B) Pace Academy 54, Morgan County 46 

In a physical and at points ugly game with 39 combined turnovers, No. 3 Pace Academy (26-8) was able to repeat as state champions in a battle of defending champs, knocking off a sophomore-laden No. 5 Morgan County (25-6) team, 54-46. After winning the Class AA title last year, Pace Academy moved up to AAA where their road to repeating was not easy. To get to the title game the Knights had to defeat No. 1 Westside-Macon in double overtime 53-50 and No. 2 Liberty County 71-62 in the Elite Eight and Final Four respectively. Their final hurdle was a scrappy and fearless Morgan County team, a year ahead of schedule after losing three D-1 players from last year’s championship team. At the half, Morgan County led 26-24 while mucking up the game and bodying up 6-foot-10 Duke-signee Wendell Carter Jr. Carter struggled from the line going 4-for-9 in the first half but in the second half, the big man began to wear down Morgan County’s smaller front line, finishing with 20 points and 17 rebounds, not quite his 30-point 20-rebound performance in last year’s championship, but still more than enough to carry the Knights. Even with their size advantage, Pace did not find baskets easy. Isaiah Kelly, a 6-foot-7 junior, struggled to support Carter. He finished 2-of-9 from the field with 6 points, 7 rebounds and 6 turnovers, but did collect 5 assists. Guards Myles Todd, Barrett Baker and Mark Sommerville took advantage of their open opportunities around the perimeter as the Bulldogs focused on Carter and Kelly inside. Sommerville and Todd scored 7 points apiece while Baker added two threes for 6 points including a corner triple that extended the Knights’ lead to 45-37 with 3:57 remaining.  It was the ignition of a 7-0 run that helped put the game away after Morgan County had cut the lead to 42-37, but a Damarian Thomas air-ball sucked the energy out of the loud Bulldog crowd for the moment.  Pace’s 7-0 run spanned 3 minutes before Thomas redeemed himself with a dunk and a putback to make it 49-41 with 1:13 left. The closest Morgan County would get would be 51-46 after Stevin Green, a sparkplug sophomore point guard, flew in for a layup off a steal. Green finished with 9 points as a part of Morgan County’s three-headed sophomore attack consisting of Alec Woodard (13 points) and Tyrin Lawrence (11 points). Woodard, the school’s all-time single-game three-pointers made record holder went 0-of-7 from deep and 3-of-16 from the field.

Class AAAAAA

(G) Mays 52, Harrison 51

As Sydne Wiggins’ three-pointer swooshed in at the buzzer there was a hesitation on the Mays bench before the No. 9 Raiders (22-9) realized they just won their second state title and first since 2003 with a thrilling 52-51 win over No. 4 Harrison (27-6). Mays led nearly wire-to-wire behind senior guard Kamiyah Street, leading for 27:44 of the game’s 32 minutes. Held in check in the first half, Street scored nine points as Mays took a 20-15 lead into the half as Harrison struggled from the field, going 5-of-21. Entering the fourth quarter, Mays still led 37-33 as Street got help from her supporting cast. Kendall Pack finished with 8 points and 9 rebounds while Tori Hill added 7 points and 9 rebounds, a part of the Raiders’ effort of outrebounding the Hoyas 40-24, grabbing 16 offensive rebounds to Harrison’s 5. The Hoyas fell behind 41-33, but Avery Jordan buried one of her two threes to cut the lead to 41-36 with 5:39 left in the fourth. Harrison took their lone lead of the fourth quarter with 3:58 remaining at 43-42, but from there on Street put her pedal to the metal and accelerated past Harrison. The dynamic scorer poured in 26 points on the night and grabbed 6 rebounds to go with her 4 assists. Wiggins, a Rice-signee, never was able to control the game for the Hoyas like she did in the Final Four against Northview when she scored 21 points. The deft shooting Hoyas shot a modest 6-of-18 from deep. Audrey Jordan led Harrison with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

(B) Langston Hughes 73, Brunswick 52 

Coming out of Region 5 as a three-seed and undergoing rigorous travel throughout the state tournament, never hosting a home game, No. 9 Langston Hughes (25-8) shined as the “underdogs” and rode their newfound momentum to the school’s first ever title, besting No. 6 Brunswick 73-52. The Panthers held a 33-31 lead at the half as Brunswick (23-9) didn’t back down even though Langston Hughes had the star power on their side with 6-foot-6 junior wing Landers Nolley and Northeastern-signee, 6-foot-4 point guard Derrick Cook. Marcus Scott, all 5-foot-8 of him, paced the Pirates early, hitting three threes in the first half while 6-foot-8, 260-pound College of Charleston-signee Kymani Dunham posted eight points. The Pirates did a good job defensively on Nolley, holding him to 2-of-7 shooting but he was able to pick up six free throws, finishing with 10 points in the opening 16 minutes.  In the second half, Nolley’s stardom showed, scoring nine points in the third quarter but Brunswick still held fast, down 47-44 entering the fourth.  The final 8 minutes saw Nolley and Cook trade buckets as the Panthers got loose in the open court as their defense clamped down and led to transition points. The Panthers outscored Brunswick 14-0 in fastbreak points. Langston Hughes held Brunswick to just eight points in the final period while the Panthers surged putting up a 26-spot. Nolley and Cook combined for 16 points in the fourth quarter, Nolley finishing his night with 26 points and 6 rebounds and Cook posting 19 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. With Southeast Missouri State-signee Khalil Cuffee unavailable, senior Richard Matthews stepped up as he did all tournament long. Matthews pitched in 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting including two three-pointers. Ahmid Bryant did a strong job inside on Dunham, helping hold him to just two points in the second half and finishing with 8 points, 7 rebounds and 1 block of his own. With Dunham ineffective, Brunswick had to rely on its trio of veteran guards.  After a scoreless first half, Dereck Lampkin finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds. Daquan Humphreys managed to go just 2-of-13 from the field including 0-of-9 from three, Brunswick going 5-of-22 as a team while the Panthers finished 4-of-7. Humphreys had 6 points and Scott finished with 14, held to one basket after his opening shooting display.

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State Championships Day 1 Recap

Class A-Public

(G) Pelham 60, Telfair County 42

The boogeyman has a name and its name is Pelham. The Hornets (30-1), who were ranked No. 1 the entire season, rode a 15-0 run to close the first quarter and blow past No. 3 Telfair County 60-42, claiming their first state title since 1997. The Trojans (27-3) came out firing but could only build an 8-5 lead before Pelham’s 1-3-1 zone defense sparked 15 unanswered points and pulled ahead 20-8 at the end of the first quarter. Mahogany Randall drained three first half threes and scored 14 of her game-high 18 points in the first half. Mahogany Brown finished with 17 points and 7 rebounds while Willeshia Kemp posted 13 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks. Region 1 Player of the Year Destiny Thomas finished just 1-of-10 from the floor with 5 points, but tallied 10 rebounds and 8 assists. India Wells led Telfair County with 24 points on 9-of-27 shooting including 4-of-20 from deep. As a team the Trojans shot 4-of-33 from the three-point line and 4-of-18 from the foul line.

(B) Wilkinson County 66, Calhoun County 53

No. 1 Calhoun County (28-2) held a 34-29 halftime lead over No. 4 Wilkinson County (25-7) but a balanced attack and a gritty second half defensive performance propelled the Warriors to their ninth state title and second straight. Wilkinson County took an early 16-8 lead on Calhoun County before 6-foot-7 junior wing Rashun Williams took over. Williams attacked the Warrior defense on every possession, doing the majority of his work on the left wing, facing up and attacking the left baseline. He sent Clarence Jackson to the bench with his second foul at the 3:56 mark of the second quarter with the Cougars trailing 24-22. As the two teams reached the half, Williams already had totaled 16 points and six rebounds. Just 17 seconds into the third quarter, Jackson was stamped with his third foul driving baseline, but Dr. Aaron Geter Jr. did not panic and left his star in the game and had his faith rewarded. The Warriors outscored Calhoun County 20-6 in the period to take a 49-40 lead with Jackson getting to the basket. While Jackson and 6-foot-6 junior Tylan Grable (15 points & 10 rebounds) powered the Wilkinson offense, Aaron Geter III clamped down on Williams and didn’t allow him any uncontested touches, holding him to two points in the quarter. With the game on the line, Williams turned it on in the fourth quarter scoring five of his game-high 25 points in the opening two minutes to ignite an 8-0 run to cut the Wilkinson County lead to 49-48. From there, Wilkinson County slowly started to distance themselves, getting help from everyone on the floor. Jackson, a 6-foot-6 junior, finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds while battling with Williams who tallied 8 rebounds and 5 blocks. Aside from Jackson and Gable, the Warriors received 11 points and 7 rebounds from Larry Jones, 10 points and 7 rebounds from Derrick Wilcher, 8 points from Jadaveon Jones and 7 points and stellar defense from Geter III.  For Calhoun County, Roney Moore pitched in 10 points and 6 rebounds. Juwaun Wiley had 10 points and four rebounds.

Class AAAAA

(G) Buford 60, Southwest DeKalb 42

No. 1 Buford (29-2) claimed its fifth state title as Tory Ozment and company withstood No. 2 Southwest DeKalb’s pressure and cruised 60-42. The Wolves went 6-of-12 from the three-point line in the first half paced by Ozment’s 3-of-5 shooting for 15 points. The Panthers (27-5) struggled to contain Ozment who orchestrated the Buford offense, finding open looks from deep for both herself and teammates.  Buford nailed 8-of-17 threes for the game and continued to pull away in the second half after entering the break up 34-23. Ozment finished the night with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Jessica Nelson had 9 points and 7 rebounds while Tate Walters (9) and Audrey Weiner (8) flanked the attack. Jada Walton, a Texas A&M signee, had 13 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists for Southwest DeKalb. The Panthers were 0-of-6 from three, had 18 turnovers and had their bench outscored 23 to 5. Ogheneruona Uwusiaba was a bright spot for Southwest. The 6-foot-3 center going to Central Florida posted 16 points and 16 rebounds in the loss.

(B) Buford 75, Cedar Shoals 61

As Alex Jones said after the game, “its insanely hard” to beat a team four times, but that is exactly what No. 1 Buford (29-2) did as the Wolves completed a boys-girls sweep of Class AAAAA by surviving a 30-point, 14-rebound outburst by Charleston Southern-signee Phlan Fleming to capture the program’s first boys title and potentially jump start the state’s newest burgeoning dynasty. Up 29-27 at the half and 36-34 after three, the Wolves finally pulled away from No. 4 Cedar Shoals (27-5), outscoring the Jaguars 39-27 in a free throw-laden final period. After there were 0 free throws for both teams in the opening 16 minutes, the second half saw the teams shoot a combined 49 free throws, Buford going 25-of-38 and Cedar Shoals hitting 9-of-11. In the first half it was Buford’s three-ball that was dropping, hitting 5-of-13, but cooling off to finish 6-of-19 while Cedar Shoals struggled throughout going 2-of-21, a key component of Coach L’Dreco Thomas’ offense. Although Fleming left his heart and soul on the floor, playing one of his best games possible, the help just wasn’t there. AJ Jones netted 10 points while Snipe Hall was held to 5 before fouling out with 2:33 left to play on a block call that could have been a charge. Upset at the call, starting point guard Damarrea Lowe picked up a technical, fouling him out on the play as well, finishing his night with just 2 points. Marcus Watson assaulted Cedar Shoals’ defense all game long, scoring a team-high 27 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. The 6-foot-6 sophomore small forward went 3-of-7 from deep and 9-of-13 from the line after struggling early. Junior point guard Alex Jones added 16 points and Donell Nixon scored 13 to go with his 6 rebounds as a 5-foot-7 guard. David Viti double-doubled in the win with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

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

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Home is where the heart is: No. 8 Cartersville withstands No. 4 Sandy Creek’s late charge

No. 8 Cartersville 94, No. 4 Sandy Creek 88 OT

After taking a 15-point loss on the chin against No. 3 LaGrange (20-2, 9-0) and in danger of falling out of the Region 5-AAAA race, No. 8 Cartersville (15-4, 6-2) bowed up to No. 4 Sandy Creek (14-6, 6-2) and rode the home atmosphere to a critical overtime victory.

The Patriots opened the game with one defensive mission in mind: stop Jaylon Pugh. The left-handed junior guard poured in 23 points in an 86-80 loss against Sandy Creek back on Jan. 10. KJ Wilkins and others switched off face-guarding Pugh and held him to three points in the first quarter.

Sandy Creek took an 11-8 lead off a Jarred Godfrey steal and assist to Eric Williams and led 19-14 after one quarter.

 

Chris Porter came off the bench and sank two threes in the first half to help Sandy Creek grab a 26-19 lead at the 5:59 mark, but Cartersville began to chip away thanks to heavy Patriot foul trouble. The Hurricanes got into the double bonus with 5:54 left and surged ahead, taking 40-33 advantage into the half after a 21-7 run. Pugh keyed the attack, scoring 11 of his game-high 26 in the frame including back-to-back threes late.

In the third quarter, Cartersville’s onslaught continued, as did the foul calls on Sandy Creek. Just 2 minutes and 6 seconds into the second half, the Patriots already saw a 5-to-1 foul discrepancy. Forward Isaac Gridley started to find baskets around the rim as Sandy Creek hesitated to body up the post. He scored nine of his 15 points in the third quarter while TJ Horton sliced and diced the Patriot defense.

Horton, one of Cartersville’s many football players on the roster, netted nine of his 20 points in the quarter, a majority of them coming from downhill charges to the rim while breaking Sandy Creek’s press.

As the Hurricanes were searching for the knockout punch, Wilkins played rope-a-dope. The senior guard scored 10 of Sandy Creek’s 19 points in the period as the Patriots entered the fourth quarter trailing 62-52.

Things got wild.

Down 67-54 with 6:48 left in regulation, Sandy Creek’s press finally cracked Cartersville. Wilkins and 6-foot-7 senior Evan Jester fueled the comeback. Wilkins scored 12 of his team-high 24 points in the quarter while Jester added 11 of his 22.

Sandy Creek sparked an 8-0 run capped by a Jester slam dunk, but the questionable officiating bit the Patriots again. A referee came screaming into the play to T-up Jester for “hanging” on the rim, resulting in Pugh sinking two free throws to push the lead back to seven at 69-62 at the 6:05 mark.

https://twitter.com/LobCitySouth/status/826301429782560768

The tide was stemmed momentarily, but the Patriots kept pushing on. Cartersville clung onto an 80-78 lead with 57.8 seconds left after the Patriots closed in on a Williams put-back. Jester came away with a steal and lay-in to knot the game at 80 and the Patriots forced another turnover to take over possession with 49.8 seconds remaining; Jester pleading to Coach Anthony McKissic to hold for one shot after Sandy Creek called timeout.

The Patriots attempted to hold for one shot but lost possession, handing the ball back to Cartersville and sending JKobe Orr to the line with 5.3 seconds to play after a loose ball foul.

Orr missed both free throws and Kameron Miller’s half court heave was off target, sending the game to overtime.

In overtime, Wilkins began to cramp less than two minutes in. Miller fouled out, one of three Patriots to do so, with 1:57 left. Pugh pushed the lead to 89-86 at the 1:30 mark. Jester got a bucket and a foul but missed the free throw with 29.9 seconds remaining and Cartersville up 90-88. Pugh deflected a late three-point attempt and Trase Fezzia sank three free throws to ice the game, Cartersville going 27-of-42 from the line while Sandy Creek shot 19-of-27.

 

My Take

It sucks for the players, but the story of this game was the officiating. Sandy Creek didn’t get many calls throughout the game but when the technical foul was assessed to Evan Jester, it was pretty much the last straw and from that point on, you knew it would take a miracle for Sandy Creek to pull this one out. Aside from the abhorrent officiating, Cartersville’s tough-nosed guards did what they had to do. Jaylon Pugh cemented himself as a real deal guard and one of the best in North Georgia. He sank three three-pointers on the night and his lefty touch was deadly from all over the floor. He played closer in overtime with six points. TJ Horton played a whale of a game, especially in the third quarter. He thrived in the open court and made good decisions with the ball. Cartersville’s physical guards gave Sandy Creek some fits. Trase Fezzia was an emotional leader on the floor and his free throws late were huge. Isaac Gridley balanced the Hurricanes offense with a great spark in the third quarter after scoring just two points in the first half. Perignon Dyer had seven points at the half but was kept in check in the second half. With all their key pieces except for Fezzia set to return next year, Cartersville will be a stingy competitor in Class AAAA for at least another year, especially at home.

Sandy Creek was up against it tonight but hats off to them for even forcing overtime. Evan Jester was quiet in the first half with eight points and one rebound but turned it on in a big way in the fourth quarter. Eric Williams rebounded at a high clip and gave the Patriots some much needed second chance buckets. KJ Wilkins was phenomenal in the second half, hitting threes and burring mid-range jumpers en route to netting 22 of his 24 points after halftime. It’s a shame that he cramped up in overtime. He did not score in the extra period. Sandy Creek’s quality depth was definitely tested tonight. Chris Porter shot very well in the first half and little man Kameron Miller is a bundle of energy. The 5-foot-6 guard is an aggressive on-ball defender but he even flashed in a major way with his creativity with the ball, constantly getting into the lane and hanging in the air to find open perimeter shooters.

Top Performers

Cartersville
Jaylon Pugh – 26 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
TJ Horton – 20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
Isaac Gridley – 15 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block
Trase Fezzia – 13 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals
JKobe Orr – 9 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Perignon Dyer – 9 points, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Sandy Creek
KJ Wilkins – 24 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
Evan Jester – 22 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals
Eric Williams – 11 points, 12 rebounds, 1 steal
TJ Bickerstaff – 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
Chris Porter – 8 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal
Jarred Godfrey – 7 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals
Kameron Miller – 4 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal