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Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Ahmad Rand’s near triple-double helps No. 10 Lincoln County survive GMC

No. 10 Lincoln County 61, Georgia Military 54

Coming off of its biggest win in school history, a 61-59 upset of No. 1 Hancock Central, No. 10 Lincoln County (14-5, 7-3) had won two straight games entering Saturday’s rematch with Georgia Military (10-7, 5-3), who had beaten the Red Devils 75-68 in overtime two weeks prior. With region seeding on the line heading into the Region 7-A tournament, upstart Lincoln County was looking to ride its momentum to another important victory. They did so, using an explosive first quarter to hold on 61-54 in Lincolnton.

The Red Devils came out and punched the Bulldogs in the mouth, opening up a quick 7-0 lead before Head Coach James Lunsford burned his first timeout. Just 55 seconds later, Lunsford called his second as Lincoln County led 9-2 after a Zach Crite And-1 at the 6:02 mark. Sophomore point guard Maciah Gunby tacked on Lincoln County’s third And-1 of the first quarter to go up 16-2, but he would later pick up back-to-back charge calls, sending him to the bench with three fouls in the first quarter.

Georgia Military’s Luke Lawson entered the game third in the state in scoring at 25.7 points per game. The free shooting guard got his first hoop with 2:32 left in the opening quarter to make it 20-5, but he would not score again as Zae Gartrell shut him out the rest of the way.

The first quarter ended with the Red Devils in control 23-8. With Gartrell locking up Lawson on the perimeter, it was Ahmad Rand patrolling the paint. The 6-foot-7 junior has been deemed as the ‘best kept secret’ in Georgia, but won’t be much longer. He finished the night with 10 points, nine rebounds and nine blocks to stifle GMC. Halfway through the second quarter Lincoln County was cruising up 31-8, but Coach Lunsford’s Bulldogs began to claw back.

An 8-0 run cut the lead to 31-16 before Rand found Crite in the corner for three. The Red Devils took a 35-21 advantage into the half, but since trailing 18-3 to open the game, the Bulldogs had outscored Lincoln County 18-17.

The Bulldogs canned three three-pointers in the second quarter and 6-foot-6 senior Alex Moss began to go to work inside, finishing with eight first half points to breathe life into GMC. With Gunby on the bench, Coach Wesley Wuchte’s main ball handler, Ty Elam stepped in. The dreaded 5-foot-10 guard scored seven of his 15 points in the first half to keep the Devils in front.

In the third quarter, Von Holloway started making things happen in the high post. He caught and looked diagonal, hitting a cutting Javon Reid for two.

Then he took it himself and drew his second And-1 opportunity on his way to finishing with eight points and six rebounds.

Late in the third quarter, Rand continued his block party, picking up his seventh swat of the day before Lincoln County entered the final frame with a commanding 49-31 lead.

Things soured for Lincoln County in the fourth. Moss began to take over, playing the passing lanes to pick off a pass and score two of his game-high 23 points, 13 which came in the final eight minutes.

The onslaught was on as the Red Devils tried to weather the storm which came in the form of Moss, Malik Foston and the Bulldog press. Foston drilled four threes and finished with 15 points and five steals, keying the GMC pressure. With 2:37 remaining, Lincoln County held a 57-42 advantage but the lead did not feel safe, especially after Rand had to come out of the game after cutting his hand on the rim while blocking a shot.

With under two minutes to play, GMC sliced the deficit to 11 points. Feeling the heat and the momentum all in the visiting Bulldogs’ corner, Coach Wuchte turned to Rand, now heavily bandaged, to re-enter the game but upon subbing in the referees would not allow him back on the court due to a drop of blood on his shorts. Wuchte in disbelief hurried Rand back into the locker room to change shorts with a teammate. With 30 more crucial seconds off the clock with Rand not on the floor, the Bulldogs brought the game within single digits at 57-48 with 1:15 left, the closest they had been since the first three minutes of the first quarter.

Things continued to meltdown even with Rand back on the floor, as the Red Devils brain cramped and allowed GMC to throw the ball over their heads on a made basket for a wide open layup which was goaltended by Rand at the last second, making it 57-50 with 41.9 seconds to play, a frantic 14-4 run.

Gunby was sent to the line and sank both free throws. The Bulldogs would never climb any closer than a seven-point deficit as the Red Devils survived the late rally which saw the Bulldogs outscore Lincoln County 23-12 in the fourth quarter.

My Take: Lincoln County is not a team people are going to want to face in the state tournament. Class A-Public goes by the flawed “Power Ranking” system introduced by the GHSA, so it will be imperative for the Red Devils to do well in the region tournament to ensure they do not get shafted. Lincoln County lost back-to-back games before scoring a signature win over No. 1 Hancock Central, the Red Devils first win over the 1A-Public powerhouse in over 25 years. That momentum obviously carried over as they smoked Glascock County 82-40 on Friday and opened Saturday’s game on an 18-3 run. Zach Crite is a versatile scorer from his wing position. The senior has enough strength to barrel his way inside and also shows touch from beyond the arc. Maciah Gunby was slapped with foul trouble early but played well when he was on the floor. His two late free throws in the fourth quarter thwarted Georgia Military’s furious comeback. Von Holloway was like a bull in a china shop at times inside, showing off his football mentality when attacking the basket and going after rebounds. He needs more polish when finishing inside against contact, but he did an exceptional job of being patient working the high post and deciding whether to attack the cup or look down low for a dump off. Ahmad Rand was Ahmad Rand. The junior can’t be slept on anymore. He has come out of nowhere and exploded onto the scene with his season average of nearly a triple-double and he didn’t disappoint, flirting with another to add to his school-record, collecting 10 points, nine rebounds and nine blocks. Rand is a late bloomer and is just starting to scratch the surface of the potential he holds. Right now he is an elite rim protector. He showed a feathery touch from one foot inside the three-point line, burying a jumper. Inside, he displayed nice footwork, ducking in between defenders to score baskets. Rand is a gem in Lincolnton and could become something of a legned in the football town if he continues to put 110% into improving his game every single day. For me, the unsung heroes of the game were Zae Gartrell and Ty Elam. Elam stepped in when Gunby was saddled with three fouls and produced admirably, finishing with 15 points and four steals off the bench. Gartrell only scored two points, but his tenacious defense on Luke Lawson was spectacular, not even letting the gun slinger think about firing up shots.

Georgia Military witnessed Lawson’s worst game of the season, but in turn probably saw Alex Moss’ best game. The 6-foot-6 senior battled for 23 points and seven rebounds inside, working for every hoop he got against Rand and the Red Devil interior. He averages 11 points and 9 rebounds on the year and has been a workhorse inside all season for Coach James Lunsford. Malik Foston, a funky shooting freshman, looked good as well. He netted 15 points and picked up five steals leading the charge defensively as the Bulldogs quickly worked their way back into the game.

Top Performers

Lincoln County
Ahmad Rand – 10 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 9 blocks
Zach Crite – 16 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Ty Elam – 15 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals
Von Holloway – 8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists
Maciah Gunby – 8 points, 1 assist

Georgia Military
Alex Moss – 23 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals
Malik Foston – 15 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 5 steals
Andrew Weimer – 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal
Luke Lawson – 2 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist
Markus Taylor – 4 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals
Dustin Hostetter – 1 point, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Class A Region Run Down

Class A

* Denotes Private Ranking

Region 1

           Team                                       Overall            Region
No. 8 Randolph-Clay                 15-7                 11-3
     No. 7 Calhoun County               12-8                 9-3
Quitman County                       14-7                 9-4
Terrell County                           10-11               8-4
Stewart County                       11-8                   9-5
Mitchell County                      11-8                   8-5
Miller County                               3-15                   2-10
Webster County                         2-17                   2-11
  Baker County                             1-19                   0-14

The No. 8 Randolph-Clay Red Devils are powered inside by 6-foot-2, 225-pound senior Cody Brown. He is averaging 14.5 points and 7.6 rebounds; team-highs. Seven players score over six points a game for Coach Kalvin Baker’s team. They beat rival and defending state champion No. 7 Calhoun County 70-63 on Dec. 12. Brown finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and seven steals in the win. The two teams meet on Feb. 6 at Calhoun County in the final game of the regular season. Sophomore Rashun Williams, Jerrek Solite and 6-foot-2, 255-pound center Jalin Gray are some of Coach Marcus Shaw’s holdovers from last year’s 30-2 Cougar team.

Region 2

              Team                                       Overall            Region
No. 4 Turner County                  17-5                 11-2
No. 6 Atkinson County          15-5                 9-4
Clinch County                             12-8                 8-4
Wilcox County                           11-9                 8-5
Telfair County                            9-11                 7-6
Irwin County                              7-9                   6-6
Lanier County                              6-14                 4-10
Echols County                            3-14                 3-10
Charlton County                       1-16                 1-11

No. 4 Turner County is hands down the hottest team in the state, winning 12 straight. Head Coach Tasha Kimble is up for Coach of the Year. She has the girls team No. 1 in the state and 22-0 with her boys team close behind. The Rebels finished 25-4 last season but started off slow under their new head coach at 5-5. Behind 6-foot-3 junior Tamarrion Terry (19.6 ppg, 12.6 rpg), Turner County is steamrolling opponents winning its last six games by an average of 34.5 points. Last Friday they stomped main competition No. 6 Atkinson County, 82-46.

Region 3

              Team                                       Overall            Region
(B) No. 3 Treutlen                         17-2                 8-0
(A) Savannah Christian            11-6                 7-3
(A) Portal                                           11-10               7-3
(B) Montgomery County         12-10               5-3
(A) Claxton                                      9-11                 5-4
(A) Woodville-Tompkins       10-10               6-6
(B) Johnson County                   7-13                 3-3
(B) Wheeler County                  6-12                 3-3
(A) Calvary Day                            7-11                 3-6
(B) ECI                                                4-12                 2-4
(A) Jenkins County                    4-16                 3-6
(A) Savannah Country Day     4-17                 2-11

No. 3 Treutlen has rolled through Region 3, taking no prisoners. The Vikings held the No. 1 ranking in the state for weeks before falling to No. 7 Calhoun County 66-51 last Saturday. After an 11-15 season last year, Savannah Christian is now 11-6 and on top of Sub-Region A, trying to hold off Portal, winner of seven straight. Star football player Demetris Robertson, a 5-star recruit, leads the Raiders with 14.3 points and 7.7 rebounds a night. Savannah Christian opened up the year with a 58-45 loss to Treutlen without Robertson.

Region 4

             Team                                       Overall            Region
No. 5 Taylor County                   15-6                 12-1
No. 9 Central-Talbotton         14-8                 10-3
Greenville                                       7-12                 7-5
Hawkinsville                                12-7                 7-5
St. Anne-Pacelli                          13-8                 7-6
Marion County                           11-9                 6-6
Dooly County                             7-11                 5-7
Schley County                               4-16                 2-10
Brookstone                                     4-17                 0-13

No. 5 Taylor County is in control of the region but No. 9 Central-Talbotton is making a move as the Hawks have cracked the poll for the first time this week. Senior Djimon Edge leads Central in scoring at 13.7 points per game, but sophomores Zytavian Hill and Jaquavius Smith might be the most important pieces for Coach Andrew Hall. Hill averages 12.4 points, 3.5 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals while Smith posts 11.8 points, 5.7 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 2.5 steals as a 6-foot-4 guard. Both Hawkinsville and St. Anne-Pacelli remain dangerous. The Vikings peaked at No. 4 in Class A-Private but have tumbled out of the poll after three straight losses. Hawkinsville reached as high as No. 4 as well in A-Public, but slipped to 9-7 overall before winning three in a row. Three seniors steer the Vikings’ ship. Tre Sudberry averages 22.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2.6 steals for Coach Alan Griffin. Triston Wells pitches in 16.6 points while Armon Prophet fills the stat sheet with 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 3.8 steals per game.

Region 5

             Team                                       Overall            Region
* No. 1 Greenforest                    19-2                 8-0
* No. 3 SWAC                                 13-8                 7-1
Paideia                                               11-9                 6-1
* No. 7 Our Lady of Mercy      15-3                 6-2
Landmark Christian                   11-7                 5-3
W.D. Mohammed                        7-12                 4-3
Mt. Vernon Presbyterian       7-11                 4-4
Fulton Leadership Academy 3-12               3-5
  Drew Charter                                3-7                   2-4
ELCA                                                     3-14                 2-5
Galloway                                            5-12                 2-6
       Atlanta Int’l                                        1-17                 0-7
                         Strong Rock                                     1-19                   0-8                        

Even with their upset loss to 3A No. 2 South Atlanta at the BCB MLK Showcase, No. 1 Greenforest is still the team to beat in Class A-Private. Justin Forrest is averaging 19 points per game while New Hampshire-commit John Ogwuche is chipping in 12.2. Coach Larry Thompson’s strength lies inside with a plethora of 6-foot-8 players and above keyed by 5-star junior, 7-foot Ikey Obiagu who averages over 4 blocks per game. No. 3 SWAC relies on horse De’Andre Ballard, a 4-star junior averaging 23.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 3.3 steals. No. 7 Our Lady of Mercy doesn’t have the size or athletes of some other teams in the region, but steady guard play has helped Coach Tony Caruso’s team burn opponents. Cedric Labat averages 18.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists while Anthony Caruso dishes out 6.2 assists per game. Paideia is starting to play some of its best ball behind Addison Owen and Solomon Burt-Murray. Landmark Christian flirted with the top five this season but the War Eagles’ run-and-gun offense has slowed down. Zack Allen and Collier Schultz are both still lethal. Allen posts 24.1 points and 8.4 rebounds while Schultz adds 16.3 points and 7.1 assists. Junior Khalid Wilkins is a player to remember for Mt. Vernon. The point guard has some juice when the ball is in his hands.

Region 6

                 Team                                                               Overall            Region
(A) * No. 2 North Cobb Christian                  15-3                 6-0
(B) * No. 4 St. Francis                                           14-7                 8-1
(A) Excel Christian                                                11-9                 5-1
(B) Georgia School for the Deaf                    6-8                   3-1
(B) * No. 5 Whitefield Academy                   13-7                 6-2
(A) Christian Heritage                                         15-4                 4-2
(B) * No. 9 King’s Ridge Christian                13-6                 7-3
(B) * No. 10 Walker                                              13-5                 5-3
(A) Mt. Zion                                                              10-10               4-4
(B) Fellowship Christian                                   6-15                 2-6
(B) Mt. Pisgah                                                          5-14                 2-8
(A) Trion                                                                     4-16                 1-6
(B) Pinecrest Academy                                     8-12                 1-7
(A) Mt. Paran                                                           2-16                 0-7
(A) Morris Innovative                                         0-8                   0-2

Star-power is heavy in Region 6 and five teams load the Class A-Private rankings including defending state champ No. 4 St. Francis.  No. 5 Whitefield Academy extracted revenge against their arch nemesis last Tuesday, 75-73. Isaiah Hart went for 37 points and Brendon Myles poured in 25 points and 14 rebounds to beat the Knights. Kobi Simmons scored 34. He is averaging 27 points this season and recently committed to Arizona. No. 2 North Cobb Christian has been up and down like much of the region this year, but Coach Greg Matta finds ways to win. Excel Christian is red-hot, winning five straight games. Darius Thrower, Caleb West and Chris Hale have carried Coach Matt Sanders’ Eagles. No. 9 King’s Ridge has 7-foot center Tolu Jacobs waiting to become eligible. One big man has played and done so extremely well for No. 10 Walker. Harvard-commit Robert Baker is averaging over 22 points and 13 rebounds per game, pacing the Wolverines.

Region 7

              Team                                                   Overall            Region
(B) No. 1 Hancock Central                 14-5                 7-1
(A) No. 2 Wilkinson County              15-5                 6-1
(B) Georgia Military College            10-6                 5-2
(A) * No. 8 Stratford Academy        13-5                 5-3
(B) No. 10 Lincoln County                  12-5                 5-3
(A) First Presbyterian Day                13-7                 5-3
(B) Aquinas                                                  7-5                   5-3
(A) Tattnall Square Academy          13-6                 3-4
(B) Warren County                                 4-14                 3-5
(A) Mt. de Sales                                         8-12                 2-5
(A) Twiggs County                                  8-12                 1-6
(B) Taliaferro County                           1-12                 1-6
(B) Glascock County                              0-11                 0-6

No. 1 Hancock Central will be no more after No. 10 Lincoln County upset the Bulldogs 61-59 on Tuesday; the Red Devils’ first win over Hancock in over 25 years! Ahmad Rand finished with 18 points, over 10 rebounds and eight blocks. The 6-foot-7 junior is no longer the best kept secret in Georgia. Slowly, D-1 programs have started taking notice in the big man and the program. No. 2 Wilkinson County has won six straight and has split with Hancock, 68-55 at home, a win, and a 70-62 loss at Hancock on Jan. 9. Sophomore Clarence Jackson is 6-foot-5 and leads Wilkinson with 13.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists. The Warriors have some tough size inside with four players 6-foot-5 or taller, capped by 6-foot-9 Jonathan Baehre. Georgia Military can be a scary team moving forward thanks to 6-foot-2 senior Luke Lawson. The flamethrower pumps in 25.7 points per game. No. 8 Stratford Academy has some big-time athletes. Nate Brooks, a 6-foot-7, 240-pound junior, has drawn major interest from D-1 schools. Quintez Cephus was originally signed to play guard at Furman, but instead decided to play football at Wisconsin. Senior guard O’Showen Williams, another football standout, is difficult to contain on the hardwood, giving Coach Jamie Dickey three reliable scorers. 

Region 8

              Team                                                   Overall            Region
* No. 6 Lakeview Academy                  18-4                 10-0
Hebron Christian Academy             16-6                 8-2
Tallulah Falls                                             11-9                 7-3
Athens Christian                                    10-7                 6-3
Prince Avenue Christian                  10-6                 5-3
Towns County                                         7-11                 3-4
Providence Christian                          5-15                 3-6
Athens Academy                                   4-14                 1-7
George Walton Academy                2-16                 1-8
Commerce                                                  0-17                 0-8

Hebron Christian cracked the top ten at No. 10 last week, but quickly fell out after No. 6 Lakeview Academy spanked them 65-48. Hebron also lost 62-46 to George Walton. Lakeview is the class of the region and will finish the regular season undefeated baring a huge upset. Coach Todd Cottrell’s group shares the ball well and gets everyone involved. Senior Daniel Fadool is an assist machine while Josh Randolph and Carter Reeves are double-double threats. Junior Tre Gober is dangerous on the perimeter as one of Lakeview’s most consistent scorers.

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

No. 5 Newton rams Tucker out of first-place in Region 2

No. 5 Newton 58, Tucker 48

It had been 719 days since the Tucker Tigers (17-5, 7-1) had last lost a region game. A 45-42 loss to Stephenson on Feb. 7, 2014 back in Class AAAAA was Coach James Hartry’s last defeat. Last season the Tigers swept through their new home, Region 2-AAAAAA, and through the first seven region games of this season, they had started 7-0, surviving No. 5 Newton 57-56 at Tucker on Dec. 15.

Newton (19-2, 7-1), enjoying its best start since 2009-10 when the Rams opened 30-1 before falling to state champion Milton in the semifinals, entered Wednesday’s make-up game at 18-2, using last season’s state playoff run as a springboard into the 2015-16 season. As a No. 4 seed last year, the Rams knocked off defending state champion Tift County 52-49 in round one and took down No. 2 seed Dacula 58-54 in the Sweet 16 before falling to eventual state champion Wheeler in the Elite 8, 72-54.

With all of Coach Rick Rasmussen’s recent success with the Rams, one win still eluded Newton: Tucker. Last night, the Rams were finally able to rid themselves of their demons and get the monkey off their back with a 58-48 win at home to take over first-place.

“It was a big win for us tonight,” explained Rasmussen. “I thought we had a really good chance to beat them at their place and I thought we were certainly capable of playing better than we did the first time.”

They did.

Things didn’t start out so promising for the Rams however. Tucker jumped out to a 9-2 lead and looked like the more energized team, but Newton’s leading scorer, junior JD Notae, shook the Rams out of the doldrums and scored their first eight points of the game.

To end the first period, freshman sensation Ashton Hagans drove on the fastbreak and found senior Jaquan Simms open in the left corner for one of his four three-pointers on the night to give Newton a 13-11 lead heading into the second quarter.

The onslaught continued for the Rams in the second quarter as Notae’s early spurt in the first quarter ignited a 21-4 Newton run that flipped the score from a 9-2 deficit to a 23-13 advantage with 3:55 left to play in the second quarter. Tucker would pick itself off the mat and end the period on a mini 5-2 run, capped by a Tyler Payne steal and lay-in at the buzzer, cutting Newton’s halftime lead to 25-18.

The third quarter saw Tucker senior center Adonis Green score back-to-back baskets but halfway through the frame Green picked up his fourth foul. Coach Hartry elected to keep him in the game and just 15 seconds later, Green committed his fifth personal, fouling out with 2:52 remaining in the third quarter and the Tigers trailing 33-26.

While Tucker was searching for answers on how to replace Green, but more importantly slow down Newton’s guards, Jaquan Simms caught fire, canning back-to-back threes and drawing a foul on a deep ball. Simms scored eight of his 16 points in the third quarter and pushed the Rams’ lead to 38-26.

However, once again it was Tucker using a late spurt to keep the game close. The Tigers ran off four quick points stamped by Kenton Eskridge’s lay-up right before the horn to make it a 38-30 game entering the fourth quarter.

Tucker did not crawl much closer than eight points in the fourth quarter as Notae and Dante Johnson would not allow another late game disappointment. In their first meeting, the Rams blew the game at the line, connecting on just 7-of-18 attempts. Wednesday night, Newton sank 14-of-22 free throws, but more importantly 12-of-17 in the fourth quarter. Notae scored 11 of his game-high 22 points in the fourth including going 5-of-6 from the stripe while Johnson netted six of his eight points in the final frame, hitting all four free throws.

After a hot start for Eskridge, scoring six first quarter points, the Rams honed in on Tucker’s playmaker and held him to four points over the next three periods.

Freshman Ashton Hagans won the war with junior Kenton Eskridge
Freshman Ashton Hagans won the war with junior Kenton Eskridge

The win was an important one for Newton, not only for region seeding, but for the overall psyche of the team, finally beating a program that has troubled them over the past two seasons. Coach Rasmussen understands there is still work to be done on Friday night as Newton hosts rival Rockdale County on senior night and the Tigers potentially looming in the region tournament.

“It feels good to get this one. I’m sure we’re going to have to play them again in the region tournament, so I’m sure that will be another war and we’re excited about it.”

My Take: Newton’s guards are the real deal. People who aren’t in the know could have given me slack for keeping the Rams in the top ten after an early 2-1 start following a loss to Henry County, but I had faith that Newton would warrant its place in the rankings. Fast forward eight weeks later and Coach Rick Rasmussen’s team is No. 5 in the poll. JD Notae has caught the eye of D-1 schools such as Kennesaw State, South Alabama and Presbyterian and all for good reason. The junior had two scoring binges. One to breathe life into the Rams and the second to close the door shut on Tucker. Notae scored the first eight points of the game to start a 21-4 run that gave Newton the lead for good and in the fourth quarter his 11 points ended all hope of a Tucker comeback. Notae showed an ability to finish inside with reverse lay ups and the coolness to sink important free throws late in the game. Freshman Ashton Hagans has some of the best court vision I’ve seen this season. It is extremely rare to see a point guard with that kind of court presence and the fact that he is only a freshman makes him a high major prospect for good reason; UGA has already offered, with Tennessee, Mississippi State and Auburn all showing interest. In last night’s low scoring game, he didn’t need to dazzle or show off any slick eye-catching passes like a Will Washington, but he was mature with the ball and put it in the right spots for teammates to score, something that can’t always be taught. The third man of the trio was senior Jaquan Simms. He cashed in four three-pointers and finished with 16 points. His ability to get hot from behind the arc will be invaluable come tournament time. With sophomore DeAndrae Butler missing from the lineup, Josh Tukes and Chazz Tanner stepped up and combined for four points and 10 rebounds. Dante Johnson was a key piece off the bench with eight points and nine rebounds, bringing great energy.

Xavier Johnson played well for Tucker in the absence of Adonis Green, who fouled out with four points and six rebounds. Johnson posted team-highs of 12 points and nine rebounds. Kenton Eskridge got going early on, putting his head down and finishing at the cup, but Newton made the proper adjustments to slow down the junior. The Tigers had some nice balance scoring, but weren’t able to find enough firepower to keep up with the running Rams.

Top Performers

Newton
JD Notae – 22 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Jaquan Simms – 16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Dante Johnson – 8 points, 9 rebounds
Ashton Hagans – 7 points, 1 rebound, 8 assists, 3 steals
Chazz Tanner – 4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block

Tucker
Xavier Johnson – 12 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block
Kenton Eskridge – 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks
Amir Butcher – 7 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
Josh Vann – 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist
Trevon Flowers – 6 points, 1 rebound
Adonis Green – 4 points, 6 rebounds

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

All-American Alterique Gilbert’s fourth quarter stops No. 9 Southwest DeKalb comeback

No. 1 Miller Grove 53, No. 9 Southwest DeKalb 45

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A 15-5 run had No. 1 Miller Grove seemingly on the ropes after taking its largest lead of the game 43-30 entering the fourth, but when the Wolverines needed a hoop, they turned to none other than McDonalds All-American and UConn signee Alterique Gilbert to answer the call as Miller Grove held off host No. 9 Southwest DeKalb in front of a capacity crowd, 53-45.

Southwest DeKalb looked to establish 6-foot-6, 245-pound senior TiQuan Lewis early on. The Washington County transfer posed problems inside for the slighter Wolverines in their first meeting, posting 19 points and 12 rebounds in a 76-69 loss. On Tuesday, the big man scored the Panthers’ first seven points of the game but was held to two points the rest of the way as Miller Grove began digging down and harassing Lewis with active hands.

While Lewis got Southwest DeKalb off to a quick start, Aaron Augustin began his own scoring spree, slashing to the basket and showing off his outside shot to finish with seven of his 10 points in the first quarter, giving the Wolverines a 15-10 lead after one.

Augustin sank his final basket of the night, a three-pointer at the 4:06 mark of the second quarter to push the Wolverine lead out to 21-14. Southwest DeKalb leading scorer Keith Gilmore scored just one point in the first quarter but began to find the bottom of the net while it looked like the Panthers were about to lose distance with the Wolverines. The senior scored nine of his team-high 16 points in the second period, but the Panthers still entered the half trailing Miller Grove 34-22.

To open the second half, Southwest DeKalb made sure to not stray away from the inside game, feeding it to Lewis early on, but Miller Grove caused him to fumble away a few opportunities with its pressure defense.  He and Gilmore combined for 17 of the Panthers’ 22 first half points meaning someone else had to step up. While Southwest searched for a third option in the third quarter, Miller Grove slowly began to pull away.

TiQuan Lewis is a big boy
TiQuan Lewis is a big boy

Aidan Saunders received a pass in transition and threw down a dunk, the first of the game, to extend the lead to 41-30. Seconds after the gym-rocking slam, the student sections of both teams began to get into it, causing a five-minute stop in the action while teachers and police went into the crowd to make sure nothing got out of hand. After the brief stoppage, Miller Grove added another hoop to give itself a 13-point cushion heading into the final eight minutes.

Instead of rolling over and letting the Wolverines blow them out of their own gym, the Panthers showed some bite of their own. A long and methodical comeback began to take place with Southwest using its helter skelter tempo and press to force Miller Grove into rushed shots and turnovers. Coach Eugene Brown finally found his third and fourth scoring options as Nathaniel Ambersley scored six of his 11 points in the fourth while Mandarius Dickerson added nine points in the game.

With 1:10 remaining, Gilmore caught a feed down low and went baseline to lay it up and claw the Panthers within 48-45. Seconds later at the 48.5 mark, Gilbert answered with an And-1 to make it 51-45 and stem the tide. The All-American poured in nine of Miller Grove’s 10 fourth quarter points and took over when Coach Sharman White needed him the most.

29.2 seconds remained when Coach White called a timeout. The Wolverines attempted to inbound the ball, but an offensive foul was called, giving the ball back to the Panthers still down six. Southwest DeKalb was unable to score, but forced a turnover with 15 seconds left. Gilmore had the ball on what looked like a 3-on-1 fast break, but instead of trying to get the bucket and play the fouling game, he elected to attempt a pull-up three which missed and resulted in a rebound and outlet for a Gilbert run-out dunk with seconds left to end the game.

Missed opportunities hurt the Panthers, especially as they entered the bonus with 5:26 left in the fourth, but made only 1-of-5 from the line and finished 8-of-16 for the game.

My Take: If you didn’t get to Southwest DeKalb by halftime of the girls’ game, you weren’t getting a seat. I strolled in right as the game was finishing up and there were no seats to be found. The action that ensued on the court warranted the crowd. Miller Grove looked like the top team in the state, coming away with a huge win in a wild environment. The Wolverines look to push the ball every chance they get and have some of the best spacing I’ve seen all year with shooters peppering the perimeter. Alterique Gilbert didn’t have his best game, missing some open threes, but he would not be denied when the game was on the line. Aaron Augustin had a big first half with 10 points but didn’t score in the second. He along with Gilbert were able to hit open men. The pair made everyone around them better tonight. The Wolverines are a very unselfish bunch and play for one another even with all the stars on their roster. They came away with 11 steals hounding the Southwest DeKalb guards, especially in the first half holding Darius Hogan, Mandarius Dickerson and Nathaniel Ambersley to five total first half points, with Hogan never cracking the scorebook on the night after scoring 12 against Miller Grove in their first meeting.

Southwest DeKalb showed a lot of heart, scrapping to get back into the game. TiQuan Lewis is a load inside and can punish smaller defenders. Keith Gilmore was the senior leader I expected him to be, finishing with 16 points and 12 rebounds. If Coach Brown can get guard production around those two, the Panthers will be a tough team in the state tournament. The glaring issue for the Panthers was a lack of pure shooting. They made just one three-pointer on the night and shot 50% from the foul line. Missed free throws and Hogan’s quiet game came back to bite Southwest. Hogan is the team’s best shooter from deep, averaging over two makes a game and hitting 40%.

Top Performers

Miller Grove
Alterique Gilbert – 17 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals
Aaron Augustin – 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
Raylon Richardson – 7 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block
Aidan Saunders – 7 points
Joshua Jackmon – 5 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists
Tae Hardy – 4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals

Southwest DeKalb
Keith Gilmore – 16 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist
Nathaniel Ambersley – 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
TiQuan Lewis – 9 points, 10 rebounds, 1 block
Mandarius Dickerson – 9 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks

GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Class AAA Region Run Down

1 Comment

Class AAA

Region 1

              Team                                      Overall           Region
(B) No. 2 Jenkins                      16-2                 8-0
(B) Johnson                                 13-5                 7-1
(B) Islands                                     15-5                 7-2
(A) Dodge County                    11-5                 5-2
(A) Tattnall County                 11-7                 5-2
(A) Brantley County               12-6                 6-4
(B) Savannah                                8-11                5-5
(B) Southeast Bulloch             10-11              3-5
(A) Appling County                   2-14                 2-5
(B) Beach                                        5-15                 2-6
(A) Toombs County                  3-16                 2-8
 (A) Pierce County                      3-12                1-10

The balance of power lies in sub-region B as defending state champion No. 2 Jenkins looks to fend off Johnson and the much improved Sharks of Islands. The Warriors play Johnson for the first time tonight at home, then travel to Johnson on the last day of the regular season, Feb. 6. 6-foot-5 junior Trevion Lamar has quickly made a name for himself with the Warriors, leading the team in both scoring (16.8) and rebounding (9.1) while adding 4.3 assists per game and team-highs in steals (2.7) and blocks (1.9). Point guard Zion Williams transferred from Savannah High and is averaging 14.5 points and 4.6 assists as a junior. Seniors Michael Coffee and Dimetri Chambers are both scoring in double figures. Johnson’s only region loss came in double overtime at Islands, 64-61. The Sharks, whose program began in 2010-11, have steadily improved. Their wins by year read: 2010-11: 0, 2011-12: 0, 2012-13: 1, 2013-14: 2, 2014-15: 11. This year the Sharks have clinched their first-ever winning record behind patient Head Coach Karl DeMasi and 1,000-point scorer junior Justin Cave, who averages 21.2 points. Only one senior is on the roster. DeMasi’s primary rotation consists of one freshman, two sophomores and four juniors.

Region 2

           Team                                       Overall             Region
No. 6 Central-Macon             17-2                 10-1
Southwest-Macon                  14-5                 10-2
Westside-Macon                     15-4                 10-2
Jordan                                           8-11                 6-5
Spencer                                        4-12                 4-5
Rutland                                         5-12                 4-7
Kendrick                                      2-13                 2-7
Jackson                                        1-15                 1-9
Peach County                             2-16                 1-10

Region 2 has become one of the state’s most interesting regions located in Middle Georgia. No. 6 Central has won 10-straight including an 80-76 2OT thriller at Southwest last Saturday. The Chargers’ only loss came way back on Dec. 4, their second game of the season at Westside, 82-63. In their rematch, Central won 75-72, but that early loss could still come back to haunt them and has left the door open for the Seminoles and Patriots. There is some interesting talent in Macon. Central has senior point guard Derrick Evans and juniors Kentrevious Jones and Anterious McCoy. All three are constant 20-point threats. Jones may be the most intriguing of the bunch, standing 6-foot-10 and 280 pounds. Westside flaunts one of the most sought after prospects in the Class of 2018 in 6-foot-8 guard Khavon Moore. He averages 21.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.8 steals and 2.7 blocks. Southwest counters with its own pair of aces in senior Justin Slocum and junior Nick Hargrove. Slocum is 6-foot-6 and posts 21.5 points, 12.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks a night while Hargrove, a private school transfer, records 20.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists.

Region 3

             Team                                       Overall            Region
No. 5 Laney                                     17-2                 6-1
No. 9 Westside-Augusta        10-3                 5-1
Josey                                                    8-9                   5-2
Butler                                                  9-6                   3-4
Washington County                   8-10                 3-4
Glenn Hills                                        2-15                 2-5
Hephzibah                                        0-19                 0-7

No. 5 Laney’s record looks like the Wildcats are having another strong year, but if you dig deeper into the results, the Cardiac Cats have shown signs of vulnerability. Countless times this season Laney has had to rally from down double digits in the second half to pull out a victory. Laney has won seven games by six points or less. No. 1 Morgan County edged them on Jan. 9, 65-63 and took over first-place from the Wildcats. Laney then slipped again just a week later, falling to Josey 66-55. Christian Keeling (Charleston Southern) and Zep Jasper (College of Charleston) are the heartbeat for new head coach Shawn Parks’ team. Keeling averages 24 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists while Jasper goes for 20.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists. No. 9 Westside has proven to be tough, losing to Laney at home 69-64 and again on the road 62-60 in the Richmond County Christmas Tournament, meaning it didn’t count in the standings and that Westside has one last crack at the Wildcats tonight with a chance to take over first-place. Damontrez Hawes leads the Patriots with 18.3 points per game while Dekwan Lewis (12.6) and Christian Robinson (11.1) are both valid options.

Region 4

            Team                                         Overall            Region
(A) No. 4 South Atlanta           16-4                 6-0
(B) No. 7 Westminster             17-2                 5-0
(A) North Clayton                       12-8                 5-1
(B) Blessed Trinity                      11-9                 4-2
(B) Decatur                                      9-12                 4-3
(B) Douglass                                    12-8                 3-3
(A) Cedar Grove                             8-8                   3-3
(A) Jackson-Atlanta                   13-8                 3-3
(B) Therrell                                      10-7                 2-3
(A) Towers                                       5-14                 1-5
(B) Washington                             1-18                 0-7
(A) McNair                                       3-14                 0-8

No. 4 South Atlanta made possibly the biggest statement out of any team in the classification with a wire-to-wire win over 1A-Private No. 1 Greenforest at the Blue Collar Basketball MLK Showcase at Peachtree Ridge on Monday, 62-57. The Hornets are long, quick and athletic. Everyone Coach Michael Reddick throws on the court has a chance to sting the opponent. Orlando Bebee, Devontae Dean, Frank Bailey and Devonta Pullins make up a deep backcourt while Tyler Thornton, Korbian Bell, Demonte Roberts and Artavious Banks do yeoman’s work inside. Quietly, No. 7 Westminster is the hottest team in the state outside of No. 3 Calhoun with 16-straight wins. Bo Jackson clone Will Benson leads the offense and is headed to Duke to play baseball. Tyler Barry, former NBA player and announcer Jon Barry’s son, pulls the trigger from deep while Mikael Sampson is an improving post and Philip Jones, a steady point guard. North Clayton might not have the prettiest record, but watch out. The Eagles lost 58-52 at home vs. South Atlanta on Jan. 5 and get another crack at the Hornets on Feb. 2. Junior Ahsan Asadullah is 6-foot-8 and has displayed elite footwork and passing skills down low while averaging a team-high 16.1 points.

Region 5

         Team                                       Overall            Region
(A) No. 8 Callaway                  10-3                 5-0
(B) Pepperell                              11-6                 4-1
(B) Rockmart                               4-14                 2-3
(B) Cedartown                            6-10                 2-3
(A) Central-Carroll                   9-9                   1-4
(A) Haralson County               2-17                 1-4

Talk about a down year for the diminutive region. Last year saw both No. 8 Callaway and Rockmart crack 20 wins, this season it looks as if only Callaway has a shot. The Cavaliers lost back-to-back games vs. LaGrange, 80-68 at home then 63-60 on the road before falling weeks later to Lanett (AL), 72-54, the Panthers’ record this season at 18-4. Callaway hasn’t quite had the explosive offense it had last season, but Braylon Sanders, Earnest Patillo, Dre Martin, Quantrez Cooper and Joe Brown make up a formidable five in the wide open classification. Pepperell has played well after an 11-15 season and was selected as a Sandy’s Spiel Super Sleeper entering 2015. The Dragons are a competitive bunch, but the Cavaliers are a lock to roll through the region undefeated and capture the No. 1 seed. Callaway’s average margin of victory against region opponents this season is a whopping 27.6 points, with their closest game coming against Central, 84-76.

Region 6

      Team                                       Overall            Region
No. 3 Calhoun                            18-0                 11-0
Coahulla Creek                         16-4                 10-2
Ringgold                                      8-10                 7-5
North Murray                          13-7                 7-5
Sonoraville                                 8-9                   5-5
Murray County                         7-14                 5-7
Lakeview-Ft Oglethorpe      6-14                 4-7
Adairsville                                    6-13                 2-9
Gordon Central                            2-16                 0-11

The Yellow Jackets are the only unbeaten team left in Class AAA. No. 3 Calhoun has handled every team placed in front of them and has established their legitimacy as being a title contender by sweeping through the SmileGeneration.com bracket of the Lake City Classic to win the tournament by an average margin of victory of 15 points. Jireh Wilson is a 1,000-point scorer and Wofford football signee averaging 13.7 points. Kaelan Riley, the star quarterback going to Mercer, posts team-highs of 15.9 points and 8.3 rebounds. Chapin Rierson, a 6-foot-5 junior, is a versatile X-factor with a motor that doesn’t quit. He chips in 12.9 points and 6.6 rebounds a night. Ray Reeves is the team’s best three-point shooter at 36 percent and averages 7.9 points. Much like Islands of Region 1, Coahulla Creek is an upstart program enjoying its best season ever in its short existence. After finishing 14-11 last year, the Colts are off to a 16-4 start. Seniors Alex Fisher and Caleb Lewis power Coach Matthew Queener’s offense. The Colts lost 60-52 against Calhoun and a 56-52 falter at Murray County likely erases Coahulla Creek’s shot at catching the Yellow Jackets, but the two teams play at Calhoun on Feb. 2.

Region 7

           Team                                       Overall            Region
No. 10 Banks County             18-2                 8-0
Lumpkin County                       16-5                 6-2
East Hall                                        13-6                 6-2
West Hall                                     10-9                 4-4
Franklin County                        7-14                 2-6
Dawson County                       10-10               1-6
Fannin County                           8-11                 0-7

Only three points separate No. 10 Banks County from being undefeated. A 67-66 loss to North Hall on Dec. 21 and a 42-40 loss in the Commerce Christmas Classic championship to 6A No. 10 Collins Hill are the Leopards’ only two blemishes. Coach Mike Cleveland overlooks the play of Zez Steeple, Zac Orr and Kahmal Wiley. Steeple, a 5-foot-7 guard, is an electric playmaker with his passing and scoring. Orr is a rugged 6-foot-6 center that is difficult to handle down low while Wiley at 6-foot-4, 245 pounds is a tank inside and cleans the glass alongside Orr. Head Coach Jeff Steele has brought over his magic touch after leading Johnson-Gainesville to a 29-1 record a year ago. Lumpkin County finished just 9-20 in 2014-15 and behind Steele and senior 1,000-point scorer Jack Howard, the Indians have revived their program. Brandon Zarate inside and guard Zach Pulley make Lumpkin County a dangerous team come tournament time. Lurking in the shadows is Coach Joe Dix’s East Hall Vikings. They won’t have a chance to catch the Leopards after falling 82-66 to them on Tuesday, completing the sweep, but the Vikes do get another crack at Lumpkin County next Tuesday, who they already beat 73-63 at Lumpkin. The boys from Valhalla don’t have much size, but Tylor Brown and Markese Jackson are active attacking the rim while brothers Triston and Luke Cooper can get hot from deep.

Region 8

         Team                                       Overall            Region
No. 1 Morgan County           16-4                 8-0
Jackson County                        12-8                 5-3
East Jackson                               9-10                 4-4
Jefferson                                       7-12                 4-5
Elbert County                             8-11                 3-5
Oconee County                         5-13                 2-5
Hart County                                6-15                 2-6

The prevalent theme across AAA has been surprise teams and momentous turnarounds. No program has fit the bill more than Jackson County, who finished 4-22 last year. Coach Chuck Butler has established a winning mentality with upperclassmen and have lived and breathed by the motto EAT: Effort, Attitude, Toughness. The Panthers have feasted on opponents this year, especially one program that elected to stray from the homegrown route, East Jackson. There is no way to sugarcoat it anymore, the Eagles’ season has been a disappointment after opening the year ranked No. 4 with the amount of talent Coach David Boyd has at his disposal. Sophomores Drue Drinnon and Travis Anderson are among the best young guards in the state, but it hasn’t resulted in wins. Lamont Smith left mid-way through the season and is back in Gwinnett County helping Duluth win games. Jalen Morgan is now eligible for the second half of the season, but the Eagles’ lack of post production is what has hurt them the most. The Panthers swept the season series in a pair of emotional wins, 67-63 at East Jackson and 74-73 at home on Tuesday. No. 1 Morgan County is still the class of the region after a state championship in 2014 and a runner-up finish in 2015. Florida Atlantic signees DeVorious Brown and Jailyn Ingram have given Coach Jamond Sims exactly what he needed after losing 3,000-point scorer Tookie Brown to Georgia Southern. Freshman guard Alec Woodard has stepped up while 6-foot-6 senior Jordan Ford has brought an explosive long athlete to the interior.