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Freshman and Senior Duo Carries Shorthanded No. 6 Spartans

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No. 6 GAC 75, No. 5 Holy Innocents’ 67 OT

The power struggle for control of Region 6-AA officially began Thursday night as No. 6 GAC (4-3) found a way to knock off host No. 5 Holy Innocents’ (3-2) in overtime, 75-67. The Spartans entered the game on a two-game losing streak, but more importantly, without leading scorer, junior point guard Brian Coffey Jr. and 6-foot-8 center, Charlie O’Briant. With two big pieces out, Garrett Covington and Jacob Hoffman were expected to shoulder the load, but it was a level-headed freshman that made possibly the biggest impact of the game.

To open up the night, both teams traded baskets with Hoffman knocking down a three. The senior would roll an ankle however, soon after and would gingerly walk off with the game tied at 7. While on the bench, Cole Smith of Holy Innocents’ caught fire. He scored nine of the Golden Bears’ 13 points in the first quarter and would score 19 of his game-high 29 points in the first half.

One of Cole Smith's five three-pointers on the night
One of Cole Smith’s five three-pointers on the night

Hoffman returned to action later in the first quarter and finished with eight points on the day. The Spartans trailed 13-11 at the end of one. With Holy Innocents’ committing six first quarter fouls, the Spartans seemed destined to live at the line in quarter two, but the Golden Bears didn’t pick up foul number seven until under two minutes to play in the half. GAC pushed ahead 24-19, but Holy Innocents’ used a 14-4 run capped by a Jules Erving putback dunk and a layup to enter the half leading 33-28.

With Coffey sidelined and Hoffman gimpy, someone needed to step up for the Spartans. That someone was freshman point guard Hunter McIntosh. The cool youngster scored half of GAC’s points in the first half with 14 and finished with a team-high 27.

Smith bombed his fifth three-pointer of the night with 46.3 seconds left in the third quarter to extend Holy Innocents’ lead to 48-41, and would take a six-point 50-44 lead into the final period of play…or so we thought.

The Spartans continued to chip away and stay within striking distance while the Golden Bears tried to push ahead with a student section dressed in tacky Christmas sweaters roaring them on. Coach David Eaton implemented a press at the 7:17 mark of the fourth quarter, trailing by four. While GAC was able to disrupt the Bears offense somewhat, Brent Duncan started to go to work inside. The high-flying big man scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half to try and stave off the Spartan charge, but it was not enough.

As GAC continued to inch closer and closer, the play on the court got wilder and wilder with more and more whistles. Just under the three minute mark, the craziness which got the Spartans officially back in the game and over the hump occurred. Big man Chris Hinton, all 6-foot-5, 240 pounds of him, drew an and-one bucket, but missed the free throw. His miss was kept alive by Covington, resulting in the ball bouncing back to Hinton who laid it in to make it a four-point possession and draw the Spartans within one at 60-59.

Garrett Covington was all over the court
Garrett Covington was all over the court

At the 2:05 mark, Duncan hit Harrison Cobb for a jumper to extend the lead to 62-59.

Covington would answer with a steal and a layup making it a one-point game again with 1:36 remaining. Jules Erving was fouled and sank two free throws to go up 64-61 with 48.5 seconds left in regulation.

Jules Erving impressed me again with his versatility
Jules Erving impressed me again with his versatility

Anthony Carter, who ended up with five points, eight rebounds, two assists and four steals, was fouled with 22.2 seconds left for GAC. Earlier, he had missed a pair of foul shots at the 3:26 mark trailing 58-55. Carter atoned for his misses. He sank his first free throw and missed his second, but for the second time in the fourth quarter, Garrett Covington crashed the offensive glass and batted the ball off the backboard. The ball landed in Carter’s hands, who was following his shot, and he was able to lay it in and tie the game with around 15 seconds to play.

Free throw rebounding was an issue down the stretch for HIES
Free throw rebounding was an issue down the stretch for HIES

Ibrahim Shabazz had a final look from the top of the key as the clock expired coming out of a timeout seen here, but the shot went awry. We were heading to overtime.

In overtime, it was all Spartans. Covington, who finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, drove the lane and kicked out a pass over his head that looked wild. That wild pass was right on the mark hitting Jacob Hoffman, who proceeded to bury the triple. Soon after, Covington drove again and found Basil Peterson for the jumper after Hinton spun baseline against Duncan and powered it up for two more on the previous possession. GAC’s quick 7-0 spurt in overtime proved to be the dagger as the Golden Bears wouldn’t threaten again, giving the shorthanded Spartans a huge 75-67 victory.

My Take: Thursday night basketball is something I can get used to. What a game this was; back and forth the whole way. Every time it looked like either team was going to pull away, the other would respond. To be honest, I had no idea who Hunter McIntosh was before tonight. Now I know. The freshman guard looked as calm and collected as it gets in a hostile environment as he had to take on the lead guard duties with Brian Coffey injured. When I found out he was a freshman, I couldn’t believe it. He wasn’t making any crazy plays or flashy moves; he was just solid and knocked down every open shot he had. Garrett Covington showed why he is a Gwinnett Daily Post Super Six selection and did everything out there tonight. In overtime alone he had two assists and a handful of rebounds to close it out. Burly Chris Hinton grinded his way to eight big points and did a good job on Brent Duncan down low. Jacob Hoffman splashed home an early three, but after hurting his ankle, he wasn’t able to be as explosive. He gutted it out and played with a grimace on his face. His big three in overtime gave the Spartans the separation they needed. After the game, Hoffman was seen limping out of the locker room with his shoe off. Hopefully it’s not too serious.

This was my second time seeing Holy Innocents’ play. They have three players that can take over a game any given night as they all showed flashes. Cole Smith might as well be called the baby faced assassin. He doesn’t look like your prototypical go-to player, but his handles are tight and his stroke is as pure as it gets. Duncan had a slow first half but began to carve up GAC inside during the second half. Jules Erving once again impressed me. He scored 12 points, grabbed nine rebounds, collected seven assists, two steals, two blocks and guarded Covington during most of the night. Talk about a busy night. Harrison Cobb played well. He fouled out with 22.2 seconds left in regulation and his calming presence yet intense play was missed in overtime. He finished with eight points, five rebounds and three assists. It will be fun to watch these two teams duke it out again this year as they jockey for position atop Region 6.

Top Performers

Greater Atlanta Christian
Garrett Covington – 23 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals
Hunter McIntosh – 27 points, 3 rebounds
Chris Hinton – 8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks
Jacob Hoffman – 8 points
Anthony Carter – 5 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals

Holy Innocents’
Cole Smith – 29 points, 2 blocks
Jules Erving – 12 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks
Brent Duncan – 14 points, 4 rebounds
Harrison Cobb – 8 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

No. 3 Wheeler Shakes Off Sluggish Start Against Cherokee

6ANo. 3 Wheeler 50, Cherokee 36

Head Coach Roger Kvam, who has directed the Cherokee Warriors for now 13 years, has always given Wheeler fits. After narrow losses to the superior Wildcats last season 51-48, 71-55 and 51-49, this year’s edition of the Warriors looked to get over the hump and thwart powerful No. 3 Wheeler. Cherokee took a 12-5 lead into the second quarter as Wheeler was ice cold. The home standing Warriors took advantage of three three-pointers in the frame to gain the advantage. But as the game wore on, Cherokee’s lack of balance showed and Wheeler’s talent won out. Guard Makhai Eastmond hit Darius Perry on a beautiful backdoor cut early in the second quarter to shake off a lethargic start. The bucket ignited a 17-3 period which gave Wheeler a 22-15 lead at the half.

Kash Jackson and Phillip Cirillo were the only sources of offense for Coach Kvam. The two combined to score all of the team’s points at the half and didn’t receive a third contributor until four minutes left in the third quarter when Jack Carroll sank a three. Cirillo, who led the Warriors with 14 points and nine rebounds, stroked a three and Elisha Mayberry drove for his only points of the game to close out the third quarter and keep the Warriors within striking distance down 33-26.

Coach Kvam readies his Warriors. Phillip Cirillo (3) played well.
Coach Kvam readies his Warriors. Phillip Cirillo (3) played well.

In the second half and four quarter, Wheeler finally started chipping away at the overmatched Warriors. Al-Wajid Aminu was held scoreless in the first half but provided the Wildcats with an energetic spark. The North Florida signee finished with six points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks and helped the Cats collect nine steals on the night off their trapping press. Aminu’s second chance rebounds and emphatic blocks helped wake up the rest of the Wildcats. After a slow start, Romello White began to eat away at the smaller Cherokee front line. The Georgia Tech signee ended his night with 14 points and 10 rebounds coupled by a few big dunks. Defensively, he swatted away four of Wheeler’s nine blocks as they cruised to the finish line using a 17-to-10 fourth quarter to pull away.

My Take: Wheeler did not impress early on and still didn’t play up to the level that they are capable of. Sometimes, and especially when playing a fundamentally sound team like Cherokee who doesn’t kill themselves with too many mistakes, the Cats play to the level of their competition. A 76-70 loss to the nation’s No. 1 ranked team, Montverde (FL) according to MaxPreps, doesn’t make sense when they struggled to beat Cherokee. Romello White showed some flashes inside, but it was Al-Wajid Aminu’s energy and Darius Perry’s quiet, yet steady play, that finally woke the team up. Perry went on a personal 5-0 run in the second quarter to get the Wildcats back into the game after an early deficit. The second half belonged to Aminu. His length and motor wore down Cherokee. The Warriors remain led by the best boys coach Cherokee County has seen in a long time. Coach Kvam doesn’t always have the talent, but he makes the most out of it, constantly beating good teams (3A No. 3 Morgan County, 57-52) or at least playing them heads-up (SWD 64-56). It’s scary to think what he could do with a couple horses like he had back in the day with Chris Singleton. It’s a shame he transferred to Dunwoody his final season. Cherokee will go as far as Phillip Cirillo and Kash Jackson take them this season.  Jackson is the only senior on the team which breeds optimism for the future. Cirillo has exploded onto the scene as a junior and is receiving some D-1 looks after a strong offseason. Playing such a big role as a junior will only help his progression towards his senior season. He looks to have a similar success like Michael Kvam did circa 2009-10 as a big guard who could score, facilitate, rebound and lead.

Top Performers:

Wheeler
Romello White – 14 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks
Cam Jordan – 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks
Darius Perry – 8 points, 3 assists, 2 steals
Al-Wajid Aminu – 6 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks

Cherokee
Phillip Cirillo – 14 points, 9 rebounds
Kash Jackson – 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
Jack Carroll – 7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

No. 2 Norcross Gets Lost In No. 1 Greenforest’s Trees

1ANo. 1 Greenforest 77, 6ANo. 2 Norcross 48

No. 1 Greenforest put together one of the most impressive two days out of any team in the entire nation at Holiday Hoopsgiving as the Eagles pounded No. 2 Norcross, 77-48. The game was never in question. Greenforest raced out to an 18-5 lead after the first period while Norcross could find zero offense outside of Jordan Goldwire, who scored all five points in the opening frame and finished with 11 points all coming in the first half.

The size of Greenforest troubled the Blue Devils all game. Norcross would attack inside with forwards Rayshaun Hammonds and Lance Thomas but the interior defense of Ikey Obiagu (five blocks) and the rest of the Eagles would swallow their shots up. At one point in the first half the foul count was 7-0 in favor of the Eagles which had Norcross Head Coach Jesse McMillan steamed and rightfully so.

In the second quarter Norcross showed some fight and cut the lead to 29-16 using a full court press and some half court traps to temporarily slowdown the Eagles. McMillan finally got tagged with a technical foul after numerous drives to the basket ended with a shot being blocked or altered and no foul being called. When the half rolled around Greenforest held a 37-21 advantage while the majority of the half Coach McMillan was seen pacing back and forth on the sidelines trying to keep his composure and think of a way to help his team back into the game.

Hammonds finally scored his first bucket of the game in the third quarter off a free throw and finished with a season-low five points and eight rebounds. His partner down low, 6-foot-7 Lance Thomas, was shutout, not scoring a single point. With Norcross’ best two players and largest post presences being a non-factor, it turned into a rout for the Eagles. Greenforest out-rebounded Norcross 44-to-17 and bullied their way to second chance points while limiting Norcross’ opportunities at offensive rebounds.

Justin Forrest scored a game-high 21 for Greenforest and added four assists while New Hampshire-commit John Ogwuche pitched in 12 points, six rebounds and eight assists.

John Ogwuche had a great all-around game | Photo By Ty Freeman
John Ogwuche had a great all-around game | Photo By Ty Freeman

My Take: Domination. After watching Greenforest annihilate two of the very best programs in the state, I can’t envision this team losing a game. Take into account that Montverde (FL), the No. 2 ranked team in the entire nation, beat No. 6 Pebblebrook 76-70. What did the Eagles do to them yesterday? 87-59. They say transitive property doesn’t work in sports, but how can your jaw not drop when you see that? Back to Saturday’s game, it was just like watching grown men against boys. That is not a knock on Norcross. The Eagles literally look like grown men inside and even on the perimeter with John Ogwuche, Justin Forrest, Precious Ayah, Mohammed Abdulsalem and Victor Enoh looking like they live in the weight room. That doesn’t even include 7-footer Ikey Obiagu, who has a nice frame for a big man and Abayomi Iyiola, who is slender but has been all over the place this weekend. Iyiola’s stock has gone through the roof after a 17-point, 12-rebound performance on Friday and Saturday’s 13-point, 5-rebound game. It’s easy to talk about the Eagles’ size, but what I think truly makes this team elite is the guard play of Forrest and Ogwuche. They work extremely well together and are physical guards that aren’t afraid to use their body and fly in for rebounds and also, once they get their shoulders past you on a drive, the rest is history. I saw them feed each other for assists countless times this weekend and nearly never make a mistake.

Like I said earlier, the bigs inside were just physically too big for Rayshaun Hammonds and Lance Thomas. Both are great players but they could get nothing going at all. Holding that duo to five total points is astounding. Greenforest has now spanked a top backcourt in the state and a top frontcourt as well. Jordan Goldwire played well for Norcross and I thought freshman Kyle Sturdivant looked good also. Robert Sims battled hard for Coach McMillan and was up to the task to pick up the slack left by Thomas and Hammonds. He fought for seven points and blocked three shots.

 

Top Performers:

Greenforest
Justin Forrest – 21 points, 4 assists
Abayomi Iyiola – 13 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block
John Ogwuche – 12 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals
Mohammed Abdulsalem – 9 points
Victor Enoh – 7 points, 10 rebounds, 1 block
Ikey Obiagu – 6 points, 13 rebounds, 5 blocks
Precious Ayah – 3 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block

Norcross
Jordan Goldwire – 11 points
Kyle Sturdivant – 11 points, 2 assists
Chris Curlett – 8 points, 3 steals
Robert Sims – 7 points, 3 blocks
Rayshaun Hammonds – 5 points, 8 rebounds

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Will Washington Lifts No. 2 McIntosh Over IMG

5ANo. 2 McIntosh 61, IMG Academy (FL) 53

A game marred with questionable calls was eventually won by the play on the court. The fourth quarter belonged to Will Washington as the Chiefs rebounded from last night’s heartbreaking loss to down the internationally flavored Ascenders.

IMG Academy led 11-9 after one and rode star sophomore Emmitt Williams all game long. The big time athlete scored a game-high 24 points and pulled down 16 rebounds to keep the Ascenders in the game. He and guard Arseniy Andreev, who finished with 13 points, did most of the damage.

Emmitt Williams will only get better and that's scary
Emmitt Williams will only get better and that’s scary

The game was close throughout, but early in the third the momentum could have potentially swung all the way into IMG’s corner when Washington, for the second night in a row, ran into foul trouble as he picked up his third foul on a charge at the 7:17 mark of the third quarter. Just over two minutes later, he picked up his fourth foul on one of many controversial calls made by the officiating crew. On an inbounds, he and Andreev were jostling for position, not uncommon for guards, but for some reason the referee blew the whistle for a double foul and in the process saddled Washington with another foul causing him to sit at the 4:58 mark of the third and McIntosh up 33-32.

The Chiefs entered the fourth up 40-36 after Dishon Lowery cleaned up a miss and scored inside. The Wofford signee finished with five points and battled Williams inside all night and pulled down 15 rebounds of his own.

Minutes into the fourth with 5:08 left, Brendon Rowan took a big charge and Washington re-entered with the Chiefs trailing 43-42. From that point on, it was all Washington. He scored 16 of his team-high 18 points in the final quarter, going 12-of-16 from the line. With both teams in the bonus from the 4:55 mark on, Washington knew what to do. He went on a personal 9-0 run to extend the lead to 51-43 before Williams hit a free throw to break the drought.

With 1:59 remaining in regulation, the Ascenders cut the lead to 53-49. Furman signee Jordan Lyons hit Cole Guenther inside who finished a huge layup inside over Williams to put the game out of reach.

My Take: Jordan Lyons got cooking in the second quarter and hit three three-pointers and played an all-around strong floor game. Will Washington’s performance proves just how valuable he is to Coach Jason Eisele’s team. He is always in control of the ball and rarely makes mistakes. When he turned it on in the fourth quarter, IMG had no answer. From my two games watching the Chiefs, it just solidifies my opinion of them being a major threat to challenge Miller Grove for the title. If they can establish their low post presences in Chase Walter and Dishon Lowery, they will be tough to beat.  Lowery gobbles up rebounds at a major rate and finished with 15 more after a 20-board night on Friday. Ulysses Brown only scored three points, but he did an outstanding job while Washington was on the bench. He played good defense and didn’t force anything on offense while keeping his head when the Ascenders tried to get physical. He, Brendon Rowan and Cole Guenther are nice role players off the bench that help the flow of the offense and defense stay intact while the starters sit. Emmitt Williams of IMG is still just a sophomore and that is scary. He’s an exceptional athlete who can hang and glide to the basket. He doesn’t have too much help around him, but that will just help him gain experience as being “the man” while he moves on to the college ranks.

Top Performers:

McIntosh
Will Washington – 18 points, 5 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
Jordan Lyons – 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
Dishon Lowery – 5 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block
Chase Walter – 6 points, 6 rebounds

IMG
Emmitt Williams – 24 points, 16 rebounds
Arseniy Andreev – 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Greenforest’s Size Dominates Smaller Falcons Inside

1ANo. 1 Greenforest 87, 6ANo. 6 Pebblebrook 59

Before the game, Greenforest’s size advantage was one major factor as to why Pebblebrook entered as a slight underdog. That size advantage was fully taken advantage of by Coach Larry Thompson’s team as the Eagles out-rebounded the Falcons 42-to-18 to blow past Pebblebrook at Holiday Hoopsgiving. At the end of one, the Falcons tried to stay close and trailed 29-19, but the second quarter became a microcosm of the game. Sophomore wide body Mohammed Abdulsalem entered the game and posted seven points and four rebounds before finishing with nine points and nine rebounds. Greenforest pounded the glass all night and came away with second-chance point after second-chance point.

Abdulsalem’s work inside was strong, but the astronomical improvement of five-star junior center Ikey Obiagu was one of the main storylines seen. The 7-footer scored 15 points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked four shots. Pebblebrook was powered by Auburn signee Jared Harper, but the 5-foot-11 guard couldn’t find much help outside of Collin Sexton and JJ Smith. Harper scored a game-high 29 points with four threes, while Sexton chipped in 12 points and Smith finished with 11.

Ikey Obiagu is a big presence in the middle
Ikey Obiagu is a big presence in the middle

Greenforest’s balance was unmatched as nine players scored led by New Hampshire bound guard John Ogwuche’s 19. Abayomi Iyiola posted a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Justin Forrest scored nine and dished out seven assists, Precious Ayah added seven points and nine rebounds and Jaden Duggan chipped in six, all from the line, to round out the Eagles’ top scorers.

My Take: Boy, oh boy. Greenforest is a terrifying team when they are clicking. They have frontcourt size that nearly every NCAA Division-One team would covet. Let’s start with the biggest of them all, Ikey Obiagu. This was just the second time I have ever seen the 7-footer play. I watched him come off the bench in the state championship a year ago and score two points, grab zero rebounds and foul out. When I heard he was a five-star prospect this summer I laughed. When I saw him tonight I was amazed. He showed a deft touch inside and some nice post moves to go along with advanced footwork for a man of his stature. I can totally see why every high major program in the country is hot after him. Abayomi Iyiola might have been the most impressive outside of Obiagu. His 17 points and 12 rebounds was just pure hustle. Put him alongside Ikey and Mohammed Abdulsalem who is an absolute bull in a china shop down low and you have a team that will massacre others on the glass. John Ogwuche and Justin Forrest did what they had to do from their guard spots and were as solid as it gets, simply making the right decisions on the floor and not trying to do too much. As far as things go for Pebblebrook, I expect them to be extremely dangerous when they aren’t playing NBA frontlines. Jared Harper is fun to watch and isn’t afraid to challenge in the lane with floaters or pull up for long threes. Against elite teams however, he will need some help. JJ Smith showed some flashes with some tough baskets, but he looks to be far too good of a player to only score 11 points. Collin Sexton will be a nice running mate and the trio should have some fun in the high scoring Region 3-AAAAAA. Productive size inside will be important to find, also a glue guy as well. Trhae Mitchell and Derek Ogbeide are missed, but so is Kevin Murph. The year is young however and I’m confident Coach George Washington will find someone to step up and fill those important roles.

Top Performers: 

Greenforest
Abayomi Iyiola – 17 points, 12 rebounds
John Ogwuche – 19 points, 2 assists, 2 steals
Ikey Obiagu – 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 blocks
Justin Forrest – 9 points, 7 assists
Mohammed Abdulsalem – 9 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block
Precious Ayah – 7 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks

Pebblebrook
Jared Harper – 29 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
Collin Sexton – 12 points
JJ Smith – 11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks