Tag Archives: Final 4

Boys State Playoffs, Recaps

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CLASS 6A

Saturday, March 1 at Georgia State

R5 #1 No. 2 Wheeler 68, R4 #1 No. 1  Grayson 53: Wheeler (28-3) avenged a 77-68 loss to Grayson (28-3), stunning the Rams holding them to 21 points in the second half. Kevin Savage (18), Mansur McClain (16) and Ole Miss-signee Tylis Jordan (14) paced the Wildcats. Grayson received 18 points from Caleb Holt, 13 from Cal State Fullerton-signee Kiwane Garris and 6 points from UGA-singee Jacob Wilkins.

R4 #2 No. 6 Newton 56, R3 #2 No. 9 Pebblebrook 53:  Dead in the water, Pebblebrook (22-9) went on an 8-0 run over a 31-second span to trim the Newton (22-9) lead to 53-51 with 20 seconds left on Zyree Brown’s fifth three-pointer of the game but Newton was able to hit just enough free throws to ice it as a halfcourt heave rimmed off the front iron. Jordan Green led Newton with 15 points. App State-signee Ted Neal netted 13 points and Marcus Smith II had 10. Brown led the Falcons with 16 points. Jaylen Humphrey scored 12 and Jayvion Nurse chipped in 10.

CLASS 5A

Friday, February 28 at Georgia State

R4 #1 No. 1 Woodward Academy 63, R3 #1 No. 9 Langston Hughes 58: Jarvis Hayes Jr. posted 18 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists while Clemson-signee Zac Foster recorded 18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block to lead Woodward Academy (27-4). Ethan Carter led Langston Hughes (24-9) with 20 points before fouling out. Jaron LaMelle added 10.

R4 #2 No. 2 Tri-Cities 75, R2 #1 No. 10 Lee County 63: Tri-Cities (25-6) advanced to the state championship for the fifth time in the past nine years, setting up a fourth meeting with region rival Woodward Academy. Georgia Southern-signee Sean Van Dorn and Tre Keith combined for 52 points.

CLASS 4A

Saturday, March 1 at Fort Valley State

R4 #1 No. 1 Pace Academy 76, R5 #1 No. 4 Tucker 40: Pace Academy (27-4) jumped out to a 9-0 lead and never trailed against Tucker (25-7), overwhelming the Tigers with their size and aggressive full court pressure. Chandler Bing posted 24 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists followed by Georgia Tech-signee Eric Chatfield’s 20 points and 5 rebounds. Hayden Clay scored 11 points. Freshman Bentley Lusakueno pitched in 9 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. Jakobe Williams led Tucker with 13 points.

R8 #1 No. 2 North Oconee 70, R2 #1 No. 9 McDonough 60: North Oconee (29-2) staved off McDonough (25-6) to advance back to the state title game. Khamari Brooks posted 22 points followed by Justin Wise’s 20. Banks Pourchier tallied 17 points.

CLASS 3A

Friday, February 28 at Fort Valley State

#1 No. 3 Sandy Creek 71, #5 No. 8 Windsor Forest 42: Sandy Creek (28-3) advanced back to Macon with a chance for a three-peat. The Patriots led 14-0 to start. Kingston Hawkins scored 18 points followed by Jared White’s 15 and Avohn Florence’s 14. Amari Latimer chipped in 10.

#3 No. 1 Cedar Grove 53, #7 No. 10 Monroe 45: Cedar Grove (28-3) held off Monroe (21-10) to set up a 2023 state championship rematch with former region rival Sandy Creek. Manny Green led the Saints with 18 points and 9 rebounds while Yusef Bower netted 13 points, 9 assists and 4 steals. Keith Gillespie and Javonte Floyd scored 8 points each. Brayden Burns (17) and Lorenzo Still (13) paced Monroe.

CLASS 2A

Friday, February 28 at Georgia  Southwestern

#4 No. 4 Butler 78, #1 No. 1 Carver-Columbus 73 OT: Butler (20-8) held down 27-3 Carver-Columbus’ high-powered offense just enough to clinch a berth in the state championship. After missing two free throws late in regulation, Carver’s Tony Mongomery, a Troy-signee, drilled a three with 7 seconds left to force overtime. The tandem of Denver-signee Marcus Scurry and Kwamane Bridges anchored the Bulldogs.

#6 No. 7 Union County 54, #2 Tattnall County 38: Union County (26-5) outscored Tattnall County (25-5) 22-10 in the third quarter behind Hayden Hughes’ four three-pointers in the frame. The Panthers held the Warriors to just 20 points in the second half. Houston Henry poured in 24 points while Hayden Hughes had 15. Maddox Young added 9. Justin McMillian powered Tattnall County with 21 points.

CLASS A D-I

Saturday, March 1 at Georgia College

#15 No. 3 BEST Academy 73, #14 No. 10 East Laurens 58: BEST Academy (24-7) took control in the second half to eliminate East Laurens (20-8) to advance to their first ever trip to the state championship. Nick Dozier (20), Jacob Mickell (17), Xion Evans (16) and Josh Mickell (14) all reached double digits.

#1 No. 2 Southwest-Macon 65, #5 Toombs County 54: Southwest-Macon (27-2) will have a home game at the Macon Centreplex in search of their seventh state title, first since 1989. The Patriots slowly extended their lead against Toombs County (18-12), who got hot at the end of the season and falls one game short of a return to the state title game. CJ Howard (23), Chase Dupree (21) and Brandon Ashley (17) carried the load. Mike Polke scored 19 for the Bulldogs.

CLASS A D-II

Friday, February 28 at Georgia College

R3 #1 No. 1 Savannah 64, R8 #2 Warren County 55: Savannah (26-4) held off a furious comeback attempt from Warren County (21-10), closing on a 10-5 run to advance to the state title game after seeing a double digit lead trimmed to four points.

R3 #2 No. 3 McIntosh County Academy 49, R8 #1 No. 10 Greene County 41: The Buccaneers (26-5) took down Greene County (22-8) to set up a fourth meeting with Region 3 foe Savannah for the state title.

CLASS 3A-1A PRIVATE

Friday, February 28 at North Georgia

#1 No. 3 North Cobb Christian 57, #4 No. 2 Greenforest 51: North Cobb Christian (28-3) punched their ticket to the GHSA state championship for the first time in program history. Xavier Butler scored 20 points on five threes and Brock Bass-Bonner poured in 17 points. Grant Robich and Isaiah Chandler each scored 9 points. Orion Wilson led Greenforest (23-6) with a game-high 22 points. Kyree Taylor tossed in 12.

#3 No. 1 Holy Innocents’ 84, #7 No. 6 Mt. Paran 42: Holy Innocents’ (26-4) used an overpowering 27-3 second quarter to race away from Mt. Paran (20-14). North Carolina-signee Caleb Wilson poured in 19 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 blocks. Devin Hutcherson posted 17 points and 4 rebounds. Jordan Mays pitched in 12 points and freshman Jaden McCullough had 10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals.

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GHSA Girls Basketball Final 4 Matchups


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CLASS 6A

Saturday, March 1 at Georgia State

R4 #1 No. 2 Grayson 53, R5 #1 No. 6 Cherokee 48: Grayson (30-1) rallied from down nine points in the third quarter to topple Cherokee (26-5), avenging their lone loss of the year which came in the season opener. Jacksonville-signee Tatum Brown poured in 21 points to lead the comeback. Zoie Lofton scored 11 points and Jayla Bennett added 8. South Florida-lacrosse signee Alex Whitecliffe scored 16 points while Lyla Griffith added 14 for the Warriors.

R4 #2 No. 7 Newton 55, R6 #1 No. 3 North Forsyth 47:  The young Rams rode sophomore London Smith to storm past North Forsyth (30-1). Smith poured in 15 points in the third quarter to give Newton (24-5) a 37-36 lead heading into the fourth quarter after trailing 23-18 at the half. Smith finished with a game-high 28 points. Mya Perry scored 10 points and Zoey Jackson added 7. Chattanooga-signee London Weaver finished her career with 22 points for the Raiders. Gabbie Gliatta netted 10 points.

CLASS 5A

Friday, February 28 at Georgia State

R3 #1 No. 2 Langston Hughes 66, R1 #1 No. 8 Bradwell Institute 46: Karrell Greene came off the bench to pour in a game-high 24 points to power Langston Hughes (29-2). UGA-signee Jocelyn Faison scored 12 points while Georgia State-signee Savannah Robinson-Holmes tacked on 10. Kylar Rae Johnson (9) and Cornelia Ellington (8) balanced the attack. West Georgia-signee Parris Parham paced Bradwell Institute (26-4) with 20 points.

R6 #1 No. 1 River Ridge 91, R7 #1 No. 4 Milton 64: River Ridge (30-1) advanced to their second state championship in three years. The Knights led 33-7 early in the second quarter before Milton (24-7) cut the lead to 11. Finley Parker (22), Georgia Southern-signee Kayla Cleaveland (20), Kyla Cantey (16), Makayla Roberson (15) and Furman-signee Sophia Pearl (11) balanced the attack. Milton was led by Londyn Walker’s 20 points. Florida A&M-signee Zana Justice had 14 points and Deyva Davis added 11.

CLASS 4A

Saturday, March 1 at Fort Valley State

R4 #1 No. 1 Creekside 54, R7  R5 #1 No. 3 Marist 43: The dream of a perfect season is still alive for Creekside (31-0) after the Seminoles withstood star guard C’India Dennis fouling out at the 3:50 mark with 32 points and the Noles up 49-36, knocking off defending state champion Marist (29-3). Kate Harpring scored 28 in the loss.

R4 #3 No. 10 Maynard Jackson 80, R8 #1 No. 5 North Oconee 79 3OT: A wild marathon of a game was decided by a controversial whistle as Aaliyah Weaver baited a foul and coolly sank two free throws with three seconds left to lift Maynard Jackson (20-7) back to Macon for a chance to repeat as state champs, surviving Oklahoma-signee Kendall Wells’ 30 points. Missed free throws plagued the Lady Titans in the loss who took the lead with 12 seconds left on a Lolly Willis baseline wrap-around pass to freshman Leah Pollack after Cayden Cornish sank a pair of free throws to give the Jaguars the lead, part of her 23 points. Weaver finished with 29 points to power the Jaguars while Willis netted 28 for the Titans. Journey Conley double-doubled for Maynard Jackson with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

CLASS 3A

Friday, February 28 at Fort Valley State

#4 No. 8 Cherokee Bluff 56, #8 Jenkins 54: Bristol Kersh netted 17 points including the game-winning banked in runner at the buzzer to lift Cherokee Bluff (24-8) to the state championship. Claire Carlson scored 23 points and hit a corner three late in the game to take a one-point lead before Jenkins (20-9) answered with a go-ahead bucket. I’Yarna Lee led the Warriors with 23 points.

#7 No. 1 Baldwin 62, #3 No. 3 Fayette County 55: Baldwin (25-6) received 20 points and 18 rebounds from Janaye Walker. Georgia Southwestern-signee Kassidy Neal piled in 20 points and 8 rebounds to top Fayette County (25-6) for the second time this season. Suri Clark double-doubled with 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Tigers saw Journy Scott score 17 points. USC Upstate-soccer commit Deyla McCoy netted 15 points while New York-signee Megan Ohonde had 11 points, 6 rebounds and 6 steals. BriAnn Freeman chipped in 9 points and 8 rebounds.

CLASS 2A

Friday, February 28 at Georgia  Southwestern

#1 No. 3 Murray County 71, #5 No. 8 Morgan County 66: Murray County (30-1) advanced to the state championship for the first time since 1966 behind freshman Blaklee Ledford’s 21 points and 5 assists.  Montreat-commit Bayleigh Winkler posted 17 points and 8 rebounds while Callan Ledford collected 12 points and 10 rebounds. In the loss, Morgan County (21-10) was led by Emmanuel-signee Jaden Young’s 29 points. Kymora Smith and Cydney Burke each scored 14 points.

#3 No. 4 Hardaway 65, #2 No. 1 Josey 45: Hardaway (25-6) advanced back to the state championship, pulling away from Josey (24-4) in the fourth quarter.

CLASS A D-I

Saturday, March 1 at Georgia College

#1 No. 3 Fannin County 72, #5 No. 2 East Laurens 63: Fannin County (28-2) punched their ticket back to Macon for the first time since 2021 as the Rebels pulled away from East Laurens (22-6) in the second half.

#2 No. 1 Banks County 51, #3 No. 5 Model 44 OT: Model (24-6) melted down against the Leopards’ pressure, squandering a 44-38 lead with 66 seconds to play in regulation, losing in overtime as Banks County (25-5) finished the game on an 13-0 run. The Lady Blue Devils had upwards of 30+ turnovers allowing the Leopards to stay within striking distance as they trailed for a significant portion of the second half.

CLASS A D-II

Friday, February 28 at Georgia College

R4 #1 No. 1 Wilcox County 75, R3 #1 No. 5 Screven County 47: Jaliah Roberts had 22 points and 7 rebounds in the loss for Screven County (23-6) while Olivia Jackson had 14 points and 11 rebounds.

R8 #1 Washington-Wilkes 66, R6 #1 No. 2 Macon County 55: Washington-Wilkes (14-8) clinched a berth in the state title game by beating Macon County (22-4).

CLASS 3A-1A PRIVATE

Friday, February 28 at North Georgia

#1 No. 1 Hebron Christian 74, #5 No. 4 Galloway 32: Auburn-signee Ja’Kerra Butler scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while George Washington-signee Mia James pitched in 17 for Hebron Christian (29-1). Miami-signee Danielle Osho had 15 points and 11 rebounds. Alanna Beckham scored 10. Taryn Thompson scored 15 points for Galloway (20-9).

#3  No. 3 Holy Innocents’ 63, #2 No. 2 St. Francis 61: Freshman Loriel Murray scored 18 points, 16 in the second half including the game-winner with 10 seconds left to advance Holy Innocents’ (24-5) to the state title game. Stanford-signee and All-American Hailee Swain had the steal and assist to win the game, finishing with a game-high 23 points. Nakhai Worthy added 14 points. Giaunni Rogers netted 16 points and Camryn Golston powered St. Francis (28-3) with 15 points.

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Boys State Playoffs, Recaps

GHSA Boys Basketball Final 4 Matchups


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CLASS 7A

Saturday, March 2 at Georgia State

R3 #1 No. 2 McEachern 63, R5 #1 No. 3 Wheeler 56: Rutgers-signee Ace Bailey dumped in 32 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks to lead McEachern (26-5) to the state championship. The Indians used a 9-0 run to pull away after Wheeler (25-6) had cut the lead to 47-46 at the 6:55 mark of the fourth quarter. Nnadozie Onyirimba tallied 11 points and 9 rebounds. During the postseason, Bailey has now averaged 32.8 points and 15.5 rebounds per game.

R4 #1 No. 1 Grayson 57, R6 #1 No. 8 Milton 40: Amir Taylor posted 13 points and 8 rebounds while Purdue-signee Gicarri Harris collected 12 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists as Grayson (29-2) punched their ticket to Macon where they will see McEachern, who they beat in the first game of the season 79-62.  Milton (20-11) saw Daniel Ogunyemi and Anthony Gause score 14 points apiece. Josh Dixon added 8 points.

CLASS 6A

Saturday, March 2 at West Georgia

R5 #1 No. 1 Alexander 93, R3 #1 No. 5 Woodward Academy 63: Kennesaw State-signee Braedan Lue posted 20 points and 11 rebounds. Gregory Dunson had 19 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Torian Greene had 13 points, Jermaine Freeman had 11 and Chris Hutchinson added 10.

R4 #4 No. 7 Riverwood 79, R3 #2 No. 8 Jonesboro 63: Riverwood (24-7) raced past Jonesboro (22-11). Vanderbilt-signee Karris Bilal dumped in 30 points and Jalen Leonard posted 22 to lead the Raiders. Jonesboro was paced by Cortez Redding (21), Chris Jones (15) and Montez Redding (14).

CLASS 5A

Friday, March 1 at West Georgia

R2 #1 No. 3 Eagle’s Landing 69, R5 #4 Maynard Jackson 51: Bobby Buggs had 18 points followed by Dwight Brown’s 15 and John McQueen’s 10 to lead Eagle’s Landing (23-7).

R6 #1 No. 1 Kell 66, R8 #2 No. 10 Winder-Barrow 34: Cannon Richards tallied 14 points and 6 rebounds as Kell (27-3) overpowered Winder-Barrow (26-5) on their way back to the state championship. South Florida-signee CJ Brown added 13 points and 9 rebounds while Alabama A&M-signee Jaylen Colon posted 10 points and 7 assists. Chris McLavish had 9 points, 4 assists and 6 steals. Brayden Rouse had 7 points.

CLASS 4A

Saturday, March 2 at Fort Valley State

R8 #1 No. 3 North Oconee 65, R2 #1 No. 4 Baldwin 64: A putback from Khamari Brooks put the finishing touches on a fourth quarter comeback for North Oconee (29-3) to stun Baldwin (27-3) who trailed early but had a lead for a significant portion of the fourth quarter. Brooks finished with 28 points. Justin Wise scored 14 points, Justin Payne had 10 and Byrd Carter tossed in 8 points. Isaiah Dennis led the Braves with 21 points while Tre Lawrence and Karez Demory pitched in 11 apiece.

R6 #1 No. 5 Holy Innocents’ 52, R3 #2 Benedictine 45: Caleb Wilson shined with 18 points, 20 rebounds, 3 assists and 8 blocks as Holy Innocents’ (26-6) finally put away an upset-minded Benedictine (17-8).  Will Hopkins added 12 points and Devin Hutcherson had 10. Rhys Williams collected 9 points and 6 assists. The Cadets received 20 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals from Caleb Jones. Northern Illinois football-signee LaDon Bryant had 9 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks.

CLASS 3A

Saturday, March 2 at Savannah State

R5 #1 No. 1 Sandy Creek 66, R1 #3 No. 10 Carver-Columbus 32: James Madison-signee Micah Smith scored 19 points, Jacobi Robinson had 15 and Amari Brown netted 10 to push the Patriots (26-3) back to Macon for a chance to defend their state title.

R3 #2 Johnson-Savannah 55, R1 #1 No. 4 Dougherty 51:  Cormari Jones posted 18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals while Favion Kirkwood put up 15 points and 8 rebounds and Joshua Quarterman tacked on 14 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists as Savannah (20-11) upended Dougherty (23-8) in dramatic fashion as the Trojans rallied and had a chance to take the lead with under a minute to go on an And-1 attempt but saw the officials whistle a charge thanks to Quentin James’ heroics to seal the deal for the Atomsmashers.  Kaleke Singletary-Jinks led Dougherty with 18 points while Jawuan Jinks had 11.

CLASS 2A

Saturday, March 2 at Georgia College

R3 #1 No. 4 Toombs County 47, R4 #3 No. 2 Butler 42: Tied at 39 with 3:59 to left to play, Toombs County (29-2) dug deep to trudge past a scrappy Butler team that wouldn’t go away even after trailing 30-20 at the break. The Bulldogs (24-7) held Toombs County to five points in the third quarter and eventually secured a 36-35 lead in the fourth quarter with 5:42 to play, capping a 16-5 run. Defense carried Toombs County even during their offensive struggles. Coach Jared Goodwin turned to a 2-3 zone midway through the fourth that helped stifle the Bulldogs as Toombs County would close on a 8-3 run to advance to Macon. Dominic Eason had an explosive first half with 17 points and finished with 21 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Mike Polke added 8 points and 9 rebounds including adding two important free throws in the fourth quarter. Butler saw Kwamane Bridges tally 13 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocks while Marcus Scurry contributed 11 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block. Roosevelt Brown stuffed the box score with 6 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks.

R4 #1 No. 1 Westside-Augusta 70, R5 #2 No. 5 Columbia 59: For the third consecutive season, Westside-Augusta (27-4) eliminated Columbia (27-4) and now has an opportunity to three-peat as state champs. The Patriots leapt out to a 21-13 lead to start and held a 39-32 advantage at the half. In the third quarter, Columbia responded and trimmed the lead to 40-38, but Westside-Augusta would turn to a zone defense to stifle the Eagles. Eight different players scored for Westside led by DeMarco Middleton’s 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Dontrell Jackson contributed 13 points off the bench while AJ Jones netted 11 and Bobby Blackwell posted 10 points and 2 blocks. Columbia saw Quay Wallace lead all scorers with 22 points and 4 rebounds. JaMarcus Hatcher closed his career with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 5 blocks.

CLASS A D-I

Friday, March 1 at Georgia College

R6 #2 No. 2 Paideia 56, R3 #1 No. 3 Savannah 39: CJ Harper took over in the fourth quarter with 9 points as Paideia (17-12) surged past a short-handed Savannah (22-9) after holding a 35-29 advantage following three quarters. Harper finished with 17 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. Freshman Tristan Mitchell scored eight of his 14 points in the first half and added 3  assists. Frank Jackson scored 9 points. Jermaine Edwards powered Savannah with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks. The Maki Joyner-less Blue Jackets got 11 points from Jermontae Brown and 3 points, 9 rebounds and 8 blocks from Deshawn Davis.

R6 #1 No. 1 Mt. Vernon 77, R6 #4 No. 7 Mt. Pisgah 39: The Mustangs jumped out to a 15-2 lead and never looked back. Mt. Vernon (23-9) saw Sha’yah Goba rack up 23 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks while West Georgia-signee Xavier Shegog tallied 15 points and 10 rebounds as the Mustangs outrebounded the Patriots 41-16. KJ Garris piled in 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Dennis Scott III had 9 point and 9 rebounds. Gabe Alterman had 6 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Montevallo-signee O’Neill Connolly tallied 10 points in the loss.

CLASS A D-II

Friday, March 1 at Fort Valley State

R6 #2 Manchester 62, R8 #1 Warren County 60: Jayden Terry scored 24 points and Daryus Bryant had 14 to pace Manchester (20-8).  Torossie Leslie scored 19 points and Cosa Pender had 17 in defeat for Warren County (24-6).

R7 #1 No. 1 Greenforest 68, R6 #1 No. 3 Macon County 44: Michael Robinson netted 22 points for Greenforest (26-4) while Elijah Lewis and Caleb Kawela added 13 apiece. Macon County (27-4) was paced by Frankie Raines Jr.’s 17 points and Tyler Stephens’ 11.

Girls Recaps, Girls State Playoffs

GHSA Girls Basketball Final 4 Matchups


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CLASS 7A

Saturday, March 2 at Georgia State

R3 #1 No. 4 North Paulding 57, R5 #1 No. 9 Cherokee 54: Marina Sippola, Kaden McCorvey and Morgan Landrum all scored 10 points to propel North Paulding (25-6) to their first-ever state title berth. McCorvey snagged 8 rebounds. Ava Andrews (9), Wheeling-signee Jayda Jackson (8) and Andrea Landrum (8) all contributed offensively.

R4 #1  No. 1 Grayson 66, R1 #1 No. 10 Lowndes 25: Grayson (31-0) continued their journey toward a perfect season, overwhelming Lowndes (22-5). Georgia Tech-signee Danielle Carnegie exploded for 25 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 steals. Florida Atlantic-signee Erin Rodgers posted 14 points, 18 rebounds and 3 assists. Nicholls State-signee Malaya Jones tallied 10 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Taj Hunter added 10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks.

CLASS 6A

Saturday, March 2 at West Georgia

R8 #1 No. 2 North Forsyth 43, R1 #2 No. 7 Veterans 33: North Forsyth’s quest for a perfect 32-0 season continues after London Weaver and Gabbie Gliatta scored 15 points apiece to eliminate Veterans (24-7). Gabby Minus led the Warhawks with 14 points and Nariah Nelson had 8.

R4 #1 No. 3 Marist 72, R6 #1 No. 1 River Ridge 69 OT: Marist (29-1) shocked the defending state champs River Ridge (26-5) in overtime as Kate Harpring carried the War Eagles, leading the comeback after trailing by 11 points in the fourth quarter with 47 points. River Ridge was led by Kayla Cleaveland’s 18 points. Allie Sweet had 16 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals in her final game. Makayla Roberson posted 12 points and 5 assists while Sophia Pearl tallied 9 points and 7 assists. Freshman Finley Parker scored 9.

CLASS 5A

Friday, March 1 at West Georgia

R5 #1 No. 2 Maynard Jackson 77, R7 #2 Cartersville 57: Maynard Jackson (28-1) raced past Cartersville (18-13) to punch their ticket to the state title game. Shakira Gresham netted 29 points while Taliah Cornish posted 21.

R5 #2 No. 4 Midtown 73, R7 #1 No. 5 Dalton 63: Midtown (27-5) will get a fourth crack at Maynard Jackson as the Knights pushed past Dalton (21-10) to make it to their first-ever state championship. Briaiah Lewis netted 22 points and Sinclair Richman had 16 to power the Knights. The Catamounts saw Emma Hefner produce 22 points while North Georgia-signee Grace Ridley pumped in 17.

CLASS 4A

Saturday, March 2 at Fort Valley State

R2 #1 No. 1 Baldwin 55, R4 #2 No. 6 Fayette County 32: Janaye Walker posted 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 blocks as Baldwin (28-2) advanced back to Macon. Kassidy Neal had 11 points and 7 rebounds. Mount St. Mary’s-signee Madison Ruff tallied 8 points, 5 rebounds, 6 steals and 2 blocks.

R1 #1 No. 2 Hardaway 57, R8 #2 No. 9 North Oconee 44:  Mikayla Johnson dumped in 20 points for Hardaway (27-4) while Akilah Shelton added 11 and Adazha Burrell pitched in 9. Oklahoma softball-commit Kendall Wells led North Oconee (22-10) with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Lolly Willis added 15 points and 7 rebounds in defeat.

CLASS 3A

Saturday, March 2 at Savannah State

R8 #1 No. 1 Hebron Christian 97, R1 #2 No. 9 Monroe 42:  Mia James (24), Danielle Osho (17), Camryn Register (12), Ja’kerra Butler (12) and Aubrey Beckham (12) led Hebron Christian (29-2) in scoring. Freshman phenom Kie’Aundria Acree paced Monroe (21-10) with 18 points. Ciarra Lunsford added 9 points while Taylor McKinzy netted 8.

R7 #1 No. 2 Wesleyan 71, R1 #1 No. 3 Carver-Columbus 57: Johanna Potter (18), Texas-signee Bryanna Preston (16) and Georgia Tech-signee Chit-Chat Wright (13) led Wesleyan (27-3) past Carver-Columbus (23-7) to set up a long awaited showdown with Hebron Christian for the state title.  In the loss, Camryn Thomas scored 18.

CLASS 2A

Saturday, March 2 at Georgia College

R4 #2 No. 2 Josey 45, R2 #1 No. 6 Central-Macon 38: The guard play of KeAsia Henderson and Kerri Fluellen guided Josey (28-4) past Central-Macon (26-5), the Eagles also utilizing a 24-6 run to take control, starting their stretch late in the first half after trailing 17-11. Josey raced ahead 35-23 in the fourth quarter after being deadlocked at 17 at halftime. The Chargers surged back and cut the lead to 35-29 but wouldn’t get any closer as the Eagles put the game away behind their backcourt. Henderson finished with 18 points and 4 steals. Fluellen had 14 points, 3 rebounds and 4 steals. The Chargers were powered by Talladega College-signee Alaya Grane’s 14 points and Jazlyn Johnson’s 11 points and 10 rebounds.

R6 #1 No. 1 Mt. Paran 72, R7 #1 No. 7 Murray County 44: Mt. Paran (28-3) rolled past Murray County (24-7) for a chance to three-peat as state champs. Jessica Fields pumped in 22 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks while Campbell-signee Ciara Alexander had 20 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks. Jacalyn Myrthil tallied 19 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals. Katali Youmans went for 6 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. Murray County saw Callan Ledford put up 14 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Skyler Mahoney chipped in 12 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 2 blocks followed by freshman Miley McClure’s 9 points.

CLASS A D-I

Friday, March 1 at Georgia College

R6 #2 No. 2 Galloway 60, R8 #1 No. 4 Rabun County 45: Galloway (19-10) limited Rabun County (24-7) to just four threes and saw the Thompsons carry the load to advance back to the state championship. Georgia Tech-signee Tianna Thompson finished with 28 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals while Taryn Thompson recorded 15 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 steal. Western Carolina-signee Lucy Hood closed her illustrious career with 22 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal while Presbyterian-signee Ellie Southards netted 15 points and 3 rebounds. The LadyCats trailed 28-22 at the half and 42-35 after three following a last-second layup from Libby Abdur-Rahim. Rabun County cut the lead to 47-41 at the 4:44 mark in the fourth quarter but saw Galloway finish the game on a 13-4 stretch.

R6 #1 No. 1 St. Francis 70, R8 #2 No. 3 Athens Christian 38: St. Francis (23-7) pulled away in the second half from Athens Christian (24-5) after leading 27-16 at the half. Up 44-31 after three, the Knights put the game away with an explosive 26-7 final stanza. Nya Young posted 20 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Austin Peay-signee SaMya Wyatt had 13 points and 7 rebounds while Giaunni Rogers netted 11 points and Desi Taylor chipped in 10. Emmanuel-signee Natalee Goff closed her career with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks for the Eagles. Josi Vaughn had 8 points and Marlene Mbilima finished with 4 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks.

CLASS A D-II

Friday, March 1 at Fort Valley State

R3 #1 No. 3 Montgomery County 61, R2 #1 No. 5 Clinch County 57: Montgomery County (30-1) got 29 points from Marley Bell and 21 from Amire Banks. Clinch County (21-5) received 24 points from Amariah Dean.

R7 #1 No. 1 Greenforest 64, R6 #1 No. 2 Taylor County 35: Greenforest (26-5) bowled over Taylor County (27-4) to clinch a berth in the state title game. Lana Koricanac posted 18 points while Ndate Ndiaye added 13 points. Central Florida-signee Arek Angui added 8 points. Trista Bennett led Taylor County with 10 points.

Girls State Playoffs

GHSA Girls Basketball Final 4 Matchups


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CLASS 7A

March 4 at Georgia State

R7 #1 Norcross 58, R8 #1 Buford 46: Veronaye Charlton scored 19 points followed by Jania Akins’ 12 points, Markiesa Lancaster’s 10 and Kayla Lindsey’s 8 points. Ava Grace Watson paced Buford with 23 points.

R4 #1 Brookwood 58, R3 #1 McEachern 53: Ohio State-signee Diana Collins tallied 19 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. UAB-signee Jade Weathersby had 17 points and 10 rebounds while Danielle Osho pitched in 12 points and 5 rebounds. Kalise Hill led McEachern with a game-high 20 points.

CLASS 6A

March 4 at West Georgia

R3 #3 Lovejoy 73, R2 #1 Brunswick 62: Bryanna Preston scored 31 points and Austin Peay-signee La’Nya Foster had 25 points.

R6 #1 River Ridge 60, R5 #1 Langston Hughes 46: Sophia Pearl poured in 21 points and Kayla Cleaveland added 11 as the Knights advanced to their first-ever title game appearance. Penn-signee Mataya Gayle recorded 10 points, 7 assists and 8 steals. Avery Gaw netted 3 threes for 9 points.

CLASS 5A

March 3 at West Georgia

R2 #1 Warner Robins 62, R7 #1 Calhoun 53: Tasia Agee poured in 18 points and  11 assists while Tori Davis had 20 points off six threes as the Demonettes erased a 31-26 deficit at the half. Lauren Watson had 14 points for Calhoun followed by 11 apiece from Britiya Curtis, Kat Atha and Sa’Niah Dorsey.

R6 #1 Kell 56, R5 #1 Maynard Jackson 37: Georgia State-signee Crystal Henderson piled in 22 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. Jamiah Gregory added 16 points, 6 rebounds and 5 steals. Jada Green pitched in 13 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. Taliah Cornish led Maynard Jackson with 18 points while Shakira Gresham and Aliyah Weaver each had 8.

CLASS 4A

March 4 at Fort Valley State

R2 #1 Griffin 59, R1 #1 Hardaway 54: Mississippi Valley State-signees Aaliyah Duranham (26) and Leah Turner (11) did damage offensively. Zy Thompson scored 15 points. Mikayla Johnson led Hardaway with 23 points. Akilah Shelton, Adazha Burrell and Jenaiya Hardy all scored 8 points apiece.

R2 #2 Baldwin 58, R6 #1 Holy Innocents’ 45: Kassidy Neal had 23 points and 6 rebounds while Madison Ruff tallied 17 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Zykeria Paschal netted 8 points and Janaye Walker contributed 6 points and 11 rebounds.

CLASS 3A

March 3 at Fort Valley State

 R8 #1 Hebron Christian 65, R7 #1 Wesleyan 58: Aubrey Beckham finished with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists while Kayla Lane pitched in 14 points. Amiya Porter chipped in 8 points for Hebron Christian (31-0) who advances back to the state championship. Chit-Chat Wright led Wesleyan with 31 points.

R7 #2 Lumpkin County 78, R3 #1 Calvary Day 31: Averie Jones scored 21 points while Emory-signee Mary Mullinax and North Georgia-signee Lexi Pierce netted 18 points each. Emmanuel-signee Kate Jackson had 12 points. Georgia College-signee Hannah Cail led the Cavaliers with 15 points.

CLASS 2A

March 4 at Georgia College

R8 #1 Banks County 48, R4 #2 Josey 44: Banks County (28-3) ran their winning streak to 21 games as they withstood a late rally from Josey (25-5) behind the Eagles’ fourth quarter full court press. Banks led nearly the entire game, up 21-12 at the half and 32-21 with 2:03 to play in the third quarter before Josey began to press. The Eagles went on a 14-5 run to trim the lead to two with 2:44 to play, but Banks would stave off the comeback bid by hitting just enough free throws. Addison Hoard went 6-10 from the line in the final quarter and finished with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 steals. Ryleigh Murphy hit four threes in the first half and ended with 15 points while Emmanuel-signee Kamryn Grier came to life in the final stanza, netting eight of her 14 points, all of which came in the second half. Grier went 4-4 from the line in the fourth quarter and collected 10 rebounds. Josey was led by Arieonna Booker’s 13 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals, eight points in the fourth quarter. Shaniya Sanders had 13 points and 5 rebounds while freshman Kerri Fluellen tallied 7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks.

R6 #1 Mt. Paran 58, R5 #1 Landmark Christian 51: Mt. Paran (30-1) advanced back to the state title game behind a dominant Jessica Fields performance after picking up her third foul at the 5:02 mark of the second quarter. With Fields on the bench, Landmark Christian (23-9) surged ahead to take a 27-25 halftime lead on a 13-7 run with Fields sidelined. In the third quarter, Fields reasserted herself, scoring nine of her 15 points in the frame. The sophomore finished with 11 rebounds and 8 blocks, six which came in the first half. Jacalyn Myrthil had 18 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists while Isabella Ramirez tallied 10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.  Landmark Christian trailed 44-37 after three quarters but were still in the fight thanks to Georgia Tech-commit Gabbie Grooms who dumped in 29 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Ivona Djikanovic  was a crucial second scorer for the War Eagles with 11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals, but Ciara Alexander was equally effective for Mt. Paran posting 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal.

CLASS A D-I

March 3 at Georgia College

R6 #2 Galloway 70, R8 #1 Elbert County 57: The Scots (27-5) trailed 8-2 early and 30-27 at the half before Tianna Thompson and North Florida-signee Kyla Cain took over combining for 28 points in the second half. Thompson tallied 23 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 steals while Cain scored 13 of her 15 points over the final 16 minutes while adding 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals and 1 block. Taryn Thompson added 10 points, 2 assists, 5 steals and 1 block off the bench. Kennesaw State-signee Kailyn Fields posted 8 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. Elbert County (26-5) was paced by Aaniyah Allen’s 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Niya Moon got hot in the second quarter, netting 12 of her 14 points while Terrace Hester finished with 14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. Brenasia Faust was a factor inside with 6 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks.

R6 #1 St. Francis 76, R3 #1 Woodville-Tompkins 36: The Knights (26-6) overwhelmed Woodville-Tompkins (25-6) as five players reached double figures. Desi Taylor led the way with 16 points and 5 assists while freshman Camryn Golston came off the bench to collect 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 6 steals. Nya Young, Sa’Mya Wyatt and Alli White each scored 11 points. The Wolverines saw Sanai Chisholm finish with 10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block. Dyquria Taylor scored 7 points and Janiyah Heyward had 6 points. Brianna Pelote controlled the paint defensively with 3 points, 11 rebounds, 1 steal and 8 blocks before fouling out.

CLASS A D-II

March 4 at Valdosta State

R8 #1 Lake Oconee Academy 34 ,R7 #1 Mt. Zion-Carrollton 14: Jada Williams outscored Mt. Zion-Carrollton with 18 points.

R2 #2 Clinch County 63, R6 #1 Taylor County 55: Ameyion Grady scored 30 points — 25 in the second half to advance the Panthers back to the state title game after a one-year hiatus.