Tag Archives: Final 4

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.

Boys State Playoffs

GHSA Boys Basketball Final 4 Matchups


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CLASS 7A

March 4 at Georgia State

R5 #2 Cherokee 63, R7 #1 Norcross 60 OT: Homegrown Cherokee got 19 points from Braylin Giddens in a thrilling overtime victory of the defending state champs. Lawrence Sanford scored 15 points, Tayden Owens had 14 and Cameron Pope added 9.  Mier Panoam led Norcross with 18 points while UGA-signee Mari Jordan and Samarion Bond pitched in 13 points apiece.

R5 #1 Wheeler 67, R4 #1 Grayson 55: USC-signee Arrinten Page had 19 points, 11 rebounds and 7 blocks while McDonald’s All-American Isaiah Collier and fellow Trojan scored 19 points.  Gicarri Harris had 15 points to lead Grayson.

CLASS 6A

March 4 at West Georgia

R1 #1 Lee County 49, R8 #1 Lanier 48: Josiah Parker scored 16 points and Harrison Skinner added 9.

R5 #1 Alexander 56, R6 #1 Etowah 53: Braeden Lue pitched in 22 points and 8 rebounds while Marvin McGhee netted 11. Virginia Tech-signee Brandon Rechsteiner led Etowah with 15 points followed by Dimitri Angelakos’ 13 and Aidan Weaver’s 10.

CLASS 5A

March 3 at West Georgia

R2 #1 Eagle’s Landing 66, R2 #4 Jones County 54: Mercer-signee David Thomas scored 20 points and Kenny Brayboy added 17. Chris Morris added 16 points and Khylan McKennie had 11. Jaylen Sanford powered Jones County with 15 points followed by Kaden Douglas’ 11 and Judd Anderson’s 10.

R6 #1 Kell 54, R5 #1 Chapel Hill 33: CJ Brown scored 24 points while Cannnon Richards scored 10. Young Harris-commit Kelvin Hunter led Chapel Hill with 8 points.

CLASS 4A

March 4 at Fort Valley State

R5 #2 Pace Academy 57, R1 #1 Westover 49: Kyle Greene scored 16 points to lead Pace Academy while Kemari Leverette netted 16 for Westover.

R4 #1 Fayette County 73, R3 #1 Benedictine 67: RJ Kennedy scored 21 points followed by Keith Gillespie’s 17 points and Sean Van Dorn’s 15. Caleb Jones powered the Cadets with 27 points while Stephon Frazier netted 14 and Ladon Bryant chipped in 8.

CLASS 3A

March 3 at Fort Valley State

R5 #2 Cedar Grove 61, R5 #3 Douglass 45: Jaylen Adside posted 18 points and 5 assists. Darius Reynolds posted 12 points and 12 rebounds. EJ Colson scored 11 points and Manny Green tacked on 10 points and 8 rebounds.  Josh Mickell paced Douglass with 11 points.

R5 #1 Sandy Creek 62, R4 #1 Cross Creek 44: The Patriots ended the Razorbacks’ quest for a three-peat behind Micah Smith’s 16 points and 9 blocks. PJ Green added 13 points and Vic Newsom contributed 10. Antoine Lorick led Cross Creek with 15 points.

CLASS 2A

March 4 at Georgia College

R8 #1 Providence Christian 59, R7 #1 Model 49: The Storm (27-4)  punched their ticket to state, using their defense to power the attack. Jeremias Heard scored seven of his eight points in the first half to go with 8 rebounds and 5 blocks but Chandler Dunn made it tough to receive any clean post entries in the second half.  Covenant College-signee Thomas Malcolm got the Storm off to a quick start scoring 12 of his 14 points in the first quarter. Devin McClain paced Providence Christian with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 1 block. The Storm, who hit 250 threes on the season were held to seven. Samuel Thacker, the school’s all-time single-season leader with 114 this year, hit a crucial late three from the corner to extend the lead, only his second of the night as he finished with 10 points and 6 assists. Jakenes Heard led Model (23-5) with 12 points, 7 rebounds and 1 block. Stevie Dallas and Noah Travis scored 9 points each.

R4 #1 Westside-Augusta 55, R5 #1 Columbia 52: Westside-Augusta (24-7) grinded out a victory against Columbia (30-2) in what turned into a defensive war as the Eagles rallied from down 36-27 at the half to make things interesting before ultimately falling short. Khalon Hudson had two crucial offensive rebounds late in the fourth quarter to extend possessions for the Patriots. Hudson recorded 12 points and 21 rebounds while battling 6-foot-9 Region 5 Player of the Year Terrell Wright, who posted 11 points, 15 rebounds, 2 steals and 6 blocks. Westside’s balanced attack saw DeMarco Middleton finish with 13 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists while battling cramps. AuMauri Tillman netted 11 points including two late free throws while Jalexs Ewing had 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals and 1 block. Columbia, made just one jump shot all game, was powered by Kevin Bruce’s 13 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals. Jada Baugh, who fouled out with the game tied at 49 with 2:29 to play, had 10 points and 7 rebounds.

CLASS A D-I

March 3 at Georgia College

R6 #2 Mt. Pisgah 53, R2 #1 Swainsboro 49:  The Patriots (23-8) jumped out to a 14-1 lead and led 43-24 after three quarters before surviving a 25-10 Swainsboro (15-10) fourth quarter to advance to the state title game. Micah Tucker piled in 23 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals while Tyson Pittman provided 17 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists and 3 steals. Grant Randall posted 6 points, 14 rebounds, 1 assist and 5 blocks to anchor the Patriot backline which had a size advantage. Swainsboro finally turned to the press in the fourth quarter after sitting in a 2-3 zone and saw success, but also saw Demello Jones foul out at the 4:06 mark with the Tigers down 47-36. Jones, a four-star athlete on the gridiron, finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 4 blocks. Freshman LJ Morgan ignited the comeback, scoring 13 of his team-high 15 points in the fourth quarter to go with his 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. Ka’Voyea Williams pitched in 11 points and 7 rebounds in the loss.

R6 #4 King’s Ridge 53, R6 #1 Mt. Vernon 48: Preseason No. 1 King’s Ridge (22-10) punched their ticket back to the state championship after holding off Mt. Vernon (23-9) in an exciting finish. The Mustangs were able to establish their size advantage in spurts as Xavier Shegog posted 18 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block while Maryville-signee Keith Williams pounded away for 14 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks, but King’s Ridge’s perimeter balance was the difference as four players reached double digits, the Tigers nailing seven threes. Isaac Martin scored six of his 12 points in the fourth quarter including a pair of three throws with 3.6 seconds left to ice the game. Martin also added 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. Jaydon Cole netted 12 points followed by 10 apiece from Zak Thomas and Jack Thomas.

CLASS A D-II

March 4 at Valdosta State

R2 #1 Charlton County 50, R7 #1 Greenforest  49:  Three-point sniper Jarvis Wright banked a three at the buzzer to stun Greenforest, finishing with 14 points.  Jamari Hamilton paced the Indians 16 points while Elyiss Williams posted 11 points, 18 rebounds and 1 block. Isaiah Lloyd led Greenforest with 12 points. Georgia State-signee DK Manyiel scored 11 points and Mississippi State-signee Gai Chol had 10.

R5 #1 Wilkinson County 85, R6 #1 Macon County, 63: Region 5 Player of the Year Justin Stanley poured in 25 points.

Girls Basketball, Schedules

GHSA Girls Basketball Final 4 Matchups


CLASS 7A

March 4 at Buford City Arena

R7 #1 No. 4  Norcross 54, R2 #1 No. 7 Campbell 51: DeNaeja Morton hit a corner three with 40.1 seconds left to clinch the win. Norcross ripped off a 20-0 run to seize control after trailing 14-2. DePaul-signee Zaria Hurston recorded 22 points and 15 rebounds. Nia Bozeman scored 17 points to pace Campbell. Laila Battle scored 11.

March 5 at Buford City Arena

R3 #1 No. 5 Harrison 59, R7 #2 No. 9 Archer 52: The Hoyas buried 12 threes. Bailey Vick scored 13 points. Alisha Foster and Anna Gernatt scored 12 apiece. Archer was led by Courtney Nesbitt’s 23 points and 6 rebounds. Taniya McGowan tacked on 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

CLASS 6A

March 5 at West Georgia

R4 #1 No. 2 Lovejoy 71, R3 #2 Rockdale County 56: In a battle of super sophomores, Region 4 Player of the Year Bryanna Preston dumped in 30 points and 7 assists to outduel Danielle Carnegie, who had 26 and 7 rebounds. In support of Preston, Shorter-signee Keyra Peterson scored 15 points and La’nya Foster added 13.

R7 #2 No. 8 Sequoyah 40, R6 #1 No. 3 Kell 38: Elle Blatchford netted 15 points. Milanni Abdus-Salaam posted 9 points and 10 rebounds. Jamiah Gregory led Kell with 11 points.

CLASS 5A

March 5 at Fort Valley State

R3 #2 No. 2 Forest Park 60, R6 #2 No. 10 New Manchester 38

R3 #1 No. 1 Woodward Academy 67, R1 #1 No. 6 Warner Robins 35: UGA-signee Sydney Bowles piled in 20 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals. Sara Lewis scored 16 points. Kennedie Mosley added 15 points and 5 rebounds.

CLASS 4A

March 4 at Fort Valley State

R5 #1 Luella 62, R4 #1 Baldwin 53: Milani Smith had 17 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists to lead Luella past Baldwin in a rematch of their 55-54 first meeting victory.  Jacksonville State-signee Evelina Davlakou tallied 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Trinity Layton pitched in 13 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists.

R6 #1 No. 5 Marist 38, R7 #2 No. 10 Pickens 35: Marist outscored Pickens 16-11 in the fourth quarter to end a resilient Dragonettes season. Lauren Kim scored 9 points to power Marist, who trailed 10-7, 18-15 and 24-22 at the end of each quarter. Caroline Mullins netted a game-high 19 in the loss.

CLASS 3A

March 5 at Georgia College & State

R7 #1 No. 1 Lumpkin County 64, R5 #1 No. 4 Westminster 42: Lumpkin County’s balanced attack overwhelmed Westminster as four players scored in double figures. The Indians led 21-11 after one and 37-20 at the half. Lexi Pierce netted 20 points while Region 7 Player of the Year Mary Mullinax compiled 16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.  Averie Jones posted 14 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal. Kate Jackson double-doubled with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Stanford-commit Courtney Ogden led Westminster with 24 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks. Sydney Moore added 6 points and 4 rebounds while Stella Chartrand fouled out in the fourth quarter and finished with 5 points.

R5 #2 No. 3 GAC 66, R1 #1 No. 7 Pierce County 46: Xavier-signee Kaleigh Addie posted 21 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals while Trinity Thomas double-doubled with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 1 block as the Spartans are set to return to Macon for the third straight year. Jaci Bolden had 18 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Natalie Herrin powered Pierce County with 22 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.  The Bears trailed 16-7 after one and 31-22 at the half. Pierce County trimmed the lead to 38-34 midway through the third, but GAC closed on a 10-2 run to put the game away, taking a 12-point lead into the fourth. Tivona Myles recorded 11 points and 5 rebounds in the loss.

CLASS 2A

March 4 at Georgia College & State

R8 #2 No. 2 Elbert County 56, R4 #1  No. 6 Josey 40: Aaniyah Allen scored 10 of her game-high 22 points in the third quarter as the Blue Devils led wire-to-wire and officially avenged last season’s Elite 8 loss. Allen double-doubled with 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals while Niya Moon sank three threes and finished with 15 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals. The smaller Blue Devils outrebounded Josey 40-26. Brenasia Faust collected 3 points, 7 rebounds and 5 blocks. Jamia Allen had 8 points and 7 rebounds. Josey, the defending state champs, received 8 points apiece from Aqoyas Cody and Amari Bonner. Mercedes Dames scored 6 and Jacksonville-signee Ky’Shonna Brown finished her career with 4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block.

R8 #1 No. 1 Rabun County 50, R3 #1 No. 3 Northeast-Macon 39: A 17-0 run after falling behind 2-0 sprung the LadyCats back to the state championship, returning for the first time since 2017. Sophie Woodard scored nine of her team-high 14 points in the first quarter and added 3 rebounds and 3 steals.  Rabun County led 27-14 at the half and 37-26 after three. Laniya Richardson scored 12 of her game-high 18 points in the second half for the Raiders and tacked on 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Carley Haban finished with 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals while Emmanuel-signee Gracie Deetz added 13 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks, scoring 10 over the final 16 minutes. Jakia Little was held to 8 points and 9 rebounds.

CLASS A-PRIVATE

March 4 at Buford City Area

R7 #1 No. 2 Mt. Paran 53, R5 #1 No. 1 Holy Innocents’ 50: Preseason No. 1 Mt. Paran knocked off Holy Innocents’ getting redemption after being eliminated by the Golden Bears in the Sweet 16 a season ago. Freshman Jessica Fields posted 20 points and 7 rebounds. Georgia Tech-signee Kara Dunn tacked on 14 points and 11 rebounds.

March 5 at Buford City Arena

R5 #2 No. 4 Hebron Christian 49, R5 #3 No. 5 Galloway 47: Nickyia Daniel cleaned up a miss and scored the game-winner at the buzzer. Daniel had a team-high 17 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Aubrey Beckham tallied 10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. Wofford-signee Jesse Parish went for 9 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 7 blocks. Jasmine Baxter led Galloway with 20 points and 6 rebounds. Kyla Cain had 12 points and 9 rebounds.

CLASS A-PUBLIC

March 5 at Valdosta State

R7 #1 Hancock Central 50, R8 #2 Commerce 37:  Tiamber Williams (14) and Jameria Lawrence (12) paced the Bulldogs.  Jalexicia Hargrove netted 8.

R8 #1 No. 3 Lake Oconee Academy 58, R5 #2 No. 9 Taylor County 30