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Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

No. 4 Tri-Cities’ backcourt powers Bulldogs past Mays

Contributed by Rob Grubbs   (@RCGJr226070)

Sponsored by:   @sportalspace

No. 4 Tri-Cities 59, Mays 53

January 9, 2018 (Atlanta, GA): With their matchup Friday night against Class AAAAAA top-ranked Langston Hughes on the horizon, the fourth-ranked Tri-Cities Bulldogs (14-3) faced a potential trap game on the road against their region rival, the always tough Mays Raiders (8-8). Coach Omari Forts has led the Bulldogs on a four-game winning streak, including a victory over the sixth-ranked Jonesboro Cardinals in the Peach State Classic.

Tri-Cities won the previous game between the two schools on their home court back in December 72-55, but this one had all the ingredients for a dangerous game for the Bulldogs and their region title hopes.  Mays has had some tough luck this season; they have two 2-point loses and went toe-to-toe with Langston Hughes in December before losing by nine late. Head Coach William Faulkner has leaned on seniors Kendall Wimberly, Major Weems and Horace Wyatt, who bring somewhat of a football mentality to the court. In a contrast of two different styles, the Bulldogs utilized the quickness of a five-guard lineup to overcome the Mays height advantage for a hard fought 59-53 win.

Mays opened the game in a 2-2-1 zone press that the Bulldogs quickly sliced through for a 6-0 lead. Mays had to call their first time out of the game only two minutes in when Antonio Taylor checked in with a uniform infraction that only the game official noticed. The ensuing designed play saw Wyatt score the first bucket of the night for Mays on a mid-range jumper. Eli’sha King answered on the next possession with a hard work, offensive rebound and put-back. After Coach Forts subbed the entire bench at the half way point, a now proper uniformed Taylor made an excellent pass to Raider Maleak Bryant for a basket that cut the lead down to two. Mays held the ball for the final shot of the first quarter, but Jon Young grabbed the rebound for the Bulldogs and raced down the court for a lay-up at the buzzer to give them a 12-8 lead.

After an Eli Lawrence free throw to start the second quarter, the Bulldogs pressed for the first time in the game and got a quick turnover and an acrobatic reverse layup from Lawrence.  However, the Raider guards quickly steadied themselves and Wimberly would score three baskets in less than three minutes to reel the Bulldogs back in. Lawrence then decided to take the game over as he used his agility to knife through the Mays big men to score 11 of his game-high 21 points which gave the Bulldogs a 29-20 halftime lead.

A quick basket by Young gave Tri-Cities an 11-point lead to start the third. It felt as if they were about to take complete control of the game, but a hard, throw-down dunk by Wyatt seemed to calm the Raiders demeanor and when Weems hit a three, they had cut the lead to five. Mays would outscore the Bulldogs 18-9 over the next nine minutes to pull the game to within two with 6 minutes remaining, punctuated by another Weems three.

Mays had possession and prepared to set up offensively to tie the game when Lawrence got a clutch steal and then a quick basket by DeMarcus Johnson and they slowly began to expand the lead once again. Wyatt would hit two free throws for Mays to bring it back to a three-point game with 2:14 remaining, but Lawrence delivered the dagger with a three-pointer just under two minutes that put it away. Tri-Cities would finish this one out going 7-for-10 from the free throw line over the last minute to seal the 59-53 victory. With the combination of playing on their home court and getting key players back from football, the Raiders made up for the blowout earlier in the season and held their own against the No. 4 Bulldogs.

Coach Forts was very blunt in his post-game assessment, “Our defensive performance was very underwhelming tonight, we came in with a game plan to stop their best scorer and we did not do a good job, that gives us something to work on. On offense, we were very good, I was proud of how we played, I was proud of Jon Young, he was the reason we won tonight.”

When asked about how he coaches his team who is usually at a height disadvantage, he offered a unique perspective, “We play five guards, which is different, it means that two of our opponent’s big men must guard someone quicker than them, we like to exploit this to our advantage. We make up for a lack of height on the boards with overall toughness; we come to outwork you on the glass.”

The outcome sets up the Bulldogs’ showdown with the Langston Hughes Panthers on Friday for the top spot in Region 5-AAAAAA. The two powerhouse teams will play twice in eight days. Forts will need all that quickness and toughness to go up against Landers Nolley and the Panthers front court.  Mays will host Alexander on Friday night in another key region contest, they are trying to claw upward in the region standings.  They have improved and look to continue that going into the tournament.

Rob’s Takeaways

  1. Mays had a strong contingent of players that remained with their football team on their playoff run, which went into the third round. Their last football game was on November 24, 2017, which contributed to their 3-6 start. Since the football players have worked their way into basketball shape, they have gone 5-2. Look for them to continue and improve and perhaps pick up a surprise win along the way.
  2. Tri-Cities got impressive minutes from 6-foot-5 freshman Eli’sha King. He is a player to watch in the upcoming years for the Bulldogs.
  3. The Mays ladies’ basketball team won the AAAAAA state championship last year, but they have not raised their championship banner yet, it is on order and will go up later this season.
  4. Senior 6-foot-4 guard Eli Lawrence has the ability to take over a game, as he did tonight in the second quarter. He has a long, flexible wing span that can cut down quickly on passing lanes. He has a confident air about him and seems to be an extension of Coach Forts on the court.
  5. Going into Friday’s matchup with Langston Hughes, Tri-Cities Coach Forts wanted to point out, “We were the last team to beat them in a region game,” they knocked off the 2016 State Champions last year in the Region semifinals. However, Langston Hughes, playing without a suspended Landers Nolley, lost on Tuesday night at Alexander.
  6. Mays was a good test for Tri-Cities going into the Langston Hughes game, as they are big inside and prepared the Bulldogs for the matchup problems and opportunities that will exist.

Top Performers

Tri-Cities
Eli Lawrence – 21 points, 5 rebounds
Jon Young – 16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
DeMarcus Johnson – 15 points, 5 assists

Mays
Kendall Wimberly – 14 points, 5 rebounds
Horace Wyatt – 12 points, 13 rebounds
Major Weems – 12 points, 4 rebounds

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

Statewide Recap 1-9

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 3 Collins Hill 75, North Gwinnett 59: Queens-commit Chris Parks posted 17 points. Elijah Wilson (14), Quincy Carter (10) and Northern Illinois-signee Justin Lee (10) all contributed. North Gwinnett was led by Cam Rowland and Chandler Johnston’s 12 apiece.

No. 8 Grayson 62, South Gwinnett 47: Nick Edwards had 23 points and 5 steals in Travis Anderson’s absence. DJ Williams added 11 points while Kenyon Jackson had 8 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks. Terrance Porter pitched in 6 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks. Deivon Smith finished with 8 points and 5 rebounds.

No. 9 Meadowcreek 48, Parkview 37: Jamir Chaplin had 18 points, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Duquesne-commit Amari Kelly had 11 points and 12 rebounds while Detroit big man Cory Hightower had 11 points and 6 boards.

No. 10 Etowah 55, Roswell 32: Tusculum-signee Adrian Cohen finished with 16 points and 3 steals. Carter Ingersoll collected 12 points and 12 rebounds. Julian Baldwin chipped in 7 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks.

Duluth 59, Peachtree Ridge 51: The race for first-place in Region 6 tightened as the Wildcats won on the road behind Adam Flagler’s 21 points. Florida State-signee led Peachtree Ridge with 16 points.

Lambert 65, Milton 58: Damon Stoudamire finished with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Colin Granger added 12 points and 12 rebounds. Mitch Ganote stuffed the stat sheet with 7 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals. Andrew Hama netted 9 points.

Colquitt County 53, Lee County 42: Javian Johnson scored 12 points and TJ Harris had 10 in the loss.

Campbell 83, East Coweta 69:  Donovan Grant went off for 26 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals and two charges drawn. Terrell Burden had 25 points, 5 rebounds and 10 assists. Brandon Deravine had 10 points and 7 boards. East Coweta was led by Brandon Stroud’s 19.

Class AAAAAA

Alexander 70, No. 1 Langston Hughes 66: The Cougars took full advantage of a Landers Nolley-less Langston Hughes team. Sidni White led the way with 21 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Jaylon Brown added 18 points and 4 rebounds. Chris Lunsford had 12 points and 7 assists. Austin Slate put in 9 points and 4 rebounds.

No. 3 Brunswick 58, Richmond Hill 57: Richmond Hill melted down the stretch, blowing a blowing a 43-31 lead after three quarters to lose to Brunswick. The Pirates continued their trend of trailing entering the fourth quarter to win behind Marcus Scott’s 24 points and 4 assists.

No. 4 Tri-Cities 59, Mays 53: Eli Lawrence powered in 21 points to go with his 5 rebounds in the Bulldog win. DeMarcus Johnson had 15 points and 5 assists. Jon Young added 10 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Mays was led by Kendall Wimberly’s 14 points and 5 rebounds. Horace Wyatt collected 12 points and 13 rebounds.

No. 6 Jonesboro 79, ML King 55: Jamari Smith posted 27 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Miles Black added 21 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Jamari Mosley chipped in 11 points and 8 rebounds. Quinn Thomas netted 12 points.

No. 8 Dacula 79, Winder-Barrow 56: Columbus State-signee Arusha Hunter had 18 points. Mekhail Bethea finished with 12 points and 4 assists while Brenden Tucker netted 12 points. Quincy Ademokoya had 14 points and 5 rebounds. Reggie Horton chipped in 11 points.

No. 9 Cambridge 79, Chattahoochee 57: Kamar Robertson had 23 points and Bryce Boutelle netted 18. Kyler Ingram added 14 points and David Banks added 9.

Glynn Academy 63, No. 5 Bradwell Institute 54: Willie Murray scored 19 points followed by Santana Young’s 14 and Syron Noyes’ 13 points. Carieon Robbins added 8 points in the upset.

South Paulding 59, Creekside 55: Cam Armstrong scored 16 points. Tank Withers had 11 points.

Drew 72, Tucker 69 OT: Nick Watson had 16 points in the loss. Jevon Tatum had 13 and Nate Ogbu added 10 points.

Harrison 63, Osborne 31: Bobby Moore netted 17 points to pace the Hoyas. Jonathan Gernatt added 12 and Jack Brunswick had 8 points and 6 assists.

Lakeside-Evans 67, Grovetown 58: Kalen Williams posted 20 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. TyShun Briscoe had 19 points and 2 steals. Tucker Gilbert tossed in 7 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Stephenson 54, Mundy’s Mill 43: Rayquan Brown had 14 points in defeat.

Apalachee 62, Habersham Central 60: Brandon Bannis iced the game late for the Wildcats. Derek Miller finished with 17 points, 15 rebounds and 7 blocks inside while Jamonte Wallace netted 17 points. Deron Collier had 14.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Buford 82, Johnson-Gainesville 35: Marcus Watson finished with 14 points and 5 rebounds. Georgia Southern-signee David Viti added 11 points and 5 boards. Lipscomb-signee Alex Jones tacked on 11 points and 5 assists while Ashton Young put up 8 points and 8 rebounds as all 13 Wolves scored.

No. 3 Miller Grove 64, Chamblee 49: Maurice Harvey poured in 21 points followed by Terrence Edwards’ 15. Jermon Clark and Lorenzo Anderson pitched in 9 points apiece. Rodney Smith led the Bulldogs with 14 points. Anathony Frazier scored 9 and Andrew Littleton netted 8.

No. 4 Southwest DeKalb 60, Clarkston 46: KD Johnson double-doubled with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Eugene Brown III had 12 points and 6 rebounds while James Glisson III totaled 12 points and 8 rebounds.

No. 6 Villa Rica 77, East Paulding 72: The Wildcats avoided a disaster. Latrell Swanigan scored 26 points and Javonte Hart had 23 in the win.

Arabia Mountain 74, No. 8 Columbia 73: Columbia’s disappointing season continued thanks to N’Kyzie Hawkins’ 23 points and Jordan Sterling’s 18. Ridge Turner added 12 points and Jaelin Simpson netted 9 for the Rams. Josh Taylor has 22 points and 17 rebounds in the loss for Columbia. Lorenzo McGhee had 14 points and 6 rebounds. Freshman RJ Noord pitched in 13 points and 5 rebounds.

No. 9 Stockbridge 81, Ola 54: Georgia State-signee Kavonte Ivery had 27 points. Ocean Scott (14), Trillis Brown (10), Terryance Jackson (8), Davian Johnson (8) and Kaelon Hinton (8) all pitched in.

Walnut Grove 47, Flowery Branch 34: Myles Janess finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds in the loss. Patsheko Lutumba had 7 points and 8 rebounds. Justin Quick was held to 6 points and 7 rebounds. Blake Coxworth had 5 points and 4 rebounds in defeat.

Cedar Grove 65, Loganville 46: Quincy Canty double-doubled with 24 points and 14 rebounds. Keivaziay Ball added 13 points and 6 assists. In the loss, Jamar Moore had 21 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals and 4 blocks.

Kell 49, Woodland-Cartersville 37: Savvon Delgado collected 14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. Jahwan Smith added 8 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. Justin Perry had 7 points and 9 rebounds while Aaron Allen tossed in 6 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Class AAAA

No. 9 Cartersville 62, No. 3 Sandy Creek 58: The Hurricanes defended home court behind Furman-signee Jaylon Pugh’s 24 points and TJ Horton’s 16. Sandy Creek was led by Jarred Godfrey’s 18 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists. Julian Alexander had 15 points.

No. 4 Mary Persons 72, West Laurens 48: Cam Holden collected a triple-double with 26 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists and 10 steals. Tre Edge had 19 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. Desmond Williams put up 11 points and 5 rebounds. Rekia Weaver added 9 points.

No. 6 Westover 59, Hardaway 47: Kris Gardner finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals. Jordan Snow had 16 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Camryn Weston added 15 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals.

No. 10 Baldwin 76, Burke County 68: Brenden Robertson posted 21 points and Justin Webb had 14 points and 4 blocks for the Braves. Torez Hicks added 10 points while Rodney Walker tacked on 10 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

Blessed Trinity 59, Chestatee 35: Andy Swade netted 21 points in the win. Ben Shappard had 19 points and CJ Abrams chipped in 10.

North Clayton 66, Druid Hills 62: Michael Lee poured in 38 points for the Eagles. Joseph Wimbley IV and Jaimonnie Watkins-Causey scored 13 apiece.

Jefferson 66, Oconee County 47: Jasper Gibson netted 25 points and Jacob Radaker had 13 in the win. Rahul Das paced the Warriors with 11 points.

LaFayette 59, Pickens 40: Alex Kelehear pumped in 26 points. Jon Morgan added 12 points. Dee Southern (8) and Tyrese Marsh (6) chipped in. Pickens was led by Seth Bishop’s 12-point 10-rebound double-double. Zach Goss had 10 points and Keinyuan Hooks had 5 points and 5 assists.

Northwest Whitfield 56, Calhoun 55: Chase Goble scored 22 points for Calhoun followed by Davis Allen’s 15. Caleb Boone (8) and Gage Maffetone (6) chipped in.

Shaw 65, Columbus 60: Lincoln Smith hung 22 points and 14 rebounds. Jalen Ken added 13 points and 10 boards.

Woodward Academy 58, Henry County 42: Walker Kessler 16 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 blocks. DJ Gibson scored 10 points.

Class AAA

No. 1 Morgan County 67, East Jackson 48: Alec Woodard (21) and Tyrin Lawrence (17) combined for 38 points. Kobe Haley led East Jackson with 18 points followed by 10 apiece from Tay Howard and Zay Clark.

No. 4 Cedar Grove 78, Redan 53: Jamari Dean posted 16 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. Tworn Seals had 10 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks. Keshun Byrd chipped in 9 points and 3 assists. Kanaris Cummings scored 8 points and Devon Barnes had 7 and 3 assists.

No. 6 Westside-Macon 78, Rutland 38: Khavon Moore had 25 points, 10 rebounds and 3 steals. Greg Holloway added 16 points, 24 rebounds and 3 steals. Brenden Anderson chipped in 11 points and 7 rebounds. Des Foston finished with 8 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists while Kowacie Reeves Jr. netted 6 points.

No. 7 Central-Macon 79, Kendrick 73: Tymir Robinson (18), Tyre Pearson (12), Kylan Hill (12) and Kanuri Williams (8) all paced the Charger attack.

Franklin County 64, No. 10 Monroe Area 60: Franklin County received 24 points from Micah Roebuck and 16 from Titus Brown. In the loss, Isaiah Glasper had 23 points and Michael Gray tallied 12 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Elijah Goodman finished with 11 points and 8 rebounds.

Dawson County 48, Union County 45: The Tigers closed on a 12-2 run and stunned the Panthers on Trey Pruitt’s game-tying and game-winning hoops. Pruitt finished with 12 points. Cullen Reed had 12 points and 6 rebounds while Jeremiah Crumley contributed 9 points and 6 boards.

Peach County 71, Pike County 54: Brice Paster exploded for 27 points, 8 rebounds, 12 assists and 3 steals. Cody Dunn added 16 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.

Pace Academy 56, Stone Mountain 44: Yale-commit Isaiah Kelly had 25 points on 12-of-18 shooting.

East Hall 90, Fannin County 49: Jayvion Rucker had 14 points followed by TJ Campbell’s 10 in the Viking victory. Lavoy Hill and DJ Gray scored 9 apiece.

North Murray 66, Coahulla Creek 44: In the loss Maddox Adams had 16 points and 6 rebounds.

Class AA

No. 9 Banks County 64, Rabun County 49: Carl Cleveland had 26 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Dylan Orr added 14 points and 12 rebounds. Darius Bonds had 7 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Basko Norman netted 6 points.

Dodge County 65, No. 3 Washington County 59: Nick Cummings blasted the Golden Hawks for 30 points in the upset. DeMarcus Caines had 15 points and Readell Hunt netted 8. Curtis Brown led the Golden Hawks with 20 points. Jawan Dukes collected 15 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Jeff Davis 62, Bacon County 50: Kirese Manley dropped in 33 points for the Yellow Jackets.

Class A-Private

No. 1 St. Francis 69, Pinecrest Academy 31: Dwon Odom finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. CJ Riley added 12 points, 2 assists and 2 steals. Caleb Snyder had 9 points and 4 rebounds. Sam Hines and Chase Ellis each had 8 points and 5 rebounds while Jai Smith pitched in 8 points and 2 steals.

No. 5 Stratford Academy 65, Tattnall Square 57:  Freshman Jaden Harris netted 17 points while Devin Butts added 16 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Tyler Jordan (11) and Christian Palmer (10) hit double figures.

No. 7 Walker 58, Fellowship Christian 53:  Chandler Baker netted 25 points and Burke Chebuhar had 13. Omar Cooper chipped in 8 points and as a team the Wolverines drew four charges.

No. 8 Mt. Vernon Presbyterian 63, SACA 59: Tahj Keeton had 20 points and 5 rebounds. Morgan Mulrain netted 16 points and Marques Frye finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists. Cam Bennett and Evan Wilkins had 6 points apiece, Wilkins adding 8 rebounds.

No. 9 Lakeview Academy 66, Commerce 32: Jack Blackburn and Adam Cottrell scored 12 points apiece. Arturo Varela double-doubled with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Blake McIntyre and KJ Millwood each scored 9 points. Freshman Creed Dunbar and Jaylen Dorsey had 8 points apiece for the Tigers.

Riverside Military 72, Towns County 53: Isaac Teasley netted 21 in the win. Orlando Stevens had 15 points and Trey Green scored 14.

Prince Avenue Christian 69, Providence Christian 34: Hunter Giella had 10 points in the loss.

Wesleyan 54, Paideia 48: JD Kavel scored 14 points and Liam Coxhead added 8.

Darlington 66, Bowdon 50:  Tate Ratledge poured in a season-high 16 points. JD Hull scored 15 while Andrew Land (13) and Sam Tackeberry (11) each scored double digits.

Savannah Christian 50, Claxton 48: Justin Anderson hit the game-winner with 2.8 seconds left to lift the Raiders. Lance McKenzie had 15 points on the night and Gavin Jeffries added 10.

Class A-Public

No. 1 Central-Talbotton 68, St. Anne-Pacelli 41: Tyrease Hicks had 11 points in the loss while JD Douglas added 10.

No. 2 Manchester 82, Brookstone 48: Jah’Nile Hill finished with 19 points and 8 assists in three quarters of work. Carlos Dixon scored 18.

Quitman County 70, Mitchell County 67: Shahee Billings erupted for 26 points (4 threes), 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals.

 

GIRLS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 5 Cherokee 63, Woodstock 41: Sydne Watts scored 14 points followed by Laiken Wade, Lacie McCoy and Olivia Herrera’s 12 apiece.

No. 6 North Forsyth 59, South Forsyth 37: Ansley Allen powered the Lady Raiders with 16 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals. Caroline Martin and Catherine Shope each scored 13.

Lambert 74, Milton 18: Jaleah Greene scored 14 points followed by Sidney Chason, Summer Edwards and Skylar Aledia’s 10 points apiece. Chason also added 7 rebounds.

Rockdale County 58, Archer 52: Desiree Ellison netted 23 points for the Lady Dawgs.

Lassiter 54, Walton 37: Maggie Rogers (12), Taylor Smith (11) and Julie Vitale (9) paced the Lady Trojans.

Class AAAAAA

No. 2 Lovejoy 64, Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 34: Anaya Boyd finished with 18 points and 7 rebounds while Kayla Brown added 16 points and 7 rebounds.

No. 3 Winder-Barrow 72, Dacula 35: UConn-commit Olivia Nelson-Ododa scored 21 points. Jakayla Sullivan scored 18 while College of Charleston-bound guard Latrice Perkins had 11. Chellia Watson added 11 points.

No. 7 Northview 60, Pope 40: Ashlee Austin (17), Eden Sample (16), Asjah Inniss (10) and Maya Richards (9) led the Lady Titans back into the win column.

River Ridge 61, Sprayberry 41: Savannah Samuel netted 25 points. Lexi Palmer had 15 points and Faith Arthur added 13.

New Manchester 60, Northgate 17: Hannah Wright (15), Makaila Cange (11) and Kyndall Golden (10) cracked double figures. Ja’lisya Glover totaled 7 points and 7 assists.

Mays 46, Tri-Cities 31: Patsy Mosley scored 20 for the Lady Raiders. Tori Hill (7) and Atara McGraw (6) chipped in. Tri-Cities was led by post Destiny Thomas’ 15 points. Imani Claud and Shynique McGee each had 6 points.

Class AAAAA

No. 3 Flowery Branch 61, Walnut Grove 20: Caroline Wysocki finished with 18 points and 5 steals. Ashlee Locke collected 10 points and 8 rebounds. Lexie Sengkhammee had 9 points, 5 assists and 3 steals. Ashley Scott added 8 points. Alabama-signee Taniyah Worth finished with 6 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Ashley Woodroffe had 7 points and 4 rebounds while Carly Shaw contributed 8 rebounds.

No. 6 Villa Rica 106, East Paulding 16: Emmy Parham put up 25 points and 6 rebounds while Aliyah Hindsman had 17 points and 7 rebounds. Dekyia Cofield added 13 points and 4 steals. Deasia Merrill tallied 12 points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals and 5 blocks. Kyndal Coleman had 10 points, 4 assists and 3 blocks.

Class AAAA

No. 2 Henry County 51, Woodward Academy 44: Auburn-signee Brooke Moore scored 14 points. Usoreia McWhorter finished with 14 points, a school-record 30 rebounds and blocked 9 shots. Janiya Jones chipped in 10 points. Tyler Collins poured in 27 points in the loss.

No. 5 Northwest Whitfield 60, Calhoun 31: Holly Heath scored 15 points and Tionna Baker added 14. Kate Burton picked up 7 rebounds and Hallie Brooker and Jada Griffin each had 5 steals apiece.

No. 7 Madison County 68, Stephens County 40: Tykia Thompson (10) and Anaiah Wilson (9) led the Lady Indians in the loss.

No. 10 Jefferson 47, Oconee County 26: Livi Blackstock scored 17 points in the win.

Chestatee 56, Blessed Trinity 49: Maggie McNair (15) and Callyssa Tyner (14) paced the Lady War Eagles.

Pickens 74, LaFayette 28: Mackenzie Hampton finished with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 7 steals. Torie Williams had 15 points and 5 assists. Mykenzie Weaver collected 9 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals.

Class AAA

No. 5 Central-Macon 65, Kendrick 45: Jada Clowers posted 16 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocks. Tyleia Williams netted 18 points. JeNya Wilder collected 8 points and 8 rebounds. ReNesha Goolsby had 6 points and 4 assists. NaKayia Greene had 6 points, 10 rebounds and 3 steals.

No. 7 Hart County 68, Jackson County 43: Torrion Starks went off for 28 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Shakendra Grove posted 13 points while Brittany Devane and Taniya Alexander added 8 apiece. Jackson County was led by Carlie Anderson (15) and Meghan Sorrells (10).

East Hall 57, Fannin County 44: Georgia State-signee Carly Winter dropped in 21 points and Jenny Lopez netted 13.

Jenkins 54, Windsor Forest 32: Kierra Gaskins tallied 15 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks. Zaniyah Sealey chipped in 15 points, 3 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks. Naria Williams had 9 points and 11 rebounds.

Dawson County 54, Union County 42: Anna Lowe scored 12 points followed by 8 apiece by Abi Chatham, Sophia D’Oliveira and Cadey Ayers. Kaylee Sticker and Chloe Bennett each had 6 points.

North Murray 47, Coahulla Creek 45: Raven Stone scored 15 points and Kailee Tipton had 14 in the win. Lily Snyder led the Lady Colts with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Mallory Poe had 12 points and Rachel Walker tacked on 7 points and 7 rebounds.

Class AA

No, 9 Washington County 71, No. 2 Dodge County 52: Nijeria Jordan pumped in 28 points and 7 rebounds. Destinee Ellison had 18 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Ni’Kayona Warthen double-doubled with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Dodge County was led by Destanee Wright’s 24 points, Europe Brown’s 12 and Zanessia Mitchell’s 10.

No. 8 Banks County 59, No. 4 Rabun County 49: Allison Smith scored 19 points, Jaycie Bowen netted 14 and Amber Williams had 11 in the Lady Leopards’ Region 8 win. Kailynn Gilstrap (8) and Maddie Thomas (7) both chipped in. Banks County shot 46% from three. Rabun County was led by Laken Stiles’ 21 points, 4 rebounds and 5 steals. Georgia Stockton was held to 16 points.

Bleckley County 53, Southwest-Macon 46 OT: Jahnaria Brown had 17 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Bryan County 46, St. Vincent’s 36: Shelby Gunn had 11 points and Olonna Rawls added 10. Jay Black netted 8 points and Alicia Fabin chipped in 6.

Fitzgerald 76, Berrien 33: Trinity Jones had 17 points, 4 assists and 6 steals. Kirstin Crooks tallied 14 points and 6 steals. Zenovia Ellis finished with 12 points and Hayleigh Ross collected 11 points, 6 rebounds and 8 steals.

Class A-Private

No. 2 Wesleyan 61, Paideia 24: AC Carter posted 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Lady Wolves. Old Dominion-signee Amaya Register added 10 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. Freshman Paige Lyons netted 8 points.

No. 8 Landmark Christian 77, Drew Charter 39:  Elizabeth Gibbs netted 30 in the blowout.

Fellowship Christian 56, Whitefield Academy 28: Colorado-signee Cameron Swartz dropped in 36 points to surpass the 1,500-point threshold over her career.

Lakeview Academy 57, Commerce 43: Tori Taylor had 18 points off 4 three-pointers. Sadie Thrailkill finished with 15 points, 19 rebounds and 5 steals.

Class A-Public

No. 1 Telfair County 85, Turner County 62: Ny’Asia Howard scored 23 points. India Wells (17) and Tanajawa Graham (12) combined for 29 points. Shalan Nelson added 9 points.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Peach State Stops of the Week (1/8-1/13)

People always ask me, “What’s the best game in town this week?”

Peach State Stops of the Week will highlight some of the best basketball being played in Georgia for the current week. Whether it’s a tournament/showcase, a region rivalry, a Top 10 showdown, or a seldom heard sleeper, Peach State Stops of the Week will let you know what gym you need to get into

TUESDAY

No. 3 Sandy Creek at No. 9 Cartersville

Right now, it looks like Region 5-AAAA will boil down to No. 3 Sandy Creek (11-3) and No. 9 Cartersville (10-2). The two teams had a couple wars last year with the Patriots winning at home 86-80 and in the region tournament 60-53 while Cartersville won a wild game in Bartow County in overtime 94-88. While some faces have changed, especially on the Sandy Creek side, expect this long distance rivalry to continue. Kam Miller, Chris Porter and Jarred Godfrey will have their hands full trying to corral Furman-signee Jaylon Pugh. TJ Horton’s aggressiveness in the backcourt will test the Patriots as well. TJ Bickerstaff will have to be the difference maker for Sandy Creek. The 6-foot-7 junior wing has come on strong this season and will need to hunt his shot and crash the glass to take advantage of a smaller Hurricane lineup.

No. 8 Banks County at No. 4 Rabun County [G]

The Lady Leopards (13-3) and the defending Class AA state runner-up LadyCats (12-2) have blossomed into one of North Georgia’s most heated rivalries on the girls’ side. The two meet for the first time this season after Rabun County beat Banks County in the Region 8 championship 78-67 last year after splitting the regular season series. Banks County has challenged themselves early this year, playing three ranked teams twice apiece, going 4-2 against Hart County, West Hall and Madison County. Jaycie Bowen has led the attack from the paint along with Amber Williams while Maddie Thomas and Allison Smith provide matchup problems with their size on the perimeter. Rabun County already has a region loss in the form of an 82-53 defeat at Putnam County, but the emergence of junior guard Georgia Stockton has helped keep the Cats stay afloat without Brooke Henricks. Stockton has poured in the points averaging upwards of 25 per game while receiving help from Laken Stiles and Kaitlin Coleman. Expect an intense high-action game with Rabun County trying to set the tone with their press and challenge the Leopards’ ball handling.

FRIDAY

No. 2 Manchester at No. 1 Central-Talbotton

Coach Anzy Hardman has turned No. 2 Manchester (11-0) into a Class A-Public contender and now has a chance to take over the mantle as the team to beat if they can stop No. 1 Central-Talbotton (13-0) and its high-powered offense. Defensive pressure keyed by Jah’nile Hill, Kalil Brawner and Carlos Dixon will try to disrupt the powerful trio of Tayne Smith, ZyTavian Hill and Javares Copeland. Inside, the Blue Devils have physicality around the rim to deny any free runs from Hill or Smith in the form of 6-foot-4, 295-pound Jerquavion Mahone, a defensive tackle heading to Kentucky. While the Hawks have the size advantage on the perimeter, they will still have to chase around Hill, a lightning rod of energy that thrives in transition and creates offense from his pesky defense. It will be a sell-out crowd over in West Georgia with the potential for a break-neck pace.

SATURDAY

Creekview at No. 10 Etowah

When was the last time Cherokee County had two boys teams with one loss this late into the season? If someone knows, I’d love to hear the answer. The golden days of boys basketball have been fleeting, but there’s a glimmer of hope between Towne Lake and Owens Store Road. The Eagles (14-1) have hovered around the bottom of the Top 10 in Class AAAAAAA, a great honor after their trip to the Sweet 16 last season. Jaxon Etter has begun to garner D-1 interest with his play on the wing. The junior teams up with Tusculum-signee Adrian Cohen, 6-foot-7 senior Julian Baldwin, D-3 commit Carter Ingersoll and defensive specialist Nick Nagy, who has already clamped down the likes of Devin Vassell (Florida State) and KD Johnson. The Eagles have won 14-straight with their calling card being tough-nosed defense that allows just 44.8 points per game. Creekview (13-1) carries a 12-game winning streak in Class AAAAAA behind KJ Jenkins, the No. 4 senior point guard in the state. Jenkins has proven to be a human torch that can catch fire from deep. Ty Allen along with posts Paxton Nayman and James Wall have helped balance the offense while Barrett Patterson supports from the outside. Etowah will be Creekview’s toughest task since their 68-49 loss to Mt. Bethel Christian.

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

TJ Horton sparks No. 10 Cartersville’s rally at LaGrange

Contributed by Rob Grubbs   (@RCGJr226070)

Sponsored by:   @sportalspace

No. 10 Cartersville 64, LaGrange 60

January 6, 2018 (LaGrange, GA): Region 5-AAAA is one of the most competitive regions in the state, two teams are in the current Top 10, with No. 3 Sandy Creek and No. 9 Cartersville while three others are very good; Cedartown, Troup County and LaGrange. It is also one of the most geographically diverse as well, as there are some serious road trips that accompany region play.  The Cartersville Hurricanes had one of the road adventures Saturday afternoon as they drove over 200 miles roundtrip to LaGrange to face the Grangers in their historic gym.

LaGrange (10-6) had gotten off to a slow start to the season, but Head Coach Mark Veal guided them to a five-game winning streak as they prepared to enter the trenches of region play. Cartersville (10-2) is led by senior, Furman-signee Jaylon Pugh and Head Coach Mike Tobin is putting together the pieces to make a serious run for the region crown. The Hurricanes defeated Central-Carrollton on Friday night, which meant his team would spend six of the next 28 hours on yellow buses. LaGrange lost on the road Friday night at Cedartown as well, so both teams came into the game a bit weary from the road. While the extra travel may have sapped some of their energy early, Cartersville overcame a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to get a huge road win and take an early lead in the region.

The Grangers knew that to stop Cartersville, you had to stop Pugh, so they played a box-and-one defense on him and tried to prevent him from getting the ball in open space, they were making things busy for him with relentless pressure. Their strategy was successful, as they held him scoreless in the first half. LaGrange jumped out to a 14-11 lead to end the first quarter, highlighted by a Bo Russell three and solid defense. Perignon Dyer picked up the scoring slack for the Hurricanes, he scored two three-pointers to keep things close.

Russell got help from his supporting cast in the second quarter, Daz Williams and Jordan Ogletree led a balanced attack for LaGrange while Cartersville got two more threes from Dyer to keep it at 34-29 at halftime.

When Russell hit a three-pointer to start the third quarter, it appeared that the Grangers were prepared to deliver the knockout blow and with 3:45 remaining in the third, Russell hit a smooth runner in the lane to put them up 16 points, but the Hurricanes were pesky and would not go away. Senior TJ Horton took it on himself to keep the game close and with 1:38 remaining, he scored on a nice drive to the basket and made a free throw to cut the lead to nine.

The anatomy of a comeback is always interesting to watch and then replay in your mind. In a game that LaGrange had controlled almost throughout, had led once by 16 and now led by nine with a quarter remaining, Earley Sanders committed an offensive foul that seemed to give the Hurricanes renewed energy.  Pugh broke free of the defense set to stop him and scored two baskets early and when Horton hit a three with 6:32 remaining, the Hurricanes were now only down by six. LaGrange called a timeout so Coach Veal could summon renewed energy that had faded in the start of the fourth, but Cartersville had already stolen the momentum.

After Russell hit one of two free throws, the Grangers had a three point lead and tried to ice the game by spreading out to a four corner set at the 2:50 mark. That strategy backfired as the Hurricanes would close the game out with a 12-5 run down the stretch, led by Horton and Pugh going to the free throw line repeatedly, they would go a combined 8-of-11 from the charity stripe as the clock joined the Hurricanes as the Grangers’ biggest enemy.  In the end, the Hurricanes outscored the Grangers 22-9 in the fourth quarter with Pugh contributing 11 of those down the stretch for the 64-60 final.

For the Hurricanes, it was quick turnaround, after a five-minute postgame meeting with Coach Tobin, the team grabbed seven boxes of pizza and scampered back to the buses for the two-hour ride home. Coach Tobin offered, “We had a tough stretch with these two games back-to-back on the road and their defense picked us apart early, but we played our game and caught some momentum in the fourth quarter. This was a huge road, region win for us. TJ picked us up tonight and carried us for that victory. We have another tough game on Tuesday as we get Sandy Creek, but it will be at home. We are looking forward to that.”

It will be a night that LaGrange will look back on as a missed opportunity. It is tough to lose a lead at home, especially when your star player, Russell, scores 27 points. They will try to get back on the winning page on Tuesday against their county rival Troup County, which is just ahead of them in fourth-place in the region. After the loss to Cartersville, it just became a must win for them.

Rob’s Takeaways

  1. Russell is an electric scorer from LaGrange, the guard moves well with or without the ball, has a good outside shot and can drive to the basket as well.
  2. Dyer scored 15 points for the Hurricanes – all on three pointers, making five and all of them were in big spots with his team behind. There is something to be said about the difficulty of making big outside shots when behind, there is so much more pressure involved and less margin of error.
  3. Pugh showed great discipline, he realized the defense was set up to stop him, he didn’t try to force anything, he allowed Horton and Dyer to focus on scoring and then seized the moment in the fourth by scoring eight in their run at the end, including 4-of-4 from the line.
  4. The LaGrange gym is classic, you can hear the echoes of past games there. There is talk of a new auditorium being built off campus by the city, so she may not be around much longer – great place to watch.
  5. Cartersville got to the free throw line 25 times, Horton had 18 of those alone, while LaGrange got there only 10 times. That is not quite the ratio you would expect from the home team, but it reflects how Horton was constantly driving to the basket.
  6. The decision to go four corners completely took LaGrange out of their offensive mindset, they became tentative and stopped looking to score, which cost them in the end.

Top Performers

LaGrange
Bo Russell – 27 points, 6 rebounds
Jordan Ogletree – 12 points, 6 rebounds
Daz Williams – 12 points, 5 assists

Cartersville
TJ Horton – 25 points, 5 assists
Perignon Dyer – 15 points (5 threes), 4 assists
Jaylon Pugh – 13 points, 6 assists

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 8 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

  1. Westlake (13-1)
  2. Collins Hill (14-2)
  3. Norcross (14-3)
  4. Newton (13-2)
  5. Cherokee (13-2)
  6. North Forsyth (14-2)
  7. South Gwinnett (14-1)
  8. Colquitt County (14-3)
  9. North Cobb (13-2)
  10. McEachern (7-5)

Class AAAAAA

  1. Harrison (13-3)
  2. Lovejoy (15-1)
  3. Winder-Barrow (11-3)
  4. Alpharetta (13-1)
  5. Sequoyah (12-2)
  6. Forest Park (13-2)
  7. Northview (11-4)
  8. Lanier (13-3)
  9. Creekview (9-5)
  10. Stephenson (10-5)

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (11-2)
  2. Dutchtown (14-2)
  3. Flowery Branch (13-4)
  4. Harris County (13-2)
  5. Bainbridge (16-2)
  6. Villa Rica (12-0)
  7. Arabia Mountain (13-1)
  8. Ware County (11-2)
  9. Carrollton (11-4)
  10. Fayette County (10-4)

Class AAAA

  1. Carver-Columbus (16-1)
  2. Henry County (15-0)
  3. Spalding (12-2)
  4. Luella (13-3)
  5. Northwest Whitfield (13-2)
  6. Baldwin (14-1)
  7. Madison County (10-5)
  8. Marist (12-2)
  9. Americus-Sumter (13-1)
  10. Jefferson (11-4)

Class AAA

  1. Greater Atlanta Christian (11-3)
  2. Beach (13-1)
  3. Johnson-Savannah (9-3)
  4. Franklin County (16-0)
  5. Central-Macon (12-2)
  6. Lovett (12-4)
  7. Hart County (11-4)
  8. Peach County (11-4)
  9. Tattnall County (12-4)
  10. Haralson County (11-1)

Class AA

  1. Laney (14-0)
  2. Dodge County (12-1)
  3. Putnam County (12-1)
  4. Rabun County (12-2)
  5. Swainsboro (11-2)
  6. Josey (15-1)
  7. Model (11-3)
  8. Banks County (13-3)
  9. Washington County (10-3)
  10. Metter (11-3)

Class A-Private

  1. Holy Innocents’ (14-1)
  2. Wesleyan (12-2)
  3. St. Francis (9-3)
  4. Our Lady of Mercy (13-1)
  5. Calvary Day (14-1)
  6. Stratford Academy (11-2)
  7. Prince Avenue Christian (12-1)
  8. Landmark Christian (7-7)
  9. Christian Heritage (12-3)
  10. Athens Academy (12-2)

Class A-Public

  1. Telfair County (14-1)
  2. Greenville (13-1)
  3. Pelham (12-1)
  4. Wheeler County (10-2)
  5. Macon County (10-2)
  6. Terrell County (10-2)
  7. Georgia Military College (12-0)
  8. Wilcox County (9-4)
  9. Marion County (13-2)
  10. Bowdon (11-3)

 

Yet again, there is no movement in Class AAAAAAA, but No. 10 McEachern is on the verge of dropping out if they suffer an in-state loss. Their saving grace with their 7-5 record is that three losses have come in national tournaments. The Lady Indians’ listed results keep changing on MaxPreps, making it even harder to follow. A team that has been easy to track however has been No. 1 Westlake. The Lady Lions steam-rolled Wheeler 68-43 and Eagle’s Landing 78-51. No. 4 Newton beat rival Rockdale County 70-44 on the road. No. 8 Colquitt County has won 8-straight since their 55-46 loss to Westlake. The Lady Packers went into Camden County and earned a 51-42 win followed by a 55-34 thumping of Tift County.

No. 1 Harrison holds firm atop Class AAAAAA with No. 2 Lovejoy and No. 3 Winder-Barrow scoring great wins, close behind. The Lady Hoyas beat No. 5 Sequoyah in Hickory Flat 60-51. Lovejoy sent shockwaves through the state with a wildly impressive 55-49 win over Class 5A No. 1 Buford at the Big South Shootout. The Lady Doggs edged their evenly matched rivals, Class 5A No. 3 Flowery Branch, 50-49 in Hall County, Olivia Nelson-Ododa with 29 points and the game-winning free throw. No. 4 Alpharetta made a statement in Region 7 with their 59-53 win over the bipolar No. 7 Northview Lady Titans. River Ridge (11-4) and Northside-Warner Robins (11-3) exit the Top 10 after the Knights lost 54-36 to newly ranked No. 9 Creekview while the Eagles dropped in overtime at Valdosta 54-52. No. 10 Stephenson reenters the poll with a 38-36 win at Grayson.

In Class AAAAA, No. 1 Buford still has the target on their back even after their loss to Lovejoy. No. 3 Flowery Branch finally slips a spot, giving way to No. 2 Dutchtown. Region 1 places No. 4 Harris County and No. 5 Bainbridge. The Lady Tigers drilled Warner Robins 64-33 while the Bearcats took out Veterans 61-38. No. 6 Villa Rica can officially say they are the team to beat in Region 7. The Wildcats knocked Rome (10-2) from the Top 10 with a 66-51 victory and now sit at 7-0 in the region, with No. 9 Carrollton in second-place at 5-1, their lone loss to Villa Rica. Replacing Rome is No. 10 Fayette County. The Lady Tigers beat McIntosh 55-37 and travel to Starr’s Mill (11-4) on Tuesday with first-place in Region 3 up for grabs.

There were no changes in Class AAAA.  No. 2 Henry County blasted Locust Grove 81-49. No. 3 Spalding dispatched of Southwest DeKalb 66-52. No. 6 Baldwin holds onto their spot in the middle of the rankings even after suffering their first loss of the season at the Big South Shootout to Class 3A No. 2 Beach, 66-47.  No. 7 Madison County grinded out a 60-55 win at St. Pius X. No. 8 Marist did the same, beating the Golden Lions 28-26.

Class AAA No. 2 Beach looked good at Duluth, beating Baldwin and taking care of Duluth 53-33 at the Big South Shootout. No. 4 Franklin County has quietly run their record up to 16-0. They beat Stephens County at Currahee Arena 67-23. The Lady Lions will see a major test on Friday as they travel to No. 7 Hart County. No. 5 Central-Macon beat Southwest-Macon 61-46 and sent the Patriots out of the Class 2A Top 10. No. 10 Haralson County sinks three spots after losing to Sonoraville 60-51.

Region 8-AA has been one of the best groupings in the classification this year with No. 3 Putnam County, No. 4 Rabun County and No. 8 Banks County. The top five teams in the region (Elbert County & Monticello included) have a combined 57-18 record. Putnam County drops one position this week after Elbert County defeated them 54-52. Banks County took care of Elbert County 49-38 at Elbert and now the Lady Leopards have a Region 8 championship rematch at Rabun County on Tuesday to further sort out the logjam atop of the standings. Region 2 has some talent as well with No. 5 Swainsboro and newly ranked No. 10 Metter, who replaces Southwest-Macon after the Patriots lost to Central-Macon and Westside-Macon. Swainsboro won at St. Vincent’s 59-46, the much-improved Saints dropping to 10-2 after a 12-16 season. Metter gets a chance to prove their worth as they visit Swainsboro on Tuesday for a crucial region bout.

The trusty Sandy’s Spiel Rankings survived a coin-flip game in Class A-Private as No. 1 Holy Innocents’ defeated their bitter rival No. 2 Wesleyan 48-34 at Wesleyan, leading to no changes in the poll this week. No. 5 Calvary Day earned a nice 60-49 win over Woodville-Tompkins while No. 7 Prince Avenue Christian dispatched of prestigious Region 8 foe Lakeview Academy 54-34 at Lakeview.

In Class A-Public, Turner County (9-4) was bounced from the poll with a 71-56 loss at No. 8 Wilcox County. No. 9 Marion County slips two spots after an upset loss to Manchester, 55-46. Things don’t get easier for the Eagles as they travel to No. 2 Greenville on Tuesday.  The same goes for Turner County, as they host No. 1 Telfair County on Tuesday. Debuting in the Top 10 is No. 10 Bowdon. Over in the predominately private Region 6, the Red Devils have been sneaky good, sitting at 11-3 after a 9-16 campaign. Bowdon has strong wins over Class 7A 9-6 Kennesaw Mountain (43-42), Class 2A 10-4 Rockmart (66-49), Class A-Private 8-3 Mt. Paran (51-44) and Class 4A 9-5 Central-Carroll (50-39). Their three losses have come against No. 2 Greenville 78-55, at rival Bremen 64-43 (who they beat 62-47 in the rematch) and to Class 5A No. 6 Villa Rica 61-46.