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GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Ranking the Regions

Class AAAAAAA

R2
Notable: No. 3 Westlake, No. 4 Wheeler, No. 6 Pebblebrook

R6
Notable: No. 9 Collins Hill, No. 10 Discovery, Mountain View, Peachtree Ridge, Duluth

R7
Notable: No. 5 Berkmar, No. 7 Norcross, Meadowcreek

R8
Notable: No. 1 Newton, Grayson, Shiloh, South Gwinnett

R3
Notable: No. 2 McEachern, Hillgrove, Marietta

R1
Notable: No. 8 Tift County, Lowndes, Colquitt County

R4
Notable: Roswell, Cherokee, Woodstock, Etowah

R5
Notable: Lambert, Milton

Region 2 ranks No. 1 in Class AAAAAAA with its star-powered top three, but don’t forget about Campbell (9-9) and East Coweta (11-8) who lengthens the region. Region 6’s plethora of teams all fighting to crack the Top 10 sometimes cannibalize each other as far as statewide recognition goes, but the region is the deepest in the state with quality teams. Region 7 isn’t far behind with No. 7 Norcross and No. 5 Berkmar carrying the load while Meadowcreek (11-8) lurks in the weeds as the Mustangs wait to get healthy. Region 8 is no cakewalk with No. 1 Newton in the mix. Grayson (12-6) is starting to get hot and will be a dangerous team come state tournament time. Shiloh (10-8) still defends at a high rate but their down year hurts the region in the rankings. South Gwinnett (10-5) has been a pleasant surprise. No. 2 McEachern carries Region 3, but Hillgrove (12-5) has proven they can play with anyone. Region 1 has three teams racking up wins with No. 8 Tift County pacing the four-team region. Lowndes (16-3) and Colquitt County (14-4) could play spoiler in the state tournament. Roswell (16-3) has emerged from Region 4 as the team to beat, while Region 5 has seen Lambert (16-3) dominate the field, but Milton (7-10) is also 4-0 in region play.

 

Class AAAAAA

R5
Notable: No. 1 South Paulding, No. 5 Langston Hughes, No. 7 Alexander

R2
Notable: No. 4 Richmond Hill, Brunswick, Effingham County

R6
Notable: No. 8 South Cobb, Allatoona

R8
Notable: No. 2 Gainesville, Dacula

R4
Notable: No. 3 Jonesboro, Tucker, Stephenson

R7
Notable: No. 6 Alpharetta, Pope, Cambridge

R3
Notable: No. 9 Lakeside-Evans, No. 10 Heritage-Conyers

R1
Notable: Valdosta, Coffee

Region 5 leads Class AAAAAA with three teams in the Top 10 and a group of athletic wild-card teams that can upset you if not taken serious. Only five teams play in Region 2, but the south coastal grouping has dangerous teams in No. 4 Richmond Hill, 2014-15 state champ Brunswick (14-5) and Effingham County (15-5). No. 8 South Cobb leads Region 6 with Allatoona (8-8), Dalton (12-4) and Sprayberry (11-7) as capable teams if they get hot. No. 2 Gainesville and Dacula (14-5) are the class of Region 8. It will be a two-team race down the stretch. Region 4 hasn’t had anyone standout except for No. 3 Jonesboro, who should run the table. Much like Region 6, Region 7’s large nine-team region has some teams fighting for respect. Right now No. 6 Alpharetta is the best of the best with Pope (14-3) trying to cement themselves as a statewide contender. Outside of No. 9 Lakeside-Evans and No. 10 Heritage-Conyers, there isn’t much in Region 3 to compete with the Top 10 ranked teams. Only two teams have winning records in Region 1 with Valdosta (12-7) and Coffee (10-6) looking like the region’s only hope to advance in state.

 

Class AAAAA

R8
Notable: No. 1 Buford, No. 2 Cedar Shoals, No. 10 Flowery Branch

R5
Notable: No. 5 Miller Grove, No. 7 Columbia, Southwest DeKalb

R4
Notable: No. 8 Eagle’s Landing, No. 9 Union Grove, Dutchtown, Stockbridge

R6
Notable: Riverwood, Maynard Jackson, Lithia Springs, North Springs

R7
Notable: Kell, Carrollton, Cass, Villa Rica

R3
Notable: No. 4 Fayette County, Starr’s Mill

R2
Notable: No. 6 New Hampstead, Statesboro

R1
Notable: No. 3 Warner Robins, Veterans

It’s nearly a toss-up between Region 5 and Region 8, but Region 8’s top two teams are just enough to take the top spot while Region 5’s second tier group might be a little stronger than 8’s. Region 4 has played well of late with Dutchtown (12-6) and Stockbridge (12-6) capable of upsetting anyone in the region, something the Bulldogs have already done, scoring wins over No. 8 Eagle’s Landing and No. 9 Union Grove. Region 6 and Region 7 are neck and neck, but Riverwood (15-4) and Maynard Jackson (13-5) have just a little more upside. If Kell (13-4) gets Brian Thomas back healthy, that may change. No. 4 Fayette County owns Region 3 with McIntosh (7-10) and Starr’s Mill (11-6) jockeying for position behind them. No. 6 New Hampstead should win Region 6, but Statesboro (11-8) has been a thorn in their side. No one will touch No. 3 Warner Robins in Region 1 if they stay focused.

 

Class AAAA

R4
Notable: No. 2 Henry County, No. 8 Salem, Eastside, Woodward Academy, North Clayton

R5
Notable: No. 4 LaGrange, No. 5 Sandy Creek, No. 10 Cartersville

R1
Notable: No. 6 Carver-Columbus, Americus-Sumter, Westover, Shaw

R3
Notable: No. 3 Richmond Academy, Baldwin, Burke County, Thomson

R2
Notable: No. 1 Upson-Lee, No.7 Perry, Mary Persons

R8
Notable: No. 9 St. Pius, Stephens County, Madison County

R7
Notable: Blessed Trinity, White County, Marist

R6
Notable: LaFayette, Northwest Whitfield, Heritage-Catoosa

Class AAAA has been a jumbled up mess this season with teams ranked in the Top 5 one week and bounced from the poll and never to be heard from again the following week. Region 4 has been the posterchild for this and edges Region 5 as the toughest region. Region 4 has more depth with upwards of five teams that could get hot and win the region tournament. Region 5 might have the most talented team in the state in No. 5 Sandy Creek, but No. 4 LaGrange is currently in the driver’s seat with No. 10 Cartersville close behind. Region 1 has quietly been a strong group. No. 6 Carver-Columbus has played well while Americus-Sumter (14-4), Westover (8-6) and Shaw (10-9) aren’t teams to sleep on. Over near Augusta, Region 3 touts No. 3 Richmond Academy as their team to beat. Coach Buck Harris has turned Baldwin (12-6) into a competitor in Year 2 while underachieving Thomson (7-8) still has the pieces to put things together. No. 1 Upson-Lee solidifies Region 2 with No. 7 Perry and the Cam Holden-led Mary Persons Bulldogs (11-7). Region 8 has been a disappointment as far as keeping teams in the Top 10, but that can be credited to teams like Madison County (12-6) and Oconee County (10-7) playing spoiler, giving the region a little more depth than expected. Region 7’s Blessed Trinity came out of the gates 12-3, but have now lost their last three games. White County (13-7) remains a well-coached team and Marist (10-9) is surprising opponents. There are a few good records in Region 6, but the lack of competition and strong non-region schedule keeps the region in the basement. Outside of North Georgia, the region historically struggles to compete in the state playoffs.

 

Class AAA

R5
Notable: No. 5 Pace Academy, No. 8 Cedar Grove, Lovett

R3
Notable: No. 6 Jenkins, No. 7 Islands, Johnson-Savannah

R7
Notable: No. 2 Greater Atlanta Christian, East Hall, North Hall

R4
Notable: No. 1 Westside-Macon, No. 9 Central-Macon

R2
Notable: No. 3 Liberty County, No. 10 Long County

R1
Notable: Monroe, Dougherty, Crisp County

R6
Notable: Calhoun, Sonoraville, Coahulla Creek

R8
Notable: No. 4 Morgan County, Hart County

Metro Atlanta and Savannah battle for the top region in Class AAA. Metro’s Region 5 ranks No. 1 overall with Wendell Carter leading No. 5 Pace Academy. Lovett (12-6) and Redan (7-7) are two other teams that have guard play to bother opponents. Region 3 has championship experience with No. 6 Jenkins. No. 7 Islands suffered a brutal loss to Southeast Bulloch, but is still one of the best teams in Savannah. Region 7 has more depth than Region 4 even though 4 holds No. 1 Westside-Macon and No. 9 Central-Macon. In Region 2, No. 3 Liberty County is head and shoulders above the rest. Region 1 hasn’t hit its stride yet but all three top teams have potent scorers that can carry their respective teams. Calhoun (13-4) is having a down year for their standards but Sonoraville (16-3) has strengthened Region 6. No. 4 Morgan County might not have as much talent as they did last year, but the defending state champions will have momentum heading into the state tournament in a weak Region 8.

 

Class AA

R4
Notable: No. 3 Josey, No. 5 Laney, No. 8 Glenn Hills, No. 10 Butler

R1
Notable: No. 4 Thomasville, No. 9 Early County, Fitzgerald

R8
Notable: No. 7 Banks County, Monticello, Putnam County

R2
Notable: Swainsboro, Jeff Davis, Toombs County, Metter, Vidalia

R6
Notable: No. 1 South Atlanta, Hapeville Charter, Therrell

R3
Notable: No. 2 Dublin, Bleckley County, Southwest-Macon

R7
Notable: No. 6 Chattooga, Rockmart

R5
Notable: Heard County, Temple

Augusta’s Region 4 is the easy choice for the best grouping in Class AA. Region 1 has a chance to spoil the party with No. 4 Thomasville’s massive D-I frontcourt headed by Reggie Perry (Arkansas) and Titus Wright. No. 9 Early County and Fitzgerald are both capable of deep tournament runs. Region 8 has strong guard play in the form of Monticello (12-6) and Putnam County (13-5). No. 7 Banks County butters its bread with their inside tandem of Kahmal Wiley and Dylan Orr. Five teams have winning records in Region 2. Swainsboro (11-6) is 9-0 in region play and has always been a tough out in the state tournament. Jeff Davis (15-5), Toombs County (13-6) and Vidalia (10-8) have all had their moments. Region 6 would be higher if Anthony Edwards didn’t transfer from Therrell (11-6). No. 2 Dublin and Southwest-Macon (11-7) have quality wins out of Region 3. No. 6 Chattooga should steamroll their way to another Region 7 championship while Region 5 has sunk to the bottom of the barrel after Callaway (4-7) has been a major disappointment.

 

Class A

R5
Notable: No. 1 Greenforest, No. 3 Southwest Atlanta Christian, No. 6 Holy Innocents’, Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy

R6
Notable: No. 2 North Cobb Christian, No. 4 St. Francis, No. 8 Whitefield Academy, No. 10 Darlington

R7
Notable: No. 5 Aquinas, No. 5 Wilkinson County, Tattnall Square Academy, Lincoln County

R8
Notable: No. 7 Lakeview Academy, No. 9 Tallulah Falls, Athens Christian, Towns County

R4
Notable: No. 3 Taylor County, No. 7 Central-Talbotton, Crawford County, Macon County

R1
Notable: No. 1 Calhoun County, No. 2 Quitman County, No. 6 Randolph-Clay

R2
Notable: No. 8 Clinch County, No. 9 Irwin County, No. 10 Turner County, Wilcox County

R3
Notable: No. 4 Treutlen, Montgomery County, Savannah Christian

Class A’s four regions with private schools top the chart. Region 5 is loaded with No. 1 Greenforest, No. 3 Southwest Atlanta Christian and No. 6 Holy Innocents’. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (11-4) has become competitive under first-year head coach Derrick Mason. Region 6 is loaded with the state’s best scorer, Demiere Brown, leading No. 2 North Cobb Christian. The state’s best freshman, Dwon Odom, powers No. 4 St. Francis. And lastly, possibly the state’s best unsigned scoring point guard, Isaiah Hart, fuels No. 8 Whitefield Academy. Region 7 is the best of both worlds with Class A-Private No. 5 Aquinas and Class A-Public No. 5 Wilkinson County. Lincoln County (9-4) has a chance to make a statement and burst into the Class A-Public Top 10 if they can beat Aquinas this Friday. Region 8 comes in ahead of the public regions thanks to No. 7 Lakeview Academy and the arrival of No. 9 Tallulah Falls. Athens Christian’s 15-3 record sparkles, but they are still in search of a true signature win. Region 1 might have three of the top six teams in the state, but it is extremely top heavy. Region 4’s No. 3 Taylor County can play with anyone at their level and can send scares into the big boys, their only two losses coming against Class AAAA No. 1 Upson-Lee by 12 and 6 points. Crawford County (12-6) and Macon County (13-5) help build depth with No. 7 Central-Talbotton and even Schley County (9-8). Region 2 has three teams at the bottom of the poll and will continue to shuffle around. Region 3 has No. 4 Treutlen undefeated, but the region hasn’t been very strong on the statewide picture outside of the Vikings.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

GHSA Statewide Recap 1-17

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 1 Newton 63, Rockdale County 44: JD Notae scored 19 points and Isaiah Miller had 13 in the Rams’ Region 8 victory. Ashton Hagans added 9 points. Sayvon Traylor led Rockdale County with 15 points and 7 rebounds.

No. 2 McEachern 66, Hillgrove 54: The Indians received 28 points from Isaac Okoro in their win over crosstown rival Hillgrove.

No. 3 Westlake 67, Campbell 63: Chuma Okeke scored 26 points and Danny Lewis had 16 to withstand an upset minded Campbell team led by Tyree Crankfield’s 24 points.

No. 6 Pebblebrook 121, East Coweta 87: Elias Harden led the Falcons with 25 points. Collin Sexton finished with 23 points and 6 assists. Jared Jones posted 16 points and 11 rebounds. Drue Drinnon added 11 points and 9 assists. Messiah Thompson finished with 15 points and 6 assists.

Roswell 67, Lassiter 41: James Anderson scored 16 points and Jordan Merriman netted 12 as the Hornets remained perfect in Region 4.

Grayson 71, North Gwinnett 53: Travis Anderson torched North Gwinnett with 29 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Gerald Buncum added 10 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks. Nick Edwards finished with 9 points, 5 assists and 2 steals. Terrell Greene tacked on 8 points and 5 rebounds.

Central Gwinnett 59, Archer 57: Jalen Hillery scored 20 while Bernard Kasanda added 10 points to rally the Black Knights to a victory.

Brookwood 69, Mill Creek 65: Bubba Parham dropped in 28 points followed by Trae Higginbotham’s 20 to lead the Broncos past the Hawks. Markus Smith tallied 14 points.

Lambert 82, Forsyth Central 47: Jordan McIlwain finished with 19 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block. Andrew Melms chipped in 14 points and 5 assists. The Longhorns handed out 23 assists on the night.

Woodstock 55, Etowah 50: Dylin Hardeman led the Wolverines with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists while Tyreke Johnson posted 16 points and 7 rebounds and Noah Frith netted 14 to complete the season sweep of crosstown rival Etowah. Kameron Hickey and Jaxon Etter scored 14 apiece in the loss.

Class AAAAAA

No. 1 South Paulding 79, Creekside 50: Ja’Cori Wilson’s monster senior season continued with 29 points and 10 rebounds. Kane Williams finished with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists.

No. 2 Gainesville 79, Apalachee 53: Jarred Rosser scored 15 points, Michael White had 14 and KJ Buffen tossed in 13 in the win.

No. 3 Jonesboro 66, Tucker 64: MJ Walker carried Jonesboro with 16 of his game-high 31 points coming in the fourth quarter to avoid a Region 4 upset. Walker also totaled 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Jaylon Terrell had 10 points.

No. 5 Langston Hughes 57, No. 7 Alexander 50: The Panthers survived the Cougars behind Derrick Cook’s 17 points and 12 rebounds. Landers Nolley also posted a double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds. Khalil Cuffee netted 16. Grant Howard finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists for Alexander while Zeek Copeland tagged on 10 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists.

No. 6 Alpharetta 61, Pope 55: The Raiders rallied from down 33-24 at the half to beat Pope at the Dog Pound. Sophomore Brandon Barron went off for 17 of his 25 points in the second half. Carlos Carriere posted a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double. Ryan Jenei finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds.

No. 8 South Cobb 72, Creekview 70 OT: The Grizzlies ran out of gas in overtime. Chandler Wright had 21 points while Weber Sandlin added 19 and KJ Jenkins scored 16.

No. 10 Heritage-Conyers 65, Greenbrier 24: Isaiah Banks finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Byron Abrams scored 10 points and collected 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Trelan Scott had 11 points and 6 steals. Jordan Thomas netted 10 points.

Allatoona 59, Osborne 46: Trey Doomes went for 19 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. TJ Goodrum had 12 points and 3 rebounds. Mike Johnson totaled 11 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists. LaTrell Tate netted a team-high 17 in the loss for Osborne.

Chattahoochee 61, North Atlanta 59: Will Bracknell scored a game-high 22 points and Grant Van Beveran dropped in 15 points.

Cambridge 68, Northview 49: Kyler Ingram finished with 22 points as the Bears outscored the Titans 22-5 in the fourth quarter and advanced to 13-6 overall and 7-3 in Region 7.

Dacula 64, Lanier 60 OT: Justin Goodson and Mekhail Bethea both netted 15 points to lead the Falcons past the Longhorns.

Douglas County 73, New Manchester 69: Malik Battle led the Tigers with 20 points while Jahorie Copeland netted 15 and Rickey Clark added 13.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Buford 57, Loganville 42: It was Dawson Wehunt’s turn to carry the load, scoring a team-high 18 points for the Wolves. David Viti added 11 points and 5 rebounds. Alex Jones had 9 points and 7 assists. Tobi Obasanya chipped in 9 points. Jamar Moore finished with 5 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 5 blocks in the loss while Akil Covington posted 10 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists.

No. 2 Cedar Shoals 72, No. 10 Flowery Branch 44: A 25-0 third quarter close buried the Falcons after Flowery Branch trailed 36-26 at the half. Phlan Fleming led the Jaguars with 15 points.  Snipe Hall (14), AJ Jones (13) and Stavion Stevenson (11) rounded out the Cedar Shoals scoring. Myles Janess scored 10 points in the loss while John Mills added 9 points and 4 assists and Fred Johnson chipped in 8 points. Blake Coxworth tallied 6 points and 4 rebounds.

No. 4 Fayette County 81, Griffin 48: Austin Nesmith only played the first half but still managed to post 20 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. Noah Gurley finished with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Phillip Young had 12 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Jaylen Holloway chipped in 14 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists. Kahmonnie Willis added 10 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists.

No. 5 Miller Grove 63, Arabia Mountain 59: Tae Hardy netted 20 points to hold off the Mustangs. Jermon Clark posted 15 points and Lorenzo Anderson added 13. Darius Giles scored 22 points while Cameron Robinson netted 14 and Jordan Sterling had 12 in the loss.

Starr’s Mill 63, Northgate 34: Drew Hudson led the Panthers with 21 points.

Johnson-Gainesville 63, Clarke Central 53: Marcus and Chan Jones scored 17 and 12 points respectively for the Knights in a big Region 8 victory.

Southwest DeKalb 46, Lithonia 40: Mandarius Dickerson netted a team-high 22 points for the Panthers. Kemon Williams and Quincy Carter scored 7 apiece.

Chamblee 53, Dunwoody 52: Glenn Robinson scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half. Rodney Smith finished with 12 points. In the loss Dunwoody received 16 points and 11 rebounds from Jared Whitehurst. Turner Nims had 12 points.

Villa Rica 54, Hiram 52: Rodney Thomas helped the Wildcats to another win with 12 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals. Nigel Taylor had 10 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Latrell Swanigan added 10 points and 4 rebounds.

Stockbridge 77, Locust Grove 42: Kelton Dawson scored 15 points to lead the Tigers.

Lithia Springs 56, North Springs 48: Ceaunte Zachery led the Lions with 15 points. Marcuez Dix added 12 points. Terry Dew had 11. North Springs received 16 points from Vinnie Viana.

Paulding County 60, Woodland-Cartersville 57: Sophomore Josh Broughton scored 14 points and Tyron Summerour had 12 points in the win. Justice Hayes led Woodland with 19 points.

Class AAAA

No. 1 Upson-Lee 58, No. 7 Perry 52: The Knights passed one of their biggest tests left on their schedule, holding off the Panthers. Upson-Lee led 45-24 before the Panthers stormed back. Tye Fagan led the Knights with 16 points while Michael Smith and Zyrice Scott added 10 apiece. Travon Walker had 8 points and 9 rebounds. Kentrez Traylor scored 8 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. The Panthers were led by Keyioviore Whitlock’s 12 points and Damion Bagley’s 11.

No. 3 Richmond Academy 79, Thomson 53: Jason Weaver scored 25 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. DT Stephens had 20 points and 7 assists. Moses Williams posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

No. 5 Sandy Creek 91, Central-Carroll 72: Chris Porter sank six three-pointers en route to 22 points to pace the Patriots. Evan Jester double-doubled with 20 points and 10 rebounds. TJ Bickerstaff had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Jarred Godfrey finished with 11 points and 7 assists. KJ Wilkins added 7 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Matthew Williams scored 5 points.

No. 10 Cartersville 60, Troup 51: Jaylon Pugh paced the Cartersville attack with 29 points. TJ Horton added 15 points.

North Clayton 62, Druid Hills 52: Junior Michael Lee went for 31 points in the Eagles’ victory.

Westover 67, Cairo 62: Kris Gardner powered in 28 points to go with 4 assists and 2 steals to carry the Patriots. Montravious Richardson posted 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Northwest Whitfield 79, Ridgeland 56: Grant Terrell poured in 25 points to power the Bruins. Luke Shiflett flirted with a quadruple-double, posting 18 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 7 steals. Corbin Blakenship scored 10 points.

Adairsville 82, Pickens 76: Ronald Hardin and Hunter Hice scored 20 apiece to power the Tigers. Cody Henderson added 14 points and Ethan Belcher had 8. Pickens was led by Blake Gorth’s 20 points. Seth Bishop and Avery Luke scored 13 and 11, respectively.

Americus-Sumter 62, Shaw 50: Shaw fell short against the Panthers. Larrie Scott scored 15 points in the loss. Chris Hicks had 12. Lincoln Smith added 11 points and 8 rebounds while Devan Porter-Wilson went for 10 points and 9 rebounds.

Class AAA

No. 1 Westside-Macon 60, No. 9 Central-Macon 55: The Seminoles got their revenge behind Khavon Moore’s 17 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists. Trey Foster added 17 points and 4 rebounds. Greg Holloway had 7 points and 6 rebounds. Antarius McCoy led the Chargers with 20 points and Kylan Hill finished with 11 points and 8 rebounds.

No. 3 Liberty County 121, No. 10 Long County 82: Revenge is a dish best served cold. After losing to the Blue Tide 73-72 without Davion Mitchell, the now healthy Panthers steamrolled Long County. Will Richardson poured in 40 points while Jyaunti Haggray added 22 and Mitchell finished with 21. Tyreon Freeman dropped in 15.

No. 5 Pace Academy 75, McNair 37: Isaiah Kelly posted 15 points and 12 rebounds in the rout.

No. 6 Jenkins 105, Groves 73: Tre Mays led the Warriors with 26 points coming off a school-record nine three-pointers.

Southeast Bulloch 77, No. 7 Islands 58: In the upset of the night, Pierless Brown dropped 32 points to stun Islands.

No. 8 Cedar Grove 60, Towers 55: Devon Barnes finished with 19 points and 6 rebounds. Malik Johnson tallied 11 points and 6 steals. Jamari Dean battled for 14 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks. Omar Davis ended his night with 6 points and 8 rebounds.

Lovett 56, Redan 46: Ryan Greer led the Lions with 23 points while Crawford Schwieger netted 10.

Calhoun 62, Sonoraville 51: The Yellow Jackets grabbed control of Region 6 behind Chapin Rierson’s 24 points and 11 rebounds and a 15-4 run to close. Malik Lawrence scored 13 points while Porter Law finished with 7 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Kaylan Aker and Rhett Abernathy scored 7 points apiece. In the loss, Wil Walraven had 21 points. Brad Wilson hit four three-pointers and finished with 13 points. Bryce Waters added 10 points.

East Hall 73, North Hall 54: Luke Cooper led the Vikings with 18 points as East Hall advanced to 6-1 in Region 7. Sedrion Morse added on 15 points.

Class AA

No. 10 Butler 67, No. 8 Glenn Hills 60 OT: Keith Littles scored 17 points and DeAndre Barton had 14 in Butler’s overtime thriller. Christian Robinson and Mardrez McBride both scored 10 points. Glenn Hills was led by Timmy Seller’s 12 points and CJ Bowers’ 11.

Monticello 57, Elbert County 31: Ashton Bonner scored a team-high 23 points to lift the Hurricanes. Malik Crawford added 11 points and 17 rebounds. AJ James had 13 points for Elbert county.

Putnam County 79, Social Circle 72: Prolific scorer Carl Johnson got his groove back, erupting for 51 points, 11 rebounds and 10 steals while canning nine three-pointers.

Northeast-Macon 62, Bleckley County 55: Darius Dunn dropped 24 points while Ty’ree Gilbert netted 20 to carry the Raiders to a big road victory.

Dodge County 74, Southwest-Macon 63: Nick Cummings led the Indians with 25 points. Demarcus Caines scored 15 points while Demonte Ivey (12) and Maurice McCoy (10) also cracked double digits.

Class A-Private

No. 4 St. Francis 83, Walker 35: Dwon Odom had 17 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. CJ Riley scored 13 points and Wallace Tucker tacked on 10 points and 6 assists. Sam Hines contributed 7 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

No. 7 Lakeview Academy 83, Hebron Christian 63: Tre Gober (19), Evan Pitts (14), Drew Cottrell (14) and Josh Randolph (13) led an always balanced attack. Jack Blackburn dished out 5 assists.

Wesleyan 53, WD Mohammed 46: The Wolves picked up their fourth straight win behind Christian McLean’s 22 points. Sean McDonough netted 13 and Grant Frerking pitched in 12.

Providence Christian Academy 67, The Weber School 59: Sophomore Parker Trump exploded for a career-high 37 points in the win.

Class A-Public

No. 5 Wilkinson County 73, Mt. de Sales 43: Clarence Jackson finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists in the win.

Bowdon 69, Gordon Lee 62: Octavius Meadows hung 28 points while Zach Ledbetter added 13 points and 8 assists.

Lincoln County 98, Glascock County 30: Maciah Gunby overwhelmed the Panthers with 38 points. JJ Elam added 14 points and 5 steals. Ahmad Rand scored 13 in the win.

                                            

GIRLS

 Class AAAAAAA

No. 8 Brookwood 54, No. 4 Mill Creek 47: Texas A&M-signee N’dea Jones dominated the paint with 22 points, 21 rebounds and 6 blocks. Kiki Adams scored 14 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Mariah Callway chipped in 6 points and 7 rebounds.

North Forsyth 55, Milton 18: Amber Jones scored 17 points, Cassie Markle had 12 and Caroline Martin chipped in 11 in the win for the Lady Raiders.

Grayson 50, North Gwinnett 41: Bianca Fizouaty had 13 points and 6 rebounds. Jonnise Poole netted 13 points and dished out 3 assists. Jazmin Robinson had a 10-point 10-rebound double-double in the win.

Class AAAAAA

No. 2 Douglas County 61, New Manchester 46: Arsula Clark led the Tigers with 18 points. Taylor Donelson and Amari Robinson scored 14 points apiece.

No. 6 Grovetown 69, Alcovy 29: Destiny Marshall scored 20 points and Destiny Lucas added 10. Elizabeth Metress and Ayanna Collins scored 9 apiece.

No. 8 Creekview 55, South Cobb 20: Kennedy Cater netted 15 points and Emily Wilkie scored 9 in the win for the newly ranked Grizzlies.

No. 9 Tucker 43, Jonesboro 40: Saadia Munford finished with 19 points, 6 assists and 6 steals in the loss.

No. 10 Chattahoochee 52, North Atlanta 23: Siena Gore scored 14 points and Alayna Ford posted 14 points and 14 rebounds.

Johns Creek 54, Centennial 28: Sydney Tanguilig scored a team-high 17 points followed by Ashley Alexander’s 15.

Alpharetta 53, Pope 47:  JuJu Maduka posted a 14-point 11-rebound double-double for Alpharetta. Freshman Chandler Davis added 15 points, 4 assists and 4 steals. Sophomores Croix Bethune and Jalyn Tillerson also had big games. Bethune finished with 9 points, 5 assists and 4 steals. Tillerson tallied 9 points and 8 rebounds.

Sequoyah 51, River Ridge 36: The Lady Chiefs got back on track behind Peyton Satterfield’s 14 points. Alyssa Cagle had 7 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. Lauren Schletty had 9 points and 4 rebounds while Emily Seres posted 9 points and 8 rebounds.

Class AAAAA

No. 2 Flowery Branch 51, Cedar Shoals 31: Caroline Wysocki posted 10 points and 4 steals while Lexie Sengkhammee had 10 points and 4 assists. Ashley Woodroffe scored 12 points. Julianne Sutton had 6 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals. Taniyah Worth finished with 7 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists.

No. 4 Griffin 59, Fayette County 40: Cincinnati-commit Andeija Puckett posted 16 points and 10 rebounds while Daisya Reed scored 14 points to keep the Bears undefeated.

No. 7 Warner Robins 51, No. 9 Harris County 49: Kezia Holmes netted 19 points for the Demonettes. Victoria Brown scored 11 points. Jordan Thomas and Aniya Clay scored 6 and 4 points, respectively. Kishara Howard grabbed 9 rebounds.

No. 8 Villa Rica 72, Hiram 29: Deasia Merrill pumped in 25 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Jaila Orozco netted 21 points. Emerald Parham added 8 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Aliyah Hindsman scored 6 points.

Cass 64, East Paulding 43: Sharia Wade led the Colonels with 17 points and Chanel Clemmons added 13. Jana Morning and Payton Stoddard scored 8 apiece.

McIntosh 50, Whitewater 23: Savannah Soles scored 15 points to lead the Chiefs. DeLayne Rotolo and Rylee Calhoun added 10 apiece.

Paulding County 37, Woodland-Cartersville 38: Lexie Robinson scored 14 points and Carli Clymer had 10 in the loss.

Dunwoody 44, Chamblee 36: Ariel Lawrence finished with 15 points and 9 rebounds to pace Dunwoody. Kayla Blaise added 10 points. In the loss, Trinity Edwards scored 16 points. Teri Syphoe had 14 points and 8 rebounds. Serena Robinson pulled down 16 rebounds for the Bulldogs.

Class AAAA

No. 1 North Oconee 50, Madison County 43: Emma Weynand (13) and Camryn Williams (12) led the Lady Titans.

No. 3 West Hall 62, White County 58: Macy Passmore dropped in 22 points. Avery Prather scored 10 points while Megan English (8) and Danielle Hinkelman (7) both contributed.

No. 6 Northwest Whitfield 63, Ridgeland 28: Nicole Bates finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Rylee Maret added 11 points and 4 steals. Bria Clemmons pitched in 8 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists.

Pickens 69, Adairsville 52: Torie Williams scored 15 points and had 3 assists in the win. Mykenzie Weaver added 13 points and Ashley Nelson had 9 points and 12 rebounds. Josie Summerville scored a game-high 19 for Adairsville.

Burke County 57, Hephzibah 55: Asia Harden scored 21 points and hit the game-winner with 3.4 seconds left to sneak past Hephzibah.

St. Pius X 44, Oconee County 43: Kathryn McKenzie scored 9 points including a basket with 10 seconds left to lead Pius to a 44-43 win over Oconee County. Emma Drash had 9 points and Nina Burwell scored 7 in the win.  Katie McCarley and Julia Peroni both had 12 for the Warriors.

Troup 59, Cartersville 36: Madison McKinney scored 11 points in the loss.

Class AAA

No. 2 Johnson-Savannah 71, Windsor Forest 19: Alexis Pierce went for 15 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. J’mya Cutter tacked on 12 points and 5 steals.

No. 3 Greater Atlanta Christian 63, Dawson County 34: Cadey Ayers and Marlie Twonley scored 6 apiece in the loss.

No. 5 Calhoun 64, Sonoraville 32: Jana Johns poured in 16 points to pace the Yellow Jackets. Cassie Henderson scored 10 and Ryan Brzozoski, Ashlyn Barnes and Erin Hyatt all scored 8. Maliyah Parks led Sonoraville with 12 points.

Central-Macon 62, Westside-Macon 39: Jada Clowers posted a triple-double with 17 points, 14 rebounds and 10 blocks. Tyleia Williams had 18 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. JeNya Wilder double-doubled with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Class AA

No. 2 Dodge County 60, Southwest-Macon 38: Europe Brown had 17 points and Jurnee Powell added 13. Bresha Carr chipped in 11 points.

No. 3 Rabun County 64, Oglethorpe County 17: Georgia Stockton had 11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals while Jordan Haban added 10 points and 2 rebounds in the win.

No. 7 Bryan County 64, Metter 37: Julianne Brown powered the Redskins with 19 points. Olanna Rawls added 14. Alayna Williams and Yasmine Crawford both scored 10 points. Jay Black and Shelby Gunn scored 6 and 4 points, respectively.

Class A-Private

No. 6 Pinecrest Academy 59, Fellowship Christian 47: Margaret Metz exploded for 42 points to carry the Paladins.

No. 10 Christian Heritage 55, Excel Christian 32: Kelsey Schneller netted 16 points while Madison Brown (15) and Meghan Schneller (12) also chipped in. Rylie Boston led Excel Christian with 11 points.

George Walton Academy 47, Athens Academy 46: Jarrett Kemp finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds while Katie Williams added 10 points in the loss. Gabby Mastandrea chipped in 8 points for the Spartans.

Class A-Public

No. 3 Woodville-Tompkins 55, Savannah Country Day 38: Antalazia Baker powered the Wolverines with 14 points, 8 rebounds, 6 steals and 2 blocks. Jazmin Grayson added 10 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 steals. Savanna Walker pitched in 12 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals.

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 9 Girls Rankings

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Class AAAAAAA

  1. Norcross (17-2)
  2. McEachern (11-6)
  3. Collins Hill (15-2)
  4. Mill Creek (16-1)
  5. Newton (14-2)
  6. Archer (13-4)
  7. Westlake (13-5)
  8. Brookwood (12-5)
  9. Lambert (15-2)
  10. Tift County (14-5)

Class AAAAAA

  1. Harrison (15-3)
  2. Douglas County (16-2)
  3. Winder-Barrow (11-5)
  4. Lovejoy (15-2)
  5. Stephenson (12-5)
  6. Grovetown (12-6)
  7. Northview (16-3)
  8. Creekview (12-6)
  9. Tucker (12-4)
  10. Chattahoochee (12-3) 

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (15-0)
  2. Flowery Branch (14-3)
  3. Southwest DeKalb (15-4)
  4. Griffin (16-0)
  5. Maynard Jackson (15-1)
  6. Carrollton (15-1)
  7. Warner Robins (15-1)
  8. Villa Rica (16-1)
  9. Harris County (14-2)
  10. Bainbridge (12-4)

Class AAAA

  1. North Oconee (14-2)
  2. Carver-Columbus (15-2)
  3. West Hall (14-4)
  4. Cross Creek (15-4)
  5. Columbus (13-3)
  6. Northwest Whitfield (13-4)
  7. Heritage-Catoosa (17-2)
  8. Americus-Sumter (14-3)
  9. Sandy Creek (11-4)
  10. Henry County (13-5) 

Class AAA

  1. Beach (16-1)
  2. Johnson-Savannah (16-1)
  3. Greater Atlanta Christian (11-4)
  4. Redan (11-3)
  5. Calhoun (15-3)
  6. Haralson County (14-3)
  7. Monroe (14-3)
  8. Franklin County (14-4)
  9. Hart County (15-3)
  10. Ringgold (13-5) 

Class AA

  1. Laney (16-1)
  2. Dodge County (14-2)
  3. Rabun County (17-1)
  4. Model (13-4)
  5. Vidalia (14-3)
  6. Fitzgerald (11-1)
  7. Bryan County (12-3)
  8. Heard County (14-4)
  9. Swainsboro (10-5)
  10. Hapeville Charter (11-5)

Class A-Private

  1. Holy Innocents’ (16-1)
  2. St. Francis (13-4)
  3. Wesleyan (14-3)
  4. Lakeview Academy (14-4)
  5. Calvary Day (13-3)
  6. Pinecrest Academy (10-3)
  7. Landmark Christian (13-3)
  8. Darlington (11-5)
  9. Stratford Academy (11-4)
  10. Christian Heritage (9-5)

Class A-Public

  1. Pelham (14-1)
  2. Telfair County (15-1)
  3. Woodville-Tompkins (15-3)
  4. Wheeler County (15-2)
  5. Treutlen (11-4)
  6. Greenville (14-3)
  7. Mitchell County (14-3)
  8. Hancock Central (12-3)
  9. Taylor County (12-4)
  10. Marion County (13-4)

 

Each of the top three teams in Class AAAAAAA lost, but there is no change as Norcross, McEachern and Collins Hill go 1-2-3. The Blue Devils defeated No. 8 Brookwood on the road 48-40, but dropped to national power Riverdale, TN 69-50 at the Krossover Classic. McEachern blew out Marietta 70-38 and in the process knocked the Blue Devils from the Top 10. The Indians proceeded to lose to National Christian Academy, MD 57-48. Collins Hill’s loss came to Class A-Private No. 2 St. Francis 45-33. No. 5 Newton swaps places with No. 6 Archer after defeating the Tigers 56-53 on the road. New to the rankings is No. 10 Tift County. Another set of Blue Devils, Tift County beat Colquitt County in overtime 56-53 and won at Camden County 40-37.

Class AAAAAA No. 1 Harrison lost to Class AAAAA No. 1 Buford 49-43, but retains their hold atop of the state. Before their non-region loss, the Hoyas defeated No. 8 Creekview 56-41. The Grizzlies debut in the poll this week after knocking rival Sequoyah from the rankings with a 62-39 victory over the Chiefs. Also out of the Top 10 is Forest Park and Gainesville. Forest Park was crushed by No. 4 Lovejoy 57-16 while the Red Elephants lost at No. 3 Winder-Barrow 66-59 and to Class AAAAAAA No. 7 Westlake 57-43. Winder-Barrow drops a spot after they were crushed by Class A-Private No. 1 Holy Innocents’ 68-33. New to the rankings this week is No. 9 Tucker and No. 10 Chattahoochee. The Cougars are in the statewide picture for the first time this season. They visit No. 7 Northview this Friday with a chance to cement themselves in the poll.

Buford’s victory over Harrison is as good as it gets right now in Class AAAAA. The Wolves are continuing to roll and have a firm hold on the No. 1 ranking. No. 7 Warner Robins suffered its first loss of the season and slips two spots. No. 10 Bainbridge defeated the Demonettes 48-43 and their victory propels them back into the Top 10. They replace McIntosh who was beat by No. 4 Griffin, 66-46. Villa Rica has been stuck at the No. 8 position, but the Wildcats are playing extremely well. They trounced Cass on the road 75-37. Region 7 will come down to Villa Rica’s rematch January 7 rematch at No. 6 Carrollton.

Class AAAA No. 1 North Oconee survived a scare from St. Pius, edging the Golden Lions 59-53. No. 2 Carver-Columbus turned back a tough No. 8 Americus-Sumter 50-47.  No. 7 Heritage-Catoosa spanked rival Class AAA No. 10 Ringgold 69-53.  No. 3 West Hall had a sluggish 35-32 victory over Chestatee.

No. 1 Beach over in Class AAA escaped a potential upset, winning at Glynn Academy 39-29. Hart County falls five spots after a 70-54 loss at home to Franklin County, who reenters the poll at No. 8. Ringgold tumbles four spots to No. 10 after their loss to Heritage-Catoosa and the fact that everyone behind them won out except for Central-Macon. The Chargers lost 42-40 to a surging Peach County. The Trojans are knocking at the door of busting into the Top 10.

The race for the No. 2 ranking in Class AA rages on. This week its Dodge County moving ahead of No. 3 Rabun County. The Indians have impressed out of Region 3. They went on the road and hammered Washington County 58-37, knocking the Golden Hawks from the poll. Dodge County also took it to Dublin on the road, 67-41. Fitzgerald was upset by Berrien 71-57 and falls two spots to No. 6. No. 4 Model is starting to regain their form, getting revenge against Class A-Private No. 10 Christian Heritage, beating the Lions 68-42 on the road after losing 63-52 earlier in the season. Dade County exits the poll after Model clipped them 63-48. Replacing the Wolverines is No. 9 Swainsboro. The Tigers have been playing sneaky good basketball and could play spoiler down the road in Region 2 as they are housed with No. 5 Vidalia who they split with and also No. 7 Bryan County who beat them by 12.

Both No. 1 Holy Innocents’ and No. 2 St. Francis made statements to not only the rest of Class A-Private, but the entire state. The Golden Bears crushed Winder-Barrow 68-33 while the Knights handled No. 6 Pinecrest Academy 71-53 and dispatched of host Collins Hill 45-33. First Presbyterian Day drops out of the rankings after a 37-29 loss to Wilkinson County. No. 9 Stratford Academy is back in the poll. The Eagles have rebounded from their ugly 24-13 loss to First Presbyterian Day which knocked them out of the poll. Stratford Academy defeated rival Tattnall Square Academy 42-32 and followed up with a road win over Wilkinson County 52-31.

Class A-Public No. 1 Pelham suffered its first loss of the year at Lowndes 71-70, but still remains the team to beat. No. 2 Telfair County boosted its resume with a 58-43 victory over Wilcox County, dropping the Patriots from the poll. Greenville slips two spots to No. 6 after a 56-49 loss at new No. 10 Marion County. Treutlen benefits from Greenville, Wilcox County and Taylor County all losing ahead of them and rise to No. 5.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 9 Boys Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

  1. Newton (17-0)
  2. McEachern (14-0)
  3. Westlake (10-7)
  4. Wheeler (13-4)
  5. Berkmar (15-5)
  6. Pebblebrook (9-6)
  7. Norcross (15-4)
  8. Tift County (18-1)
  9. Collins Hill (15-3)
  10. Discovery (14-6) 

Class AAAAAA

  1. South Paulding (16-1)
  2. Gainesville (16-1)
  3. Jonesboro (13-4)
  4. Richmond Hill (16-3)
  5. Langston Hughes (11-5)
  6. Alpharetta (18-1)
  7. Alexander (13-4)
  8. South Cobb (13-4)
  9. Lakeside-Evans (13-4)
  10. Heritage-Conyers (10-4)

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (15-2)
  2. Cedar Shoals (16-3)
  3. Warner Robins (14-3)
  4. Fayette County (13-5)
  5. Miller Grove (10-6)
  6. New Hampstead (14-4)
  7. Columbia (12-5)
  8. Eagle’s Landing (12-4)
  9. Union Grove (14-4)
  10. Flowery Branch (14-3) 

Class AAAA

  1. Upson-Lee (17-0)
  2. Henry County (14-5)
  3. Richmond Academy (16-3)
  4. LaGrange (16-2)
  5. Sandy Creek (10-5)
  6. Carver-Columbus (13-3)
  7. Perry (15-3)
  8. Salem (13-4)
  9. St. Pius X (11-6)
  10. Cartersville (11-4)

 Class AAA

  1. Westside-Macon (13-3)
  2. Greater Atlanta Christian (13-4)
  3. Liberty County (11-5)
  4. Morgan County (12-3)
  5. Pace Academy (7-7)
  6. Jenkins (12-6)
  7. Islands (13-5)
  8. Cedar Grove (8-4)
  9. Central-Macon (13-3)
  10. Long County (13-6) 

Class AA

  1. South Atlanta (14-1)
  2. Dublin (13-4)
  3. Josey (14-4)
  4. Thomasville (9-6)
  5. Laney (12-4)
  6. Chattooga (14-1)
  7. Banks County (13-4)
  8. Glenn Hills (13-5)
  9. Early County (13-4)
  10. Butler (11-5)

Class A-Private

  1. Greenforest (13-4)
  2. North Cobb Christian (14-3)
  3. Southwest Atlanta Christian (10-5)
  4. St. Francis (16-3)
  5. Aquinas (14-1)
  6. Holy Innocents’ (12-4)
  7. Lakeview Academy (12-4)
  8. Whitefield Academy (10-6)
  9. Tallulah Falls (17-0)
  10. Darlington (11-3) 

Class A-Public

  1. Calhoun County (13-1)
  2. Quitman County (14-1)
  3. Taylor County (12-2)
  4. Treutlen (16-0)
  5. Wilkinson County (12-4)
  6. Randolph-Clay (11-3)
  7. Central-Talbotton (11-4)
  8. Clinch County (13-3)
  9. Irwin County (8-5)
  10. Turner County (12-5)

 

There was major movement in nearly every single classification this week with Class AAAAAAA seeing some big changes of its own. Westlake shoots up four spots to No. 3 after knocking off No. 6 Pebblebrook in overtime 80-78 courtesy of a now healthy Jamie Lewis three-pointer with five seconds remaining. The Lions are a perfect 4-0 in Region 2, already holding a win over No. 4 Wheeler. Berkmar makes a move to No. 5 after going on the road and beating No. 7 Norcross 61-58. All the shuffling along the top seven spots hurts No. 8 Tift County who slips two spots from No. 6. The Blue Devils just don’t have enough quality wins on the resume and don’t consistently see the level of competition the teams ranked ahead of them do on a nightly basis. Peachtree Ridge falls out of the Top 10 after losing in overtime 63-60 to Duluth and to No. 9 Collins Hill 58-52. Back in the rankings is No. 10 Discovery, who defeated Meadowcreek 67-64 and Duluth 63-58.

A new No. 1 takes over in Class AAAAAA following No. 2 Gainesville’s 63-60 misstep against Class AAAAA No. 2 Cedar Shoals. South Paulding earns the No. 1 ranking for the first time in school history and has the quality wins to back it up. They went on the road and earned a Region 5 statement victory beating No. 5 Langston Hughes 57-42, holding potent scorer Landers Nolley to just 10 points after he entered the game averaging over 28 per game. Richmond Hill skyrockets to No. 4 after knocking Brunswick from the Top 10 with a 61-60 road win. No. 8 South Cobb falls two spots after a 30-point loss at Pebblebrook and a 74-68 loss at Campbell. Heritage-Conyers slips from No. 5 to No. 10 after losing a heartbreaker at home to newly ranked No. 9 Lakeside-Evans in overtime, 62-58. The Panthers are now in the driver’s seat in Region 3 and will host the Patriots in a rematch on January 31.

No. 2 Cedar Shoals can’t seem to figure out No. 1 Buford in Region 8-AAAAA. The Wolves stunned the Jags 75-70 in overtime, sweeping the regular season series. Cedar Shoals rebounded in a major way the following day with a 63-60 win at Gainesville without Snipe Hall. The Wolves survived a 100-99 double overtime heart-stopper against Harrison on Saturday. Eagle’s Landing tumbles from No. 2 to No. 8 after losing at home 64-55 to No. 9 Union Grove and on the road at Dutchtown, 78-73. No. 7 Columbia knocked Southwest DeKalb from the poll with a 58-44 road victory. Debuting for the first time this season is No. 10 Flowery Branch. The Falcons will put their new ranking to the test right away as they travel to Cedar Shoals on Tuesday. The Jaguars won the first meeting 63-50.

Class AAAA has begun to take shape. No. 1 Upson-Lee hosts No. 7 Perry this Tuesday in a crucial Region 2 tilt. Region 5 has shaken things up as No. 5 Sandy Creek sinks three spots after a 68-64 loss at No. 4 LaGrange. Laperion Perry powered the Grangers with 27 points. Elsewhere in the region, Cartersville resurfaces at No. 10 after losing 86-80 to Sandy Creek and rebounding with a massive 79-49 romp of Calhoun, knocking the Yellow Jackets from the AAA Top 10. No. 3 Richmond Academy hosts Thomson on Tuesday in an interesting Region 3 matchup. Eastside, Stephens County and Burke County all exit the poll. Eastside lost to new No. 8 Salem, 63-61 and fell to Class AAAAAAA No. 1 Newton 91-63.  Stephens County had a miserable week and is now 0-3 in Region 8 after losing to Madison County 68-62 and Oconee County 68-59. The two losses give familiar face No. 9 St. Pius some breathing room as the Golden Lions have started to rack up the wins in region play.

Class AAA No. 1 Westside-Macon looked sharp as they went 2-0 at the Wally Keller Classic. No. 2 Greater Atlanta Christian picked up a 49-47 victory at Seneca, SC, one of South Carolina’s top ranked teams. No. 3 Liberty County crushed Thomson again, 88-68 on the road. Islands drops a spot to No. 7 after losing to Effingham County on the road 68-59. Calhoun is out of the poll following their 30-point loss to Cartersville. Replacing the Jackets is No. 10 Long County, who is led in scoring by four juniors: Terry Smith (15.8 ppg), Henry Blair (15.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg), Christian Bass (13 ppg, 11 rpg) and Ryheim Izzard (10.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg). They will have their hands full as they visit Liberty County on Tuesday. The winner takes sole possession of first place in Region 2. The Blue Tide won their first meeting 73-72, but Auburn-signee Davion Mitchell was out with injury for the Panthers.

Monticello and Therrell are out in Class AA. The Hurricanes drop from No. 4 to unranked after suffering their six loss of the season with a 63-58 defeat at Putnam County. Therrell has seen star sophomore Anthony Edwards transfer to Holy Spirit Prep mid-season, zapping the Panthers of their leading scorer who averaged over 25 per game. No. 3 Josey earned a 45-40 victory over No. 5 Laney. Region 4 places four teams in the Top 10 with No. 8 Glenn Hills and No. 10 Butler reentering, both riding 4-game winning streaks. The two teams will meet at Butler on Tuesday. The pressure of being No. 5 in the state got to Early County who sinks to No. 9 after losing to No. 4 Thomasville 73-67 and Fitzgerald 83-77 in overtime. No. 6 Chattooga and No. 7 Banks County continue to handle their business as both have won 10-straight.

There is no movement in Class A-Private. No. 1 Greenforest went 2-1 at the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions. No. 3 Southwest Atlanta Christian hosts a streaking No. 6 Holy Innocents’ on Tuesday. The Golden Bears have now won 9-straight after topping Milton. No. 8 Whitefield Academy fell to No. 4 St. Francis 68-63, but rebounded with a 58-53 win over King’s Ridge. Their loss isn’t enough to propel either No. 9 Tallulah Falls or No. 10 Darlington past them in the rankings.

Class A-Public No. 1 Calhoun County dismantled No. 10 Turner County 80-57. No. 4 Treutlen remained perfect as they survived Montgomery County on the road in overtime 76-69. Clinch County falls three spots to No. 8 after losing to new No. 9 Irwin County 61-57 and Cook 53-50. Macon County exits the poll after a 65-52 loss at Hawkinsville. No. 5 Wilkinson County beat Stratford Academy 65-50 and picked up a 54-30 victory over Baldwin.

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Williams, Berrien carry poised Panthers to overtime upset of No. 5 Heritage-Conyers

1 Comment

Lakeside-Evans 62, No. 5 Heritage-Conyers 58

“It’s just another game,” said sophomore guard Kalen Williams before Lakeside’s biggest test of the season, a road showdown with Class AAAAAA No. 5 Heritage-Conyers who made national headlines earlier in the week with Isaiah Banks shattering a backboard with a thunderous dunk. With a chance to prove they could play with the big boys outside of the Augusta area, the Panthers didn’t miss their shot – literally and figuratively.

Heritage came out of the gates hot and jumped on Lakeside 15-6, pressing and getting out in transition. The Panthers found their footing at the end of the quarter and weathered the storm. Williams buried a three and Deon Berrien cleaned the glass for a put-back to cap a 12-2 run to take a 18-17 lead and eventually head into the second quarter tied at 18.

Berrien, the 6-foot-6 senior forward, was instrumental in keeping the Patriots afloat, posting eight points and six rebounds in the opening eight minutes.

The second quarter was nip-and-tuck, both teams trading baskets. Jordan Thomas scored two of his game-high 25 for the Patriots on a euro-step before entering the half down 27-24, the Panthers outscoring Heritage 21-9 after their early deficit.

In the third quarter, both defenses continued to stiffen as just a combined 15 points were scored. Thomas scored six of Heritage’s eight points in the frame while Lakeside nursed a 34-32 lead into the final period of regulation.

Things started to get hot and heavy as Heritage ramped up the pressure and started picking up full court after Williams dropped off an assist to push the Panthers to their largest lead of the game at 40-32. The Patriots began to force rushed shots and turnovers and attacked the rim at the other end, living at the foul line.

Florida Atlantic-signee Byron Abrams hit a streaking Banks on an And-1 to cut the lead to 40-36 at the 4:36 mark. 21 seconds later, Abrams found a basket of his own, cutting the lead to two. Lakeside extended its lead back to five after a Williams hoop in traffic.

But Heritage quickly raced back, scoring four straight to make it 44-43 with 2:10 remaining after the Patriots played volleyball on the rim and Banks finished a tip-in.

 

Following a huge Brad Hilley bucket on the block at the 1:44 mark giving Lakeside a 46-43 advantage, the Patriots stormed ahead. Kre’Sean Hall missed a free throw up 46-45 and Abrams cleared it and pitched to Banks who rushed ahead the length of the floor for a layup in transition giving Heritage a 47-46 lead with just 15.7 seconds left.

Momentum had swung and Lakeside was forced to foul Blake Roberts. Roberts sank both free throws to take a 49-46 lead as the Patriots and their fans had a chance to exhale with the prospects of a come from behind victory just 10.9 seconds away, but Deon Berrien had other plans.

With two men on him and Abrams’ hand in his face, Berrien sank a contested three at the buzzer to force overtime, the Panthers bench pouring onto the court to celebrate.  

Overtime saw Lakeside take a quick 53-50 advantage and the emotionally drained Patriots struggle to corral Williams. With 54 seconds remaining, Jalen Nealious sank a pair of free throws to move the Panthers lead to 55-52. Heritage couldn’t tie on the following possession and had to send Williams back to the line to supply the dagger with 2.5 seconds left as he buried his final five free throws in overtime and taunted the home crowd as his 19th and 20th points of the game secured Lakeside’s biggest win in years.

 

My Take 

All of Lakeside’s winning over the summer with the Georgia Bulls program has spilled into this season under first-year head coach Jeff Williams.  Back in May I said Lakeside-Evans was a sleeper. The Panthers’ mixture of confidence and cockiness has them playing with a major chip on their shoulder, especially when they play a rare game outside of the Augusta-area. Kalen Williams wasn’t worried pregame about taking on the No. 5 team in the state and let me know after his 20-point performance that the sophomore is “the next Collin Sexton.” Deon Berrien said when the ball left his hands at the end of regulation that he “knew it was cash.” With two players as confident as Williams and Berrien, the Panthers are now in the driver’s seat in Region 3 and should run the table until their rematch with Heritage on January 31.  As far as the play on the court goes, Berrien brought it from the opening tip, battling for 18 points and 10 rebounds. His energy around the basket matched Heritage’s. The Patriots were bigger, faster and stronger at every position, but that didn’t deter the plucky Panthers. Williams was hounded for a few five second calls but once he saw his first rainbow three drop, the gamer was up to the challenge. Jalen Nealious gave Lakeside a spark off the bench with 11 points and his two free throws in overtime were as big as any shots in the game. He’s a herky jerky athlete that looks more like a football player on the court, but his energy was key. Kre’Sean Hall had a tough scoreless night but still grabbed 10 rebounds. Brad Hilley scored 13 points with only one three-pointer. Seeing him score inside the arc is a major boost for Lakeside who had just four players score on the night but all four were in double figures.

Heritage-Conyers looked amped up to start the game and jumped all over Lakeside-Evans and in the back of their mind might have thought they were going to run away with the game. Jordan Thomas was great throughout the night with 25 points. Isaiah Banks turned it on late with eight of his 10 points coming in the fourth quarter. Byron Abrams missed three free throws in the fourth quarter which came back to haunt the Patriots. JaQuez Hicks swatted away five shots. The Patriots will definitely have January 31 circled on their calendar.

Top Performers

Lakeside-Evans
Kalen Williams – 20 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block
Deon Berrien – 18 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks
Brad Hilley – 13 points, 3 rebounds
Jalen Nealious – 11 points, 1 rebounds, 2 steals

Heritage-Conyers
Jordan Thomas – 25 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals
Isaiah Banks – 10 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Byron Abrams – 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
JaQuez Hicks – 6 rebounds, 5 blocks