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No. 2 St. Pius blitzes No. 7 Stephens County 79-65

No. 2 St. Pius 79, No. 7 Stephens County 65

From the opening tip, No. 2 St. Pius (8-1) was on a mission to take care of business at the beautiful Currahee Arena. No. 7 Stephens County (6-1) turned out the lights to bring a raucous atmosphere into play, but the home standing fans were quickly negated by the Golden Lions’ 9-0 run just 1:16 into the contest.

Instead of using a timeout to try and slow down St. Pius’ defensive harassment and three-point barrage, Coach Chad Bridges elected to try and let his guys play through it, a plan that backfired. The Golden Lions attacked and attacked. Zach Ranson came off the bench and quickly picked up a steal and assist to Brian Gonzalo.

When the dust settled from the first quarter, it was a 27-9 St. Pius advantage. Interestingly enough, the Golden Lions got out to their hot start with point guard Matt Gonzalo on the bench to begin. Stephens County sat 6-foot-7 post DeUndra Singleton to begin as well. Tae Thornton looked like the only Indian ready to handle the Lions’ non-stop pressure defense, but against a team like St. Pius, it takes more than one soldier to defend the castle.

After sinking five first quarter threes, the Golden Lions continued their onslaught, hitting four more in the second quarter. With the game already out of hand, Jackson Bell provided a small spark for the Indians, entering the game and picking up an And-1 opportunity off a put-back but the Indians still trailed 36-19 with 3:39 remaining in the half.

Stephens County went on a run and closed the gap to 41-28 with 55.2 seconds left, riding Thornton’s fearless play attacking the rim and setting up transition opportunities, but momentum was quickly lost as St. Pius closed on a 4-0 spurt including a Finn McCurdy put-back at the buzzer to take a comfortable 45-28 lead into halftime.

https://twitter.com/KyleSandy355/status/941864871783788544

St. Pius opened up the third quarter a little sloppy as the Indians played fast and tried to use their length and athleticism advantages against the Golden Lions. At the 6:20 mark, Stephens County had clawed their deficit to a hoop away from being single digits at 45-34, but it would be the closest they would come in the second half. St. Pius quickly answered with an 8-2 run to balloon the lead back up to 53-36 hitting threes to crush the Indians’ spirit. Brian Gonzalo sank two threes in the period on his way to finishing with a team-high 15 points while brother Matt sank a triple, as did Patrick Snipes, contributing to the Lions’ 13 three-pointers on the night.

At the end of three quarters, St. Pius held a 67-45 lead and would milk it all the way to the final horn. Singleton scored eight of his game-high 21 points in garbage time while 6-foot-6 Ty Nails tossed in six of his 12 points in the same frame.

My Take

The gap between No. 1 Upson-Lee and No. 2 St. Pius and the rest of the field seems enormous right now. No. 3 Sandy Creek is quietly having a strong season, as are teams in Region 1 out in Columbus, but the Knights and Golden Lions are playing great basketball night in and night out. The Golden Lions’ press defense is suffocating. They put their foot on the Indians neck from the opening tip and never gave them an opportunity to even think about an upset. The Lions move the ball so well, they are most likely the state’s most efficient offense when they are clicking. Driving and dishing led to countless wide-open three-pointers; they had 21 assists as a team. Defenses will need to be on a string to be able to contest all of St. Pius’ open looks. Matt Gonzalo and Brian Gonzalo were at their best tonight, peppering the defense with their drives and their three-point shooting. Matt is one of the quickest guards with the ball in his hands in the state. Everett Lane buried his three-point chances and rebounded well for his size. I love what Niko Broadway and Patrick Snipes bring to the table. They aren’t flashy but they are trustworthy glue guys that are always in the right spot to fill up the stat sheet. I need to see more from Kennedy Willis inside. He struggled to make an impact and wasn’t able to really clamp down on DeUndra Singleton. At 6-foot-8, a reboundless game is not going to cut it.

Stephens County was just outclassed tonight. They are still a very dangerous team for the rest of the state, but they just don’t matchup well with what St. Pius does. Tae Thornton was most impressive. He was a little out of control at times, but the 6-foot-1 senior guard played very hard and his athleticism gave St. Pius trouble from time to time. DeUndra Singleton didn’t have the D1 performance I was hoping to see from him tonight, but the big fella is still definitely a college prospect that will be able to provide minutes at the next level. The pace of the game was not conducive to post play, but Singleton still managed 21 points and 5 rebounds. Not being able to play above the rim will hurt him at the next level, but he still is a load on the low block and uses his burly shoulders well. Ty Nails was quiet. The 6-foot-6 swingman didn’t handle St. Pius’ pressure very well and struggled to get going on offense. Jackson Bell brought a nice energy off the bench. His hustle shined more than his skill, but he did good things out there for Coach Bridges. Senior guard Brandon Wheeler was aggressive attacking the boards from his guard position and picked up a handful of steals.

Top Performers

St. Pius X
Brian Gonzalo – 15 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
Everett Lane – 13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Patrick Snipes – 9 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Troy Stephens – 9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist
Matt Gonzalo – 7 points, 6 assists, 3 steals
Niko Broadway – 5 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, 1 block

Stephens County
DeUndra Singleton – 21 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal
Tae Thornton – 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
Ty Nails – 12 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

Statewide Recap 12-15

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 1 McEachern 63, North Cobb 51: Sharife Cooper had 24 points and 6 assists for the Indians. Isaac Okoro had 18 points and 9 rebounds while Jared Jones collected 10 points and 8 rebounds. Kevin Hester hung 25 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks on the McEachern frontline.

No. 3 Wheeler 77, Campbell 63: EJ Montgomery finished with 32 points and 16 rebounds. Isaac Martin netted 18.

No. 7 Mountain View 46, Discovery 45: Troy-signee Spencer Rodgers was fouled on a three with 2.8 seconds left and buried all three free throws to stun Discovery. Rodgers finished with 17 points while Miles Long added 8. Old Dominion-signee Kalu Ezikpe led the Titans with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Jaden Walker added 9 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.

No. 10 Collins Hill 54, No. 8 Duluth 50: Mandarius Dickerson scored 18 points while Chris Parks (15) and Justin Lee (14) also did damage. Duluth was led by Adam Flagler’s 13 points and Lamont Smith’s 12.

Lambert 94, North Forsyth 74: Mitch Ganote hung a triple-double on the Raiders, going for 29 points, 7 rebounds, 11 assists and 11 steals.

Hillgrove 56, North Paulding 52: Orry Owens scored 22 points for the Hawks. The Wolfpack received 22 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks from junior Jacob Harris in the loss.

Etowah 62, Sequoyah 44: The Etowah Eagles (7-1) jumped out to an 11-2 lead on the sophomore laden Sequoyah Chiefs (1-7) at the Hickory Flat War Lodge and coasted to a 62-44 victory. Junior Jaxon Etter scored 5 first quarter points and was assisted by solid play off the bench by forward Colby Milton to take an 18-7 lead after the first quarter. In the second frame steady point guard Nick Nagy added 5 points and 3 assists as he got open looks for Etter and 6-foot-7 center Julian Baldwin. The Eagles put the clamps on Chiefs scoring ace Jackson Greco holding him to zero field goals and 6 points in the first half. Sequoyah was led by junior DJ  King with 8 points and 3 rebounds. For Etowah, Etter had 10 first half points while Nagy had 8 points and 3 assists as they raced out to a 30-22 lead at the half. King opened the third stanza with a three to cut the lead to five, but a Nagy three and steal for a layup pushed the score up to 41-27 at the 3:45 mark. Tusculumi-signee Adrian Cohen closed the frame 51-34 with a steal and breakaway dunk. Carter Ingersoll after a quiet first half chipped in with 8 points and 5 rebounds in the quarter. Etowah cruised in the fourth period and cleared the bench at the 2:15 mark with a 61-38 advantage. Etter took scoring honors 16 points and 6 rebounds while Nagy had 13 points and 3 assists. DJ King paced the Chiefs with 12 points and 3 assists while Geco tallied 11 points.

Class AAAAAA

No. 1 Langston Hughes 75, Mays 66: The state’s most unstoppable scorer struck for the first time in major fashion this year, Virginia Tech-signee Landers Nolley exploding for 51 points.

No. 6 Jonesboro 77, Forest Park 47: Jamari Smith posted 31 points and 10 rebounds. Jamari Mosley had 13 points and 7 rebounds and Miles Black added 11 points and 8 assists.

No. 10 Douglas County 88, Westlake 79: Cam Copeland put in 23 points followed by Rickey Clark’s 19 points and 8 rebounds to lead the Tigers. Ernest Randle had 13 points and 8 rebounds. Malik Battle and Jeremiah Smith each scored 12 points.

Glynn Academy 58, Monroe 32: Santana Young poured in 21 points followed by Syron Noyes’ 16. Carieon Robbins added 13 in the win at the U-Save-It Holiday Classic.

Mundy’s Mill 67, Lovejoy 58: Kirshon Thrash pumped in 20 points and John Coats had 17 as the Tigers won in front of a packed house.

Lakeside-Evans 70, Greenbrier 61: The Panthers got back on track behind Kalen Williams’ 22 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. TyShun Briscoe had 16 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Freshman Rickey McGhee broke out with 13 points and 4 rebounds.

Lanier 64, Winder-Barrow 63: Alex Walker scored 21 points to lead the Longhorns. Sean Foster had 16 points and Adrian Martin netted 12 points.

Chattahoochee 88, Alpharetta 87: Will Bracknell poured in 33 points while freshman guard AJ White netted 22 to secure a big Region 7 win. Cameron Sheffield scored 18 off the bench.

Centennial 61, Dunwoody 47: Rodney Howard had 13 points and 10 rebounds while Jahlen Jack scored 14 to pace the Knights. Jared Whitehurst led Dunwoody with 14 points.

Pope 65, Johns Creek 60: Micah Paulk poured in 25 points and Jackson Baylark added 16. William Penland led Johns Creek with 19 points followed by Jack Greenslit’s 18.

Class AAAAA

No. 2 Buford 79, Flowery Branch 70: The Falcons ran out of gas in a competitive Region 8 battle. Lipscomb-signee Alex Jones scored 22 points followed by Georgia Southern-signee David Viti’s 21 and Marcus Watson’ 19 points to carry the Wolves. Flowery Branch was led by Justin Quick’s 17 points and 6 rebounds. DJ Brown scored 13 points. Myles Janess had 8 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Patsheko Lutumba finished with 9 points and 4 rebounds while JJ Greene scored 9 points and Blake Coxworth picked up 7 points and 7 assists.

No. 4 Columbia 60, No. 3 Miller Grove 58: Lorenzo McGhee powered in 20 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Eagles past their Region 5 rival. Keondre Kennedy had 17 points and 7 rebounds. LJ Thomas collected 10 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

No. 5 Southwest DeKalb 58, 6ANo. 4 Brunswick 44: The Panthers went down to the Memorial Health Holiday Classic and picked up a huge win behind KD Johnson’s 19 points and James Glisson III’s 16. Eugene Brown III tacked on 10 points.

No. 10 Lithonia 67, Arabia Mountain 52: Four players scored in double figures for the Bulldogs. Eric Gaines finished with 14 points and 6 assists. Ziven Alexander had 13 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. D’Allen Pritchett collected 10 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists. Sydarius Stinson had 10 poiints, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. In the loss the Rams received 16 points from Jordan Sterling, 11 from Ta’Kari Rogers-Olive and 9 from N’Kyzie Hawkins.

Fayette County 60, Marietta 56: Ricky Knight Jr. poured in 23 points to pace the Tigers. JeKobe Coleman added 19 points and Josh Dupree went for 10 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists.

Stockbridge 58, Union Grove 48: Georgia State-signee Kavonte Ivery netted 23 points. Elijah Austell had 16 points and Ocean Scott finished with a 13-point 10-rebound double-dobule.

Kell 70, Woodstock 56: Kell received 26 points from Savvon Delgado and 15 from Jahwan Smith. Justin Perry tacked on 10 points as the Longhorns went 22-of-26 from the foul line.Woodstock was led by Dylin Hardeman’s 15 points and Noah Frith’s 12 points and 8 rebounds. Sid Mesumbe had 9 points and Christopher Carroll collected 8 points and 4 assists.

Cedar Shoals 60, Walnut Grove 52: The Jaguars scored a much-needed victory. Jai’Vanni McDavid had 19 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Tyler Johnson added 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals. In the loss, Nick Jones had 13 points and 7 rebounds. Jailen Robinson had 9 points and 8 rebounds. Ryan Landers chipped in 10 points, 5 rebound, 3 assists and 3 steals.

Clarke Central 76, Loganville 42: Jamar Moore had 14 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 blocks in the loss.

Villa Rica 75, Bowdon 58: Javonte Hart had 16 points while Latrell Swanigan and Kalil Humphreys scored 14 apiece. Micah Hodges added 10. In the loss, Zach Ledbetter scored 18 points and both Chris Parker and Trajan Brown netted 11 apiece.

Decatur 56, North Springs 49: Israel Cobb had 18 points to pace the Bulldogs. Marcus Hood (9), Chalin Hippe (7), Khari Davis (6) and Travon Smith (6) all pitched in to help neutralize Vinicius Viana’s 28 for North Springs.

Class AAAA

No. 2 St. Pius 79, No. 7 Stephens County 65: The Golden Lions blitzed the Indians from the opening tip, jumping out to a 9-0 lead 1:16 into the game and never looking back. St. Pius hit 13 threes including five in the first quarter and nine in the first half. Brian Gonzalo finished with 15 points and 3 assists while Everett Lane netted 13 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Patrick Snipes contributed 9 points and 5 rebounds and Matt Gonzalo came off the bench to tally 7 points, 6 assists and 3 steals. Stephens County was led by DeUndra Singleton’s 21 points and 5 rebounds off the bench. Tae Thornton finished with 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Ty Nails tacked on 12 points and 6 rebounds.

No. 3 Sandy Creek 78, Riverdale 56: TJ Bickerstaff led six Patriots in double figures with 14 points. Kam Miller (13), Julian Alexander (13), Xavier Brewer (10), Jarred Godfrey (10) and Chris Porter (10) all hit double digits.

No. 4 Carver-Columbus 74, Shaw 63: AJ Watts poured in 19 points to power the Tigers. Keyon Taylor added 13 and Jalen King collected 11 points and 8 rebounds. TJ Mitchell led Shaw with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Jalen Ken chipped in 10 points and 4 rebounds.

No. 8 Cartersville 76, Paulding County 53: Furman-signee Jaylon Pugh kicked off his senior season with 27 points. TJ Horton added 17 and Luke Schlitz scored 15 and grabbed 10 rebounds. Isaac Gridley blocked 10 shots.

No. 10 Westover 69, 5ANo. 7 Statesboro 51: Kris Gardner finished with 26 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists in a huge win. Cameron Weston notched 21 points, 7 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks.

LaFayette 46, Southeast Whitfield 33: Alex Kelehear scored 11 points and Andrew Pendergrass had 10 in the balanced low scoring win. Jon Morgan chipped in 9 points and Dee Southern finished with 9 points and 18 rebounds.

Jefferson 67, Madison County 42: Jasper Gibson netted 16 points in the Dragon win.

West Hall 58, Habersham Central 53: Noah Edmondson scored 17 points to lead the Spartans. Tae Reed had 11 and Branden Martin netted 9.

Troup County 65, Callaway 56: Jay Jefferson had 22 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Alabama football-commit King Mwikuta added 12 points and 3 rebounds. Montez Crowe chipped in 7 points and 11 rebounds. Tristian Ware had 8 points and 7 boards while Kobe Hudson had 4 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists.

Class AAA

East Hall 88, No. 2 GAC 74: Entering with just one win on the season, the Vikings stunned the Spartans yet again, making it three straight wins against GAC dating back to last season. Qua Butler scored 23 points while Luke Cooper and Jayvion Rucker scored 16 apiece. Luke Holtzclaw netted 10.

No. 3 Johnson-Savannah 91, Camden County 60: Eleik Bowles collected an elusive quadruple-double for the Atomsmashers, finishing with 19 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 11 steals.

No. 5 Jenkins, 75 6ANo. 5 Bradwell Institute 47: The Warriors rode Tre Mays’ 6 threes and 21 points to victory. Sai Fisher added 14 points. Khalyn Weekley led the Tigers with 14.

No. 7 Westside-Macon 91, Peach County 56: Khavon Moore finished with 23 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Greg Holloway posted 10 points and 13 rebounds. Des Foston added 9 points and 4 assists while Kowacie Reeves Jr. pitched in 9 points and 2 assists. Brendan Anderson scored 8. Peach County was paced by Brice Paster’s 21 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

Beach 52, Benedictine 49: Trent Broadnax scored a game-high 20 points but the Cadets couldn’t beat Beach. Brandon Harris led the Bulldogs with 12 points while Kawan Williams had 11 points

Monroe Area 61, Apalachee 60: Elijah Goodman scored 11 of his game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter to carry the Hurricanes. Michael Gray added 14 points and Quantarius Lackey picked up 6 points and 12 rebounds. Apalachee was led by Brandon Bannis’ 20 points. Derek Miller had 13 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks. Deron Collier netted 11 points.

Lovett 59, McNair 57: Nick Jackson scored 17 points and Crawford Schwieger added 15 in the Lions win.

Dawson County 59, Fannin County 21: Jeremiah Crumley netted 19 points followed by Cullen Reed’s 13 and Campbell Reed’s 9.

Sonoraville 63, Ringgold 46: Trent Daniel scored a game-high 22 points for the Phoenix. Lucas Brooks had 15 and Chris Rush netted 10.

Union County 55, North Hall 49: Pierson Allison (21) and Sawyer Drake (19) combined for 40 in the win. North Hall was led by Noah Holman’s 14 points and Matthew Gunter’s 10.

Class AA

No. 5 Dublin 67, Piper (FL) 49: At the Kreul Classic, the Irish smoked Piper behind Clarence Jackson’s 24 points and Kameron Pauldo’s 20 assists.

No. 7 Swainsboro 66, No. 4 Jeff Davis 54: Ja’Queze Kirby totaled 31 points and 25 rebounds in the loss.

Elbert County 75, No. 9 Monticello 64: AJ James led the upset-minded Blue Devils with 20 points followed by Ty Hill’s 17 and Kobe Goudelock’s 16. Que Ramsey added 15 points. Ashton Bonner led Monticello with 36 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists.

No. 10 Washington County 57, Bleckley County 51: Lazerionta Taylor paced the Golden Hawks with 15 points and 5 assists while Jawan Dukes had 12 points and 7 rebounds. Curtis Brown collected 9 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Jeremiah Gundy contributed 6 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks. Keith Foster finished with 6 points and 3 rebounds.

Model 62, 3ANo. 6 Calhoun 53: The Blue Devils scored a massive upset, withstanding Porter Law’s 22 points and 5 assists. Calhoun also received 14 points and 7 rebounds from Kaylan Aker and 7 points and 4 rebounds from Bralin Barton.

Class A-Private

No. 1 St. Francis 65, No. 6 Wesleyan 52: Dwon Odom collected 15 points, 5 rebounds and 10 assists. Caleb Snyder pitched in 14 points and 5 rebounds. CJ Riley had 14 points and 4 steals. Sam Hines produced an 11-point 11-rebound double-double. Chase Ellis finished with 8 points and 8 rebounds. Christian McLean led the Wolves with a game-high 29.

Central Florida Christian 58, No. 9 Stratford Academy 43: Devin Butts collected 13 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in the loss.

Walker 59, Whitefield Academy 55: The Wolverines picked up their first win in over a decade against Whitefield Academy.  Chandler Baker finished with 18 points, Darius Garvin 15 and Omar Cooper 10.

Riverside Military 84, Towns County 62: Will Eidson finished with 24 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in the win.

Lakeview Academy 79, Commerce 40: Drew Cottrell scored 16 points while Adam Cottrell netted 14 in the win. Arturo Varela had 10 points and 8 rebounds. Holden Cooper scored 9 points and Jack Blackburn collected 8 points and 9 assists.

Prince Avenue 69, Providence Christian 44: Dalton Meeler (16) and Will Todd (15) combined for 31 points to pace the Wolverines. Crawford Hansard scored 10 in the loss.

Savannah Christian 51, Savannah Country Day 39: Lance McKenzie and Justin Anderson scored 13 points apiece followed by Gavin Jeffries’ and Josh Paskauskas’ 11 each.

St. Anne-Pacelli 58, Atlanta International 40: The Vikings cracked the seal, winning their first game since their 85-79 Sweet 16 victory over Our Lady of Mercy on February 19, 2016. The victory is Coach Corry Black’s first, snapping a 29-game losing streak. Tyres Hicks led the way with 21 points. Ian Matthews had 9 and Josef Douglas added 8.

Class A-Public

No. 4 Woodville-Tompkins 68, Groves 64: Charleston Willingham scored 18 points, AJ Hassel 15, Bernard Pelote 13 and Deante Green 11 in the balanced win at the Memorial Health Holiday Classic.

Dooly County 71, Crisp County 64: Jarquavius Brown went for 32 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 blocks in the win. Rashad Lucas added 10 points, Bo Lawson 8 points and 10 rebounds and Zeff Felton grabbed 10 rebounds.

 

GIRLS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 1 Westlake 85, Douglas County 54: Texas Tech-signee Taylor Hosendove hung 19 points and Anastasia Warren added 14 in the win. Amari Robinson had 22 points, Michaela Cope 14 and Dymon Cook 12 in the loss.

No. 7 Cherokee 75, Roswell 47: Lacie McCoy scored 15 points. Laiken Wade, Courtney Cates and Sydne Watts all scored 10 apiece.

No. 8 North Forsyth 46, Lambert 45: After losing three nail-biters to the Lady Longhorns last season, the Lady Raiders found a way to slip past their Region 5 rival. Caroline Martin scored 20 points and Catherine Shope posted 14 points and 9 rebounds in the win.

Kennesaw Mountain 60, A-PrivateNo. 5 Landmark Christian 48: Maya Inman collected 16 points and 12 rebounds in the Mustang win. Sarah White had 13 points and Mikayla Montag chipped in 10 points and 7 assists. In the loss, Elizabeth Gibbs poured in 27 points and Paige Arenholt netted 17.

Class AAAAAA

No. 1 Lovejoy 77, Mundy’s Mill 33: Genesis Bryant pumped in 30 points to pace the Lady Wildcats.

No. 4 Alpharetta 65, Chattahoochee 10: The Lady Raiders overwhelmed the baby Cougars. Grace Knutsen and Sydnie Ward scored 10 points apiece. Mahima Sangtani had 8 points and 3 steals while Allie Hood added 7 points and 3 steals. Mary Grace Durham had 6 points and 6 rebounds followed by Jalyn Tillerson’s 6 points and 6 steals. JuJu Maduka posted 6 points and 5 rebounds.

New Manchester 71, Creekside 29: Kyndall Golden erupted for 22 points, 10 rebounds and 7 blocks as the Lady Jaguars remained undefeated. Tracy Lavender finished with 12 points and 2 steals. Makaila Cange had 11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Hannah Wrigh finished with 11 points and 6 assists while Ja’lisya Glover notched 7 points and 7 assists.

Johns Creek 50, Pope 41: Jill Davis finished with 13 points while Markiema Lancaster double-dobuled with 10 points and 14 rebounds.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Buford 58, No. 2 Flowery Branch 48: Taniyah Worth finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists in the loss. Ashlee Locke posted 10 points and 3 steals. Caroline Wysocki chipped in 8 points and 8 rebounds.

No. 8 Villa Rica 61, Bowdon 46: Emmy Parham tallied 21 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Jaila Orozco had 11 points and Kyndal Coleman chipped in 10 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals.

New Hampstead 49, May River (FL) 45: Valerie Alvarado netted 16 in the win.

Woodland-Stockbridge 66, Ola 26: Mya Geddis netted 21 points followed by Emprest Muhammad (17) and Rayevan Freeman (8).

Cass 53, Central-Carrollton 42: Payton Stoddard scored 19 points. Kyla Michienzi netted 10, Lyric Curtis 6 and Aaliyah Curtis 5.

Class AAAA

No. 4 Luella 67, Eastside 46: Kamya Hollingshed went off for 33 points. Keely Brown added 17 in support.

No. 6 Northwest Whitefield 62, Heritage-Catoosa 40: Jada Griffin had 18 points inside for the Lady Bruins. Nicole Bates had 10 points and 4 rebounds while Tionna Baker posted 10 points and 3 assists. Hallie Brooker contributed 9 points and 4 rebounds. MaLane Kyer had 3 assists.

No. 8 West Hall 64, Habersham Central 43: Anna McKendree drilled 6 threes and finished with a game-high 37 points. Kinsey Wilson added 8 points.

Pickens 51, Ridgeland 29: Pickens moved to 8-0 behind Mykenzie Weaver’s 21 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals.  Torie Williams finished with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals. Olivia Simmons added 5 points and 4 rebounds.

Sandy Creek 52, Riverdale 21: Daija Powell had 22 points in the win.

White County 77, Chestatee 62: Dasha Cannon pumped in 20 points while Naomi Crumley (12) and Madi Phillips (11) both cracked double digits.

St. Pius 54, Stephens County 41: Tykia Thompson and Treasure Lone scored 14 apiece in the loss.

Class AAA

No. 1 GAC 78, East Hall 44: Georgia State-signee Carly Winters, Macy Thomas and Maggie Griffin all had 9 points in the loss.

No. 2 Beach 48, Bolles (FL) 17: Jaida Burrgess had 11 points and JaBreika Bass added 9 in the win.

No. 3 Central-Macon 56, Rutland 29: Jada Clowers went for 18 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks in the blowout. ReNesha Goolsby added 15 points and 3 steals. Tyleia Williams had 12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. JeNya Wilder collected 4 points, 17 rebounds and 7 steals.

No. 7 Dawson County 52, Fannin County 37: Calli Watson scored 13 points and Sophia d’Oliveria added 10. Chloe Bennett netted 8 points in the win.

Sonoraville 59, Ringgold 44: Freshman Alexa Geary dropped in a game-high 22 points including 4 threes in the Lady Phoenix win. Grace Darnell and Abby Chambers scored 9 apiece. Sandi McMullin and Maliyah Parks each scored 8. Ringgold was led by Rachel Akers’ 13 points and Riley Nayadley’s 7.

North Hall 58, Union County 36: Ansleigh Ferguson scored 10 points for the Lady Trojans. In the loss, Andelin Hill netted 10 and Brooke Dockrey added 8 points

Class AA

No. 3 Fitzgerald 58, Oakleaf (FL) 55: Hayleigh Ross had 18 points to lead the Purple Hurricanes followed by Kirstin Crook’s 17 points and 4 assists.

No. 8 Dodge County 72, Hawkinsville 51: Zanessia Mitchell scored 18 points, Europe Brown (11), Kaonta Goolsby (10) and Destanee Wright (8) to round out the Squaws scoring.

Washington County 56, Bleckley County 45: Sophomore Destinee Ellison paced the Lady Hawks with 17 points and 4 assists while senior Nijeria Jordan contributed 16 points and 8 rebounds in the win.

Class A-Private

Prince Avenue 57, Providence Christian 29: Maddi Britt dropped in 18 points followed by Ansley Hall’s 13 and Millican Jarrett’s 8 to score a Region 8 win.

Lakeview Academy 66, Commerce 21: Jackie Allen (11), Maddy Towles (10), Savanna Kinsey (9) and Tori Taylor (9) all led the Lady Lions.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Spielin' & Dealin' Podcast

Spielin’ & Dealin’ Ep. 37: Week 4 GHSA Snow Day Storylines

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A snowed out week of GHSA hoops still afforded us a few interesting results. Tuesday night was upset central!

  • Class-A Public Boys breakdown (1:35)
  • Can Central-Talbotton play their way into the No. 1 spot over Calhoun County? (2:50)
  • Battle between Upson-Lee and St. Pius for Class 4A supremacy (6:55)
  • Cartersville and Calhoun haven’t started their seasons yet? (10:51)
  • Tuesday night action (13:20)
  • Highlighted games for the weekend (21:10)
    Sponsored by:  @sportalspace

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Free throws ice No. 8 Maynard Jackson’s great overtime escape at No. 9 Lithia Springs

No. 8 Maynard Jackson 69, No. 9 Lithia Springs 64 OT

We need more Wednesday night games. Thanks to the snow storm of last week, No. 8 Maynard Jackson (9-0) vs. No. 9 Lithia Springs (7-1) was pushed back and thank goodness it was. With undefeated records and first-place in Region 6-AAAAA on the line, both teams left everything on the floor after a sluggish start, but in the end, it was the Jaguars finding a way to survive in overtime in front of a hostile home crowd.

There were no high-flying offensive spectacles on display at Lithia Springs, instead it was a throwback hard-nosed ugly game to start. Both teams struggled to score, especially Maynard Jackson with 6-foot-7 senior forward TJ Boykin coming off the bench with a bad back. Lithia Springs took a quick lead behind a Terrence Ashford three-ball.

Both teams pressed each other, with the Lions forcing some early turnovers while making it a point to keep the ball out of Marquavis Carter’s hands, likely the Region’s best player entering the night averaging 23.8 points. The Lions held Carter scoreless in the first quarter and took a gritty 10-8 lead into the second quarter.

Maynard Jackson got their footing and started to turn the tables with their 2-2-1 press but couldn’t quite take control of the game as a quick 4-0 spurt, which felt like much more at the time, forced a Coach Travis Williams timeout with his Jaguars trailing 16-10 at the 3:42 mark of the second quarter.

The pace quickened and the home crowd started to make its presence felt as the Lions finished the quarter on a 7-3 run sparked by 6-foot-5 freshman post Omarion Smith’s defense, helping Lithia Springs take a 25-17 lead into the half. Smith, who came in averaging over six blocks per game, started flying around, turning his defense into Lions offense, blocking four shots in the half while Ashford and Anthony Hardy traded buckets to grow the lead.

Down eight points, halftime couldn’t have come at a better time for Maynard Jackson. Carter was held to three points while Boykin entered off the bench with three quick turnovers and zero offensive production. The saving grace for the Jaguars was the play of Damari “DJ” Johnson. With Carter and Boykin held to nearly nothing, it was the 5-foot-8 senior who decided to step up. Johnson steadied the Jags with six first half points, three rebounds and three assists, but if Maynard Jackson was to remain undefeated, they would need major contributions from their horses in the second half and that is exactly what they got.

As if a switch was flipped, the Jaguars became the aggressor in the third quarter. Maynard Jackson cut the Lithia Springs to 27-26 at the 5:11 mark behind a 7-0 run sparked by Johnson, who made a layup followed by a Boykin three and a Timipa Ogoun bucket inside.

With the Jaguars pulling close, Ashford answered back with an old-fashioned three-point play to ease the lead back to four.

But from there, Maynard Jackson surged ahead, closing the third quarter on a 9-2 run and outscoring the Lions 20-9 in the frame for a 37-34 advantage. Ashford scored seven of Lithia’s nine points in the quarter but Maynard Jackson began to see their stars break free, Johnson scoring six points, followed by Carter and Boykin’s five apiece.

Back and forth the two teams traded leads throughout the fourth quarter. Senior Christian Horton, who scored all four of his points in the fourth quarter, finally saw the ball drop through with a tough hook shot in the lane as Lithia Springs regained a 42-41 lead at the 5:25 mark.

But in a foreboding sign, Carter got to the line on what looked like a bad call and sank both free throws. Carter finished the night with a game-high 22 points but only made three field goals, the rest coming on 15-of-19 shooting from the foul line including going 14-of-17 in the fourth quarter and overtime.

The Lions held a 46-45 lead with 2:37 on the clock and sent Hardy to the line with a chance to extend it, but instead Hardy went 0-for-2 and Johnson raced down the floor and handed out one of his game-high six assists to Marquis Colzie to give Maynard Jackson a 47-46 advantage.

Johnson struck yet again with a scoop shot in the lane with just over a minute to play giving the Jaguars a 50-48 edge. After a missed jumper, Maynard Jackson controlled the rebound and Boykin was fouled with 36.9 seconds remaining, where he would split a pair of free throws. Hardy attacked in transition off the miss but went 1-of-2 from the line putting the score at 51-49. Colzie grabbed the rebound and was immediately fouled. He missed the front-end of the one-and-one, allowing Lithia Springs to advance the ball with 18 seconds left before Coach JW Cantrell called timeout.

Ogoun swatted a drive attempt out of bounds, putting the Lions in the corner with 10.4 seconds remaining in regulation. Lithia Springs turned it over with 6.8 seconds left and Ogoun was sent to the line with a chance to ice it with two free throws. He hit his first, making it a three-point game and the Lions seemingly in need of a miracle. Ogoun missed his second free throw and the Lions’ prayers were answered. Chance Ellison grabbed the rebound and quickly tossed it to junior guard Karee Anderson, who quickly advanced it up the left sideline. The lefty pulled-up on a dime and drilled a three at the buzzer in front of a defender to send the game to overtime time at 52-52 and the crowd into a frenzy.

In overtime, Lithia Springs held a 57-56 lead with 1:05 left, but Carter drew a foul curling from the left of the arc to the top of the perimeter where he was able to exaggerate the contact and baited the refs into calling a foul. Carter buried all three free throws to take a 59-57 lead that the Jags would never lose. The Lions cut the score to 64-62 with 12.8 seconds left and 66-64 with 4.7 remaining but the Jaguars were money from the line going 15-of-19 in overtime, Carter sinking 9-of-11 and Johnson 4-of-4 to ice the game.

My Take

After an ugly start to the game, No. 8 Maynard Jackson at No.9 Lithia Springs ended up being one of the best games I have seen this year. The house was loud and the place was packed in the lower bowl section. I didn’t see enough for either team to be considered legit state title contenders, especially with No. 1 Warner Robins, No. 2 Buford and the deadly Region 5 group that this Region 6 has to pair up with in the first round, but I did see two well-coached teams that had their kids playing hard. Both teams have some tricky guards that can give opponents trouble in the state playoffs and could advance a few rounds in.

Marquavis Carter was held in check the entire game, but the fact that he could score 22 points on three made field goals is impressive. The 6-foot-1 lefty off-guard has a pretty stroke that is often lethal when given space to fire. Credit Lithia Springs’ high energy defense for knowing where Carter was at all times, but like all great players can, Carter still found a way to beat the Lions by getting to the line. I was most impressed by little DJ Johnson. He didn’t look like much, the smallest player on the floor with a vibrant red-mouth piece, but Johnson was great. So pesky, he kept finding ways to score in the paint and even come away with offensive rebounds at 5-foot-8. Without his consistent play throughout, there is no way Maynard Jackson wins this game. 6-foot-7 senior TJ Boykin has been a highly touted prospect his entire career at Columbia then transferred into Maynard Jackson for his final season. I was told that he had a bad back, but I came away unimpressed. His motor was in hibernation mode for much of the game and he didn’t play with much energy. The potential is still there, but I’m not sure we will ever see him dominate at the high school level like we might have thought he could a few years back. He’s still a super intriguing player at the next level. We might be able to chalk up his lackluster performance to his back, but we will have to see; the clock is ticking. 6-foot-5 sophomore post Timipa Ogoun kind of reminds me of 2017 River Ridge graduate Destin Exinor with his body type and athleticism. You can tell Ogoun is young and a little raw, but he has a quick leap and came up big with some late rebounds and blocks.

Lithia Springs has a stable of steady players, no real stars. They can nickel and dime you for 10 points apiece and make defending them a real headache. Senior Terrence Ashford came up big for the Lions and was fearless attacking the basket as was sophomore leading scorer Anthony Hardy. Hands down I was most impressed by 6-foot-5 freshman Omarion Smith. He is an elite shot-blocker in the class of 2021 and considering his size, he might be the best rim protector in the state for his grade right now. He gets to nearly every single ball that is shot his way (8 blocks) and rebounds his area effectively. He even showed off a 15-footer, but his offense is still improving and he doesn’t see many post touches. He will be a player to track over the next few years, especially if he can squeeze out a few more inches to his frame.

Omarion Smith, JW Cantrell
Coach JW Cantrell beaming ear-to-ear like a proud papa next to freshman post Omarion Smith

Top Performers

Maynard Jackson
Marquavis Carter – 22 points (15-of-19 FT), 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
DJ Johnson – 18 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
TJ Boykin – 9 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
Marquis Colzie – 9 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks
Timpia Ogoun – 5 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks

Lithia Springs
Terrence Ashford – 17 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Anthony Hardy – 17 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
Omarion Smith – 9 points, 10 rebounds, 8 blocks
Karee Anderson – 7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

All-State duo Tayne Smith & ZyTavian Hill power No. 2 Central-Talbotton in early battle of unbeatens

Contributed by Rob Grubbs   (@RCGJr226070)

No. 2 Central-Talbotton 75, Dooly County 68

TALBOTTON, Ga – There is a special feel about high school basketball in the small towns across Georgia, the intimacy of the gym, the feel of community and the sense of pride for those who played previously and return for the memories and root for the current team. A perfect example is Talbotton, Georgia where the Central-Talbotton Hawks call home. On this chilly night, the action heated up inside as two undefeated teams faced off in an early Region 4-A matchup. The No. 2 ranked Hawks (9-0) welcomed the undefeated Dooly County Bobcats (4-1) from Vienna, Georgia.  After overcoming a 13-point halftime deficit, the Bobcats fought back to tie the game at 58-58 with four minutes remaining, but the All-State duo of Tayne Smith and ZyTavian Hill took control down the stretch for the 75-68 win.

In the first quarter, the Hawks were up 6-5 early but went on a 10-2 run featuring threes from Hill and Javares Copeland for the 16-7 lead. The Hawks would push that lead to 13 at the half, with Hill and Smith both scoring three-point plays on drives to the basket with the foul. With Bobcat star Jarquavius Brown held in check in the first half, sophomore Rashad Lucas lead Dooly with six points and was strong on the boards.

You can never keep a player like Brown down for long, as he spearheaded the Bobcat comeback by scoring 13 points in the third quarter as Dooly County slowly whittled the lead away. Brown also showed his passing ability, threading the needle on a full-court pass for an easy basket after a Hawk made free throw. The Bobcats finally tied things up with 6:21 remaining in the game at 51 with a three from Bo Lawson, his second three of the fourth quarter.

With the game tied now, it felt like Central-Talbotton rose their game to a higher level. Perhaps Dooly County had expended too much energy in making the comeback, but the two times the Bobcats tied things up, the Hawks seemed to dig deeper. Once things were tied at 58, Hill got a strong offensive rebound and put-back to give Central-Talbotton a lead they would never relinquish as they closed the game on a 17-10 run, including Smith’s free throw clinic at the end to ice it.

Hawk Head Coach Fredrick Cotton said of his two stars, “They are big time athletes, they are who we want to have the ball with the game on the line. They have played together so long, it is almost like they know exactly what the other is thinking and going to do. They are fun to watch.  We have seven seniors, they all have a lot of experience playing together.”

Dooly County Head Coach Towandi King also put on a coaching clinic, he respectfully negotiated with the refs all night and coached his players back into the game when it would have been easy for them to fold on a mid-week game on the road. In the end, his team ran out of gas from the comeback effort, but they were right there till the end.

The win gives Central-Talbotton the lead in the early Region 4-A standings, but there is a lot of ball left to be played.

Rob’s Takeaways

  1. Region 4-A is going to be fun to watch, there were four undefeated teams headed into action Tuesday night, No. 2 Central-Talbotton, No. 3 Macon County, No. 10 Manchester and Dooly County. Also in the mix is Brookstone at 6-2.
  2. It was a tough road trip for Dooly County. On a school night, they left Talbotton at 9:30 for the 1:30 hour drive back to Vienna, which would put them home sometime after 11pm. Single-A schools face long trips for region contests.
  3. JaQuavius Smith let the game come to him, after being held scoreless in the first quarter, he finished with 29, highlighted by 11 in the fourth quarter with the game on the line, including 7-7 from the free throw line.
  4. ZyTavian Hill is a beast on the boards, he thinks every loose ball is his and he takes it.
  5. Hawk senior Javares Copeland is a solid inside player, perfect complement to Hill and Smith and has gotten college coaches’ attention as well.
  6. Bobcat Jarquavius Brown scored right at his season average of 26.7. He is a finalist for the Mr. Middle-Georgia basketball player of the year presented by Hypesouth Media.

Top Performers

Central-Talbotton
JaQuavius “Tayne” Smith – 29 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists
ZyTavian Hill – 29 points, 14 rebounds
Javares Copeland – 9 points, 6 rebounds 3 steals

Dooly County
Jarquavius Brown – 25 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists
Zeff Felton – 9 points, 15 rebounds
Rashad Lucas – 16 points, 7 rebounds