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Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Donell Nixon & No. 1 Buford sink No. 3 Cedar Shoals

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No. 1 Buford 72, No. 3 Cedar Shoals 66

Coming off of a 59-54 overtime loss at Duluth, two-time defending Region 8 champion No. 3 Cedar Shoals was looking to get back on track. Standing in their way was new Region member, No. 1 Buford who suited up for the first time as the top ranked team in Class AAAAA.

Over the next 32 minutes, the two state powers traded blows until Buford came away victorious after a late mental error by the Jaguars.

A fast pace opened up the action as Alex Jones pushed the Wolves offense down the floor finding open men. He made sure to get powerful forward Marcus Watson in the mix early on, but Charleston Southern-signee Phlan Fleming lifted the Jags in the first quarter, gliding to the basket for six points.

Buford held a 16-11 lead after David Viti worked the glass for an And-1 and helped the Wolves finish the first quarter with a 20-15 lead.

In the second quarter starting point guard Jai’Vanni McDavid and reserve Damarrea Lowe got loose. The two sliced and diced, Lowe scoring all six of his points in the frame and McDavid netting eight of his 14 in the frame for Cedar Shoals.

As the two teams went back and forth, the one constant all night for Buford was Watson. The strong 6-foot-6 forward attacked the basket and punished the slighter of build Jaguars trying to defend him. He posted 12 points and seven rebounds in the first half and finished the game with 25 points and 13 boards.

The heavyweights entered the half deadlocked at 31, but Cedar Shoals had reason for optimism as key pieces Stavion Stevenson, AJ Jones and Snipe Hall combined for just seven points in the opening 16 minutes.

Before the Jaguars could get their footing, Jones hit Donell Nixon for the third of his six threes to open up the third quarter. Nixon, standing only 5-foot-8 on a good day, peppered Cedar Shoals from beyond the arc the entire game, the Jags losing sight of the little man as he floated on the perimeter dropping in 18 of his game-high 26 points in the second half.

Hall began to heat up for the Jaguars after a quiet first half and scored five straight to tie the game at 36, but in the blink of an eye Buford poured in a 12-0 run to take a commanding 53-40 lead, the spurt keyed by a Jones assist to Viti and then Jones and Nixon trading triples.

Up 13, Watson grabbed a rebound and tried to ignite a fast break but threw an errant pass into the chest of Stevenson who laid up an easy hoop, sparking a Jaguar run of their own. Cedar Shoals closed the third quarter on a 7-0 surge and entered the fourth quarter down 53-47.

The Jaguars ripped off 10 straight points to close to within three and eventually took the lead 60-57 as Hall and McDavid attacked Buford’s smaller guards. The 20-4 run had the home crowd in a frenzy as the Jaguars forced turnovers and picked up the tempo.

After Viti split a pair of free throws, the Jaguars somehow left Nixon open for another three, the Wolves regaining a 61-60 lead with 3:53 to play. Fifty-seven seconds later, Watson grabbed a miss and led the break, passing up to Jones. Jones took one dribble before dumping the ball off to Watson for a slam on a 2-on-1 fast break, one of Jones’ dazzling 12 assists on the night making it 63-60.

Hall answered however with an And-1 tying the game at 63 with 1:58 remaining, three of his 14 second half points. Just over 30 seconds later, it was Nixon again supplying a dagger from deep to give Buford a 66-63 lead.

The Jags were able to get a stop and raced down the court for a chance to either tie or cut it to one, but Bobby Miller came out of nowhere to poke the ball away from behind to give possession back to the Wolves.

Having to foul, Cedar Shoals sent Nixon to the line where he sank two attempts to go up five. With time ticking down, AJ Jones put on an array of moves in the corner to get free and splashed a step-back three to breathe life into the Jaguars, cutting the lead to 68-66 with 21.2 seconds left.

Nixon was sent to the line for a 1-and-1, but inexplicably as he attempted his first free throw, the Jaguars had six men on the floor, resulting in a technical foul. Nixon was awarded with four free throws and buried them all as he went 6-for-6 from the line in the fourth quarter and as a team the Wolves finished the game 18-of-22 from the stripe, clinching a wild Region 8 road victory.

My Take

No. 1 vs. No. 3 lived up to the hype albeit a sour ending to the game. Alex Jones was masterful at point guard for the Wolves. Pound-for-pound he is one of the best point guards in the state and I can fully endorse he is the best passer I’ve seen in the state of Georgia over the past two seasons, ranking in the top echelon with Will Washington formerly of McIntosh. Close to the group is also Xavier Bledson of Gainesville. Jones’ court vision is elite. He can drop dimes on the best defenses in the state. Donell Nixon was absolutely lights out from deep. Cedar Shoals had to hold their breath whenever he attempted a shot from beyond the arc. He may have missed one or two tops. Nixon was simply automatic when left open and had ice water in his veins at the line in the fourth.  Of course possibly the most important due to his X-factor ability, is Marcus Watson who moved in from North Carolina. He is a physical presence attacking the hoop but also showed the willingness to attempt threes, hitting one. As exciting as his two-handed flushes were, I was most impressed by the forward’s free throw shooting. He went a perfect 8-of-8 from the line. He has D-I written all over him. He and Nixon are just sophomores. Scary. Even scarier? David Viti and Jones are still juniors and senior Sahil Patel isn’t even playing due to a knee injury. And by the way, the biggest play of the game bar none? Bobby Miller’s chase down steal on the fast break. That was HUGE.

Cedar Shoals could have laid over and died when Buford stunned them with a lightning quick 12-0 run, but the heart of a winner can’t be taken for granted. The Jaguars are some junkyard dogs that don’t fold when games get tough. Last year it was Jerrick Mitchell powering the offense at the point and now this year it was Jai’Vanni McDavid, a junior, that did it all for Coach L’Dreco Thomas. The Jags don’t have the D-I sex appeal that other programs have, but their players play hard. McDavid finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals. Damarrea Lowe, who I loved at the Miller Grove Shot Clock League, gave the Jaguars a spark in the second quarter and is an exceptional guard off the bench that could start for most teams. AJ Jones and Snipe Hall were quiet in the first half but loud in the second. Jones scored nine of his 12 points in the fourth while Hall carried the group throughout the final 16 minutes. Phlan Fleming got off to a quick start, looking smooth getting to the cup but then faded off until he hit a big three late in the third quarter. Stavion Stevenson had a quiet night inside with just four points. The Jags are yet to hit their stride but have all the pieces in place to make another run to the Final Four. Region 8 will be a dog fight between the two statewide powers.

Top Performers

Buford
Marcus Watson – 25 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Donell Nixon – 26 points (6 threes), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block
Alex Jones – 10 points, 2 rebounds, 12 assists, 1 steal
David Viti – 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

Cedar Shoals
Snipe Hall – 18 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assists, 4 steals
Jai’Vanni McDavid – 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals
AJ Jones – 12 points, 1 rebound
Phlan Fleming – 9 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Damarrea Lowe – 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist
Stavion Stevenson – 4 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 3 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

  1. Norcross (8-0)
  2. McEachern (4-2)
  3. Collins Hill (5-0)
  4. Newton (5-0)
  5. Mill Creek (6-1)
  6. Westlake (5-1)
  7. North Forsyth (8-0)
  8. Archer (4-2)
  9. Colquitt County (5-0)
  10. Lambert (5-0) 

Class AAAAAA

  1. Harrison (4-1)
  2. Mays (1-2)
  3. Winder-Barrow (2-3)
  4. Douglas County (5-2)
  5. Jonesboro (5-1)
  6. Tucker (7-0)
  7. Grovetown (4-3)
  8. Northview (5-1)
  9. Sequoyah (4-0)
  10. Lovejoy (6-0) 

Class AAAAA

  1. Flowery Branch (6-1)
  2. Buford (2-0)
  3. Griffin (5-0)
  4. Southwest DeKalb (4-2)
  5. Warner Robins (5-0)
  6. Villa Rica (4-0)
  7. Carrollton (3-0)
  8. Harris County (7-0)
  9. Arabia Mountain (6-0)
  10. Loganville (4-3) 

Class AAAA

  1. North Oconee (5-1)
  2. Cross Creek (3-2)
  3. Columbus (4-1)
  4. Carver-Columbus (5-0)
  5. West Hall (2-3)
  6. Jefferson (4-1)
  7. Americus-Sumter (2-1)
  8. Henry County (5-2)
  9. Northwest Whitfield (3-2)
  10. Sandy Creek (5-0) 

Class AAA

  1. Johnson-Savannah (6-0)
  2. Beach (5-0)
  3. Greater Atlanta Christian (3-4)
  4. Hart County (5-0)
  5. Morgan County (3-3)
  6. Haralson County (4-1)
  7. Redan (5-1)
  8. Monroe (4-0)
  9. Ringgold (4-1)
  10. Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (6-0) 

Class AA

  1. Model (3-1)
  2. Laney (1-1)
  3. Rabun County (4-1)
  4. Putnam County (2-2)
  5. Fitzgerald (2-0)
  6. Dodge County (1-1)
  7. Vidalia (3-1)
  8. Dade County (5-2)
  9. Heard County (5-2)
  10. Pepperell (2-0) 

Class A-Private

  1. Wesleyan (5-0)
  2. St. Francis (4-1)
  3. Holy Innocents’ (6-1)
  4. Our Lady of Mercy (5-1)
  5. Calvary Day (2-0)
  6. Lakeview Academy (5-2)
  7. Stratford Academy (5-0)
  8. Savannah Country Day (4-2)
  9. Pinecrest Academy (4-1)
  10. Landmark Christian (4-3)

Class A-Public

  1. Pelham (2-0)
  2. Terrell County (3-0)
  3. Greenville (3-0)
  4. Telfair County (5-0)
  5. Treutlen (2-0)
  6. Wilcox County (4-0)
  7. Taylor County (1-1)
  8. Wheeler County (3-1)
  9. Marion County (2-0)
  10. Hancock Central (2-1)

Archer falls from No. 3 in Class AAAAAAA to No. 8 after losing 46-39 to North Oconee and 61-51 at No. 5 Mill Creek, who rises two spots even after a loss to Wesleyan. Archer will attempt to stop their slide as they visit No. 7 North Forsyth on Tuesday. Collins Hill is the state’s new No. 3 after crushing Woodstock 82-37. No. 9 Colquitt County picked up a nice 58-54 win over Bainbridge. Cherokee has lost three straight games and falls out of the Top 10. The Warriors fell to North Cobb (45-41), Marietta (57-43) and Creekview (51-32) who are a combined 16-4. Entering the poll is Lambert. The Longhorns edge the likes of North Cobb and Marietta thanks to their two latest wins coming against a slumping East Hall team 45-36 and a previously undefeated McIntosh, 62-48.

Class AAAAAA Preseason No. 1 Winder-Barrow slips to No. 3 after Flowery Branch beats them for the second time this season, 50-43. No. 9 Sequoyah won an ugly game against rival Creekview, 35-32 in overtime. Glynn Academy drops out after a 3-2 start to the season. Replacing them is No. 10 Lovejoy. They face their biggest test of the early season on Friday against No. 5 Jonesboro. The Cardinals host No. 6 Tucker on Tuesday, as it’s a big week in Region 4.

No. 2 Buford took it to North Oconee on the road 54-36 as the Wolves begin their march to a Class AAAAA title. No. 3 Griffin survived two close games to remain undefeated, beating Luella 67-66 and Fayette County 49-47. No. 5 Warner Robins escaped their meeting with Perry, 60-58 in overtime. No teams in the Top 10 lost this past week.

Even with their loss to Buford, North Oconee remains No. 1 in Class AAAA thanks to their 46-39 victory at Archer. Cross Creek jumps Columbus for No. 2 in the state. The Razorbacks beat Grovetown 64-53 behind Memphis-signee Alana Davis’ 27 points. Cross Creek gets a rematch with North Augusta, SC, a powerhouse that has gone 4-0 vs. GHSA competition this season. Columbus meets No. 7 Americus-Sumter on Tuesday with a chance to build their resume. No. 6 Jefferson dispatched of Morgan County 64-60 in an impressive win over the defending Class AAA champs. No. 9 Northwest Whitfield jumps Sandy Creek after a 52-30 rout of Ringgold.

In Class AAA, Morgan County tumbles three spots to No. 5. They lost to Jefferson and were then upset by Cedar Shoals 53-52 before righting the ship with a 66-35 win over Putnam County. Beach claims the No. 2 spot as No. 3 Greater Atlanta Christian struggled against its brutal schedule, losing to McEachern 86-55 and St. Francis 59-38, possibly the two best teams in the state when all is said and done. Calhoun was knocked out of the Top 10 by No. 10 Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe. The Warriors are off to a hot start thanks to senior Jazzmyn Elston and sophomore Macey Gregg. Elston is averaging 17.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.2 steals while Gregg, who has upped her scoring by nine points in Year 2, is pitching in 16.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 steals. The duo combined for 53 points in their 60-50 win over the Yellow Jackets.

Banks County and Dublin have fallen out of the Class AA rankings. The Leopards lost to Hart County 53-28 while Dublin dropped a heartbreaker to Treutlen 64-63. Replacing them for the moment is No. 9 Heard County and No. 10 Pepperell.  Heard County picked up a 50-44 win at Our Lady of Mercy while the Dragons knocked off No. 8 Dade County 42-39 at home. Putnam County suffered losses to Baldwin (51-24) and Morgan County (66-35) to drop two spots.

Class A-Private sees Greenforest drop from No. 4 to unranked after an eye opening 49-44 loss to No. 10 Landmark Christian, who squeaks into the bottom of the poll. Also gone are Tattnall Square and Southwest Atlanta Christian. Tattnall lost to Landmark 54-44 and to Westside-Macon 49-40. The Warriors were blown out by No. 3 Holy Innocents’ 68-20. SACA’s strong schedule should bode well down the stretch in region play. No. 8 Savannah Country Day and No. 9 Pinecrest Academy enter the rankings and will try to stick around.

Pelham laid the boom in their Class A-Public opening week, scoring two wins including a thumping of Mitchell County 73-31, knocking the Eagles out of the Top 10. No. 3 Greenville is being powered by Brittany Davis, who is flirting with averaging a triple-double over her first three games of the season. The Patriots humbled Taylor County 66-51, sinking the Vikings four spots to No. 7. Treutlen picked up wins over Woodville-Tompkins (61-59) and Dublin 64-63, knocking both teams out of their respective rankings. With Woodville-Tompkins and Mitchell County gone from the poll, No. 9 Marion County and No. 10 Hancock Central jump in.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 3 Boys Rankings

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Class AAAAAAA

  1. Norcross (6-0)
  2. Newton (6-0)
  3. Wheeler (3-1)
  4. Pebblebrook (4-2)
  5. Westlake (4-1)
  6. McEachern (3-0)
  7. Collins Hill (5-1)
  8. Tift County (5-1)
  9. Duluth (5-1)
  10. Shiloh (3-3) 

Class AAAAAA

  1. Gainesville (5-0)
  2. Jonesboro (3-1)
  3. South Paulding (4-0)
  4. Langston Hughes (4-3)
  5. Heritage-Conyers (5-1)
  6. Alpharetta (7-0)
  7. Dacula (4-1)
  8. Brunswick (4-0)
  9. Allatoona (1-2)
  10. Tri-Cities (7-1) 

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (5-0)
  2. Southwest DeKalb (6-1)
  3. Cedar Shoals (4-1)
  4. Columbia (4-2)
  5. Eagle’s Landing (3-1)
  6. Fayette County (3-0)
  7. Miller Grove (2-2)
  8. Riverwood (7-1)
  9. Warner Robins (1-1)
  10. New Hampstead (4-2) 

Class AAAA

  1. Sandy Creek (3-1)
  2. Upson-Lee (7-0)
  3. Henry County (5-3)
  4. Thomson (1-0)
  5. St. Pius X (3-2)
  6. Westover (3-1)
  7. Richmond Academy (6-1)
  8. LaGrange (3-1)
  9. Perry (5-1)
  10. North Clayton (1-3) 

Class AAA

  1. Westside-Macon (1-1)
  2. Pace Academy (2-1)
  3. Cedar Grove (1-0)
  4. Liberty County (3-2)
  5. Greater Atlanta Christian (3-1)
  6. Morgan County (2-1)
  7. Islands (3-1)
  8. Jenkins (2-3)
  9. Calhoun (2-0)
  10. Redan (4-2) 

Class AA

  1. South Atlanta (2-0)
  2. Monticello (5-2)
  3. Dublin (1-2)
  4. Callaway (0-0)
  5. Glenn Hills (4-0)
  6. Thomasville (2-3)
  7. Butler (3-1)
  8. Therrell (3-0)
  9. Chattooga (2-0)
  10. Toombs County (5-1) 

Class A-Private

  1. Greenforest (4-2)
  2. North Cobb Christian (5-1)
  3. St. Francis (5-0)
  4. Southwest Atlanta Christian (1-3)
  5. Holy Innocents’ (2-2)
  6. Lakeview Academy (4-1)
  7. Tattnall Square (0-0)
  8. Aquinas (0-0)
  9. Whitefield Academy (1-1)
  10. Our Lady of Mercy (5-1)

Class A-Public

  1. Wilkinson County (2-1)
  2. Crawford County (3-1)
  3. Calhoun County (4-0)
  4. Turner County (1-0)
  5. Quitman County (6-1)
  6. Twiggs County (4-0)
  7. Taylor County (1-1)
  8. Treutlen (2-0)
  9. Manchester (2-1)
  10. Schley County (3-0)

 

Things are starting to settle in for a moment in Class AAAAAAA as the Top 7 remains unchanged. The most impressive wins of the week belong to No. 1 Norcross (75-67 Berkmar) and No. 3 Wheeler (53-42 1ANo. 1 Greenforest). No. 5 Westlake won a sluggish game against Class A-Private No. 4 Southwest Atlanta Christian 75-63 without point guard Jamie Lewis who is out 6 weeks with a foot fracture. Berkmar drops out of the Top 10 after a 2-3 start. The Patriots lost to No. 4 Pebblebrook 66-52 and are replaced by No. 9 Duluth, Head Coach Cabral Huff scoring a his first signature win with the Wildcats beating Class AAAAA No. 3 Cedar Shoals in overtime 59-54 just a day after edging Discovery in double OT 76-63.

Without three integral pieces including star forward KJ Buffen (broken ankle 6-8 weeks), Class AAAAAA No. 1 Gainesville hasn’t made any excuses and remain undefeated. The Red Elephants beat Class 4A No. 5 St. Pius (48-43), Milton (70-61) and Lee, AL (46-44). Bailey Minor has dumped in 53 points over his last two games to power the offense. No. 6 Alpharetta is now 7-0 and hosts 5-0 Pope in a Region 7 showdown. No. 7 Dacula’s only loss has come to Peachtree Ridge 76-71. The Falcons quickly bounced back with a 75-72 win over Grayson. With Davion Mitchell (Auburn) and Kymani Dunham (College of Charleston) both out for their respective teams, No. 8 Brunswick rode Marcus Scott to the tune of 25 points to upset the Panthers.

There’s major shakeup in Class AAAAA after last week’s No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams lose. Columbia fell to Southwest DeKalb at home 62-51 while Cedar Shoals was knocked off by Duluth in overtime. The result is Buford slotting in at No. 1 while Southwest DeKalb moves up five spots to No. 2. Southwest DeKalb’s wins over Collins Hill and Columbia sparkle in Class AAAAA. Buford’s top ranking gets put to the test right away as they travel to No. 3 Cedar Shoals on Tuesday. The Jaguars beat AAA No. 6 Morgan County 57-50 a day before their loss to Duluth. Columbia held on for a 54-53 win over Shiloh at the Wheeler Hoops Classic on Saturday. No. 5 Eagle’s Landing and No. 6 Fayette County are on the move. The Eagles handed Class 6A No. 5 Heritage-Conyers their first loss of the season, 76-71. Fayette County beat Class 4A No. 3 Henry County 79-65. The Tigers have now beaten Class AAAA’s No. 1 (Sandy Creek) and No. 3 ranked teams. Warner Robins falls four spots to No. 9 after blowing a 38-28 third quarter lead and losing to Perry, 57-53.

In their first true test of the season, Class AAAA No. 2 Upson-Lee handed Class A-Public No. 2 Crawford County just its second home loss since 2014, 77-66. No. 3 Henry County lost to Fayette County, but New Orleans-signee Damion Rosser is now back healthy. He went for 18 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in a 62-59 win against No. 10 North Clayton. The Eagles have sputtered to a 1-3 start and drop five spots. They have played a tough schedule, getting blown out by Westlake 83-46 last week, but their lone win wasn’t in convincing fashion, slipping past Riverdale 41-40. Stephens County exits the poll at 2-1 and are replaced by No. 9 Perry, who came back to upset Warner Robins. The Panthers received 18 points from junior Jacori Burks in the win and have now won 4-straight road games. Westover moves up three spots after an overtime win against Albany and extracting revenge against Dougherty, 85-77.

Cedar Grove sits at No. 3 in Class AAA after beating Lovett 48-35 and Liberty County’s loss to Brunswick. The Saints should be getting some help as football players such as 6-foot-8 center Jelani Woods are expected back to the hardwood. Islands moves up three spots to No. 7 and will host No. 8 Jenkins on Tuesday in a potential “changing of the guard” game if the Sharks can take a bite out of the perennial Savannah power. Lovett drops out and is replaced by No. 9 Calhoun who has allowed 19 points in each of their two victories this season.

Class AA sees Dublin slip one spot after losing to Twiggs County and Truetlen. Due to Callaway not playing a game yet, the Irish don’t fall out of the Top 3. They picked up a huge 57-56 win over Class A-Public No. 1 Wilkinson County to remain ranked highly. The biggest surprise in Class AA is the play of No. 5 Glenn Hills and Vidalia. The Indians are now unranked after a 1-3 start. The Spartans are making some noise in Augusta, rising four spots after a statement victory over Richmond Academy 62-56. Inside, 6-foot-8 junior Timmy Sellers has led the charge, posting 17 points in the win over the Musketeers. New to the poll is No. 8 Therrell. Sophomore Anthony Edwards has led the attack as the Panthers have earned wins over Hiram (49-42), Mays (76-71) and Rockdale County (61-48).

The only movement in Class A-Private sees Christian Heritage replaced at the bottom of the poll by No. 10 Our Lady of Mercy. Whitefield Academy moves up a spot to No. 9 after a 60-57 win over Grady. No. 2 North Cobb Christian romped Stratford Academy 57-38, but it’s still not enough to unseat No. 1 Greenforest. No. 3 St. Francis went to Hall County and came away with a 67-64 win over No. 6 Lakeview Academy.

Calhoun County rises to No. 3, jumping Turner County in Class A-Public. The Cougars drilled Randolph-Clay 74-50. Idle No. 9 Lincoln County, No. 10 Hancock Central and No. 7 Hawkinsville are replaced by No. 6 Twiggs County, No. 8 Treutlen and No. 10 Schley County. The Cobras of Twiggs have been a big surprise, led by senior guard Zuri Brown. They have two wins over Northeast-Macon and drilled Swainsboro (76-58) and upset Dublin at Dublin, 82-74. Schley knocked Hawkinsville out of the poll with their 51-45 win over the Red Devils. Treutlen handled Dublin 78-67 in their meeting with the Irish.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Recaps

GHSA Statewide Recap 12-2

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 4 Pebblebrook 87, South Cobb 73: Collin Sexton dropped in 36 points as the Falcons soared past the Eagles.

No. 9 Berkmar 55, Parkview 44: The experienced Patriots picked up a crucial region road victory against Parkview behind Al Durham’s 21 points. Jay Estime has 14 points and Ben Soumahoro had 6 points and 11 rebounds. Truitt Spencer led the Panthers with 13 points while Toneari Lane added 11. Ahmir Langlais posted 7 points inside.

Duluth 76, Discovery 63 2OT: Adam Flagler netted 22 points to help the Wildcats outlast Discovery. Jalen Hodges scored 12 points and Will Huzzie finished with a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds. In the loss, the Titans received 21 points and 12 rebounds from Kalu Ezikpe. DJ Young added 12 points and 4 assists while Keshawn Overstreet had 13 points and 7 boards.

Marietta 59, Cherokee 54: Ramel Keyton scored 17 points while Fionn Brown and Kharon Cameron added 10 apiece as the Blue Devils knocked off former region rival Cherokee.

Hillgrove 59, 4ANo. 6 LaGrange 45: DeMierre Black dropped in 20 points in the Hawks’ win.

Class AAAAAA

No. 1 Gainesville 70, Milton 61: Without KJ Buffen and KaJuan Hale available, Bailey Minor went off with 31 points and 9 rebounds to carry the Red Elephants. Xavier Bledson added 14 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. Jarred Rosser (9) and Mike White (8) both contributed. Duke-signee Alex O’Connell was held to 14 points. Freshman Christian Wright scored a team-high 27 for Milton.

No. 3 South Paulding 80, Northgate 44: Georgia State-signee Kane Williams hung a triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. JaCori Wilson finished with 25 points and 8 rebounds.

No. 4 Heritage-Conyers 55, Rockdale County 50: Byron Abrams went for 18 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists in the Patriots’ rivalry game victory. Isaiah Banks finished with 10 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals. Jordan Thomas had 13 points and 3 steals while JaQuez Hicks grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked 4 shots. Sayvon Traylor had 23 points and 5 rebounds in the loss.

No. 5 Langston Hughes 77, Douglas County 62: Langston Hughes made a statement in their opening game in Region 5 play, drilling the Tigers behind Landers Nolley’s 33 points. Douglas County was led by Jahorie Copeland’s 14 points and Rapheel Rogers’ 10.

No. 7 Alpharetta 66, Johns Creek 44: Jaycee Horn led a balanced Raiders offense with 15 points and 5 rebounds as Alpharetta moves to 7-0. Ryan Jenei had 12 points and 7 rebounds. Ellis Merriweather finished with 11 points and 8 boards. David Swillum dropped in 10 points.

No. 9 Brunswick 67, 3ANo. 3 Liberty County 62: With College of Charleston-signee Kymani Dunham for Brunswick and Liberty County’s Davion Mitchell (Auburn) out for the Panthers, the Pirates rode the hot hand of Marcus Scott who dropped in a team-high 25 points.

Alexander 52, Creekside 51: Grant Howard hit a game-winner with 4.5 seconds left to help the Cougars over the Seminoles. Howard finished with 17 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists. Damion Howell posted 12 points and 6 rebounds. Zeek Copeland added 10 points, 4 assists and 4 steals. Tyson Jackson led Creekside with 20 points and 12 rebounds.

Northview 80, Centennial 55: Northview erupted for their first win of the season as Mason McBee splashed in seven three-pointers in the first quarter. Justin Brown powered the Titans the rest of the way with 27 points.

Osborne 59, Harrison 58: LaTrell Tate (18) and Kaylan Davis (10) led the Cardinals over Harrison in a Region victory.

Creekview 65, Sequoyah 44: After a sluggish start, Creekview exorcised its demons with a win in Hickory Flat over rival Sequoyah. Weber Sandlin peppered the Chiefs with 27 points while KJ Jenkins added 17. Chandler Wright finished with 8 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Sprayberry 63, River Ridge 51: Eddie Figueroa dazzled River Ridge, dropping in 26 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Rodney Pearson finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. The Knights were powered by Destin Exinor’s 18 points and Noah Fitzgerald’s 17.

Clarke Central 64, Winder-Barrow 60: Jack Mangel (12), Dwon Smith (11) and Martay Darden (11) helped the Gladiators knock off Winder-Barrow.

Class AAAAA

No. 7 Southwest DeKalb 62, No. 1 Columbia 51: Southwest DeKalb boosted its resume with another great win, edging Columbia in a big Region 5 showdown. Josh Archer scored 16 points to lead the way while Mandarius Dickerson added 14. Darius Hogan netted 10.

No. 2 Cedar Shoals 57, 3A No. 4 Morgan County 50: Snipe Hall and Phlan Fleming both pitched in 13 points to carry the Jaguars past Morgan County. AJ Jones and Stavion Stevenson added 11 apiece.

No. 8 Fayette County 64, Griffin 49: Furman-signee Noah Gurley produced 15 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Jaylen Holloway had 17 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. Josh Dupree added 14 points and 3 assists. Phillip Young went for 7 points, 3 assists and 2 steals.

No. 10 Riverwood 68, Maynard Jackson 67: Elijah Jenkins coolly hit three free throws with .5 seconds left to ice a Region 6 home win. Jenkins exploded for 25 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Elijah Dudley went off for 24 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Charnchai Chantha pitched in 6 points and 3 steals while Christian Sutton added 10 points and 5 boards.

McIntosh 58, Whitewater 49: Cole Guenther and Joseph Cummings scored 10 apiece to lift the Chiefs over Whitewater. Chaz Hardin added 9 in the win.

Starr’s Mill 71, Newnan 51: Nate Allison scored 23 points to power the Panthers.

Walnut Grove 55, Loganville 54: Dashun Smith finished with 10 points and hit the game-winner with 4 seconds left to slip past Loganville. Nick Jones netted 10 points and Qadash Scott added 15.

Class AAAA

No. 3 Henry County 64, No. 5 North Clayton 59: Damion Rosser returned to the hardwood and made an immediate impact, scoring 18 points, grabbing 8 rebounds and dishing out 6 assists as the Warhawks rallied to beat North Clayton in the Region 4 opener. Javon Greene poured in 29 points, but Lipscomb-signee Ahsan Asadullah answered for North Clayton posting 29 points of his own. Yaya Diaby finished with 18 in the loss for the Eagles.

No. 9 Westover 85, Dougherty 77: The Patriots struck for some early season revenge, taking down Dougherty. Jordan Brown finished with 27 points, 5 assists and 2 steals. Kris Gardner had 26 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals. Quin Smith added 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Blessed Trinity 54, Dawson County 52 OT: The Titans held on for an important road win against Dawson County in overtime. CJ Abrams scored 16 points, Ben Shappard had 12 and Kyle Swade netted 11. Jeremiah Crumley scored a game-high 18 for Dawson County while Cullen Reed added 16.

Gilmer 65, Pickens 53: In the loss, Pickens received 13 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks from Seth Bishop. Hunter Hermann added 11 points and 5 rebounds. Blake Gorth finished with 8 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.

Class AAA

Calhoun 62, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 19: Chapin Rierson led the Jackets with 16 points while Rhett Abernathy scored 13 as Calhoun recorded its record breaking 41st straight regular season win.

Long County 79, Screven County 70 OT: Terry Smith and Ryhiem Izzard led the way scoring 20 and 19 points respectively for the Blue Tide. Christian Bass (13) and Henry Blair (12) also cracked double figures.

Central-Macon 77, Northeast-Macon 57: Antarius McCoy poured in 32 points and 21 huge rebounds to lead the Chargers.

Class AA

No. 3 Monticello 78, Jackson 60: Ashton Bonner poured in 24 points and 4 assists. CJ Adams chipped in 19 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

Putnam County 59, Greene County 55: Carl Johnson dumped in 30 points and 10 rebounds in the win.

Class A-Private

No. 1 Greenforest 101, Landmark Christian 70: After a 49-43 lead at the half, Greenforest turned on the afterburners to run away from Landmark. Zion Fluellen had a team-high 25 points. Jandan Duggan scored 21 and David Quimby added 21 points, 4 assists and 5 steals. Victor Enoh posted 11 points.

No. 6 Lakeview Academy 79, Athens Academy 43: Tre Gober and Drew Cotrell both scored 19 points in the Lions’ rout of Athens Academy. Josh Randolph chipped in 14 points while Adam Cottrell added 13. Carter Reeves pulled down 14 rebounds.

Wesleyan 57, Galloway 41: Sean McDonough dropped in a career-high 27 points to power the Wolves. Christian McLean added 12.

Mt. Vernon Presbyterian 70, Atlanta International 38: Tahj Keeton scored 22, Ward Phillips 16 and Will Mitcham 14 as the Mustangs routed AIS.

Class A-Public

No. 8 Manchester 81, St. Anne-Pacelli 16: Jah’Nile Hill dropped in 20 points and 9 assists in one half of play as the Blue Devils destroyed the Vikings.

Towns County 83, Providence Christian 61: The Indians advanced to 4-0 on the young season. Providence received 17 points from Parker Trump and 14 from Mitchell Miller in the loss.

Bowdon 92, Central-Carrollton 59: Zaylin Wood posted 21 points and 15 rebounds. Octavius Meadows and Zach Ledbetter both went for 16. 

                                                      

GIRLS

 Class AAAAAAA

No. 2 McEachern 51, Ferguson, FL 24: Chanel Wilson scored 16 points and dished out 4 assists as she won Player of the Game at the Art Turner Showcase in Virginia. Symone Oliver collected 9 points and 10 rebounds. Que Morrison went for 8 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists and 6 steals.

No. 8 North Forsyth 54, North Hall 49 OT: Freshman Caroline Martin went for 15 points and 5 rebounds and Cassie Markle added 9 points and 14 rebounds as the Lady Raiders remained undefeated. GCSU-signee Sadie Cleveland scored her 1,000th career point in the loss.

Marietta 57, No. 10 Cherokee 43: Taylor Smith scored 16 points and Tatiana Foster added 11 in the win.

Parkview 44, Berkmar 7: Diarra Smith scored 14 points while Gabby Jester chipped in 9 points.

Class AAAAAA

No. 4 Douglas County 78, Langston Hughes 29: Sophomore Amari Robinson poured in 25 points to lead the Tigers. Arsula Clark and Taylor Donelson both scored 13.

No. 8 Northview 56, Centennial 23: Shannon Titus was too much to contain, scoring 19 points in the Lady Titans’ region victory. Ashlee Austin and Maya Richards scored 9 while Asjah Innis chipped in 8.

No. 9 Sequoyah 35, Creekview 32: The Lady Chiefs won an ugly game in which they trailed 8-7 at the half. Alyssa Cagle scored 8 points and Emily Seres netted 6 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Peyton Satterfield led the Chiefs with 11 points. Kendel Bennett and Allison Luly (Belmont) scored 8 apiece to lead the Grizzlies. Sydney Rumble added 6.

Class AAAAA

No. 6 Villa Rica 84, East Paulding 29: Sophomore Deasia Merrill poured in 25 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. Alexia Cooley scored 14 and Loretta Eads added 11 points.

No. 7 Carrollton 57, St. Pius X 36: The Trojans led 26-12 at the half and opened up the third quarter with a 13-3 run to put the game out of reach. Elexus Bell and Ansley Barge scored 14 points apiece. St. Pius was led by Kathryn McKenzie’s 11 points and Leah Middleton’s 9.

McIntosh 49, Whitewater 35: McIntosh advanced to 5-0 as the Lady Chiefs continue to build their resume on their hunt for a Top 10 ranking. GCSU-commit DeLayne Rotolo pumped in 16 points and Rylee Calhoun added 15.

No. 10 Loganville 53, Walnut Grove 25: Destiny Flott scored 15 points followed by Milana Woods’ 14 and Aryanna Gerald’s 9 in the Red Devils’ Region 8 victory.

Class AAAA

No. 1 North Oconee 46, 7ANo. 3 Archer 39: The Lady Titans bounced back from a loss to Class 5A No. 2 Buford by clamping down on the Tigers. Camryn Williams and Keller Barks scored 14 apiece in the win. Williams added 6 rebounds and Barks, 4 rebounds and 2 steals with four threes. Emma Weynand added 8 points.

No. 3 Cross Creek 64, 6ANo. 5 Grovetown 53: College of Charleston-signee Destiny Marshall netted 20 points and Ayanna Collins pitched in 13 but it wasn’t enough to slow down Memphis-signee Alana Davis, who poured in 27 points to lead the Razorbacks over the Warriors.

No. 10 Northwest Whitfield 65, LaFayette 16: Holly Heath scored 17 points as the Bruins cruised. Bria Clemons added 12 points and 6 assists while Rylee Meret netted 10 points and Chandler Highland scored 9.

Pickens 72, Gilmer 47: The ‘Nettes blitzed rival Gilmer behind Torie Williams’ four threes and 22 points. Mykenzie Weaver scored 10 points and Tessa Duncan had 9.

Class AAA

Franklin County 69, West Oak, SC 25: Ivey Ginn (16), Mya Jones (14), Asia Jones (12) and Madison Williams (11) led a balanced scoring attack for the Lions.

Class AA

No. 4 Rabun County 74, Walhalla, SC 35: Georgia Stockton finished with 13 points and 4 steals while Tessa Matheson tallied 13 points and 7 rebounds. Savanna Scott went for 12 points, 5 rebounds and 4 stelas. Brooke Henricks had 12 points and 6 rebounds.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

GHSA Statewide Recap 11-29

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 2 Newton 81, GISAThe Heritage School 58: The Rams steamrolled The Heritage School behind Isaiah Miller’s 20 points. Darvin Jones and Ashton Hagans both scored 14 points. JD Notae added 9.  Heritage was led by Lance Terry’ 17 points.

No. 4 Pebblebrook 86, Douglas County 79: Colin Sexton poured in 41 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Elias Harden went for 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals. Mervin James had 6 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks. Douglas County was led by Ernest Randle’s 16 points. Rodney Lewis scored 14 and Markell Cistrunk had 11.

No. 7 Collins Hill 71, Woodstock 41: Chris Parks (18), Max Clark (14), Kenny Stanciel (12), JD Ozoh (11) and Justin Lee (10) led a balanced attack against the Wolverines. Woodstock was led by Dylin Hardeman’s 8 points and Cameron Crowe’s 7. Tyreke Johnson was held to just 5 points.

Mountain View 45, Mill Creek 43: Spencer Rodgers and Miles Long both scored 12 points. Uchenna Nwagbara muscled in the game-winner as time expired.

Meadowcreek 50, Parkview 49: Amari Kelly was a man possessed inside for the Mustangs as he posted 25 points and 18 rebounds to knock the Panthers from the ranks of the unbeatens. In the loss, Toneari Lane had 14 points. Cam Chavers and Truitt Spencer both scored 11.

Grayson 57, Discovery 50 OT: In what looks to be a blossoming rivalry, Grayson nipped Discovery for the second time in three meetings already this season. Discovery’s 11-of-27 free throw shooting came back to haunt them. Grayson was led by Travis Anderson’s 16 points and 7 rebounds. Nick Edwards had 13 points and 4 assists. Deali Thompson pitched in 6 points and 7 boards. Jaden Stanley finished with 12 points and 6 rebounds for Discovery. Jaylen Bussey added 9.

North Gwinnett 74, South Forsyth 41: Ethan Smith led the Bulldogs with 23 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Cameron Rowland had 14 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Mikey Joseph went for 12 points and 5 rebounds. Josh Downs and Ryan Smith both finished with 8 points and 4 rebounds, Downs adding 3 steals as well.

Etowah 56, Marist 43: Lewis Simonson went for 16 points while Kam Hickey churned out a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double.

Peachtree Ridge 76, 6ANo. 6 Dacula 71 2OT:  Devin Vassell pitched in 24 points as the Lions outlasted Dacula in double overtime. Kris Collins scored 14 and Hirum Maxey and Connor Heyward both had 11. Fred Payton contributed 9 points.

Class AAAAAA

No. 1 Gainesville 48, 4ANo. 7 St. Pius 43: KJ Buffen went down for the game on the jump ball, injuring his foot on the opening tip, but Gainesville still managed to hold off a tough St. Pius team without their star player. Bailey Minor scored a game-high 18 points and Jarred Rosser added 11. Everett Lane scored 12 and Matt Gonzalo netted 10 in the loss.

No. 2 Jonesboro 65, M.L. King 36: MJ Walker caught fire with 32 points while Brandon Walker scored 12 as the Cardinals stormed past MLK.

No. 5 Langston Hughes 63, Forest Park 41: Landers Nolley scored 14 points while Derrick Cook chipped in 11 in the Panthers’ bounce back win.

No. 7 Alpharetta 48, Dunwoody 46: Dunwoody led for the majority of the game, but Carlos Carierre delivered a tip-in at the buzzer to hand the Raiders their second straight thrilling buzzer beating win. Carriere and David Swillum both scored 7 points. The Raiders were led by Ellis Merriweather’s 14. Dunwoody leaned on their own balance with Turner Nims (11), Ty Lilly (10), Sidi Diallo (8) and Jeff Powell (7) all contributing.

No. 8 Allatoona 92, Sequoyah 46: The Buccaneers picked up their first win of the season by scoring their most points since 2012. Trey Doomes finished with 26 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 7 steals. Tyler Jackson had 13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assists and 6 steals. Mike Johnson contributed 10 points and 2 assists.

Alexander 70, McIntosh 68 2OT: Grant Howard finished with 22 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists as the Cougars survived the Chiefs. Zeek Copeland added 11 points and 6 rebounds. Rod Rapley had 8 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists.

Sprayberry 49, Mt. Vernon Presbyterian 48: Eddie Figueroa continued his strong play with 26 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists for the Yellow Jackets. In the loss, Tahj Keeton went for 26 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Creekview 56, Osborne 55: Osborne shot 9-of-24 from the foul line and saw it come back and haunt them as KJ Jenkins hit a free throw with three seconds left to beat the Cardinals. Jenkins and Weber Sandlin scored 16 apiece. Chandler Wright added 12. In the loss, LaTrell Tate finished with 14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Jacquon Brown had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Cambridge 56, Chattahoochee 50: Kamar Robertson led the Bears with 17 points. Caleb Snyder and Jackson Boyea both chipped in 11 apiece.

Stephenson 72, Mundy’s Mill 63: Bryce Latimer finished with 23 points while Julian Larkins poured in 21 as the Jaguars got past the Tigers. Mundy’s Mill received 19 points from Tyre Keith and 11 from Rayquan Brown.

Tucker 86, Drew 55: Joshua Cammon poured in 27 points. Collins Joseph and Nick Watson both finished with 16 points.

Pope 64, Northview 50: AJ Watson had 10 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists in the Greyhounds’ region victory.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Columbia 63, Arabia Mountain 59: Arabia Mountain took the lead at the 5:38 mark of the third quarter and led up until 1:25 left in regulation when Kenton Eskridge tied the game at 57. Jalen Cobb, who scored 10 of his team-high 13 points in the fourth quarter, was fouled with seven seconds left and hit both free throws to take a two point lead. Darius Giles raced down the other end of the floor and was fouled with .8 seconds left but missed his first attempt and had to intentionally miss his second but was called for a lane violation. The Rams fouled Cobb one last time and he hit both free throws to seal the game officially. Eskridge finished with 10 points for the Eagles while Giles scored a game-high 19 for Arabia Mountain.

No. 3 Buford 77, North Oconee 50: Marcus Watson finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds. David Viti added 9 points and 7 rebounds. Alex Jones collected 7 points and 7 assists.

No. 4 Miller Grove 61, Chamblee 56: Tae Hardy scored a team-high 18 points for the Wolverines as they avoided an early season upset. Jermon Clark (12), Maurice Harvey (11) and Jalen Mason (8) all played pivotal roles.

No. 6 Eagle’s Landing 51, Union Grove 47: Upstart Union Grove nearly caught the Eagles but didn’t have enough gas in the tank. Brandon Thomas led Eagle’s Landing with 11 points. CJ Hood and Tee Evans scored 9 apiece.

No. 7 Southwest DeKalb 82, Clarkston 52: Tabais Long scored a team-high 15 points while Mandarius Dickerson and Darius Hogan each pitched in 12 points. James Glisson added 10.

No. 8 Fayette County 79, 4ANo. 3 Henry County 65: Furman-signee Noah Gurley went off for 31 points and 5 rebounds. Joshua Dupree had 19 points while Phillip Young finished with 17 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists. Austin Nesmith had 4 points and 11 assists. Javon Greene was held to 19 points after throwing in 57 at Holiday Hoopsgiving. Seth Brown pitched in 17.

Effingham County 65, No. 9 New Hampstead 64: Jaden Rodriguez netted 12 of his team-high 26 points in the fourth quarter to upset the Phoenix. Kha’leed Stapleton pitched in 13 points and Demonte Lee had 10 to help the Rebels. New Hampstead received 25 points from Oronte Anderson. Roemain Bennett had 13 and Calvin Turner netted 5.

South Effingham 74, Metter 61 2OT: Ryan McGee (15) and Amari Gaines (14) helped the Mustangs pull away in double overtime for the victory. Derrick Newberry scored 10 points.

Stockbridge 89, Ola 40: Kavonte Ivery dropped in 24 points to lead the Tigers. Quintus Evans scored 15 points and Raheem Ramsay added 12.

Walnut Grove 60, Lanier 52: RJ Selman scored 14 points but it was sophomore Jailen Robinson leading the way, hitting 5-of-5 from deep and finishing with 18 points.

Flowery Branch 70, Winder-Barrow 33: Blake Coxworth and Caleb Murphy scored 14 points apiece in the Falcons’ romp of Winder-Barrow. Brannon Clark had 12 points and 5 rebounds while Justin Quick chipped in 10 points.

Loganville 69, Apalachee 53: The Wildcats were upset by the Red Devils as Jamar Moore finished with 12 points and 7 rebounds. Akil Covington netted 11 points in the win. Ethan Morris scored 12 points and had 3 assists for Apalachee. Derek Miller posted 9 points and 10 rebounds. Omer Ahmed chipped in 7 points and Brandon Bannis dished out 5 assists.

Paulding County 77, Mt. Paran 64: Vance Anderson scored 16 points and grabbed 8 rebounds while Braylon Sherfield added 14 for the Patriots.

Villa Rica 78, Chapel Hill 57: After trailing 32-28 at the half, Villa Rica turned on the afterburners to blitz past the Panthers. Latrell Swanigan scored 19 of his team-high 21 points in the second half. Rodney Thomas and Nigel Taylor both poured in 15 points.

Kell 65, Lassiter 43: Jahwan Smith went for 21 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists in Kell’s win over Lassiter.

Class AAAA

No. 2 Upson Lee 77, 1ANo. 2 Crawford County 66: Five Knights finished in double figures led by Tye Fagan’s 24 points. Zyrice Scott added 12 points and 5 assists while big man Travon Walker went for 13 points and 11 boards. The home loss was just Crawford County’s second at home since 2014.

No. 6 LaGrange 64, Woodward Academy 57: Laperion Perry scored 21 points and Bo Russell had 14 as the Grangers held off a scrappy War Eagle team. Bryan Fanning (12), Gabe Duckett (10) and Jerious Freeman (7) also did damage.  Julian Cameron scored a game-high 24 for Woodward Academy.

No. 8 Richmond Academy 56, GISAWestminster-Augusta 50: Richmond Academy continued to impress, this time beating a talented Westminster team. Moses Williams scored 15 points while DT Stephens added 12. Jason Weaver netted 10. For Westminster, Mike Dukes of Georgia Bulls fame put in a game-high 23 points. Jelani Watson-Gayle tossed in 17.

No. 9 Westover 87, Albany 73 OT: Westover finally broke out in overtime to shake a pesky Albany team on the road. Kris Garner finished with 25 points and 7 assists while Jordan “Snow” Brown added 18 points. Jamarea Grier (16) and Quin Smith (15) came up big as well.

LaFayette 71, Pickens 46: Seth Bishop had 12 points and 5 rebounds while Avery Luke chipped in 9 points and 3 rebounds in a loss to the Ramblers. Zach Goss pitched in 6 points and 6 rebounds.

Madison County 70, Hart County 63: Tay Howard dropped in 21 points for the Red Raiders.

Northwest Whitfield 57, Ringgold 53: Luke Shiflett powered the Bruins with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals.

Cedartown 62, Woodland-Cartersville 51: Quan Neal led the Bulldogs with 18 points. In the loss, Trevor Knowles scored 13 points and Justice Hayes chipped in 10.

Class AAA

No. 1 Westside-Macon 93, First Presbyterian 50: Khavon Moore had 11 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks. Kentrevious Jones posted 15 points and 4 rebounds. Trey Foster chipped in 10 points and Samone Reed had 13.

No. 2 Pace Academy 65, Towers 49: Wendell Carter was too much to handle, posting 24 points for the Knights. Myles Todd added 14 and Isaiah Kelly had 12 in the win.

No. 7 Jenkins 82, Southeast Bulloch 67: Zion Williams scored 16 points and Trevion Lamar added 14 as the Warriors picked up their first win of the season.

No. 10 Islands 79, Savannah 64: Trae Broadnax busted out for 38 points in the Sharks win on the coast.

Calhoun 59, Murray County 19: Chapin Rierson led the Yellow Jackets with 12 points and 5 rebounds in a season opening win. Ryan Randall, Rhett Abernathy and Malik Lawrence all scored 7 points. Kaylan Aker posted 8 points and 5 rebounds.

North Hall 50, White County 38: Alec Volle and Evan Easton both scored 13 points to help the Trojans over White County. Justin Rabb scored 11 in the win.

Class AA

No. 10 Toombs County 81, Long County 77: D.R. Meadows and LJ Sims both scored 24 points as Toombs County moved to 4-0. Jalen Mobley added 12 points.

Dodge County 67, Telfair County 62 OT: Juniors Readell Hunt and Nick Cummings carried the Indians past Telfair County scoring 26 and 23 points, respectively.

Class A-Private

No. 3 St. Francis 67, No. 6 Lakeview Academy 64: The young Knights slipped out of Hall County with a win. Freshman Dwon Odom notched 18 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Odom hit two free throws with 4.6 seconds left to secure the win. Senior Wallace Tucker went for 15 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Chase Ellis, another freshman, had 13 points and 9 rebounds. The Lions were led by Tre Gober’s 17 points. Josh Randolph netted 12 and Drew Cottrell chipped in 10.

King’s Ridge 60, Pinecrest Academy 40: Sean Flanigan finished with 11 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists while Kameron Dozier (8) and Andrew Parkin (10) helped the Tigers roll. The Paladins were led by Hank Lynch’s 13 points and Ben Gobbel’s 11.

Walker 82, Excel Christian 33: Nick Robinson dropped in a game-high 21 points and Jake Shore netted 14 to power the Walker Wolverines. Excel got 11 points from Jordan Wilkie and 7 from Levi Blackwell.

Stratford Academy 62, Georgia Military 53: Nate Brooks muscled his way to 34 points and 10 rebounds. Nathan Hunt pitched in 6 points and 12 boards. GMC was led by Malik Foston’s 21 points.

Class A-Public

No. 5 Quitman County 61, Terrell County 56: Shahee Billings had 17 points and Laqueveus Nelson had 16 in the Hornets victory on the road. JaDarian Gibbs added 10.

                                               

GIRLS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 2 McEachern 86, 3ANo. 3 Greater Atlanta Christian 55: Alexis Burke scored 13 points while Chanel Wilson added 10 in a rout of GAC. Taylor Sutton poured in 23 points in the loss. Robyn Benton scored 11 and Lexi Mann had 9.

No. 8 North Forsyth 51, Johns Creek 28: Cassie Markle posted 18 points and 6 rebounds. Caroline Martin chipped in 13 points.

Grayson 57, Discovery 28: Jazmin Robinson finished with 21 points and 4 rebounds for the Rams.

Lassiter 37, Kell 34 OT: Caitlin Sasapan netted a game-high 15 points for the Lady Trojans. Emilie Slotin added 9 points.

Class AAAAAA

No. 5 Grovetown 60, Burke County 57: The Warriors held off Burke County behind Ayanna Collins and freshman Morgan Millhouse’s 15 points apiece. Destiny Lucas added 13.

No. 6 Jonesboro 53, M.L. King 40: Elon-signee Saadia Munford scored 19 points while Maiya Frazier chipped in 14 points and 8 rebounds to beat MLK. Tenay Minus netted 12 points in the win.

No. 8 Northview 52, Pope 34: The Lady Titans crushed Pope in their Region opener. Ashlee Austin (16), Maya Richards (14) and Shannon Titus (12) overpowered the Greyhounds.

No. 9 Sequoyah 65, Allatoona 27: Alyssa Cagle erupted for 28 points and 3 assists. Colby Carden played an all-around game with 12 points, 4 assists and 6 steals. Lauren Schletty grabbed 8 rebounds and had 4 assists.

Gainesville 58, St. Pius 50: Taylor Hawks poured in a game-high 24 points and Tija Blackwell added 11 to hold off the Golden Lions who trailed by as many as 14 points in the third quarter. Macey Carson led St. Pius with 16 points while Kathryn McKenzie posted 7 points and 14 rebounds.

Centennial 57, North Atlanta 34: Shekinah Guthrie dropped in a game-high 20 points as the Lady Knights earned a region victory. Aerial Nathan scored 11 and Kara Hart added 9 points.

Lovejoy 58, Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 22: Freshman Anaya Boyd went for 14 points and 6 rebounds in Lovejoy’s Region 4 victory.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Flowery Branch 50, 6ANo. 2 Winder-Barrow 43: Olivia Nelson-Ododa went for 15 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks, but it wasn’t enough as the Falcons beat the Bulldoggs for the second time this season. Taniyah Worth poured in 22 points, 3 steals and 2 blocks in the win. Queen Scott scored 13 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. Lexie Sengkhammee netted 9 points. Caroline Wysocki chipped in 6 points and 4 assists.

No. 6 Villa Rica 70, Chapel Hill 62: Jaila Orozco poured in 22 points followed by Deasia Merrill’s 18 points and 12 rebounds as Villa Rica edged Chapel Hill.

No. 10 Loganville 46, Apalachee 29: Aryanna Gerald scored a team-high 11 points while Imani Arnold and Milana Woods both finished with 10.

McIntosh 49, Alexander 47: DeLayne Rotolo pumped in 22 points while Rylee Calhoun scored 13 to sneak past Alexander.

Class AAAA

No. 10 Northwest Whitfield 52, 3ANo. 5 Ringgold 30: Nicole Bates lifted the Bruins to a blowout victory with 13 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. Bria Clemmons, Jada Griffin and Chandler Hiland all scored 7 points.

Pickens 64, LaFayette 26: Mykenzie Weaver led the Nettes with 19 points and 4 rebounds. Mackenzie Hampton added 10 points and 4 rebounds. Taylor Wigington produced 6 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

Cedartown 55, Woodland-Cartersville 40: In the loss, Madgie Robinson collected 11 points and 4 rebounds for the Wildcats. Leah Stantz had 8 points while McKenzie Hobbs scored 6 and Carli Clymer tallied 6 assists.

Cartersville 44, Sonoraville 41: Kimora McClinic scored a game-high 18 for the Hurricanes as they slipped past Sonoraville after trailing at the end of each of the first three quarters. Grace Darnell scored 13 points in the loss for the Phoenix.

Class AAA

No. 1 Johnson-Savannah 83, Groves 20: Alexis Pierce and Sy-Marieona Williams poured in 21 points apiece while Olivia Owens pitched in 20 points in the Atomsmashers’ blowout.

No. 7 Calhoun 74, Murray County 36: The Yellow Jackets stung the Indians behind Jana Johns’ 20-point effort. Cassie Henderson picked up a 19-point 12-rebound double-double. Ashlyn Barnes scored 10 points.

Class AA

No. 4 Rabun County 60, Union County 47: Three Lady Cats scored in double figures led by Brooke Henricks’ 17 points, 13 rebounds and 7 steals. Savanna Scott had 14 points, 5 rebounds and 6 steals. Tessa Matheson added 13 points, 4 rebounds and 5 steals.

Class A-Private

Excel Christian 42, Walker 41: Whitney Harris (13) and Kalli Beth Scheff (11) helped the Eagles slip by Walker. Rylie Boston finished with 9 points and 20 rebounds.  Walker received 19 points from Saige Cormick-Turpin and Madeline Daniel added 13.

Class A-Public

No. 5 Telfair County 66, 2ANo. 7 Dodge County 64: Dodge County dropped a close one after being led by senior Jurnee Powell’s 17 points. Destanee Wright scored 12 and Bresha Carr had 11.