Tag Archives: Girls

GHSA, Girls Basketball

Peach State Stops of the Week (11/26-12/2)

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

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

Wesleyan Showcase

Saturday, December 2, 2017

Eight state-ranked teams head to Norcross, GA this Saturday for the Wesleyan Showcase. If you’re searching for elite level girls basketball, look no further. Future D-1 players litter the floor.

1 PM: Class 2A No. 4 Model vs. Class 6A No. 5 Sequoyah

The guard-heavy Lady Chiefs will have to slow down South Carolina-signee Victaria Saxton of Model. The 6-foot-1 post is an elite rebounder and shot blocker and a gazelle in the open floor. She has carried the Blue Devil program since her freshman season. The double-double machine will have a major size advantage against the Lady Chiefs, but Sequoyah will throw an experienced backcourt that knows how to win back at Model. Alyssa Cagle is one of the state’s best unsigned point guards, that has completely healed from last year’s ACL tear. Peyton Satterfield is the school’s single-game recorder holder for most three-pointers made and Colby Carden is a feisty scorer and defender.

2:30 PM: Class 6A No. 4 Northview vs. Class 5A No. 2 Flowery Branch

The Lady Titans of Northview took their lumps against Wesleyan at the Johns Creek Gladiator Showcase and now gets a chance to see if they are better for it as they meet North Georgia power, Flowery Branch. The Taniyah Worth (Alabama) vs. Ashlee Austin matchup might be one of the best in the event. Worth is a do-everything small forward that can carry the Lady Falcons while Austin is a physical stretch-four that plays with a mean streak. The supporting casts will be the deciding factor. Junior guard Caroline Wysocki has taken her game to the next level for Coach Courtney Gonzalez and gives Flowery Branch a reliable second scoring option next to Worth. Her and veteran Lexie Sengkhammee have seen the best of the best while at Flowery Branch. They matchup against Northview’s young and dynamic backcourt of sophomore point guard Asjah Inniss and freshman shooting guard Eden Sample, who is coming off a career-high 24 points. Inside, 6-foot-3 freshman Ashlee Locke locks horns with bruiser Maya Richards. Foul trouble has crippled the Lady Titans in big games in the past; if Inniss and Richards get tagged quickly, Flowery Branch might soar past them.

4 PM: Class 7A No. 2 Collins Hill vs. Class 3A No. 1 GAC

This star-studded matchup features two teams with sky-high expectations that will consider their seasons a failure if they don’t win their respective state titles. Collins Hill’s Bria Harmon (Purdue), Javyn Nicholson (UGA), Jada Rice (NC State) and Jaron Stallworth (Mercer) go to war with GAC’s Robyn Benton (Auburn), Caria Reynolds (Hofstra), Taylor Sutton (MTSU) and MaryMartha Turner (Wofford). The Spartans have smoked everyone they’ve played, including beating Class 7A No. 4 Norcross (64-51), Class 5A No. 7 Southwest DeKalb (81-37) and four-time defending state champion Class 7A No. 3 McEachern (61-50). The Eagles haven’t quite played the schedule GAC has, with their best win coming over Class 7A No. 7 Cherokee (69-53) and losing to Class A-Private No. 1 Holy Innocents’ (64-57). With four D-1 players on each side going toe-to-toe, keep an eye on GAC junior point guard Kennedi Williams and Collins Hill three-point specialist junior Katherine Fourie to make shots when called upon.

5:30 PM: Class 5A No. 1 Buford vs. Class A-Private No. 2 Wesleyan

A true heavyweight showdown between a pack of Wolves. Wesleyan blew past Buford last year 73-50 at Buford; expect the Lady Wolves to play with a chip on their shoulder. Buford will have the size advantage with their powerful big guards led by 6-foot Michigan State-signee Tory Ozment. She creates with the ball in her hands and can get two feet in the paint whenever she wants. The Wolves like to drive behind drives which leads to layups or kick outs to open three-point shooters like Air Force-signee Audrey Weiner. Kya Styles and Tate Walter are threats to score the ball while 6-foot-3 post Jessica Nelson (UMass) is a space eater that can turn back shots. Nelson did not play in the Craig Sager Memorial Championship game last week. Wesleyan doesn’t have the size that Buford boasts, but the Wolves play fast and share the ball extremely well. Their press causes turnovers which lead to easy breakaways. Offensively, Amaya Register (Old Dominion) orchestrates the offense with elite ball movement. Sutton West (Furman) is a pesky long-armed 6-footer that rebounds, alters shots with her length and always seems to be at the right place at the right time. Nearly the entire roster is a threat from deep including playmaking freshman point guard Paige Lyons and physical yet deftly agile versatile post AC Carter.

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 2 Girls Rankings

 Class AAAAAAA

  1. Westlake (3-0)
  2. Collins Hill (3-1)
  3. McEachern (4-1)
  4. Norcross (4-1)
  5. Colquitt County (3-1)
  6. Newton (4-1)
  7. Cherokee (3-1)
  8. North Forsyth (4-1)
  9. Brookwood (2-1)
  10. South Gwinnett (5-0)

Class AAAAAA

  1. Lovejoy (4-0)
  2. Harrison (2-1)
  3. Winder-Barrow (3-0)
  4. Northview (2-1)
  5. Sequoyah (2-0)
  6. Alpharetta (3-0)
  7. Forest Park (2-1)
  8. Lanier (5-1)
  9. Valdosta (1-2)
  10. Stephenson (1-3)

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (3-0)
  2. Flowery Branch (3-0)
  3. Eagle’s Landing (3-2)
  4. Carrollton (1-1)
  5. Bainbridge (4-0)
  6. Villa Rica (1-0)
  7. Southwest DeKalb (0-3)
  8. Maynard Jackson (1-0)
  9. Arabia Mountain (2-1)
  10. Fayette County (4-0)

Class AAAA

  1. Carver-Columbus (2-0)
  2. Spalding (4-0)
  3. Henry County (4-0)
  4. Luella (5-0)
  5. Jefferson (1-2)
  6. Northwest Whitfield (2-1)
  7. West Hall (4-0)
  8. Madison County (0-2)
  9. Baldwin (3-0)
  10. Burke County (2-0)

Class AAA

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

Class AA

  1. Laney (2-0)
  2. Rabun County (3-0)
  3. Fitzgerald (2-0)
  4. Model (3-1)
  5. Swainsboro (1-0)
  6. Banks County (2-0)
  7. Putnam County (2-0)
  8. Dodge County (3-0)
  9. Berrien (2-1)
  10. Bleckley County (1-0)

Class A-Private

  1. Holy Innocents’ (4-1)
  2. Wesleyan (3-0)
  3. St. Francis (2-1)
  4. Fellowship Christian (1-0)
  5. Landmark Christian (3-1)
  6. Stratford Academy (2-0)
  7. Greenforest (1-1)
  8. Prince Avenue Christian (1-0)
  9. Pinecrest Academy (1-1)
  10. Lakeview Academy (0-2)

Class A-Public

  1. Pelham (0-0)
  2. Telfair County (3-0)
  3. Wheeler County (1-1)
  4. Greenville (2-0)
  5. Treutlen (0-0)
  6. Marion County (0-0)
  7. Macon County (0-1)
  8. Turner County (0-0)
  9. Wilcox County (1-0)
  10. Woodville-Tompkins (0-2)

Class AAAAAAA No. 1 Westlake has been impressive. They stifled No. 9 Brookwood at the Parkview Tip-Off Classic 64-48 behind Texas Tech-signee Taylor Hosendove’s 18 points, 5 rebound, 5 assists and 2 steals. The Lions went on to beat Ramsay, AL 63-58 for good measure at the Henry County Girl’s Night Out. No. 3 McEachern hasn’t played their best basketball this year. Indiana-signee Chanel Wilson was unavailable for the Lady Indians in their 61-56 come from behind victory over newly ranked Class 6A No. 10 Stephenson. Victoria Agyin came up big with 15 points while Georgia Tech-signee scored all 11 of her points in the second half. Against the nation’s No. 1 ranked team, Riverdale, TN, McEachern was blown out 82-38. No. 2 Collins Hill moves ahead of the Indians after crushing Hillgrove 86-37 and beating No. 7 Cherokee 69-53 before falling to Class A-Private No. 1 Holy Innocents’ at Holiday Hoopsgiving, 64-57. The Lady Warriors of Cherokee defeated No. 8 North Forsyth 57-46. The Lady Raiders rebounded with a 56-46 win over Class 3A No. 6 Johnson-Savannah.

No. 1 Lovejoy takes over the top spot in Class AAAAAA after No. 4 Northview wilted against Class A-Private No. 2 Wesleyan, 78-59 after opening up down 15-0. Ashlee Austin had a career-day with 31 points and 13 rebounds in the loss. Before the Wesleyan defeat, the Lady Titans scored a 49-43 win over Class 5A No. 3 Eagle’s Landing at the Johns Creek Gladiator Showcase. Lovejoy has been firing on all cylinders behind 2020 guards Anaya Boyd and Genesis Bryant. They helped the Wildcats to a 79-69 win over Ramsay, AL. Bryant led the way with 26 points while Boyd added 25. No. 3 Winder-Barrow slides down a spot instead of rising to No. 1. The Lady Doggs have not imposed their will on opponents yet. They slipped by Mill Creek 52-48 and rallied to knock off Class 4A No. 6 Jefferson in overtime 63-55 to win the Tabo’s Tip-Off Classic Championship. UConn-signee Olivia Nelson-Ododa dumped in 22 points while College of Charleston-signee Latrice Perkins chipped in 18. No. 2 Harrison rises two spots after beating Class 7A No. 6 Newton 48-40 and Class 5A No. 7 Southwest DeKalb 60-54 at the Parkview Tip-Off Classic. Douglas County (1-3), Creekview (1-2) and defending state-champion Mays (0-1) all drop out of the Top 10. The Lady Tigers lost to Lowndes 58-53, Class 7A No. 4 Norcross 69-39 and Woodland-Stockbridge 54-50. The Grizzlies lost to a pair of Tennessee schools in McMinn Central (48-43) and William Blount (54-47).  The Lady Raiders were drilled by Brittany Davis and her Class A-Public No. 4 Greenville Patriots, 72-54. No. 6 Alpharetta benefits from the chaos and jumps four spots after beating Pebblebrook 68-43 to win the Roswell Rotary Air Invitational Championship. No. 8 Lanier, No. 9 Valdosta and No. 10 Stephenson all debut. Lanier has a 68-52 win over Class 3A No. 8 Dawson County under their belt while Valdosta has beaten Dacula 56-54 and lost in close fashion at the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament to Class A-Private No. 1 Holy Innocents’ 58-55 and Grayson 65-58. Stephenson has lost to McEachern twice and to Brookwood 70-44. They have beaten Woodland-Stockbridge 64-38.

Right now, Class AAAAA No. 1 Buford might be the best team in the state. They drilled Grayson 64-33 before winning the Craig Sager Memorial with a 57-45 win over Holy Innocents’. No. 5 Bainbridge moves up two spots with wins over Tift County 72-61 and at Lowndes 53-47. No. 7 Southwest DeKalb has played a difficult schedule and still is looking for its first win. Dutchtown (2-1) falls out of the poll following a tough loss to Class 3A No. 5 Lovett, 58-52. No. 10 Fayette County takes over with a 4-0 mark. The Lady Tigers defeated Pope 61-43 last week.

No. 2 Spalding and No. 4 Luella are quietly handling their business in Class AAAA. The Jaguars took out Eagle’s Landing at their Jag Challenge 45-37 while the Lions beat Jonesboro 75-65. No. 5 Jefferson ran out of gas against Winder-Barrow, losing in overtime 63-55. Jazmin Allen poured in 17 points to lead the way. No. 6 Northwest Whitfield beat Rome 62-56 but lost to East Hamilton, TN 47-31. LaGrange (0-2) exits the Top 10 following a winless start. The Grangers fell to Newnan 62-47 and to Morgan County 51-43. No. 10 Burke County makes an appearance in the rankings. Led by high scoring guard Quin’DeJa Hamilton and Cross Creek-transfer, shot blocker Kianni Westbrook, the Lady Bears have taken down Statesboro 61-33 and Calvary Day 50-37.

If there was any doubt as to whether No. 1 Greater Atlanta Christian deserved to jump No. 2 Beach for the top spot in Class AAA, doubt no more. The Spartans poured it on with their 81-37 win over Class 5A No. 7 Southwest DeKalb while Beach narrowly defeated Bradwell Institute 50-48. GAC is playing as good of basketball as anyone in the state and they get to test their mettle on Tuesday as they host four-time defending state champion McEachern. No. 5 Lovett is on the move, leaping five spots after knocking off Dutchtown 58-52. Stanford-signee Jenna Brown is back to her five-star form. No. 6 Johnson-Savannah falls two spots after losing to Camden County 46-41 and to Class 7A No. 8 North Forsyth 56-46. The Atomsmashers finished 27-3 last season with all their losses coming to Beach including in the state title game; they open 2017-18 at 0-2. Monroe (1-1) falls from the rankings after a 51-28 loss to Americus-Sumter. 2017 quarterfinalist No. 10 Tattnall County makes their debut. The Warriors are coming off a 60-41 win over Richmond Hill.

There is no movement in Class AA. No. 2 Rabun County scored a 62-52 win over Class A-Private No. 10 Lakeview Academy at the Piedmont College Hardwood Classic. No. 6 Banks County, Rabun’s Region 8 rival, earned a quality 79-63 win against Class 3A No. 9 Hart County. No. 3 Model lost 41-38 to Page, TN and No. 9 Berrien fell to Lowndes 64-58, but both maintain their respective spots in the rankings.

Class A-Private saw its top dogs knock heads with elite competition. No. 1 Holy Innocents’ lost to Class 5A No. 1 Buford 57-45, but their wins over Class 6A No. 9 Valdosta (58-55), Class 7A No. 2 Collins Hill (64-57) and No. 3 St. Francis (60-48) are enough for the Golden Bears to hold tight over No. 2 Wesleyan who blitzed former Class 6A No. 1 Northview 78-59, while also adding a 62-49 win over Lambert. The only change in Class A-Private is No. 10 Lakeview Academy moving down one spot. The Lions have challenged themselves this year, losing to Class 2A No. 2 Rabun County and Class 7A No. 4 Norcross, 67-31.

Class A-Public’s No. 4 Greenville has shot up four spots. The one-man show of reigning Class A-Public Player of the Year and Mississippi State-signee Brittany Davis has already beaten defending Class 6A state champ Mays (72-54) and Bowdon (78-55), Davis collecting her sixth career 50-point game along the way against the Red Devils. No. 10 Woodville-Tompkins is down six slots following an 0-2 start. The Wolverines lost to Bradwell Institute 57-40 and East Hall 69-51, both quality opponents. The loss of Jazmin Grayson hurts Woodville-Tompkins. The Preseason All-State Second Team pick has transferred out of state. The Wolverines have a major test Tuesday as they host No. 5 Treutlen.

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 1 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

  1. Westlake (1-0)
  2. McEachern (2-0)
  3. Collins Hill (1-0)
  4. Norcross (2-1)
  5. Colquitt County (2-0)
  6. Newton (3-0)
  7. North Forsyth (2-0)
  8. Cherokee (1-0)
  9. Brookwood (1-0)
  10. South Gwinnett (3-0) 

Class AAAAAA

  1. Northview (1-0)
  2. Winder-Barrow (1-0)
  3. Lovejoy (2-0)
  4. Harrison (0-1)
  5. Sequoyah (0-0)
  6. Douglas County (1-0)
  7. Creekview (0-0)
  8. Mays (0-0)
  9. Forest Park (1-1)
  10. Alpharetta (1-0) 

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (1-0)
  2. Flowery Branch (2-0)
  3. Eagle’s Landing (1-0)
  4. Carrollton (0-1)
  5. Arabia Mountain (1-0)
  6. Southwest DeKalb (0-1)
  7. Bainbridge (0-0)
  8. Villa Rica (0-0)
  9. Maynard Jackson (1-0)
  10. Dutchtown (0-0) 

Class AAAA

  1. Carver-Columbus (1-0)
  2. Spalding (2-0)
  3. Henry County (2-0)
  4. Luella (4-0)
  5. Jefferson (0-1)
  6. Northwest Whitfield (0-0)
  7. Madison County (0-1)
  8. West Hall (2-0)
  9. LaGrange (0-0)
  10. Baldwin (1-0) 

Class AAA

  1. Greater Atlanta Christian (3-0)
  2. Beach (0-0)
  3. Central-Macon (0-0)
  4. Johnson-Savannah (0-0)
  5. Franklin County (1-0)
  6. Monroe (1-0)
  7. Dawson County (1-0)
  8. Haralson County (0-0)
  9. Hart County (1-0)
  10. Lovett (2-1) 

Class AA

  1. Laney (0-0)
  2. Rabun County (1-0)
  3. Fitzgerald (1-0)
  4. Model (1-0)
  5. Swainsboro (0-0)
  6. Banks County (0-0)
  7. Putnam County (1-0)
  8. Dodge County (0-0)
  9. Berrien (1-0)
  10. Bleckley County (1-0) 

Class A-Private

  1. Holy Innocents’ (1-0)
  2. Wesleyan (1-0)
  3. St. Francis (2-0)
  4. Fellowship Christian (1-0)
  5. Landmark Christian (3-1)
  6. Stratford Academy (0-0)
  7. Greenforest (1-0)
  8. Prince Avenue Christian (0-0)
  9. Lakeview Academy (0-0)
  10. Pinecrest Academy (1-1) 

Class A-Public

  1. Pelham (0-0)
  2. Telfair County (1-0)
  3. Wheeler County (1-0)
  4. Woodville-Tompkins (0-0)
  5. Treutlen (0-0)
  6. Marion County (0-0)
  7. Macon County (0-0)
  8. Greenville (0-0)
  9. Turner County (0-0)
  10. Wilcox County (1-0) 

Much like on the boys side, Class AAAAAAA’s top teams were dominant. No. 1 Westlake drilled Sandy Creek 65-19, No. 2 McEachern beat Stephenson 77-65 and blew past Class 5A No. 6 Southwest DeKalb 73-52 at the Parkview Tip-Off Classic while No. 3 Collins Hill dismantled Riverwood 91-7. No. 4 Norcross suffered a 64-51 loss to Class 3A No. 1 Greater Atlanta Christian but remains in the four-spot after beating Tucker 63-52 and Class 6A No. 4 Harrison 63-50. Coach Angie Hembree has not been on the sidelines yet this season as she battles with health issues. No. 9 Brookwood moves down one spot after struggling with ML King, 52-43. Lambert (1-1) slides out of the Top 10 for now after losing a tough 48-41 game to Class 5A No. 3 Eagle’s Landing at the Johns Creek Gladiator Showcase. The Longhorns are replaced by No. 10 South Gwinnett The Comets are 3-0 with wins over Duluth (47-37), Grovetown (54-36) and Miller Grove (49-29).

No. 2 Winder-Barrow didn’t necessarily open their season with an overly impressive start, the Class AAAAAA power struggling to score in a 35-24 win over Central Gwinnett at the Tabo’s Tip-Off Classic. Chellia Watson dumped in 15 points to lead the Lady Doggs. UConn-signee Olivia Nelson-Ododa is still trying to regain her form after dislocating her knee cap last season. The Doggs see a respected Mill Creek team in Round 2 today.  No. 6 Douglas County breezed by Tri-Cities 88-33 behind Amari Robinson’s 18 points. The Tigers face a stiff challenge today against Norcross at the Parkview Tip-Off Classic. No. 9 Forest Park drops one spot after losing at Parkview 51-50, blowing a 39-28 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Nonetheless, 6-foot-3 freshman post Sania Feagin has been impressive to start the year. She had 15 points, 13 rebounds and 6 blocks in a 62-27 rout of North Clayton before adding on 10 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks against the Panthers.

Michigan State-signee Tory Ozment said the goal for No. 1 Buford is to repeat in Class AAAAA this year. The Lady Wolves looked sharp in their 71-31 win over Duluth at the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament, Ozment leading the way with 15 points. Ebony Grant added 11 while Air Force-signee Audrey Weiner netted 9. Region 8 rival No. 2 Flowery Branch shook off the rust with a 67-40 win at Chestatee and a 55-47 victory against No. 4 Carrollton, Alabama-signee Taniyah Worth going for 23 points and 7 rebounds while Caroline Wysocki, a junior that might be taking her game to the next level, finished with 19 points, 5 assists and 9 steals.

In Class AAAA, No. 2 Spalding has gotten a lift from freshman guard Kierstyn Milner. The spark plug is averaging 19 points per game for the 2-0 Jaguars.  No. 4 Luella jumps No. 5 Jefferson after the Dragons were upset by Class 3A No. 7 Dawson County. The Lions did damage at the Hoops 4 A Cure Classic, pouring on a 78-40 win over Milton highlighted by Kamya Hollingshed’s 27 points and 12 rebounds. Keely Brown added 24 and Zaria Bankston netted 15. Hollingshed nailed 12 threes in the Lions two weekend wins.

There is a new No. 1 in Class AAA, but it’s no fault of defending state champion No. 2 Beach who hasn’t started their season yet.  No. 1 Greater Atlanta Christian has made a statement behind Auburn’s Robyn Benton and Hofstra’s Caria Reynolds. The Spartans, who boast four D-I signees (Taylor Sutton – MTSU; MaryMartha Turner – Wofford), have already beaten Norcross (64-51), Woodward Academy (87-36) and Milton (98-15). Their firepower will be on display today against Southwest DeKalb. Near the bottom of the poll, Coach Steve Sweat was at it again, guiding his No. 7 Dawson County squad to a 68-56 win over Jefferson. No. 9 Hart County jumps into the rankings after beating Class 4A No. 7 Madison County 54-51. Inactive Cedar Grove (0-0) drops out of the rankings for now. No. 10 Lovett remains anchored in the final spot after losing in overtime to Class 2A No. 4 Model, but beating Class A-Private No. 5 Landmark Christian 56-37.

No. 4 Model was Class AA’s biggest mover, up two spots after beating Lovett 63-59 in overtime. South Carolina-signee Victaria Saxton was unstoppable inside, exploding for 32 points and 21 rebounds, outbattling Stanford-signee, guard Jenna Brown who had 21 points. Model’s only apparent competition in Region 7, Dade County (0-2) exits from the poll after losing at Collinsville, AL 42-28 and to Ringgold 62-50. Replacing the preseason No. 7 team is No. 10 Bleckley County. Jahnaria Brown is back in the fold as a versatile forward. She helped the Royals to a 46-19 win over Hawkinsville.

The race for style points in Class A-Private is officially on, as No. 1 Holy Innocents’, No. 2 Wesleyan and No. 3 St. Francis took turns boat-racing their opponents. The Golden Bears drubbed Archer 68-38, the Wolves beat Whitewater 68-33 and the Lady Knights blew out Brewbaker Tech and Carver, AL by an average of 47.5 points at the Hoops 4 A Cure Classic. Climbing two spots to No. 4, is Fellowship Christian. Colorado-signee Cameron Swartz poured in a career-high 45 to lead the Paladins past No. 10 Pinecrest Academy, 57-49.

There were no changes in Class A-Public. No. 2 Telfair County and No. 3 Wheeler County were scheduled to play on Saturday, but no score has been posted. (If you know the score or if the game was even played, please contact me.)

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Game Stories

Fayette County Lady Tigers impress with cross-county win over Sandy Creek

Contributed by Rob Grubbs   (@RCGJr226070)
Photo by CD Photography (@FayetteSports)

Fayette County 58, Sandy Creek 32

Trinity Brown
Trinity Brown || CD Photography

FAYETTEVILLE, Georgia – Two teams that had impressive finishes to last years’ season faced off in an early inter-county rivalry game. The Sandy Creek Lady Patriots made it to the Class AAAA Final 4 where they would lose to eventual champion Columbus. Graduation was not kind to Coach Janie Hodges and the Lady Patriots as they lost their dynamic backcourt duo of ShanQuaylia Stanton and Kasey Toles from last year’s team. This year’s team will be focused more on a strong inside game from their star post players, Daija Powell and Paris Thompson.

Fayette County Coach John Strickland also lost a key player from last year’s Class AAAAA Sweet 16 team, Darryl Langford who is at the Naval Academy now, but brought back a deep roster with strong senior leadership. In contrast to Sandy Creek, the Lady Tigers bring experience to the backcourt but are young inside. The matchup was a classic opportunity for both teams to see where they are and what needs work. Since this is was a non-region game, one team was going to win while the other was going to learn more about themselves.

Sandy Creek jumped out to an 8-5 first quarter lead with all points scored by Powell.  The new guard tandem of Nina Lum and Jania Hodges were constantly feeding the ball down low, and Powell was moving in the paint with ease. As the game progressed, the Lady Tigers continued to rotate players, making wholesale changes at almost every break.  Guards Maegan Brantley, Sidney Sims and Trinity Brown were playing fast and they slowly turned the defensive pressure up which wore down the Patriots. After taking a 22-18 lead into the half, the Lady Tigers dominated the third quarter with their full court press and depth to pull away.

Afterwards, Strickland was proud his post players who were getting the first significant playing time of their career. “Naomi Franco and Celine Akande played outstanding against their inside players, who are really good. We know what we have in our frontcourt, we know what to expect from Maegan, Trinity and Sidney, but I was really encouraged with how Naomi and Celine played. If they continue to progress, that will open up more of our offense.”

Strickland also wanted to brag more on his ladies latest academic feats than the game, he said, “This has the potential to be a special group.”

In the end, it was Fayette County 58-32 with Brown and Barkley leading scorers with 15 each. Franco played a solid game in the post, just missing a double-double with 9 points and 9 rebounds. Powell led the Lady Patriots with 15; look for them to improve as the season goes along and their guard play gets more comfortable and confident.

Top Performers

Fayette County
Maegan Barkley – 15 points, 3 rebounds
Trinity Brown – 15 points, 3 rebounds
Naomi Franco – 9 points, 9 rebounds
Sidney Sims – 8 points, 9 rebounds

Sandy Creek
Daija Powell – 14 points, 8 rebounds
Paris Thompson – 10 points, 3 rebounds

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Game Stories

No. 1 Northview escapes Towne Lake with season-opening win over scrappy Wolverines

No. 1 Northview 61, Woodstock 51

The Class AAAAAA No. 1 ranked Northview Lady Titans hit the road to visit a new-look Woodstock Wolverines team with Jared Hughes at the helm, his first official game on the sidelines after coming over from Rome to replace long-time head coach Julie Crowe. Last season it was the Titans who hosted the Wolverines to open the year with Northview scoring a dominant 57-44 victory. The tables were nearly turned on Tuesday as Woodstock pushed the Titans to the limit before falling 61-51.

Arriving just 15 minutes before game-time after an hour and 45-minute commute, Northview opened up slow with fouls piling up. Starting point guard Asjah Inniss was ushered to the bench with two fouls in just a minute and 50 seconds, immediately testing Northview’s depth.

The Titans managed to push the lead to 10-4, but at the 3:46 mark, it was Maya Richards’ turn to pick up her second foul and head to the bench. With two key cogs on Coach Chris Yarbrough’s bench, the Wolverines made their move. Freshman point guard Kayden Montgomery sparked a 7-0 run to take an 11-10 lead, hustling to earn second-chance points by hitting the glass and deflecting an assist to physical post Ivana George, who scored all six of her points in the first half.

In search of a basket to stem the tide, Coach Yarbrough knew to punch it inside to All-State forward Ashlee Austin.

Woodstock had opportunities to take a lead heading into the second quarter but three turnovers in near succession held the score at 13-13 after one. Highly touted freshman combo guard Eden Sample carried the offensive burden in the first quarter with Inniss and Richards sidelined and the Titans already with nine team fouls. The smooth shooter scored six points and netted 12 of her team-high 16 in the first half.

Playing with two fouls, Inniss reentered to start the second quarter and ignited the Titans. A quick steal led to an And-1 and before long Northview found itself leading 22-14 with 5:37 left to play, a 9-1 run.

Coach Hughes’ Wolverines settled down and cut the lead to 27-22, George and Montgomery working an inside-out game. On the other side, Austin continued to pound away inside. She went 5-of-6 from the line and finished the night with 16 points, 14 rebounds and four steals.

Down 10 with seconds remaining, Montgomery banked in a three at the buzzer to keep the Wolverines in striking distance heading into the half down 34-27.

Northview came out of the locker room with something to prove in the second half. Clamping on a diamond press, the Titans ripped off a 13-0 run to put the Wolverines on the ropes, now down 20 at 47-27 less than three minutes into the third.

Just a few more baskets away from Goliath landing the knockout punch to David, the underdogs found their stone in the form of 5-foot-11 sophomore Sophia Singer. After scoring just four points in the first half, the potential laced wing poured in 10 of Woodstock’s 11 points in the frame including back-to-back threes to put the Wolverines’ upset bid back on life support, heading into the fourth quarter down 54-38.

The Singer onslaught continued in the final frame as Woodstock sparked a 7-0 run to bring the score to 54-45. The closest the Wolverines would draw would be at the 4:06 mark after Singer put in two of her game-high 21 points off an offensive rebound to make the score 55-48.

From that point on, the Titans finally got a hold of Singer and contained her to one point the rest of the way and was able to nurse a healthy 8-to-10-point lead to the finish line. Northview scored all their fourth quarter points from the charity stripe, going 7-of-10.

My Take

It wasn’t the prettiest way to start the season – a foul fest – but No. 1 Northview was able to hang on. There looked like upwards of four future D-I players on the court. Ashlee Austin is still the most consistent player for Northview and she will be asked to become even more of a cornerstone now that Shannon Titus is at Mercer. The 2019 6-foot-2 forward crashed the glass hard as always and looked even better on the perimeter than last year, comfortable going between her legs and off the dribble to create for shooters in the corner. In due time, I’d like to see her finish those drives through defenders instead of kicking out, but she did a good job of not forcing any bad shots. As good as Austin was, Asjah Inniss was the energizer bunny and the straw that stirred the drink for Northview. The quick and wiry sophomore looked like the game slowed down for her after she tended to play a little too fast as a freshman. Inniss has great hands on the perimeter and can get to a ton of 50/50 balls. Her 13 points and nine steals were a major difference maker. The Titans didn’t function nearly as well on both sides of the ball while she was in foul trouble. Freshman Eden Sample has a pretty stroke and good body control when she finds herself on the low block. She’s able to finish through contact. She stepped up big time with Inniss on the bench and will be counted on to stretch defenses. She has a bright next four years. An unsung hero was undersized senior post Camil Butler. She saw sporadic minutes last season but had to play a big role right away with Maya Richards on the bench. She finished with five points (5-of-6 FT), three rebounds, one assist, two steals and two blocks. She was automatic from the foul line and very composed when she found the ball in her hands. Great lift off the bench.

Woodstock is young and a little banged up, especially at the guard position. That did not stop Jared Hughes’ team from competing the entire 32 minutes. Down 20 points to the No. 1 team in the state, the Wolverines could have easily laid over and took a 30-point loss, but instead they battled and found a new go-to girl in Sophia Singer. After seeing Singer last season as a freshman, you could tell there was potential there. The daughter of Western Illinois football hall of fame quarterback Paul Singer, Sophia stands close to 6-foot tall with an agile frame and long wingspan. She long jumps 17.5 and runs the 200M, so the athleticism to go with her height is definitely apparent. She broke out last night and started to let it fly after a timid first half. When aggressive, Singer can score in the paint, mid-range and knock down the corner three. If she can stay aggressive on offense, she could be just what Coach Hughes needs to push the Wolverines back into the playoffs. She also mixed it up on defense, picking up a nice block on Austin inside and spent the fourth quarter defending Inniss up top, showcasing her ability to guard multiple positions. Aside from Singer’s big performance, freshman Kayden Montgomery played a nice floor game. Not blessed with the size or speed of her opposition, Montgomery was deceptively mobile and used her IQ to craft her way into making plays. She drained two threes and dished out five assists in her first varsity start. She will be thrown into the fire as a youngster and should come out better for it once her career is said and done.

Top Performers

Northview
Ashlee Austin – 16 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, 1 block
Eden Sample – 16 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Asjah Inniss – 13 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 9 steals
Maya Richards – 7 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block

Woodstock
Sophia Singer – 21 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block
Kayden Montgomery – 10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals
Bree Burnett – 6 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal