WEDNESDAY HOOPS ROUNDUP: Buford goes down while Warriors overcome deficit

The second round is done, and 40 teams are left standing in the GHSA state basketball playoffs. The Buford boys were among those sent home tonight, while No. 2 North Cobb survived a valiant effort by Stephenson.

In a wild Class AAAAA second-round playoff game, the Warriors overcame a nine-point Stephenson lead in the fourth quarter to capture a 60-57 victory. Guard Lee Moore was clutch when it counted most, scoring 15 of his game-high 25 points in the final period when he was also 8-for-8 from the free throw line.

Guard Saxon Steele added 13 points for North Cobb. Derek Harper led the Jaguars with 20 points before fouling out. The Warriors will face Savannah in the quarterfinals on Saturday at Fort Valley State University.

Class AAAAA

Alpharetta 80, Peachtree Ridge 69: Ty Toney hit 17-of-21 free throws while pouring in 36 points for visiting Alpharetta. Carlos Burse scored 25 points and went 3-for-5 from behind the 3-point line. The win put the Raiders in the state quarterfinals for the first time.

Harrison 63, Valdosta 51: The visiting Hoyas relied on double-digit efforts from three players to defeat Valdosta. Guard Ryan Blumenthal poured in 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Jeremy Presley had 11 points and Marshall Guilmette added 10 for Harrison.

M.L. King 77, South Cobb 61: Senior forward De’Aires Tate had a game-high 19 points and 13 assists for M.L. King. A pair of sophomores, Paul Jackson and Greg King, both scored 13 points, and King grabbed 11 rebounds.

Savannah 66, Westlake 64: The Lions led 37-22 at the half, but Savannah clawed back and grabbed its first lead of the game with 6:40 remaining. As time expired, Naquan Chisolm scored after an offensive rebound to clinch a Blue Jackets victory.

Class AAAA

Alcovy 74, Bainbridge 65: The Tigers broke a halftime tie and outscored Bainbridge 27-15 in the third quarter. Guard Devon Edwards led Alcovy with 21 points and center Michael Turner added 20. Bainbridge’s Paul Chute led all scorers with 23 points.

Southwest DeKalb 72, Cedar Shoals 69: The visiting Panthers used a 20-11 third quarter to take a 50-43 lead into the final period. Jaguars point guard Kevon Scott led all scorers with 31, while Southwest DeKalb’s Jordan Price had 23.

Chattahoochee 91, Douglas County 65: The host Cougars outscored Douglas County 31-14 in the third period to blow open what had been a close game. Jaron Blossomgame has 25 points, while Chris Taylor poured in 21 for Chattahoochee.

Lovejoy 64, Liberty County 34: Lovejoy center Justin Tuoyo had 10 points, eight rebounds and nine blocks as the Wildcats won at home. DeAngelo Anthony had 13 points, while Michael Harden and Jermaine Hough both contributed 10 points.

Marist 65, Rockdale County 50: The War Eagles got 23 points from Quinton Stephens and 22 points from Brooks Doyle to pick up the road win at Rockdale County.

North Clayton 63, Ware County 47: North Clayton swingman Marcus Hunt led all scorers with 21 points, and Devin Lewis scored 16. The host Eagles went 17-for-21 from the free-throw line to help seal the win.

Class AAA

Carrollton 54, North Hall 45: Carrollton’s Josh Barge led his team with 16 points, while Torey Johnson scored 11 and Telvin Brown had 10 for the Trojans. Ethan Smith scored a game-high 18 points for visiting North Hall.

Eagle’s Landing 67, Central-Macon 65, OT: Marquis Griffin hit a free throw with 15 seconds left in overtime to secure the victory for visiting Eagle’s Landing. Just before the foul shot, Griffin made a pair of 3-pointers to erase a six-point deficit.

Henry County 75, Howard 63: The visiting Warhawks soared to a 15-point second-quarter lead, but had to fight to hold it. Brandon Glover had 15 for Howard, which cut the lead to five twice, while Henry County was led by Dre Soulder’s 17.

Class AAA GIRLS

Allatoona 54, Columbus 40: The Lady Buccaneers earned their first-ever trip to the state quarterfinals behind 21 points from leading-scorer Alexis Ezell. Elise Spann scored 14 points, and Alyssa Dobson had nine points for Allatoona.

Class AA

Albany 68, Bleckley County 41: Tim Pierce led Albany with 29 points while Larry Sanford had 16. The Indians outscored the Royals 16-7 in the third quarter to push their lead to 17. DeMario Beck led Bleckley County with 11.

Dawson County 42, Buford 35: Dawson County pulled off the upset of Buford at home thanks to 15 points from Tyler Dominy and 14 points from Gunnar Armstrong. The Tigers held Buford stars A.J. Davis and T.J. Shipes to 12 points apiece.

Greater Atlanta Christian 72, Jefferson 42: The host Spartans coasted to victory behind forward Cole Hobbs’ 19 points. Point guard Collin Swinton had 18 points and shooting guard Delano Spencer had 17. Austin Thompson led Jefferson with 12 points. GAC led 40-19 at halftime.

Class A

Aquinas 60, Mt. Pisgah 56: The visiting Fighting Irish sank six straight free throws down the stretch to ice the game. Ahmed Hill led Aquinas with 24 points, while Michael Scott had 15 points and five steals.

Whitefield Academy 72, St. Francis 30: Shooting guard Kenny Gaines outscored the entire St. Francis team with 37 points for the host WolfPack. Gaines was 10-for-10 from the free throw line. Forward Eric Lockett added 10 for Whitefield Academy.

Wilkinson County 61, Landmark Christian 40: Rico Simmons scored a game-high 27 points for Wilkinson County, and Denzell Council contributed 10. Houston Kessler and Justin Ross each scored 10 for visiting Landmark Christian.