The McEachern girls, No. 2 in Class AAAAAA, got a game-high 23 points from senior Te’a Cooper (Tennessee-signee) and held on for a 64-59 victory over Region 4 rival Hillgrove.
McEachern (14-2) fell behind 11-4 in the first quarter before Cooper and junior Jada Lewis sparked a 27-4 scoring run that gave the visiting Indians a 31-15 lead midway through the second quarter. Lewis (seven) and Cooper (10) combined for 17 of McEachern’s 19 first quarter points and the momentum carried into the half where the Indians took a 39-30 lead.
In the third quarter, Hillgrove (9-7) outscored McEachern 14-9 and eventually cut the lead to 48-46 in the fourth quarter before the full court press frustrated Hillgrove and forced turnovers that Cooper turned into three consecutive layups to extend the lead back to 54-46 with 6:03 left. Hillgrove got balanced scoring from Tene Thompson (11), Victoria Jackson (11), Briana Boggen (11) and Ja’lyn Reese (10) but it was timely baskets from Chanel Wilson that helped McEachern hold the edge. Wilson scored five of McEachern’s nine points in the third quarter and added three more points in the fourth quarter to finish with eight. Cooper went 0-6 from the foul line in the fourth quarter but Lewis went 2-2 from the foul line and helped McEachern close the game.
Hillgrove drops to 4-4 in region play and the Indians improve to 7-1.
Carrollton 60, Woodward 46: Carrollton improved its record to 13-4 overall and 3-1 in region 5-AAAA.Emily Waters led the way with 18 points. Erial Daniel added 17 points and Alecia North scored 10. Woodward (6-10, 1-3) got scores from Tyler Collins with 13 points and Jade Allen who scored 9..
Holy Innocents’ 52, Greater Atlanta 28: Class AA No. 1 Holy Innocents’ put the game out of reach with a 21-8 run in the third quarter. They remain undefeated at 18-0 overall and 7-0 in Region 6B. Holy Innocents’ was led by Kaila Hubbard who scored 12 points. GAC (6-9, 3-3) was led by Robyn Benton who scored seven.
Mill Creek 38, Collins Hill 17: Mill Creek improved its record to 13-6 overall and 6-2 in Region 7-AAAAA. Meredith Schulte led the way with 11 points followed by Tatum Ragsdale with nine points and six rebounds. Jazmin Smith led Collins Hill (10-8, 3-5) with seven points and Victoria Oglesbee added five points. Mill Creek led 14-1 at halftime.
Miller Grove 63, Dunwoody 34: Miller Grove went to 10-6 overall and 7-2 in Region 6-AAAAAA as Sanai Blissett and Chrystal Ezechukwu each had 14 points. Imani Richardson added 13 points. Dunwoody (5-10, 2-6) was led by Anjanite Cutno, who scored 10 and Timi Pritchett had seven.
Mountain View 48, Duluth 41 (OT): 10th-ranked Mountain View improved its record to 15-3 overall and 8-0 in Region 7-AAAAAA. Mountain View was down 35-30 with 2:30 left in regulation before mounting a run that carried the game into overtime. Mountain View was led by Lillian Kennedy with 11 points and Iceis Walker with 10 points. Endia Banks led Duluth (12-7, 4-4) with 15 points and Deja Mitchell scored 9 points. .
Wheeler 48, Cherokee 46: Lena Yoonis led Wheeler to victory with 19 points and seven rebounds. Kierra Hall added 10 points, four rebounds and four assists to improve their record to 6-8 overall and 5-4 in Region 6-AAAAAA. Cherokee (12-7, 7-3) was led by Abby Weaver who scored 12 points while Laiken Wade had 11 points and Kaila Morgan finished with eight.
Norcross 51, North Gwinnett 38: Eighth-ranked Norcross improved its record to 15-3 overall and 7-1 in Region 7-AAAAAA. Vashnie Perry led the way with 17 points and Cylia Gillespie added 10 points. North Gwinnett (4-12, 2-6) was paced by Jessica Belcher with 12 points and Emily Toomer with 11 points.
Boys
Miller Grove 94, Dunwoody 29: Miller Grove, the top-ranked team at Class AAAAA, advanced to 17-3 overall and 9-0 in Region 6 after blowing by the visiting Wildcats. Alterique Gilbert nearly reached a triple-double for the Wolverines with 15 points, 10 assists, and eight steals. Lamont West scored 14 points and added nine rebounds and four blocks while Gamaun Boykin scored 11 points and collected five steals. BJ Millard led Dunwoody with nine points.
Montverde Academy (FL) 69, Pebblebrook 61: The No. 2 ranked team in Class AAAAAA, Pebblebrook Falcons (14-3, 8-0 in region 3), fell to Montverde who is now 20-1, at the Wally Keller Classic. Clemson-commit Ty Hudson led the Falcons with 19 points and seven rebounds. Jared Harper scored 17 points and pulled down eight rebounds while Georgia-commit Derek Ogbeide notched another double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Montverde received 33 points from LSU-commit Ben Simmons.
St. Pius 63, Grady 53: The No. 5 St. Pius Golden Lions (15-3, 10-2) snuck past Grady (7-11, 5-7) in a Class AAAA Region 6 matchup. Senior Hamilton Crane scored 19 points and junior Christian Merrill added 18 in the win for the visiting Golden Lions. Avi Toomer poured in a double-double for Grady with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
Collins Hill 49, Mill Creek 47: Collins Hill, the No. 7 ranked team in Class AAAAAA, fell to Mill Creek (13-6, 5-3 in Region 7). The visiting Eagles (15-3, 6-2) were paced by Kai Lambert who scored 12 points. Jalen Mitchell scored nine of his 11 points in the first half and Devin Watson was held to seven points. Mill Creek was led in scoring by Charles Botchway who scored 14. Davion Clark and Scotty Chadwick recorded 12 and seven points, respectively. The Eagles were held to just six points in the fourth quarter.
Pope 47, Milton 36: The Greyhounds (15-3, 9-2) were able to control tempo and come away with a big Class AAAAAA Region 5 road win over Milton (9-8, 7-3). Cole Childers scored 17 points to lead all scorers and GCSU-commit Chase Hutchins added 15 for Pope. Milton was led by Jordan Burrow who scored nine points. Power forward Chris Lewis was held in check and only scored eight for the Eagles.
McEachern 53, Hillgrove 49: McEachern (13-5, 6-2) spoiled No. 9 Hillgrove’s hopes for sweeping the season series with a tight Class AAAAAA Region 4 victory on the road. Brandon Caruthers led the way for the Indians scoring 15 points while Darius Jones added 13. Steve Hendrix gave McEachern a huge lift scoring 11 points off the bench. Hillgrove (13-4, 6-2) received 22 points from Collin Sexton. The two schools now sit atop the region in a tie for first.
St. Francis 68, Whitefield Academy 61: Class A’s No. 1 ranked team, St. Francis (16-3, 6-0) picked up a Region 6 win on the road against upset-minded No. 6 ranked Whitefield Academy (11-7, 5-2). Malik Beasley scored 27 points and dished six assists to lead the Knights. Kobi Simmons added 19 points and six assists while Kaiser Gates scored 11 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Whitefield was led by Brendan Myles, who scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Norman Harris who poured in 21 points.
McEachern 53, Hillgrove 49: Host Hillgrove led 17-9 at the end of the first quarter but McEachern shifted the momentum before the half after outscoring the Hawks 11-5 in the second quarter and would eventually tie it 37-37 entering the fourth quarter. Darius Jones played the role of closer for McEachern in the final frame, netting nine of his team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter. Hillgrove’s Collin Sexton scored 20 points in the first three quarters but was held to just two points in the fourth quarter to finish with his game-high 22 points. McEachern (13-5) and Hillgrove (13-4) each move to 6-2 in Region 4-AAAAAA.
Walton 60, Woodstock 42: In Class AAAAAA Region 5, Walton (7-9, 4-4) was able to defend its home court against the visiting Wolverines (4-13, 2-9). Nick Wells led Walton with 23 points and Josh McGrath added 21 as the big men were too much inside for Woodstock. The Wolverines were led in scoring by Tyreke Johnson who scored nine and Henry Ruff who added seven.
Harrison 77, North Paulding 61: Harrison (8-9, 4-4) upended visiting North Paulding (9-9, 0-8) in Class AAAAAA Region 4 play. Austin York finished with 20 points and Brandon Powell netted 16 in the Hoya victory. Harrison also received contributions from Ethan Weathers who added 12 points and Ryan Boler who chipped in 10. The Wolfpack were led by Dylan Autenrieth’s game-high 27 points and Quincy Jackson’s 10.
Roswell 58, Etowah 51: Roswell (8-11, 4-6) picked up a crucial road win against Etowah (11-6, 4-5) in Class AAAAAA Region 5 play. The loss continues to muddle things up in the fight for the fourth seed heading into the region tournament. Sam Jessen led the way for the Hornets with 13 points. Eric Jones and Tariq Abdulgader both added nine points in the win. Josh Fullenwider scored 18 to lead Etowah while JT Thompson added 12.
Allatoona 67, South Paulding 40: Class AAAAA’s No. 4 ranked Allatoona (16-2, 11-0) continued to roll at home in Region 5 play after knocking off South Paulding (13-5, 7-4). Ten players scored for the Buccaneers. Bradley Brevet scored 14, Rodney Brown pitched in 11, and Chris Ifill added eight to lead Allatoona. Kane Williams scored 10 points in the loss for the Spartans.
Johnson-Gainesville 73, White County 60: The No. 2 ranked visiting Johnson Knights moved to 17-0 and 3-0 in Region 8-AAAA after Ty Cockfield scored 34 points to lead all scorers. Roderick English scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds while Andrew Sims chipped in six points and hauled in 13 boards. White County (10-7, 1-2) received 20 points from Whit Mauney and 18 from Bradley Hurst.
Holy Innocents’ 82, GAC 78: In a battle of two Class AA top five schools, No. 3 Holy Innocents’ (16-3) was able to defend its home court in overtime and advance to 6-2 in Region 6. The Golden Bears’ Sam Asbury drained a three with six seconds remaining to force overtime against the No. 4 Spartans (10-6, 5-2). Asbury finished with 20 points, leading five Holy Innocents’ players that scored in double figures. Brent Duncan scored 17, Cole Smith chipped in 14, freshman Travis Anderson added 12, and Ashton Meertins pitched in 10 off the bench. Garrett Covington led all scorers with 36 for GAC. Brian Coffey added 14 in the loss.
High School Basketball Scores
Boys
Berkmar 65, Central Gwinnett 32
Blessed Trinity 62, North Clayton 49
Buford 78, North Hall 51
Cedar Grove 88, Doulgass 58
Coosa 76, Gordon Lee 40
Crisp County 53, Thomas County Central 49
Dougherty 60, Cook 59 (OT)
Harlem 97, Jefferson County 57
Jenkins 55, Tattnall County 45
Kennesaw Mountain 95, Marietta 90
King’s Ridge 43, Fellowship Christian 34
LaGrange 60, Shaw 58
Lambert 89, Northview 53
Landmark Christian 100, Our Lady of Mercy 91
Langston Hughes 60, Newnan 41
Lanier County 66, Clinch County 63
Lithia Springs 53, Hiram 50
Lithonia 62, Redan 61
McIntosh 63, Dutchtown 44
Mill Creek 49, Collins Hill 47
Miller Grove 94, Dunwoody 29
Mt. Pisgah Christian 58, Pinecrest Academy 56
North Cobb Christian 75, Mt. Zion-Carroll 57
North Forsyth 58, West Forsyth 52
Northeast-Macon 72, Bleckley County 31
Richmond Hill 62, Camden County 51
Riverside Military 65, Social Circle 60
Roswell 58, Etowah 51
Pope 47, Milton 36
Sandy Creek 69, Whitewater 41
Shiloh 66, Archer 48
St. Francis 68, Whitefield Academy 63
St. Pius 63, Grady 53
Stephenson 72, Southwest-DeKalb 70
Temple 59, Chattahoochee
Tucker 59, Rockdale County 39
Vidalia 62, Benedictine 40
Villa Rica 44, Paulding County 35
Walker 48, Mt. Paran Christian 47
Walton 60, Woodstock 42
Wesleyan 58, Hapeville Charter 36
Wheeler 71, Cherokee 55
Worth County 76, Monroe 69
Girls
Alexander 49, East Paulding 39
Archer 63, Shiloh 40
Bleckley County 52, Northeast-Macon 36
Buford 55, North Hall 40
Calvary Day 53, Paideia 40
Camden County 34, Richmond Hill 30
Clinch County 75, Lanier County 50
Columbus 53, Northside-Columbus 32
Dougherty 48, Cook 47
Eagle’s Landing 50, Walnut Grove 28
Etowah 48, Roswell 47
Fitzgerald 57, Thomasville 55
Forsyth Central 44, Riverwood 38
Gordon Lee 73, Coosa 49
Grayson 66, Brookwood 52
Greenbrier 57, Evans 49
Jefferson 52, Oconee County 45
Jefferson County 41, Harlem 20
LaGrange 54, Shaw 27
Laney 57, Washington County 51
Langston Hughes 42, Newnan 24
Loganville 45, Salem 42
Madison County 56, Chestatee 50
Marietta 48, Kennesaw Mountain 35
Marist 55, Arabia Mountain 46
McEachern 63, Hillgrove 59
Mill Creek 38, Collins Hill 17
Morrow 54, Stockbridge 50
Mt. Paran Christian 45, Walker 29
Norcross 51, North Gwinnett 38
North Forsyth 49, West Forsyth 36
Northside-Warner Robins 58, Houston County 50
Our Lady of Mercy 52, Landmark Christian 38
River Ridge 58, Rome 50
Rutland 38, Central-Macon 33
Pelham 70, Kendrick 61
Pope 61, Milton 20
Sequoyah 59, Dalton 28
South Effingham 41, Ware County 34
South Forsyth 67, Centennial 48
St. Pius 36, Grady 34
Stratford Academy 49, Mt. de Sales 16
Taylor County 78, St. Anne-Pacelli 28
Temple 45, Chattahoochee County 41
Tucker 57, Rockdale County 41
Union County 55, Fannin County 39
Wesleyan 58, Hapeville Charter 34
Wheeler 48, Cherokee 42
Whitewater 47, Sandy Creek 27
Winder-Barrow 35, Lanier 25
Woodstock 58, Walton 26