The opening day of the expanded two-day and second-annual Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic featured a four-game schedule matching some of the best boys and girls prep teams in the state while welcoming Alabama’s Pinson Valley at Norcross Friday.
In the nightcap boys game, Class 6A No. 6 and host Norcross upended Alabama’s Pinson Valley 60-56 to pick up the team’s seventh victory of the season and a go-ahead basket from 6-foot-3 sophomore guard Nasir Anderson proved a deciding factor for the home team.
“I am glad there are no cameras in the locker room at halftime,” said Norcross head coach Jesse McMillan about his team’s 10-point 31-21 deficit at halftime after leading 13-8 at the end of the first quarter.
“We had to challenge them and talk to them about how to fight and win and try to find a way,” McMillan said.
Norcross narrowed the margin to four points before a made 3-pointer from Pinson Valley midway through the third quarter left the Blue Devils trailing by seven points. Pinson Valley tied the game at 56-56 with 35 seconds left, setting up Anderson’s go-ahead drive.
“They came out and had a great third quarter and I am just proud of them,” he said. “We were just essentially trying to win our 1-on-1 battles on the perimeter.”
Four players scored in double-figures for Norcross and senior Thomas McBride led with 14 points. Senior wing Myles Clanton added 13 points while AJ Gillespie tallied 12 points and Anderson – who was named the game MVP, but hit key late-game shots — finished with 10 points.
In a Top-5 girls matchup from the state’s highest class, No. 5-ranked North Paulding moved past No. 2-ranked Norcross 50-46 to move to 11-0 on the season while handing Norcross its third loss of the year, sending the Blue Devils to 7-3.
North Paulding trailed 25-21 at the half and relied on an 18-point performance – and a game-sealing 3-pointer from the corner with 19 seconds remaining — from senior shooting forward Ava Andrews in the comeback effort.
The Wolfpack tied the game at 35-35 entering the fourth quarter after a 3-pointer at the end of the quarter evened the tally. Norcross tied the game on a lay-up with 45 seconds left in the game, setting up Andrews’ heroics.
Sophomore Kalee Hinkson finished with 10 points while sophomore shooting forward Morgan Landrum added nine points for the Wolfpack. Norcross was paced by seniors Mariyah Valrie, who scored 19 points, and Justus Fitzgerald, who scored 16 points.
In the first boys’ game of the day, Class 1A-3A Private Lovett defeated King’s Ridge 56-50 and were paced by a trio of players scoring in double-figures on the way to its eighth victory of the season.
“Well head coach (Demetrius) Smith does a great job with his team,” said Lovett head coach Mike Harner. “They are well coached.”
Sophomore Cameron Cannon, who entered the game averaging 14.3 points per game, scored 15 points with three steals and a block to lead the Lions. Senior shooting forward Ryan Cain added 13 points while senior point guard Landyn Murphy scored 11 points with eight assists and two steals. Senior shooting guard Casani Bartlett added seven points with four assists five rebounds and five steals, anchoring the Lions’ defense.
Wilson Academy’s boys upended Class 4A No. 4 Jackson-Atlanta 78-64 to hand the Jaguars their second loss of the season (9-2) and a 14-point effort each from senior Jeremiah Ruffin and Tamiel Green led the way. Junior AJ Etienne added 11 points, all in the fourth quarter, for Wilson. Jackson-Atlanta was led in scoring by senior Cameron Dover, a 6-foot-7, 180-pound shooting forward, who scored 27 points with seven 3-pointers and 16 points in the fourth quarter. Donaven Thomas, a 6-foot junior shooting guard, tallied 14 points for Jackson.
High school basketball scores from Friday below.
Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic
Class 1A-3A Private No. 8 Lovett 56, King’s Ridge 50 (B)
Wilson Academy 78, Class 4A No. 4 Jackson-Atlanta 64 (B)
Class 6A No. 5 North Paulding 50, Class 6A No. 2 Norcross 46 (G)
Class 6A No. 6 Norcross vs. Pinson Valley, Ala. (B) – 6:30 p.m.
Other basketball scores below
Boys
TBD
Girls
TBD
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