Whitefield Academy advanced to the state semifinals for the seventh time in nine years as they dispatched Commerce 86-38 in the boys playoffs on Saturday at Marietta Garden.
The Wolfpack jumped out to a commanding 31-9 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back, dominating an out-classed group of Tigers. Whitefield saw their lead grow to 24 at halftime as the scoreboard read 55-31.
“It’s all about execution,” Whitefield Academy coach Tyrone Johnson said. “We executed well and played very good defense.”
With the win, Whitefield (27-3) kept its hopes alive for a repeat of last year’s state championship. The Wolfpack advanced to the semifinals against Terrell County which will occur on Wednesday night at the Macon Coliseum (results were not available at press time).
Kennard Backman led the Pack with 25 points and was assisted by Kenneth Gaines’ 18 and Tekele Cotton’s 14.
Central Gwinnett eliminated yet another Cobb County team in the playoffs as the Black Knights beat McEachern 67-60 at West Georgia in the state quarterfinals on Saturday. Central’s defeat of Wheeler previously in the Class 5A boys tourney was considered an amazing upset and the Knights continued their roll against the Indians.
McEachern rallied from seven down to draw to within one at 58-57 with just 1:39 remaining. However, Kyron Anderson of Central converted a three-point play to extend the lead back to four with 56.1 seconds left. The Knights then made six of seven from the free throw line in the final 40 seconds to ice the game.
Head coach Mike Thompson was proud of his Indians’ effort in the crushing loss.
“Our guys played hard,” Thompson said. “We managed to cut it one, but they got the best of us. It was a good ride and I’m proud of the kids.”
Trae Golden led McEachern with 24 points while Tray Fletcher contributed 13 off the bench and Rory Anderson pulled down a team-leading eight boards.
Hillgrove dropped a heart-breaker in the boys Class 4A quarterfinals at West Georgia on Friday. The Hawks lost a 15-point lead in the second half as Mays roared to a 47-45 win.
After taking a 36-21 lead at the 3:37 mark of the third quarter, Hillgrove was out-scored 17-4 in the fourth quarter and saw their lead disappear for good when Alloys Cabell tied it at 43 with 3:20 remaining. Cabell then scored the game-winner at the buzzer to give Mays the improbable victory and a ticket to Thursday’s semifinal against Bainbridge.
“We knew (Cabell) was going to take the shot, and we tried to stop him,” Hawks coach Ed Morris said. “He just made it. It was a big shot, and you have to give him and Mays credit. They kept coming at us.”
Armand Jackson led Hillgrove with 12 points and 12 rebounds while Mike Lawrence led the Hawks in assists with six and also pulled down five boards.
LADY SPARTANS FALL SHORT OF SEMIS …
The Campbell girls basketball squad saw their season come to an end in the state quarterfinals on Saturday at the University of West Georgia. Norcross defeated the Lady Spartans 65-54 in a game that Campbell actually led at the end of the third quarter.
Randy McClure’s team rallied back from nine down at the half to take a 35-34 lead going into the fourth quarter. However, the Lady Blue Devils embarked on a decisive 7-0 run to take a 47-40 lead with 6:04 left and would not look back.
The Lady Spartans (24-7) were led by Chakecia Miller who poured in 20 points while Erica Norwood added 10. Monica McClure grabbed eight rebounds for Campbell in the loss.
Coach McClure looked at the positives after the game.
“We’re very disappointed that we weren’t able to advance,” McClure said. “We’ve been to the quarterfinals eight times now, and some schools don’t even get to the state playoffs. I’m proud of the kids for all of their hard work. We’re going to go back to the drawing board and try again next year.”
IN THE SWING OF THINGS …
Walton dropped a Dugout Club game to Sequoyah 8-4 on Saturday at Raider Mountain. The loss was the Raiders’ first of the season, as Shane Amos’s club drops to 2-1. … Wheeler also lost their first game of the season 6-2 to Creekview at Dave McDonald Field. The Wildcats are now 3-1. … Lassiter improved to 3-1 with an 11-2 romp at Sprayberry on Monday night. The Yellow Jackets drop to 2-3 with the defeat.
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