The McEachern boys led Peachtree Ridge 13-9 at the end of the first quarter of a 70-50 victory on Wednesday as the visiting Lions did their best to remain within striking distance of the top-ranked Indians. The lead eventually grew to 28-18 at the half, and the Indians used a strong second half effort to distance themselves and close out the victory while improving to 30-0 on the year. Junior Sharife Cooper finished with 22 points, while seniors Quinton McElroy and Isaac Okoro each netted 15.
Class AAAAAAA
Boys
Norcross 71, Roswell 59: Norcross trailed visiting Roswell 25-19 at the end of the first quarter, but used a 17-point advantage (52-35) in the next three quarters to close out the 11-point victory. Kyle Sturdivant netted nine of his 23 points in the fourth quarter.
Girls
North Forsyth 35, Roswell 28: North Forsyth trailed Roswell 15-13 at the half, but outscored the Hornets 9-4 in the third quarter and closed out the low scoring affair to earn the program’s second consecutive trip to the final four.
Collins Hill 54, Campbell 49: Collins Hill got off to a fast start, grabbing a 16-9 lead after the first quarter, but Campbell was able to battle back. The Spartans went up 25-18 late in the second quarter before a 7-0 Collins Hill run closed the half tied 25-25. The Spartans ended the third quarter leading 36-33 before Collins Hill stormed back with a 21-13 advantage in the fourth.
Westlake 77, Norcross 57: Westlake jumped to a 22-12 lead after the opening quarter and went up 46-29 at the half before clinching a spot in the final four and improving to 28-0.
Cherokee 74, Rockdale County 38: Cherokee took a 48-28 lead at the half and outscored the Bulldogs 17-2 in the third quarter.
Class AAAAAA
Girls
Lovejoy 65, Northview 53
Lovejoy, the defending state champions, advanced past Northview to face Valdosta in the semifinals. Lovejoy led 13-12 after the first quarter. At the break, the Wildcats enjoyed a 34-25 lead over the Titans. At the end of three quarters, Lovejoy extended its lead to 51-38.
Lanier 42, Glynn Academy 31: Lanier took an 11-8 lead after the first quarter and pushed the lead to 19-14 at the break. The Longhorns extended the lead with a 10-6 run through the third quarter and put the game away with a 13-11 effort in the final frame.
Forest Park 54, Creekview 48: Forest Park led 10-9 after the first quarter before Creekview responded to take a 21-18 lead at the break. The Panthers regained the lead by the end of the third quarter 37-36 and with 4:47 left in the game, Forest Park was nursing a 43-38 lead.
Valdosta 54, Harrison 49
Valdosta advanced past Harrison and will face Lovejoy in the semifinals.
Boys
Heritage-Conyers 72, Alexander 69
Heritage weathered a late run by Alexander to advance to the semifinals. The Patriots led 16-12 after the first quarter and 27-23 at the break. Heritage pushed the lead with an 18-12 run in the third quarter before holding on as Alexander score 34 points in the final frame before time ran out. Heritage matched 27 points in the fourth quarter to protect its lead.
Brunswick 60, Douglas County 59: Brunswick relied on a game-winning free throw from Sheydan Baggs with 7.4 seconds left to move past Douglas County. Baggs finished with 18 points and six steals. Joyful Hawkins added nine points and 10 rebounds. Torrey Dickens finished with nine points.
Tri-Cities 77, Mundy’s Mill 72: Tri-Cities will face Brunswick in the semifinals after defeating Mundy’s Mill.
Tucker 65, Gainesville 58: Tucker’s Jermontae Hill had 23 points in the second half including two free throws with 19 seconds remaining to put the game out of reach. Gainesville led 33-31 at the break and 50-46 entering the fourth quarter.
Class AAAAA
Girls
Buford 59, Veterans 44: Despite trailing 14-8 after one quarter of play, Buford was able to adjust and control the final three quarters to seal the win. The Wolves held Veterans to just four points in the second quarter while adding 20 to lead 28-18 at the break. Buford continued applying pressure with an 11-9 effort in the third quarter and a 20-17 performance in the final frame to take the win.
Southwest DeKalb 61, Griffin 45: Southwest DeKalb relied on a strong performance from Raven Thurman to pull away from Griffin in the second half. Thurman led with 14 points and six rebounds in the second half to lead the Panthers into the semifinals.
Villa Rica 67, Eagles Landing 47: Villa Rica enjoyed a 17-9 lead after the first quarte and stretched the lead to 40-17 at the break as it gained complete control of the game. The Wildcats extended the lead with a 14-11 run in the third quarter and held through a 19-13 run by Eagles Landing in the final frame.
Columbia 49, Wayne County 45: Columbia will face Villa Rica in the semifinals after ending the game on a 12-0 run to win. The Eagles led 16-12 at the end of the first quarter. Wayne County took a 26-25 lead at the break and with 5:47 left, Columbia was down 45-37.
Boys
Lithonia 53, Warner Robins 50: Lithonia knocked off the defending state champions to advance. The Bulldogs led 16-6 after the first quarter but the Demons responded with a 18-9 run to trail 25-24 at the break. Lithonia stretched the lead to four points at the end of three quarters and held on through a 16-15 Warner Robins run in the final frame.
Fayette County 77, Kell 73: The Tigers controlled the first three quarters before weathering a fourth-quarter run by Kell to advance to the semifinals. Fayette County led 18-13 at the end of the first quarter and 35-28 at the break. Kell found a rhythm in the third quarter, scoring 20 points but the Tigers added 21 to push the lead to 56-48 entering the fourth quarter. Kell cut into the lead with a 25-21 run but time ran out.
Class AAAA
Girls
Spalding 36, Marist 30: Defending state champion Spalding led 9-8 after the first quarter and took a 23-18 lead at the half. Marist tied it 26-26 late in the third quarter, but Spalding outscored the War Eagles 9-4 in the fourth.
Luella 63, Sandy Creek 53: Luella outscored Sandy Creek 16-6 in the second quarter to take its 24-14 lead into the half. The Lions led 43-33 at the end of the third before successfully punching the program’s first-ever ticket to the Final Four.
Carver-Columbus 71, Heritage-Catoosa 43: Top-ranked Carver-Columbus cruised to 30-0 and got a game-high 21 points from Olivia Cochran. Heritage-Catoosa’s Sarah Bandy finished with 16 points and Ansley Bice finished with 11 to pace the Generals.
Boys
Americus-Sumter 63, St. Pius 46: Americus-Sumter opened the game with a 10-0 lead and stunned the home crowd with a dominant road victory. The Panthers lead grew all the way to 31-13 with 9:38 left in the third quarter. Americus-Sumter’s 6-foot-8 forward Joshua Lusane finished with a game-high 21 points.
Woodward Academy 58, Denmark 50: Michael Whitmore led Woodward Academy with 21 points. Walker Kessler finished with a triple double after posting 14 points, 16 rebounds and 10 blocks and teammate Jacorrei Turner registered 10 points, eight rebounds and a pair of assists.
Carver-Columbus 72, Cartersville 47: Carver-Columbus led 35-22 at the half and expanded the lead to 55-30 entering the final frame. The Tigers were led by a 27-point night by AJ Watts. Jalen King chipped in with 13 points, Devin Flowers dropped 11 and freshman DJ Riles finished with nine.
Sandy Creek 69, Thomson 43: Top-seed Sandy Creek jumped to a 34-23 halftime lead and saw four separate players notch double-digit scoring by the time their quarterfinals victory was clinched. Julian Alexander led with 18 and TJ Bickerstaff added a 17-point, 10 rebound performance. Jabari Smith notched 13 points and nine rebounds and Keith Williams III finished with 10 points to go with his four assists.
Class AAA
Girls
Hart County 59, Tattnall County 51: The Bulldogs led 13-10 after the first quarter but Tattnall responded with a 15-12 effort in the second quarter to tie the game at 25 at the break. Tattnall controlled the lead with a 16-14 run in the third quarter before Hart County took control and put the game away with a 20-10 effort in the final frame.
Sonoraville 75, Rutland 51: In the first Elite Eight game in program history, the Phoenix enjoyed a 24-14 lead after the first quarter and continued applying pressure throughout the game. Sonoraville pushed the lead to 35-23 at the break. Each team added 21 points in the third quarter but Sonoraville’s 19-7 effort in the final frame put the game away. Alexa Geary led Sonoraville with 18 points. Maliyah Parks scored 16 points. Abby Chambers had 12 points and Grace Darnell scored 11 points.
Beach 64, Dawson County 51: Beach trailed 17-13 after the first quarter and 24-20 at the break before taking control in the second half. The Bulldogs rallied and control the third quarter 17-13 and expanded the lead with a 27-13 effort in the final frame.
Johnson-Savannah 48, Jefferson 32: Johnson, the defending state champions, will face Sonoraville in the semifinals after moving past Jefferson. The Atomsmashers led 16-9 after the first quarter and 25-13 at the break.
Boys
Morgan County 62, Tattnall County 32: Tyrin Lawrence led Morgan County with 31 points as the Bulldogs advanced to face Windsor Forest in the semifinals. The Bulldogs led 26-21 at the break and 45-41 entering the fourth quarter.
Windsor Forest 55, Cedar Grove 54: Windsor Forest trailed 31-23 at the half but rallied to edge the Saints and advance to the semifinals. The Knights held off a final Cedar Grove shot as the Saints had the ball with eight seconds left and could not find the basket.
Dawson County 60, Franklin County 58: Despite trailing by 12 points, 22-10, following one quarter of play, Dawson County rallied to erase the deficit. The Tigers mounted a 16-10 run in the second quarter and an 18-9 effort in the third quarter to lead 45-41 entering the final frame where it weathered a 17-16 effort by Franklin County.
Hart County 67, Johnson-Savannah 63: In a back-and-forth game that saw the teams tied at 26 at the half, Hart County pulled away in the second half. The Bulldogs took a three-point lead with a 23-20 effort in the third quarter before expanding the lead with an 18-17 run in the final frame.
Class AA
Girls
Early County 73, Rabun County 60: The Bobcats found themselves down by 2 points heading into the third quarter against Rabun County, but held the Wildcats to just five points in the third quarter to spark a second-half comeback. The Early County offense’s 19 fourth-quarter points outscored the entire Rabun County offense in the second half. Rabun County will now advance into the semifinals where the Bobcats will be matched up against Model following a close win over Josey.
Model 51, Josey 47: Despite an 18-point performance from Josey’s Tykedra Rolland, the Eagles failed to outscored Model through four quarters and end their season with 22 wins and 8 losses. Model now advances to the semifinals where the Blue Devils will go up against an Early County team that is averaging 69 points-per-game this postseason.
Laney 62, Rockmart 41: Senior Wildcat Jaiden Hamilton’s 23-point performance helped fuel the Laney offense towards their commanding elite-eight victory over Rockmart. Junior Whitney Anderson scored 14 while freshman Santanna Dennis put up 13. Defensively the Wildcats showed up big, holding the Rockmart offense to just 11 of 53 from the field. Laney now advances into the semifinals where they await the winner of the Fitzgerald vs. Douglass game.
Boys
Elbert County 63, Woodville-Tompkins 52: Elbert County held onto a 27-25 lead at the half to defeat Woodville and earn their spot in the class AA semifinals. The Blue Devils elite-eight-victory where they scored 63 points marks the team’s highest points in a game this offseason. Elbert County now awaits the winner of the Northeast Macon vs. Therrell game. Both teams have held their opposing teams to 52 points or less in each matchup.
Vidalia 46, South Atlanta 43: Up by three and headed into the fourth quarter, the Vidalia Indians matched the South Atlanta Hornets 12 points to maintain the lead and claim a close elite eight win. Since their first-round game against Southwest-Macon, Vidalia has failed to surpass 50 points in a game. The Indians now await the winner of the Laney vs. Callaway game which will be played out this Wednesday.
Class A-Public
Girls
Clinch County 69, Greenville 60: Defending state champs Greenville lost its chance at a title repeat following their elite-eight loss to Clinch County. Both offenses scored within a one-point difference in the first, third and fourth quarters, but a second-quarter spark from Clinch County gave the Panthers a nine-point lead after the first half. Clinch County now advances into the semifinals where they await the winner of the Wheeler County vs. Marion County game.
Telfair County 64, Central-Talbotton 45: The Telfair County offense was up by just four points heading into the third quarter but held the Central-Talbotton Hawks to single digits in the third and fourth quarter as they began to pull away and seal the deal on a semifinals appearance. The Trojans will be matched up against third-ranked Calhoun County in the semifinals, who are coming off of a 45-31 victory over Bowdon in the elite eight.
Irwin County 80, Wilcox County 74: Irwin County only trailed for 54 seconds of the entire game and trailed by 12 points with 47.8 seconds left in the third quarter before rallying its way to a spot in the semis. Javon Stanley provided the game-tying free throw with 1:19 left in the game that made it 74-74 and finished with a game-high 37 points. Additionally, Garland Benyard added 19 points and Jamorri Colson scored 16 to pace Irwin County. Desmond Tisdol’s 26 points and Demetric Young’s 25 paced Wilcox.
Boys
Calhoun County 70, Pelham 53: Calhoun County handed Pelham a loss for the third time this season, earning the Cougars a spot in the A-Public semifinals. Calhoun County has yet to score under 70 points this postseason and will look to continue their on-court dominance against the winner of the Wilkinson County vs. Marion County game.
Class A-Private
Girls
Holy Innocents’ 69, Mt. Paran 35: The Holy Innocents’ Golden Bears went up by 20 points over Mt. Paran at the half and continued to produce on the court to defeated Mt. Paran en route to the class A-Private semifinals. There, the Golden Bears will be matched up against Calvary Day following a close three-point win over Stratford Academy.
Calvary Day 46, Stratford Academy 43: Stratford Academy held a 26-19 lead over Calvary Day at the half, but a late game spark from the Cavaliers made it a one-point game with :32 left in the game in favor of Calvary Day. Down by three with :23 remaining, the Eagles got a chance to send the game into overtime, but the Cavaliers refused to let Stratford get off a shot and claimed the win. Calvary Day now advances into the semifinals where they will be matched up against Holy Innocents’.
Wesleyan 76, Lakeview Academy 51: Wesleyan soundly defeated Lakeview Academy to propel the Wolves into the elite eight. Leading the offense was junior Avyonce Carter who scored 21 points and snagged 8 rebounds. Junior Izzy Larsen put up 16 points while sophomore Alyssa Phillip scored 8. Wesleyan now inches one step closer to defending their state title as the Wolves prepare for a semifinals matchup against the winner of the ELCA vs. St. Francis game.
Boys
ELCA 59, Riverside Military 53: At the end of the first half, the ELCA offense had amounted a 9-point lead over Riverside Military and would hold onto the lead for the remainder of the game to send the Chargers into the semifinals. There, ELCA will be matched up against Christian Heritage whose 70-45 victory over North Cobb Christian earned the Lions their first final four appearance in school history. ELCA and Christian Heritage met twice before the postseason, spitting the series between the two.
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