Saturday basketball recap

Let’s take a look around the state to see what took place in the final weekend before the region tournaments kick off.

On the boys side, Norcross defeated Gray Collegiate, S.C. 77-73 behind a 25-point performance from B.J. Boston. Kyle Sturdivant added 21 points and Caleb Murphy finished with 14 points. In Class AAAAAAA, East Coweta defeated Grady 86-77 after a 25-16 run in the final frame. Grady held a 22-21 lead after the first quarter. The Indians took control with a 24-21 effort in the second quarter to lead 35-33 at the break. The Knights cut into the East Coweta lead with a 18-16 effort in the third quarter before East Coweta’s fourth quarter run. Westside-Macon, a Class AAA school, defeated Class AAAA’s Howard 69-64 after being down 21-12 entering the second quarter. Westside found a rhythm in the second quarter, outscoring the Huskies 22-14 to trail 35-34 entering the locker room. The Seminoles held Howard to six points in the third frame while scoring 15 to take a 49-41 lead into the fourth quarter. Howard managed 23 points in the fourth quarter, but Westside matched 20 to take the win. In a Class AAAAA Region 1 game, Warner Robins defeated crosstown rival Veterans 53-43 after outscoring the Warhawks in all four quarters. Warner Robins led 16-13 after the first quarter and 25-18 at the break. The Demons outscored Veterans 12-11 through the third frame and secured the victory with a 16-14 run in the fourth quarter. In a Class AAA Region 8 game, Morgan County defeated Hart County 66-55 after leading 36-29 at the half. Morgan extended its lead with a 14-12 run in the third quarter and a 16-14 effort in the final frame.

For the girls, Class A-Private Lakeview Academy defeated Class AAAAA Johnson-Gainesville 65-28. Eliza Snyder scored her 1,000th career point following a 12-point performance. Joelle Snyder finished with 11 points. Maddy Towns scored 10 points and Elise Roark added eight points. Savannah Kinsey finished with seven points and Sadie Thrailkill, Linda Geib and Lindy Kanaday each scored four points. Howard, a Class AAAA school, defeated crosstown rival Westside-Macon 28-26. Both teams scored five points in the first quarter and 11 points in the second quarter to enter the locker room tied at 16. The Huskies took control with a 9-3 run through the third quarter and weathered a 7-3 Seminole run in the final frame to secure the win. In an important Class AAA Region 8 game, Hart County defeated Morgan County 71-64. In the battle of the Bulldogs, Hart County took a 18-15 lead after the first quarter and extended it with a 16-15 effort before the half. Hart entered the final frame nursing a 45-41 lead before tallying 26 points in the final frame to earn the region victory.