Andrews stands tall for unbeaten Redan girls

By S. Thomas Coleman

For the AJC

Diminutive point guard Alisha Andrews - all of 4-feet-11 - is one of the reasons the Redan (11-0) girls team is ranked No. 1 in Class AAAAA and has picked up right where it left off after last season's undefeated championship run (27-0). Andrews, a senior, is averaging nearly 25 points per game, and ranks fourth on the team in rebounding, in spite of being one of the state's shortest players, according to head coach Jerry Jackson. "She does it all for us," Jackson said.

Girls basketball notes

--Americus-Sumter's Jayme Gilbert, a 5-5 junior guard, is the state's leading scorer at 32 points per game. But head coach Evelyn Wright says others will have to start stepping up if the Panthers hope to improve on their 4-7 record. "Jayme is a great player, but we don't want to be a one-armed bandit," Wright said.

--Dutchtown's Brittney Strickland, a 5-5 senior guard, is in the top five in the state in scoring at 29 points per game and is shooting nearly 75 percent from the field, including a blistering 65 percent on 3-pointers.

--The No. 7 Westlake Lions (7-2) have not lost in Georgia this season and are led by a quintet of talented seniors, including 6-2 center Danielle Spencer and 5-5 senior guard Sharnea Boykin, who had 16 and 15 points, respectively, in Tuesday's 64-26 victory against Newnan. ...

Boys basketball notes

--The player with perhaps the best name in the state may also have the best game. Fabolous Mills of Screven County is in the top five in scoring, averaging 27 points a game for the Gamecocks. Head coach Brent Anderson says the 5-11 senior guard can score in a variety of ways, including the free-throw line, where he already has more than 70 attempts.

--Westlake head coach Darron Rogers had his team compete in four out-of-state tournaments, and the Lions, who have advanced to the Final Four the last two seasons and are currently ranked No. 2 with a 12-1 record, have defeated teams from six states. They are led by eight seniors, including Chad Johnson, who has committed to Colgate, and Marcus Thornton, who has committed to Clemson.

--Tucker and Stephenson won titles in the DeKalb County Holiday Basketball Tournament last week. Tucker (7-2), the Class AAAA runner-up last season and currently ranked No. 2 in that class, won the American Division title by defeating No. 7 Lakeside-DeKalb 79-72, behind 24 points from Shonzikio Williams and 23 from Chris Kingsberry. Lakeside-DeKalb's Al Key led all scorers with 32 points.

Class AAAAA Stephenson (8-4) won the National Division final, 60-57, over Chamblee (9-2). Stephenson was paced by Frank Adams' 21 points; Langston Hall had 32 in a losing effort for the Bulldogs, ranked No. 6 in Class AAAA.