Class AAAAAAA
Grayson 73, Brookwood 51
Grayson took an 18-6 lead after the first quarter, but Brookwood closed out the half with a 19-10 edge in the second quarter to cut the deficit to 28-25 at the half. The Rams regained control in the third quarter with a 22-12 advantage and closed out the fourth quarter with a 23-14 edge. Travis Anderson led Grayson with 21 points. Nick Edwards added 15 points and seven rebounds, while Kenyon Jackson finished with 15 points to go with 17 rebounds and a pair of blocks. Gerald Buncum notched a double-double with 12 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks. The victory gives Grayson its first-ever semifinal appearance.
McEachern 75, Wheeler 60
The host Indians jumped to a 19-10 lead after the first quarter, went into the half with a 36-31 lead and outscored Wheeler 39-29 in the second half. McEachern sophomore Isaac Okoro exploded for a game-high 29 points, while improving the Indians’ record to a perfect 29-0 on the year.
Class AAAAA
Miller Grove 59, Riverwood 43
Miller Grove closed out the third quarter with a 34-27 lead before taking control with an 8-0 run to begin the fourth quarter. Tae Hardy scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half. Kevin Page had a double-double with 10 points and 18 rebounds.
Cedar Shoals 59, Lithonia 52
Cedar Shoals makes its third straight trip to the 5A semifinals after defeating the Lithonia Bulldogs. Lithonia jumped out to a 12-1 lead in the first quarter but by halftime Cedar Shoals completed the climb back to take a 25-24 lead, a lead they would protect the remainder of the game. Phlan Flemming netted 26 points and Stavion Stevenson finished with 14 points for the Jaguars.
Fayette County 65, Carver 52
Fayette County expanded a 26-21 halftime lead to a 43-30 advantage entering the fourth quarter. Noah Gurley scored 17 points while adding eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Austin Nesmith logged a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists. Philip Young scored 14 and grabbed seven rebounds. Jaylen Holloway added 11 points and four rebounds.
Class AAAA
Upson-Lee 70, Thomson 56
Upson Lee's Michael Smith led all scorers with 20 points, while teammate Travon Walker recorded a double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds and four blocks. Tavias Fagan scored 14 points grabbed seven boards to go with his four assists. Zyrice Scott chipped in 13 points.
Class AAA
Liberty County 89, Islands 72
The Liberty County Panthers defended home court against the Islands Sharks to head to the semifinals. Will Richardson scored 42 points, Davion Mitchell had 29, Jaalon Frazier scored 9.
South Atlanta 75, Washington County 69 O/T
The South Atlanta Hornets will advance to the final four with a gutsy win over the Washington County Golden Hawks. Washington County led 32-31 before South Atlanta had an explosive third quarter outscoring the Golden Hawks 26-14. South Atlanta only put up six points in the fourth quarter and the game went to overtime tied 63-63 before the Hornets closed out Washington County 12-6 in the extra time. Tyler Thornton led all scorers with 22 points, all of which came in the second half. Devonta Pullins scored 17 and Dondre Barnes finished with 15.
Class A-Private
St. Francis 63, Aquinas 48
St. Francis got off to a slow start that created a 14-8 deficit after the first quarter, but Aquinas managed just one field goal in the final five minutes of the second quarter and the Knights heated up to fuel a 23-10 run that resulted in a 23-21 halftime lead. St. Francis outscored Aquinas 17-12 in the third quarter and added a 23-15 scoring advantage in the final frame. Trent Bowdre (15), Tre Gomillion (13) and Jelani Shakir (11) led Aquinas, while Dwon Odom (20), Chase Ellis (14) and Wallace Tucker (14) paced St. Francis in scoring. Aquinas finishes its stellar season with a 26-2 record, while St. Francis returns to the A-Private semifinals for the fifth straight year.
Southwest Atlanta Christian 64, North Cobb Christian 53
North Cobb Christian took a 23-22 lead into the half and the Warriors did not claim their first lead until they went up 26-25 with 5:08 left in the third quarter. Demiere Brown netted a three-pointer with 1:21 left in the period to put the Eagles up 36-31, but Southwest Atlanta Christian responded with a gamechanging 26-9 run that built a comfortable 57-45 lead with 2:09 left.
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