Pelham girls make statement with win over Kendrick

Entering Saturday night’s showdown with McEachern, Holy Innocents’ is unbeaten and the top-ranked girls team in Class AA. But Pelham's performance Friday night showed there isn’t much of gap between No. 1 and No. 2. The second-ranked Lady Hornets (16-1) defeated Kendrick, 70-61, ending a 43-game winning streak for the defending Class AA champ and the current top-ranked team in Class AAA. Briunna Freeman’s 25 points led Pelham, whose only loss this season came to Ribault (Fla.), a highly ranked Class AAAA team. Freeman, an Arkansas signee, averages more than 20 points per game. Three other Lady Hornets score at least eight per contest.

BOYS

No. 5 Holy Innocents’ scored a crucial win over No. 3 Greater Atlanta Christian on Friday, moving the Golden Bears into second place in Region 6-AA by a half-game margin. Holy Innocents’ Sam Asbury sank a 3-pointer in the waning seconds of regulation Friday night, and the Golden Bears (16-3) escaped with an 82-78 win in overtime against the defending state champs. The Spartans (10-6) won the first meeting between the teams in December, and they won’t meet again in the regular season. Both teams still have a game with region leader No. 2 Pace Academy, beginning with GAC at Pace on Tuesday.

Keep an eye on No. 10 Model. After falling to Coosa in Region 7-AA play on Jan. 6, the Blue Devils have gotten guard Tyler Dean back from injury, and in just his third game of the year Friday, the senior scored 18 points with eight assists, six rebounds and four blocked shots in a 69-51 win over Chattooga. The Blue Devils (14-2) have been led this season by 6-foot-4 forward V.J. Saxton, who contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds in Friday’s win. The addition of Dean down the stretch should benefit the region-leading Blue Devils in a crowded 7-AA race.

More of Friday's results. ...

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BOYS

1. Seminole County (13-3)

• Tuesday: Lost vs. Bainbridge, 78-74.
• Saturday: at Miller County

2. Pace Academy (15-2)

• Tuesday: Won vs. Wesleyan, 59-45.
• Friday: Won at Lovett, 50-29. Elijah Holifield led the Knights to their eighth consecutive win with 14 points.
• Saturday: Kings Ridge Christian

3. Greater Atlanta Christian (10-6)

• Tuesday: Won at B.E.S.T. Academy, 97-60.
• Friday: Lost at No. 5 Holy Innocents', 82-78 (OT)
• Saturday: at Lovett

4. Thomasville (13-4)

• Friday: Won at Fitzgerald, 79-68
• Saturday: vs. Berrien

5. Holy Innocents’ (16-3)

• Tuesday: Won vs. KIPP Atlanta Collegiate, 79-50
• Friday: Won vs. No. 3 Greater Atlanta Christian, 82-78 (OT)

6. Crawford County (14-3)

• Friday: Won at Lamar County, 58-49
• Saturday: at Chattahoochee County

7. Harlem (15-3)

• Tuesday: Won at Metter, 74-58
• Friday: Won vs. Jefferson County, 97-57. Reggie Reid led six Bulldogs in double figures with 23 points. After dropping two of three games following a lengthy holiday break, Harlem has won its last two and will be expected to stretch that streak to four games before a rematch with Dublin on Jan. 27. The Irish knocked off the Bulldogs 83-80 on Jan. 10.

8. Bryan County (14-2)

• Tuesday: Won vs. Benedictine, 66-64.
• Friday: Won at Long County, 88-70
• Saturday: at Savannah Christian

9. Vidalia (14-2)

• Tuesday: Won vs. Long County, 82-42
• Friday: Won at Benedictine, 62-40. The Indians blew open a competitive game in third quarter. Second-place Vidalia has a critical week ahead, with games at Bacon County and McIntosh County, the teams tied for third in Region 2-AA.

10. Model (14-2)

• Friday: vs. Chattooga, 69-51. Keep an eye on the Blue Devils. After falling to Coosa in Region 7-AA play on Jan. 6, they've gotten point guard Tyler Dean back from injury and in just his third game of the year Friday, the senior scored 18 points with eight assists, six rebounds and four blocked shots. The Blue Devils have been led this season by 6-foot-4 forward V.J. Saxton, who contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds in Friday's win. The addition of Dean down the stretch should benefit the region-leading Blue Devils in a crowded 7-AA race.
• Saturday: at Cartersville

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GIRLS

1. Holy Innocents’ (18-0)

• Tuesday: Won vs. KIPP Atlanta Collegiate, 69-6
• Friday: Won vs. Greater Atlanta Christian, 51-28
• Saturday: vs. McEachern (at Archer High School)

2. Pelham (16-1)

• Tuesday: Won vs. Cairo, 68-24
• Friday: Won at Kendrick, 70-61
• Saturday: vs. Fitzgerald

3. Wesleyan (12-5)

• Tuesday: Won at Pace Academy, 75-13
• Friday: Won vs. Hapeville Charter, 58-34. Nikki McDonald, who scored 12 points in the win, topped the 1,000-point and 500-rebound plateaus last week.

4. Model (16-2)

• Friday: Won vs. Chattooga, 72-31. Freshman center Victaria Saxton led the Lady Devils with 17 points and 16 rebounds.
• Saturday: at Cartersville

5. Darlington (15-3)

• Tuesday: Won vs. Chattooga, 57-38.
• Friday: Won vs. Dade County, 64-41. Quite a week for Keara Evans. After posting 22 points and 22 rebounds against Chattooga, the junior scored 32 points – including 10 3-pointers – in Friday's win.

6. Putnam County (14-3)

• Tuesday: Won vs. Northeast-Macon, 43-39.
• Friday:Won at Monticello, 55-34

7. Thomasville (13-5)

• Friday: Lost at Fitzgerald, 57-54. Fitzgerald senior KeKe Bonner made 13 of 14 free throws, scoring 24 points with 10 rebounds, four steals and two blocks in the Lady Hurricanes' upset win. Freshman Kristin Cook added 20 points for Fitzgerald.
• Saturday: vs. Berrien

8. Vidalia (14-2)

• Tuesday: Won vs. Long County, 66-46
• Friday: Won vs. St. Vincent's, 60-28

9. Lovett (12-5)

• Tuesday: Won at Hapeville Charter, 64-56
• Friday: Won vs. Pace Academy, 47-40
• Saturday: Greater Atlanta Christian