Westlake emerged as the boys basketball team to beat in Class AAAAAA on Thursday with a 44-43 victory over fifth-ranked Shiloh in the state quarterfinals at West Georgia University.
At No. 3, Westlake will be the only top-five team in Saturday’s semifinals. The Lions (25-4) in January lost two games in four days to unranked teams but have won 10 straight since, beating the likes of No. 7 Pebblebrook (twice), No. 4 Norcross and No. 5 Shiloh.
Against Shiloh (see Chip Saye's game story), Westlake was up 15-3 in the first quarter, surrendered the lead in the final three minutes, retook it 43-41 on Jaquan Wilkins' 3-pointer and held on, surviving Shiloh's final-second 3-point try. Westlake will play eighth-ranked Newton on Saturday.
Wilkins, the only four-year varsity member of the team, didn't play until January. Shortly after, Westlake heated up. The team has Division I prospects at every starting position from 6-3 Jamie Lewis to 6-8 Chuma Okeke.
Here are other highlights from the quarterfinals, played at seven colleges cross the state. Another 28 quarterfinals will go off Friday.
Find full recaps of all 28 Thursday games here.
BOYS
-No. 1 Allatoona of AAAAA moved to 30-0 and into the semifinals for the first time ever with a 56-44 victory over eighth-ranked Southwest DeKalb at Columbus State. Allatoona will play third-ranked Cedar Shoals on Saturday. Cedar is in the semis for the second season in a row.
-Third-ranked Lithonia of strong Region 6-AAAA is in the semifinals for the first time since 2004. Lithonia beat Sandy Creek 55-53 and will face fourth-ranked Liberty County at Fort Valley State. Region 6 rivals No. 2 Grady and No. 6 St. Pius also remain alive.
-Fifth-ranked South Atlanta of AAA, chasing its first championship since the Derrick Favors-led 2009 team, took out sixth-ranked Central-Macon 92-79. Next is third-ranked Morgan County, a 55-50 winner over second-ranked Laney in Laney's backyard of Augusta University.
-Fifth-ranked Lovett of AA, which peaked at No. 2 earlier this month, had its season ended by fourth-ranked Manchester 70-56 at Georgia College. Manchester will face unranked Monticello, making its first semifinal since 1988.
-Seventh-ranked Stratford Academy of Macon beat third-ranked North Cobb Christian 67-57 in the Class A private division at Kennesaw State. Startford won five state titles in the Georgia Independent School Association, including one in its last season of participation, before rejoining the GHSA in 2014.
GIRLS
-There will be no Gwinnett County girls team in the semifinals of the highest class for the first time since 2000. Third-ranked Douglas County beat Gwinnett’s final AAAAAA entry, Parkview, 56-52 and will face No. 1 Tucker in the semifinals.
-Winder-Barrow in the semifinals for the first time since 1993 after beating Mays 51-41. Winder-Barrow qualified as a fourth-place finisher out of 8-AAAAA. Next is third-ranked Brunswick. Neither school has ever reached a state final.
-Higher-ranked teams won the AAAA games in Fort Valley. Third-ranked Veterans will face No. 8 Wayne County in the semifinals.
-The No. 1 AAA girls team, Morgan County, knocked out defending champion Laney 62-53. Morgan is in the semifinals for the first time since its AA title in 1983. Johnson-Savannah beat fifth-ranked Peach County 46-43, ending Peach’s bid for a first-ever semifinal berth
-Wesleyan's 79-22 win over Heard County was the most lopsided quarterfinal since 1956, when Jeff Davis beat Murray County by 64 (78-14). The game at Georgia College was witnessed by UConn coach Geno Auriemma, there to seek Wesleyan junior Mikayla Coombs. The Wolves will face Region 6 rival Greater Atlanta Christian in the AA semifinals. GAC, ranked seventh, beat No. 5 Rabun County 67-53. The No. 1-ranked team, Holy Innocents’, is also a 6-AA member and plays second-ranked Pelham in Friday quarters.
-Southwest Atlanta Christian, the No. 13 seed in Class A private, beat 10th-ranked Lakeview Academy 56-47 to advance to the semifinals despite a 17-11 record and the most losses of any team still playing.
Scores from Thursday:
Class AAAAAA
At West Georgia
Girls
R2 #1 Tucker 74, R5 #1 Woodstock 60
R3 #1 Douglas County 56, R8 #1 Parkview 52
Boys
R2 #1 Newton 71, R8 #4 Grayson 52
R3 #1 Westlake 44, R8 #1 Shiloh 43
Class AAAAA
At Columbus State
Girls
R8 #4 Winder-Barrow 51, R6 #2 Mays 41
R3 #1 Brunswick 52, R8 #1 Flowery Branch 47
Boys
R8 #1 Cedar Shoals 66, R6 #3 Mays 45
R5 #1 Allatoona 56, R6 #2 Southwest DeKalb 44
Class AAAA
At Fort Valley State
Girls
R2 #1 Veterans 54, R5 #1 Carrollton 48
R3 #1 Wayne County 47, vs. R1 #3 Bainbridge 38
Boys
R6 #2 Lithonia 55, R5 #1 Sandy Creek 53
R3 #1 Liberty County 71, R1 #3 Monroe 61
Class AAA
At Augusta University
Girls
R1 #2 Johnson-Savannah 46, R2 #1 Peach County 43
R8 #1 Morgan County 62, R3 #1 Laney 53
Boys
R4 #3 South Atlanta 92, R2 #1 Central-Macon 79
R8 #1 Morgan County 55, R3 #1 Laney 50
Class AA
At Georgia College
Girls
R6 #2 Wesleyan 79, R5 #1 Heard County 22
R6 #3 GAC 67. R8 #1 Rabun County 53
Boys
R5 #1 Manchester 70, R6 #2 Lovett 56
R4 #2 Monticello 79, R3 #1 Dublin 67
Class A-Private
At Kennesaw State
Girls
#1 St. Francis 79, #8 Mount Paran 31
#12 SACA 56, #4 Lakeview Academy 47
Boys
#1 Greenforest Christian 71, #9 Tattnall Square 48
#4 Stratford Academy 67, #5 North Cobb Christian 57
Class A-Public
At Valdosta State
Girls
#1 Turner County 52, #8 Telfair County 46
#4 Wheeler County 53, #5 Treutlen 50
Boys
#1 Treutlen 62, #8 Hawkinsville 55
#5 Wilkinson County 76, #13 Lincoln County 39
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