Nikiri Goings scored 38 points in a 74-70 victory last week against the defending Class AAAAAA champion, McEachern. Goings, a 5-foot-9 senior who has signed with Cincinnati, also had seven rebounds, two assists and two steals and made 13 of 14 free throws.
‘’What makes it difficult to defend Nikira is her ability to play inside and out,’’ Osborne coach Melanie Samuel said. “She shoots, slashes and has the ability to post. When her three game is off, she has a beautiful mid-range jump shot, which is pulled on a dime, so you never really know when she is going to shoot.’’
Goings is a four-year starter. Osborne is 11-1 and ranked No. 2.
Here are some other top performances from last week in Georgia high school basketball.
GIRLS
*Brookwood post N’dea Jones, a 6-2 sophomore, scored 21 points, blocked 10 shots and pulled 26 rebounds in a 51-46 victory over Tucker.
*Columbus' Tatyana Wyatt scored 23 points in a 65-52 loss to Kendrick on the final day of the Shaw Christmas Classic. Wyatt averaged 20.7 points in the three-game event, during which Columbus went 2-1.
*Commerce freshman guard Myra Jones is averaging 22.5 points per game and has had games of 37, 30 (twice), 29, 27 and 25 points this season.
*Duluth junior guard Lyricka Holloman scored 26 points in a 64-57 victory over Mountain View in the title game of the West Forsyth Wolverine Classic.
*Long County sophomore Elexxus Wrighton averaged 15.3 points and 18.7 rebounds in three victories.
*Manchester freshman guard Brittany Davis averaged 19.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 6.3 steals and two blocks per game during a 3-0 week.
*Salem point guard Shay Tarver and forward Ayanna Mitchell were named to the all-tournament team at The Rock Holiday Classic in Florida, where the Seminoles went 2-1 and lost to Cardinal O'Hara (Pa.) 54-44 in the championship game. Tarver averaged 18.3 points and 5.0 rebounds, and Mitchell averaged 15 points and 12.3 rebounds.
*Westlake forward Anriel Howard scored a school-record 45 points and had 23 rebounds, six steals and three blocked shots in a 72-52 victory over Woodland-Stockbridge in the Peach State Classic. She has signed with Texas A&M. Westlake (13-0) is ranked No. 1 in AAAAAA.
BOYS
*Archer guard Darrion Taylor scored 21 points and had three assists in a 57-51 victory over Jupiter, Fla., in the championship game of the Tate Classic in Pensacola, Fla., on New Year’s eve.
*Bryan County guard Kajana Dixon averaged 20.3 points as Redskins went 2-1, including a season-high 29 points in 72-57 win over Benedictine.
*Buford forward Will Springer made six 3-point shots and scored 22 points in a 72-61 victory over Brookwood.
*Gainesville guard D'Marcus Simonds, who is committed to Mississippi State, scored 33 points in a 76-63 loss to Johnson-Gainesville in the championship game of the Lanierland tournament. Simonds was named to the all-tournament team. It was the first loss of the season for third-ranked Gainesville.
*McIntosh guard Jordan Lyons had 24 points, four rebounds, five assists and four steals in a 60-55 victory over Allatoona in the championship game of the Acworth Smiles bracket at the Lake City Classic. Lyons was named tournament MVP after averaging 25 points in three games.
*Grayson junior guard Austin Dukes was the MVP of the first Grayson Classic last week after averaging 19 points, five rebounds and two assists in the three games. He scored 23 with seven rebounds in the 54-51 victory over Cedar Shoals in the championship.
*Holy Innocents’ forward Sam Asbury, a 6-3 senior, was tournament MVP for the champion Golden Bears at the Sandestin Beach Basketball Blowout in Florida, averaging 19 points in three wins.
*Lithonia guard Rodney Chatman scored 18 points and had 10 assists in a 64-50 victory over Mays during the Peach State Classic, which Lithonia won.
*McEachern junior point guard A.J. Jones had 20 points, 10 steals and nine assists in a 73-58 victory over Osborne.
*Miller Grove junior guard Alterique Gilbert was named the MVP of the Chik-Fil-A Classic at Tucker last week after a 60-58 victory over Tucker in the championship. Gilbert went over 1,000 points for his career earlier last month.
*Newnan point guard D.J. Hill hit a 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds left on an out-of-bounds play from under the basket in a 39-36 victory over Walnut Grove in the championship game of the Walnut Grove Holiday Tournament. Hill also hit a final-seconds game-winner in a 44-42 victory Eastside earlier in the month.
*Northeast-Macon guard Santez Kinder, a 6-1 senior, scored a season-high 44 points on 19-of-30 shooting with six rebounds, four steals and three assists in 65-53 win over Southwest-Macon. He scored 28 points with seven rebounds and three steals in a 70-52 loss to No. 1-ranked Thomasville earlier in the week.
*Shiloh forward Josh Okogie was MVP of the Antebellum Holiday Classic in Milledgeville and followed that up with a 23-point game in a 71-68 victory over South Gwinnett on Saturday. Shiloh is 11-0.
*Union County senior point guard Hunter Hughes scored 35 points in a 75-54 victory over Greene County on Saturday. He averages 19 points per game.
*Wesleyan junior forward Jason Morrison scored 16 points, blocked four shots and had 13 rebounds in a 58-43 victory over Loganville.
Players highlighted are largely those that were nominated. To have players included on this list, you may send an email to GHSFdaily@bellsouth.net. This feature will be published each Tuesday around noon.
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