The Lovejoy girls basketball team remains alive in its quest for a second consecutive state title, but there will be a new Class 6A boys champion crowned at the state finals next week in Macon.
Grovetown’s boys, the defending champs and third-ranked team, saw their reign end with a 62-58 loss to Lanier in the quarterfinals Wednesday night. The loss also ended Grovetown’s 16-game winning streak. The Warriors finished the season 20-9 after winning just four of their first 12 games. Lanier advanced to the semifinals, which will be played Saturday at the University of West Georgia.
Lovejoy’s girls, also ranked No. 3, rolled past Gainesville 79-34 in the quarterfinals and have won their three playoff games by an average of 35.7 points. The Wildcats are seeking their third championship in six seasons.
The semifinals will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday in Carrollton. The winners will meet in the finals at 5:30 p.m. (girls) and 7:30 p.m. (boys) on March 10 at the Macon Coliseum, which is hosting the championship games in all classifications over four days next week.
Here’s a look at the four Class 6A semifinals:
Girls
*Lovejoy vs. Brunswick (2 p.m.): Third-ranked Lovejoy (25-5) is the only remaining girls team in any class that was not a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the playoffs. The Wildcats finished the regular season tied for first place in Region 3 but lost to Rockdale County in the region tournament semifinals. Bryanna Preston, the region player of the year last season, scored 26 points against Gainesville. La’Nya Foster, who won the award this year, had 16 points and nine rebounds. The Wildcats are in the semifinals for the sixth time in seven seasons. No. 5 Brunswick (27-3), a quarterfinalist last year, is in the semis for the first time since 2016. The Pirates have beaten Thomas County Central, No. 4 Woodward Academy and Sequoyah in the playoffs. Shania Jones led the way in the 59-47 victory over Sequoyah in the quarters with 14 points. Shamya Flanders was the Region 2 player of the year. Brunswick is seeking its first state title.
*Hughes vs. River Ridge (6 p.m.): River Ridge (25-5) entered the playoffs as the top-ranked team for the second consecutive season. The Knights lost to Lovejoy in the quarterfinals last year, but they made it through to the semis this time with a 61-43 victory over Marist. Senior Mataya Gayle, the Region 6 player of the year, averages 17.3 points per game. Sophomores Kayla Cleaveland (14.3) and Sophia Pearl (13.2) also average double figures. Freshman Makayla Roberson averages 8.5 points, and junior Allie Sweet is the leading rebounder with 10.3 per game. No. 6 Hughes (25-4) has defeated Rome, Habersham Central and second-ranked Rockdale County to reach the semifinals for the second time in four seasons. Junior Kyla Greene was the Region 5 player of the year. Mikayla Taylor had 24 points and 18 rebounds in the 61-53 victory over Rockdale County in the semifinals. Neither team has won a state title.
Boys
*Lee County vs. Lanier (4 p.m.): Fifth-ranked Lanier (26-4) was 5-4 after a 70-58 loss to Class 7A Mill Creek on Dec. 16 but has since won 21 consecutive games, including wins over No. 9 South Paulding and No. 3 Grovetown in the playoffs. Osmar Garcia-Araujo had 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Longhorns in the quarterfinals. Lanier was the state runner-up in 2020. Lee County is the only unranked Class 6A team that reached the semifinals, but this is a 27-3 team that has lost just once since Jan. 7. The Trojans defeated No. 10 Blessed Trinity 65-61 in the quarterfinals to reach the semis for the second time in three seasons. They previously had not advanced past the second round since winning the Class 3A title in 1985. Christian Brown led the Trojans with 17 points against Blessed Trinity, and sophomores Ousmane Kromah and Josiah Parker had 10 each. D.J. Taylor was the Region 1 player of the year.
*Alexander vs. Etowah (8 p.m.): No. 1 Alexander (25-5) reached the semifinals for the first time since 2014 with a 54-53 victory over fourth-ranked Jonesboro. Freshman Greg Dunson scored the winning basket with 9.6 second remaining. The victory also was the 500th career win for Cougars coach Jason Slate. Braedan Lue, a junior small forward, leads the Cougars in scoring (15.9), rebounds (7.7) and blocked shots (2.0) and is fourth on the team in assists (2.3). He had 12 points, five rebounds and four steals against Jonesboro. No. 6 Etowah (22-8) is in the semifinals for the first time in school history after a 54-53 victory over second-ranked St. Pius. Brandon Rechsteiner, the Region 6 player of the year, hit the game-winning free throw and finished with 21 points. The Eagles beat Paulding County and Pope in the first two rounds. Alexander defeated Etowah 60-51 on Dec. 30, but the Eagles are 16-1 since.
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