Class 7A blog: Grayson’s girls get biggest win in mostly predictable round 2

Grayson’s girls basketball team, ranked No. 3, defeated No. 2 North Forsyth in the second round of the state tournament in a weekend of games that held few surprises overall in Class 7A.

The boys’ bracket went as most would’ve expected, including blowout victories by No. 1 Pebblebrook and No. 3 Milton, which will meet in the quarterfinals.

The girls’ bracket had one other mild upset as Region 2 champion Campbell, an unranked team, beat No. 9 West Forsyth 56-42. Another unranked Cobb team, Pebblebrook, got through.

The Grayson-North Forsyth girls game was the classification’s headliner.

Grayson – which moved into a state girls quarterfinal for the first time in its 22-year existence - jumped to a 9-0 lead that swelled to 31-14 at one point, and North Forsyth was 1-for-23 outside the 3-point arc.

North got within 43-39 but no closer. Grayson’s Catherine Alben scored 22 points. (The Forsyth County News covered the game.)

Grayson, the Region 4 runner-up to No. 1 Brookwood, will play No. 6 Harrison this week.

Campbell, a Cobb County school, made the weekend worse for the Forsyth County contingent by beating West Forsyth. Campbell is in its 11th quarterfinal under long-time coach Randy McClure.

The boys’ bracket has been too predictable. Seven of the top eight teams in the rankings are through. No. 5 North Gwinnett beat No. 8 East Coweta 67-57 in the second round, and Archer is the only unranked team remaining.

Here is the second-round schedule. Games are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. Not all games times have been set.

GIRLS

No. 5 Cherokee at Campbell

No. 4 Norcross at No. 1 Brookwood

No. 3 Grayson at No. 6 Harrison

Pebblebrook at No. 7 Archer

BOYS

No. 3 Milton at No. 1 Pebblebrook