Class A Basketball blog: Greenforest Christian boys walking two 7-footers through tough schedule

ajc.com

Greenforest Christian (11-7) gave Class 5A No. 1 Eagle’s Landing (18-0) all it had during a 52-47 loss Monday in the MLK Showcase at Campbell.

Junior Michael Robinson led Greenforest against Eagle’s Landing, shooting 5-of-8 for 14 points. Senior Isaiah Lloyd was 6-of-8 shooting for 12 points, and 7-foot center senior Dhiaukuei Manyiel-Dut scored 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting with 13 rebounds and eight blocks.

Greenforest’s other 7-footer (yes they have two), Gai Chol-Atem, scored two points with seven rebounds. Greenforest, ranked No. 1 in Division II, got back on track Tuesday with a 101-28 victory against Mount Zion-Jonesboro.

Greenforest’s two towers have been hard to handle. Manyiel-Dut edges Chol-Atem with 12.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and five blocks per game. Chol-Atem averages 12 points with nine rebounds and two blocks. Junior Elijah Lewis is scoring 11 points with three rebounds and two assists per game.

The Eagles opened the season with a 69-66 loss to Class 7A No. 4 McEachern and then beat Class 7A Parkview 65-59 and 7A No. 5 Etowah 69-41. It lost to Class 5A No. 2 Kell 67-63 and to Utah’s Wasatch Academy 56-29.

The Eagles lost to Kell again (55-50) on Dec 17 in the Playing for Change event at Pace Academy and then lost to Windermere (Fla.) (57-46) on Dec. 27 in the opening game of the King Cotton Classic in Pine Bluff, Ark. The Eagles beat White Hall (Ark.) 54-47 on Dec. 28 and lost the next day to Grissom (Ala.) 50-43.

Greenforest then won five games before losing to Eagle’s Landing. The victories came against Fulton Leadership, Class 4A No. 2 McDonough, W.D. Mohammed, Bowdon and Dougherty.

The Eagles will play at home Friday against Southwest Atlanta Christian in a Region 7 game, then be at home against Class 6A Northside-Warner Robins on Jan. 28.

Class A Division I Boys Top-10

1. Mount Bethel Christian (13-5)

2. Mount Pisgah Christian (14-6)

3. King’s Ridge Christian (11-5)

4. Mount Vernon (12-7)

5. Darlington (15-2)

6. Paideia (6-9)

7. St. Francis (8-10)

8. Social Circle (7-6)

9. Tallulah Falls (13-3)

10. Dublin (12-3)

Class A Division II Boys Top-10

1. Greenforest Christian (10-6)

2. Christian Heritage (15-0)

3. Portal (14-1)

4. Mitchell County (16-1)

5. Manchester (12-2)

6. Calhoun County (13-3)

7. Charlton County (14-1)

8. Macon County (15-2)

9. Wilkinson County (10-6)

10. Telfair County (12-2)

Class A Division I Girls Top-10

1. St. Francis (14-5)

2. Galloway (16-4)

3. Elbert County (15-3)

4. Rabun County (15-1)

5. Woodville-Tompkins (13-5)

6. Pelham (7-2)

7. Trion (13-1)

8. Lamar County (14-4)

9. Darlington (15-4)

10. Heard County (12-3)

Class A Division II Girls Top-10

1. Lake Oconee Academy (15-1)

2. Clinch County (12-0)

3. Turner County (13-2)

4. Schley County (10-1)

5. Taylor County (14-1)

6. Montgomery County (16-1)

7. Mt. Zion-Carroll (15-3)

8. Jenkins County (13-2)

9. Macon County (13-4)

10. Early County (10-5)