GHSA playoff basketball recaps: First Round

Class 7A

Girls: Lambert 62, Duluth 40

Host Lambert trailed 10-8 after the first quarter before heating up and taking a 45-30 lead into the final frame. The Longhorns overcame a slow start and were led by Annarose Tyre’s game-high 23 points. Lambert’s Kenzie Weyer (11) and Parker Whipple (10) also finished in double-figures. Duluth’s Livie Steward (14), Lexi Boyd (10), Kaylie Zirger (7) and Saniya Johnson (7) led the Wildcats with 38 of the team’s 40 points.

Girls: Milton 80, Discovery 41

Top-seeded Milton improved to 25-2 and picked up its 13th-straight victory. The Eagles jumped out to a 24-12 lead after the first quarter and went into the half with a 53-27 advantage. Milton padded the lead with a 17-5 scoring edge in the third quarter to take a 70-32 lead into the fourth. The Eagles have dropped just one game within the state this season—which was a 78-45 loss to rival Lambert. Since the loss, Milton defeated Lambert 57-37 on Jan. 26 and again in the Region 6 championship last week (59-34) to convincingly avenge its lone loss two-fold.

Girls: Walton 55, Dacula 39

Host Walton will square off with top-seeded Milton in the Sweet 16 after holding off No. 3 seed Dacula. Graycen Ehlen and Chloe Nicholson each finished with 18 points and connected on seven of the Raiders’ three-pointers in the victory. Elhen knocked down four three-pointers and added five rebounds, two assists and three steals. Nicholson added a team-high 12 rebounds to tally a double-double and Allie Pehhanen provided the Raiders with nine rebounds and a pair of steals.

Girls: Campbell 67, Marietta 54

Top-seeded Campbell extended its win-streak to 11-straight games and avenged a 67-54 road loss to Marietta on Dec. 15 with a convincing 13-point victory. The Blue Devils were 16-6 before dropping six of their last seven games and finish the year 17-12.

Girls: North Gwinnett 60, West Forsyth 53

Two players scored in double-figures to lead North Gwinnett past West Forsyth. Junior guard Caroline Beavin led North Gwinnett with 26 points, Weslee Istone-Haupt added eight points and Sydney Woyce added eight points for the Bulldogs.

Girls: Carrollton 49, Hillgrove 41

Carrollton trailed 15-7 after the first quarter but took the 25-22 lead at half after an 18-7 run in the second quarter. The Trojans extended the lead to 37-29 entering the fourth quarter and held on for the victory. Carrollton will travel to Lowndes in the second round.

Girls: Buford 66, Wheeler 21

Buford senior guard and Ohio State-signee Ava Watson made history in the team’s victory against Wheeler, becoming the first player to score 2,000 points for the Wolves. Buford will play against North Gwinnett in the second round.

Girls: Cherokee 72, Central Gwinnett 52

Cherokee enjoyed a 19-13 lead after the first quarter and extended the lead to 39-27 at the half. Central Gwinnett narrowed the lead with a 12-11 run in the third quarter. Toni Warren led with 21 points, Riley Simmons scored 17 points and Alex Whitecliffe finished with 14 points for Cherokee.

Boys: Wheeler 84, Collins Hill 48

Defending state champion Wheeler achieved its 11th-consecutive win and will take on Berkmar in the Sweet 16. The Wildcats previously lost 69-61 to the Patriots on Dec. 27. Berkmar stamped an impressive 70-35 win over Lambert in its first round victory. The Patriots led 65-29 heading into an abbreviated six-minute final frame.

Boys: McEachern 105, Westlake 72

McEachern All-American Ace Bailey finished with a game-high 32 points to go with his 17 rebounds, six assists, four steals and four blocks as the Indians opened the postseason with a season-high 105 points. McEachern—will host Newton in the Sweet Sixteeen—and also got double-figure scoring from Jayden Bynes (17), Dozie Onyirimba (16) and Jay Nash (13).

Boys: Peachtree Ridge 67, South Forsyth 46

No. 1 seed Peachtree Ridge stormed back from an early 5-1 deficit with a 19-5 run to jump out to a 20-10 lead late in the first quarter. The Lions clung to a 32-24 halftime lead and went into the final quarter with a 51-33 lead. South Forsyth was led by two-time Region 6 Player of the Year Caleb Underwood—who finished with a team-high 20 points and six made three-pointers.

Boys: Archer 53, Camden County 46

No. 4 seed Archer jumped out to a 31-18 halftime lead and held on to top Region 1 champion Camden County. The Tigers were led by Darrian Joseph’s team-high 18 points, Kahmare Holmes notched 10 points to go with six rebounds and Class of 2025 Darus Styles Jr. finished with nine points.

Boys: Norcross 74, West Forsyth 49

Jaron Saulsberry (24) and Casey Williams (17) combined for 41 points and the host Blue Devils closed out the victory on a 25-9 run. Norcross’ Toby Ojukwu dished out a game-high eight assists to go with his nine points and Williams tallied 11 rebounds and three blocks to go with his 17 points.

Boys: Walton 43, Dacula 40

Host Walton took a 27-21 halftime lead after a 12-point effort by Kaeden Gilstrap. The Raiders held on for a 35-30 advantage heading into the fourth quarter and held off a strong shooting night from Dacula’s Khalil Smallwood. Gilstrap finished with a team-high 17 points to go with his five rebounds. Raiders teammate Caesar Burrows finished with nine points, Khamani Paxton finished with eight and JP Wells chipped in six points.

Class 6A

Girls: Sequoyah 51, Lassiter 35

A 16-point effort in the third quarter helped Sequoyah to an insurmountable advantage against Lassiter. The Chiefs led 13-8 after the first quarter and 22-16 at the half before the 16-7 run in the third quarter. Sequoyah outscored Lassiter 13-12 in the fourth quarter to put the game away. Carly Bass led with 13 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals, Milanni Abdus-Salaam scored seven points with eight rebounds, three steals and two assists, Sayler Davis had six points with three assists and Natalie Pollard added six points with two rebounds for Sequoyah.

Girls: Veterans 63, Lakeside-Dekalb 41

Veterans led 15-7 after the first quarter and extended the lead to 31-16 at the half on the way to victory against Lakeside-DeKalb. Through three quarters, the Warhawks held Lakeside to just 23 points. The Vikings outscored Veterans 18-14 in the fourth quarter, but the game was out of reach. Gabby Minus led Veterans with 25 points and Desteyn Seaton and Nariah Nelson each scored 11 points for the Warhawks. Veterans will travel to Brunswick in the second round.

Girls: Brunswick 50, Mundy’s Mill 19

Brunswick outscored Mundy’s Mill 10-0 in the first quarter and led 17-11 at the half. In the third quarter, the Pirates built a 33-13 lead after a 16-2 run and put the game away with a 17-6 effort in the fourth quarter.

Girls: North Forsyth 49, Alexander 16

The Raiders remained flawless on the season after a romp of Alexander. Lindsey Pirkle led with 10 points and 10 rebounds and London Weaver scored 13 points with four rebounds.

Girls: River Ridge 57, Blessed Trinity 45

River Ridge trailed 16-15 entering the second quarter, a rarity for the Knights in the midst of the program’s 16-game winning streak. But the team rallied to advance behind a 22-point effort – including nine three-pointers -- from freshman Finley Parker, who added nine rebounds. Kayle Cleavland added 13 points and Sophia Pearl scored 11 points for the Knights.

Girls: South Paulding 58, Habersham Central 29

Three players scored in double-figures for South Paulding led by Lana Vandyke, who scored 19 points with 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals. Chloe Vandyke added 11 points with eight rebounds and three assists and Lindsey Henry scored 11 points with 10 rebounds.

Girls: Glynn Academy 63, Morrow 59

Glynn Academy trailed 13-11 after the first quarter but used a 20-14 effort in the second quarter to lead 31-27 at the half. The team extended the margin to 50-41 entering the fourth quarter before outlasting an 18-13 run from Morrow to secure the victory.

Girls: Pope 53, Etowah 44

The Lady Greyhounds advanced to the second round in a tough first round victory against Etowah. Sophomore led all scorers with 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Meryl Palazzo also pitched in 12 points and six rebounds. Pope will host South Paulding in the Sweet 16

Girls: Rome 37, Sprayberry 32

Nursing a narrow 28-26 lead, Rome outscored Sprayberry 9-6 in the fourth quarter to put the game away. Rome led 11-9 at the half, that is not a typo, before each team scored 17 points in the third quarter to give the Wolves a 28-26 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Girls: St.Pius X 64, Thomas County Central 42

St. Pius Head coach Kyle Snipes hit a huge milestone on Tuesday night against Thomas County Central winning his 300th career game. This year marked the fifth consecutive season the Golden Lions had a winning record. St. Pius X finished region runner-up to Marist before the playoffs. St. Pius X will face Woodward Academy in the second round of the playoffs.

Boys: St. Pius X 79, Veterans 65

Aidan Portee and Tobias Brinkley carried the scoring load for the Golden Lions on Tuesday night combining for 32 points. St. Pius X got contributions from various players tonight as five hit double-figures. D’Marley Elliot finished with a double-double scoring 10 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. The Golden Lions will face Jonesboro in the Sweet 16.

Boys: Jonesboro 61, Glynn Academy 52

Montez Redding led the way for the Cardinals finishing with a team-high 22 points and 13 rebounds. Junior forward Chris Jones had a near double-double with 19 points and eight rebounds. Jonesboro was able to pull away at the end with a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16.

Boys: North Atlanta 58, Houston County 44

North Atlanta advances to the second round after senior point guard Josh Griffith dropped 24 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Ty Thompson had a double-double chipping in 13 points and 15 rebounds in the win. The Warriors will travel to Grovetown in the second round.

Boys: Alpharetta 56, Etowah 50

Etowah held the early lead in the game and took a 26-23 lead into the break. Alpharetta was able to get things going offensively in the second half. Will Kimes was the leading scorer for the Raiders finishing with a game-high 20 points. Malachi Mayo and Jacob Bryant added 10 points each. Dimitri Angelakos scored 13 points and Chris Jalbert added 12 points for Etowah. Alpharetta will face Alexander in the second round of the playoffs on Saturday.

Boys: Alexander 70, Gainesville 49

Gainesville held on for as long as they could keeping the game within striking distance in the first half and most of the third quarter. The Red Elephants faced a nine point deficit in the late third, but the Cougars extended their lead and showed their championship pedigree putting the game away. Alexander will host the Alpharetta Raiders in the second round of the playoffs.

Boys: Woodward Academy 80, Brunswick 47

Woodward Academy led 42-26 at halftime. At the break, The War Eagles had three scorers in double-figures in Brandon Peters (19 points) , Zac Foster (15 points), and Deke Cooper (14 points). For Brunswick, Nasir Poole has a team-high 15 points and Caleb Butler added 11 points. They outscored Brunswick 38-21 in the second half and punched their ticket to the Sweet 16.

Boys: Pope 72, Sequoyah 50

Sequoyah made it a competitive game in the first quarter only trailing 12-8 heading into the second. Pope outscored Sequoyah 21-10 in the second quarter to take a double-digit lead into the break. Junior guard Zach Bleshoy led the Greyhounds in scoring with 24 points. Deven Royal and Drew Abney combined for the same total. Pope will host Douglas County in the second round of the playoffs.

Class 5A

Girls: Kell 56, Hiram 47

Defending state champion Kell held a slim 22-18 after a back-and-forth first half against Hiram. The Lady Longhorns found their groove in the third quarter and outscored the Lady Hornets 18-7 to take control of the game. Kennedy Deese was the Longhorns leading scorer and finished with a double-double, 21 points and 12 rebounds. Standout freshman Asiah Thompson finished with 19 points and eight rebounds. Hiram came into the playoffs playing some of their basketball—winning four of their last five games. Kell advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.

Girls: Jones County 62, McIntosh 32

Amaris Ridgeway scored 18 points to lead the Greyhounds into the second round. Kamiyah Adams added 12 points, Autumn Coleman finished with 10 points and Britley Johnson played lock-down defense and finished with six points for Jones County.

Girls: Union Grove 65, Northgate 50

Union Grove led 25-15 after the first quarter and 34-22 at the half before outlasting a 19-16 Northgate run in the fourth quarter to secure the victory. Jordan Brooks scored 20 points, Nala Franklin added 13 points and Mariah Miller finished with 12 points to lead Union Grove.

Girls: Jackson-Atlanta 80, Flowery Branch 27

Cayden Cornish led the Jaguars with 15 points, four steals and two rebounds, Shakira Gresham tallied 10 points with two steals and two assists and Kennedie Cooper added eight points, five steals, three assists and two rebounds for Jackson-Atlanta.

Girls: Greater Atlanta Christian 58, Calhoun 46

Myla Benton scored 20 points with seven rebounds, five assists and two steals to lead GAC into the second round. Asia Johnson added 19 points with eight steals and Cobi Obi finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. Sydney Lucas tallied nine points, all three-pointers, for the Spartans.

Girls: Dalton 55, Northview 32

BB Bates scored 16 points, Emma Hefner added 11 points with eight rebounds, three assists and a steal while Kemara Washington finished with 10 points to lead the Catamounts into the second round.

Girls: Midtown 60, Loganville 33

Cate Barton scored 12 points with 15 rebounds, Sinclair Richman finished with 12 points and three steals and Devin Bockman added 11 points with eight rebounds. Haiiley Wortman scored nine points with nine rebounds and Alexia Davis had nine points for Midtown.

Boys: Eagles Landing 100, Northside (Columbus) 39

Eagles Landing hit the 100-point mark for the first time this season and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. It was a complete game on both ends of the floor for the Eagles, who gave up their third lowest scoring output on the season. It was the fourth time this season they held opponents to 40 points or less.

Boys: Tucker 79, Ware County 55

It was nip and tuck in the first half between the Gators and Tigers. Tucker held just a three-point lead at halftime. Tucker took control of the game in the second half for their 24-point victory. Josiah Lawson scored a team-high 25 points. Khayri Dunn was effective from beyond the arc, finishing with five three pointers. Corde Neyland was a part of the early offense for the Tigers scoring 15 of his 17 points in the second quarter. Ware County standout guard Jarvis Wright chipped in 20 points.

Boys: Jones County 57, McIntosh 49

McIntosh hung tough throughout the game and kept it close, not trailing by more than double-digits in the game. They trailed 50-47 with 2:37 left before Jones County closed out the game on a 7-2 run to advance to the second round of the playoffs.

Boys: GAC 60, Calhoun 53

The Spartans had four players reach double-figures in the win against Calhoun. Noah Harry finished with 15 points, Mike Carpenter had 14 points, Mario Hill Jr had 13 points, and Vinh Nguyen had 10. Greater Atlanta Christian will host the second round playoff game against Maynard Jackson.

Boys: Winder-Barrow 74, Mays 60

Winder Barrow advances to the second round after a great second half. Tyruin Sims was the team’s leading scorer with 14 points and also pitched in defensively with key deflections and steals. Jerrin Samuel, Jeremiah Shealey, Jordan Samuel, and JD Estime combined for 48 points. The Bulldogs will face North Springs in the Sweet 16

Boys: Warner Robins 85, Northgate 63

Warner Robins hit their first 20 win season since 2019 after a 22 point victory. It was a complete team effort as five scorers hit double-figures in the win. Cam Perkins and Heaven Carson combined for 32 points. For Northgate, Donte Smith pitched in 14 points and was the leading scorer for his team. Warner Robins will face Decatur in the second round.

Boys: Maynard Jackson 77, Clarke Central 60

Maynard Jackson picked up a huge road win after limping into the playoffs losing four of its last five games. The Jaguars had a strong first quarter scoring 29 points and held a double-digit lead at the break. They never relinquished the led in the second half. For Clarke Central, star guard Marcus Gillespie had a team-high 22 points and Laneric Gill added 14 points. Maynard Jackson will face GAC in the second round.

Boys: Hiram 72, Chattahoochee 68

Hiram held on for a close victory against Chattahoochee on the road. The Cougars trailed by 15 points in the fourth quarter but couldn’t quite complete the comeback as Hiram leaned on Chase Tyler, Ryan Williams, and Jaiden Mann to carry the scoring load and close out the game.

Kell 90, Dalton 41

Defending state champion Kell hit 90 points for the seventh time this season in their 49-point victory against visiting Dalton. The Longhorns held a 49-12 lead at halftime and were dominant throughout the game. The defending state champions will host Chapel Hill in the second round of the playoffs.

Boys: Tri-Cities 59, Heritage (Conyers) 57

Jayden London lifted Tri-Cities past Heritage (Conyers) with a game-winning tip-in on the final possession. London finished the game with a double-double scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Freshman point guard Trey Keith was the leading scorer with 33 points in his first varsity playoff game. He also added eight rebounds. Tri-Cities will host Hiram in the second round of the playoffs.

Boys: North Springs 78, Cartersville 48

Kendall Heard carried the scoring load in the first half for the Spartans hitting five three pointers. Esmer Madesko hit a career milestone surpassing 1,000 career points in their wire-to-wire victory. North Spring will face Winder-Barrow in the Sweet 16.

Class 4A

Notable: Starr’s Mill will enjoy a bye into the quarterfinals after a fight broke out in the first round game between Wayne County and Spalding – the Panthers’ possible second-round opponent -- which resulted in the disqualification of both teams.

Girls: Starr’s Mill 66, Westover 34

Starr’s Mill used a dominant performance to defeat Westover. After a back-and-forth first quarter that saw Starr’s Mill take only a 17-13 lead into the second quarter. However, the second quarter was very different with the Panthers playing amazing defense, holding Westover to only seven points while scoring 21 of their own, taking a 38-20 lead into the half. The third quarter was more of the same, with Starr’s Mill outscoring Westover 23-9 before slowing down in the fourth, winning 66-34.

Girls: Baldwin 84, Southeast Bulloch 5

No. 1 ranked Baldwin picked up its 21st-straight with a 79-point route over the Jackets. Kassidy Neal led the Bravettes with 18 points, five rebounds, six steals and three assists. Madison Ruff finished with 13 points, six steals, four rebounds and three assists. Suri Clark added 10 points, two rebounds and three rebounds. Janaye Walker and Jasmine Williams each finished with seven points.

Girls: Southwest DeKalb 71 Northwest Whitfield 68

Southwest DeKalb won a thriller over third seeded Northwest Whitfield. The game started out close from the beginning, with the Panthers leading Northwest Whitfield 17-15 at the end of the first quarter. The Bruins got hot from three in the first half, led by Kennedy Baker who had 12 points and three 3-pointers in the first half. Northwest Whitfield seemingly took control of the game in the third quarter, finishing the period up 52-46. However, the Panthers rallied in the fourth sparked by Janiyah McKoy’s nine points, two steals, and two assists. Southwest DeKalb fought back to win 71-68.

Girls: Luella 55, Walnut Grove 51

Kayla Williams scored 18 points with 13 rebounds, two block and two steals to lead Luella. Miliani Smith scored 18 points with five rebounds, two steals and two assists and Angels Thomas tallied 13 points with three rebounds and three steals. Kameah Hill finished with six points but had 11 rebounds and two steals.

Girls: Burke County 41 West Laurens 40

Burke County escaped an upset minded West Laurens team with a last second shot that gave the Bears the win. The first quarter saw the Bears dominate, jumping out to a 9-1 lead and not allowing a West Laurens field goal, keeping a nine-point lead until the half. The Raiders would cut the lead to six by the end of the third before tying the game with 4:32 remaining. Down by one with 20.4 seconds remaining, the Bears scored a tough layup with 13 seconds left, giving them the 41-40 victory.

Girls: Stockbridge 73 Cherokee Bluff 49

Stockbridge defeated fourth seeded Cherokee Bluff in a statement win on the way to the second round. The Tigers were led by three double-digit scorers, with Jayla Fulks scoring 13 points, India McIntosh scoring 14 points, and CJ Wilson scoring 23 points to go along with five rebounds and six assists in their dominant first round win.

Girls: Sonoraville 72 Westminster 53

The Phoenix were led on offense by Ella Walraven, who scored 17 points, Brynley Walraven, who scored 16, and Erin Garland, who scored 10 points, in their first round win over Westminster.

Girls: Luella 55 Walnut Grove 51

Luella won a back-and-forth affair, defeating third seed Walnut Grove to advance to the second round. The Lions, led by Kayla Williams’ 18 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks, and two steals, and Miliani Smith’s 18 points, five rebounds, two steals, and two assists, edged out the Warriors for the 55-51 win.

Girls: Chestatee 75 Woodland-Cartersville 52

Chestatee won a high scoring first round matchup against Woodland-Cartersville to advance to the round of 16. The War Eagles were led by superstar West Georgia commit Riley Black, who scored 35 points, brought down 20 rebounds, and made seven assists in their 75-52 first round win over Woodland-Cartersville.

Boys: Westover 63, Fayette County 60

Visiting Westover snapped top-seeded Fayette County’s 10-game win-streak in a stunning first-round upset over last year’s state runner-up. The Patriots trailed 13-6 after the first quarter and 27-24 heading into the half. Westover outscored the Tigers 22-21 in the third quarter to shrink the deficit to 49-45 heading into the final frame. The Patriots stifled Fayette County with a 19-12 fourth quarter. Bryson Carter gave Westover its first lead of the game (54-52) and gave Westover its 63-60 lead with a late field goal before Fayette County’s Christian McAllister’s attempt to tie the game was no good.

Boys: McDonough 84, North Hall 53

No. 1 ranked McDonough jumped out a 49-12 halftime lead and was led by a game-high 25 points by Zion Greene. Zaiden Greene (13), Nigel Thomas (13) and Keenan Gray (13) also notched double-figures for the Warhawks. North Hall was led by Cole Hulsey’s team-high nine points.

Boys: North Oconee 71, Lovett 49

North Oconee led 28-23 before outscoring visiting Lovett 43-26 in the second half. Justin Wise led the Titans with a team-high 19 points and senior Evan Mongromery hauled in a game-high 14 rebounds to go with a career-high 17 points. North Oconee’s scoring was also fueled by Byrd Carter (13), Justin Payne (12) and sophomore Khamari Brooks (8). Lovett’s Kingston Whitty finished with a game-high 23 points in the defeat.

Boys: Holy Innocents’ 84, Cedartown 37

No. 1 seed Holy Innocents’ was led by senior Will Hopkins’ game-high 18 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore Devin Hutcherson netted 16 points to go with his eight rebounds, junior Caleb Wilson finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three blocks and juior Clark Thurman added 12 points.

Class 3A

Girls: Wesleyan 72, Lakeview Fort Oglethorpe 45

Eva Garabadian led the Wolves with 22 points, three rebounds and a steal while Bryanna Preston scored 17 points with five assists, four rebounds and two steals. Chit-Chat Wright finished with 17 points, six assists and two steals and Johanna Potter scored 11 points with 10 rebounds and two assists to lead Wesleyan.

Girls: Calvary Day 70, Pike County 37

Bre Jones scored 21 points with eight steals and Zora Geiger had 12 points with 10 rebounds to lead the Cavaliers.

Girls: White County 70, Ringgold 38

Emma Lightsey tallied 16 points, Mya Yeh had 13 points, Kylie Watkins finished with 12 points, Aaliyah Anderson made 11 points and Zoe Burkett scored 10 points to lead White County.

Girls: Morgan County 49, Dougherty 41

Jaden Young scored 18 points, Cydney Burke added nine points, Kymora Smith finished with eight points and Madison Holcomb had seven pints to lead Morgan County past Dougherty.

Girls: Oconee County 53, Sandy Creek 40

Julie Azeltine led Oconee County with 17 points, Sadie Hale had 13 points and Eliza Oechsle finished with nine points to lead Oconee County.

Girls: Carver-Columbus 88, Harlem 25

Jazmin Thornton led Carver with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Girls: Pickens 71, Coahulla Creek 46

Pickens led 15-7 after the first quarter and 29-20 at the half before outscoring Coahulla Creek 27-14 in the third quarter to put the game away.

Boys: Hart County 81, Carver-Atlanta 45

Hart County advanced to the second round for the sixth straight season and Avery Strickland led with 17 points, 11 rebounds and three steals for the Bulldogs. Micah Reese added 11 points with 10 rebounds, Drew Maxwell finished with 11 points, four steals and two assists and O’Brien Evans tallied 11 points with three rebounds and two assists.

Boys: Monroe 47, Harlem 39

Senior Jaquan Maddox was 7-of-11 shooting for 16 points and Justin Burns was 6-of-14 shooting for 16 points to lead Monroe into the second round. Lorenzo Still and James Adams each scored five points for Monroe.

Boys: Upson-Lee 53, Long County 49

Upson outlasted a late run from Long County to advance to the second round. Long was trailing by 15 points in the fourth quarter before cutting the lead to two points but Upson-Lee was able to hang on for the victory.

Boys: Douglass 67, Monroe Area 44

Trailing 11-10 after the first quarter, Douglass put together a 21-16 run in the second quarter to enjoy a 31-27 lead at the half. The Astros held Monroe Area to 17 points in the second half to put the game away.

Boys: Lumpkin County 57, Ridgeland 37

Lumpkin led 21-7 after the first quarter and 29-15 at the half to advance past Ridgeland. The Indians put together a 16-11 effort in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

Boys: Hebron Christian 55, Cedar Grove 49

Blake Wilson scored 22 points with 11 rebounds and five blocks, Mataj Glover added 17 points with four assists and three rebounds and Jelani Smith-Mason finished with 11 points and a steal for Hebron.

Boys: Dawson County 56, Adairsville 48

Trey Harvey scored 28 points to lead Dawson County over Adairsville.

Class 2A

Boys: North Cobb Christian 77, North Murray 56

Gabe Bolden scored 19 points with seven assists, four rebounds and two steals to lead North Cobb Christian. Wyatt Thompson added 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists, Xavier Butler scored 12 points with seven rebounds and two assists, Grant Robich had nine points with nine assists, seven rebounds and four steals and Brock Bann-Bonner finished with eight points and seven rebounds.

Boys: Butler 49, Dodge Co 45 OT An overtime thriller leads to a Butler win on the road against Dodge County in the first round of the state playoffs. Dodge County was led by William Jordan with 10 points and Jerimiah Burns and Duke Johnson each with nine points of their own in the overtime loss.

Boys: Thomson 88, Fitzgerald 65 A 23-point victory against Fitzgerald moves Thomson onto the second round. Jahkiaus Jones led the way for Thomson, erupting for 25 points in the first round matchup. Daquan Young scored 19 points of his own on the way to the postseason win.

Boys: ELCA 66, Union Co 60 Eagles Landing was led by Kameron Warford who had a near double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds. Eseosa Aigbokhae added 15 points and Joseph Raines scored 12 points and pulled down nine rebounds as well to help lead the Chargers to victory. Jude Ellis led the way for Union County with 17 points.

Boys: Columbia 77, Providence Christian 48 Quay Wallace scored 19 points and brought down seven rebounds along with Tahmar Mann adding 15 points and nine rebounds to help Columbia move to the second round with a 29-point first round victory. Jaylon Seymour led the way for Providence Christian with 13 points.

Boys: Southwest Macon 71, Brantley County 47 Southwest-Macon defeats Brantley County in a 24-point victory in the first round of this season’s state playoffs. Leading the Patriots was Chase Dupree and Tyshawn Brantley with 11 points each.

Girls: Banks County 73 McNair 17

Banks County dominated fourth seeded McNair from start to finish to advance to the second round. Banks County came out of the gates hot, starting the contest with a 16-2 run and finishing the first quarter leading 29-8. The Leopards would take that same ferocity into the second quarter, outscoring McNair 20-2. Banks County wouldn’t slow down for the rest of the game, winning 73-17.

Girls: Sumter County 51, Thomson 41 Defense was the key for Sumter County as they held Thomson to just 16 points in the first half. The Panthers never looked back after that, taking home a 10-point win. Sumter County will now play Central in the second round of the playoffs.

Girls: 62, Providence Christian 35 Columbia finished with four players in double figures as Keamaura Robinson led the Eagles tonight with 17 points and 10 rebounds and Nia Anderson added 13 points of her own, leading the Eagles to victory. Sazy Cantrell led Providence Christian with 10 points and five rebounds. The Eagles will advance to the second round of the 2A Girls Basketball State Playoffs.

Girls: Union County 62, Landmark Christian 35 Union County defeated Landmark Christian by 27 points to move onto the second round against Murray County. Ariel McCarter led the way for the Panthers scoring 15 points, including her 1000th point of her career. Paula Robertson added 13 points and nine rebounds to add to the Panthers big win. Nikolette Soden scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds for Landmark Christian.

Girls: Dodge Co 56, Washington County 40 Dodge County finished with two players with 20 or more points as Lyric Green led with 22 points and Autumn Rhodes added 21 points to lead the Indians past Washington County.

Girls: Central-Macon 61 Toombs County 31

Central-Macon routed Toombs County on its way to the second round of the playoffs. The Chargers were led by the pair of Jazlyn Johnson, who had 13 points, nine rebounds, two assists, three steals, and two blocks, and Frances Anyakudo, who had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, dominating the paint on their way to the 61-31 win.

Girls: Mount Paran 76 Rockmart 29

Mount Paran showed why they are the top ranked team in 2A with a beatdown of Rockmart. Mount Paran dominated from the start, going on a 35-0 run to begin the game, a run that lasted until 6:03 left in the second quarter. The Eagles would finish the half leading by a score of 49-8. They extended the lead even more in the second half, finishing with a 76-29 win.

Class A Division I

Girls: Temple 79 Brooks Co. 56

Temple used a big fourth quarter to pull away and upset higher-seeded Brooks County. Both teams battled through the first two quarters taking a close game late into the second. Trailing by two late in the second quarter, the Trojans’ Armoni Frasier hit a buzzer beating 3-pointer as time expired giving Brooks County a 31-30 lead heading into the break. After a back-and-forth start to the third, Temple led 40-41 with less than two minutes left in the third quarter. The Tigers used a 20-5 run to end the third and start the fourth to pull away before defeating Brooks County 79-56.

Girls: Mt. Pisgah Christian 69, Darlington 49 Morgan Blake led Mt. Pisgah Christian with 29 points and Sydney Glahn added 20 points herself to lead the Lady Patriots past Darlington. Mt. Pisgah Christian’s 16-3 third quarter run was a huge part of their 20-point victory on the road. THe Lady Patriots will play Rabun County in the second round.

Girls: Trion 48, Paideia 29 The Lady Bulldogs pulled out a 19-point victory against Paideia on Wednesday night. Trion was led by I’Ziah McCutchins who scored 19 points to go along with six steals, three rebounds and three assists as well. Aubree Hines added 14 points of his own to go along with 10 points and 11 rebounds from Kinzleigh Turner.

Girls: Dublin 51 Metter 37

Dublin upset second seeded Metter as they led from start to finish in their first-round matchup. Dublin started with three 3-pointers, jumping out to a nine-point lead early in the first quarter. Metter would answer, cutting the lead to three by the end of the first, trailing 13-10. After trading two point field goals, Dublin outclassed Metter in the second quarter, going on a 13-6 run to end the half, leading 28-18 at the break. The Fighting Irish would keep a double-digit lead for the rest of the game, defeating Metter 51-37.

Girls: Galloway 62 Armuchee 18

Galloway crushed Armuchee as the Scots advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Galloway was led by Tianna Thompson, who had 15 points and five rebounds, and Taryn Thompson, who had 14 points, nine rebounds, and four steals in the 62-18 win over Armuchee.

Girls: Bryan County 56 Bleckley 38

Bryan County dominates Bleckley County to advance to the round of 16. Bryan County defeated the Royals on the backs of its three double digit scorers Liz Harvey with 10 points, Ashanti Brown with 14 points, and Kayley Wedlow with 17 points. Those three alone outscored Bleckley County by three points leading the Redskins to the 56-38 victory.

Girls: Lamar County 81 Irwin County 33

Lamar County made a statement in their dominant win over Irwin County. The Trojans had four players score in double figures, including Shakiria Foster, who led the game in scoring with 32 points, only one point shy of tying Irwin County’s point total in the 81-33 victory.

Boys: Chattooga vs Paideia 66, Chattooga 41 Frank Jackson led with 17 points and David Oglesby-Smith scored 12 of his own to lead Paideia to a 25-point victory against Chattooga. Quarry Gibson led Chattooga in points tonight, scoring 22 points.

Boys: Darlington 61, St. Francis 52 D’Marion Floyd’s 13 points led the Tigers as four Darlington players reached double figures on their way to the second round. Grant Hurton scored 12 points while Mackey Rush and Joseph Womack each contributed 10 points of their own. St. Francis was led by 19 points from Greg Howard. Darlington will move onto the second round to face Athens Christian.

Boys: Bleckley Co 46, Woodville-Tompkins 44 Woodville Thompson had the lead with nine seconds left in the game before Bleckley County stole the game at the buzzer with a game winning three-pointer from Caleb Farrow. Bleckley County moves onto the second round and awaits Temple.

Boys: Temple 58, Bacon County 51 Temple moves onto the Sweet Sixteen as they defeated Bacon County in a back and forth game. The Tigers were led by Darren Drayton with 15 points and Alexander Banks Jr. and Abraham Knight each scoring 14 points with Knight bringing down 10 rebounds as well.

Boys: Mt Vernon 104, Coosa 47 In a dominating win, Mount Vernon boys basketball took home a 57-point victory. They were led by four players in double figures and 15 different players scored to move onto the second round. Mount Vernon was led by Shayah Goba who scored 20 points and brought down 11 rebounds along with Xavier Shegog’s 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Class A Division II

Girls: Randolph-Clay 55, Telfair County 39

Randolph-Clay led 20-10 after the first quarter and 34-18 at the half before expanding the lead to 47-29 entering the fourth quarter. Zah’Mya McDuffie scored 17 points to lead Telfair County in a loss to Randolph-Clay.

Girls: Seminole County 58, Hawkinsville 38

Seminole led 14-4 after the first quarter and 24-10 at the half against Hawkinsville. The Indians extended the lead with an 18-11 run in the third quarter to put the game out of reach.

Girls: Montgomery County 71, Charlton County 45

Senior guard Marley Bell led Montgomery County to a 27-1 record and surpassed 2,000 points in her career in a blowout victory against Charlton.

Boys: Christian Heritage 71, Taylor County 51 Jax Abernathy led Christian Heritage with 29 points as they defeated Taylor county to advance to the second round. Abernathy scored 17 points in the second half to help give the Lions the edge. Cash Hare added 17 points of his own in the first round matchup.

Boys: McIntosh Co Academy 53, Turner County 40 The Buccaneers were led by Neo West and MJ Quarterman who scored 18 points each to help lead McIntosh County Academy past Turner County.

Boys: Clinch Co 60, Jenkins Co. 54 Clinch County was led by multiple 20-point scorers as Jeremy Bell scored 26 and Aaron Bryant scored 22, including 17 second half points, to lead the Panthers to victory. Clinch County will now move onto the second round to play at Mitchell County.