GHSA basketball state tournament: Second round updates from Friday

Girls

Buford 72, Cherokee 52

No. 1 seed Buford trailed visiting Cherokee 15-14 after the first quarter before seizing control in the second en route to a 72-52 Sweet 16 victory. The Wolves outscored the Warriors by a margin of 16-7 during the frame and improved to 26-3 on the season with the win. Buford will take a five-game win streak into its Elite 8 matchup with the victor of Saturday’s game between North Paulding and Pebblebrook.

Brookwood 65, Carrollton 60

The visiting Trojans got off to a hot start, but the No. 1 seeded Broncos pulled away with a big third quarter to improve to 28-1 overall and set up a third-round showdown with South Forsyth. Carrollton senior Eghosa Obasuyi had 16 points — including a trio of 3-pointers — in the first half, after which the Trojans held a 35-30 lead, and Brookwood won the third quarter by a margin of 22-13 for a 52-48 edge heading into the final frame. Diana Collins led all scorers with 26 points, along with seven rebounds and five assists, Jade Weathersby put up 22 points and eight rebounds, and Danielle Osho added eight points and eight boards as well.

South Forsyth 54, Peachtree Ridge 35

No. 1 seed South Forsyth got its 18th-straight win with a comfortable 54-35 victory over visiting Peachtree Ridge. The War Eagles led the Lions 11-7 after the opening frame, 22-14 at halftime and 43-26 heading into the fourth. The win marked the 300th of head coach Keith Gravitt’s tenure at South Forsyth, which will face fellow 1-seed Brookwood in the next round.

Class 6A

Girls

Gainesville 63, Woodstock 61

After eliminating No. 1 seed Sprayberry in the opening round (70-66), the No. 4 seed Red Elephants completed another upset with a 63-61victory over host Woodstock. Gainesville rallied in the fourth quarter to claim the lead, led by sophomores Julia Payne and Drea Maddox, who finished the game with 16 and 10 points, respectively. For Woodstock, Karson Martin scored a game-high 28 points, and the Wolverines also got double-digit scoring from Casey Miller (12 points) and Lily Conkell (11). Gainesville will face No. 3 seed Lovejoy in the next round following the Wildcats’ upset of No. 1 seed Veterans.

Sequoyah 59, North Forsyth 46

Sequoyah completed a 3-0 sweep this year of North Forsyth with a13-point second-round victory. Elle Blatchford led the team in scoring with 17 points and added seven assists. Milanni Salaam flirted with a double-double, finishing with 14 points and nine rebounds. Sequoyah will play Brunswick in the next round.

Brunswick 53, Woodward Academy 48

Brunswick outlasted Woodward Academy to punch its ticket to the Elite8. The Pirates put together a stellar defensive performance, forcing27 turnovers and limiting a potent offense to 28% from the field and their lowest-scoring output of the season. Sarah Lewis finished her basketball career at Woodward Academy with 23 points and four steals. Brunswick will play Sequoyah in the Elite 8.

River Ridge 65, Blessed Trinity 47

River Ridge advanced to the Elite 8 after an 18-point victory against Blessed Trinity. Sophia Pearl was the leading scorer with 22 points, and Mataya Gayle stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and seven steals. Makayla Roberson added 10points as well for the Knights, who will face Marist in the quarterfinals.

Marist 61, Tift County 37

Marist dominated Tift County by 24 points to advance to the quarterfinals. The Lady War Eagles built a 21-point advantage (37-16)by the break before coasting to a 61-37 win, led by freshman Kate Harpring’s 26 points. For Tift County, Jalaya Miller finished with 20points. Marist will face River Ridge in the next round.

In other 6A girls games: No. 1 seed Rockdale County continued its impressive season with a 22-point victory (65-43) against Lee County to advance to the quarterfinals. … No. 3 seed (and defending state champion) Lovejoy punched its ticket to the Elite 8 with a 72-53 win over top-seeded Veterans.

Class 5A

Boys

Kell 79, Eastside 48

Peyton Marshall led No. 1 seed Kell over No. 3 seed Eastside with a double-double, scoring 21 points and grabbing 11 rebounds to go with three assists and two blocked shots. Jaylen Colon provided long-range shooting for the host Longhorns, scoring 17 points on 5-of-7three-point shooting with six rebounds and five assists. Cannon Richards also had a double-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, and Parrish Johnson Jr. scored 10 points. Aaron Smith also had eight points for the Longhorns, who will face Saturday’s Decatur-Dutchtown winner in the quarterfinals.

In other 5A boys games: No. 1 seed Eagle’s Landing defeated No. 3 seed Lithonia at home 64-36. In the quarterfinals, Eagle’s Landing will face the winner of Saturday’s game between Winder-Barrow and Mays.

Girls

Arabia Mountain 52, Jones County 36

No. 2 seed Arabia Mountain defeated No. 4 seed Jones County at home after a 20-6 run in the fourth quarter broke open a game that was tied30-30 at the end of the third. Arabia Mountain was led by 18 points and seven rebounds from Myori Pruitt. Also for the Lady Rams, Malaya Jones scored 15 points and Lauren Chavis scored 11 points. Arabia Mountain led at halftime 22-14. The Lady Rams will meet No. 1 seed Calhoun in the quarterfinals.

Union Grove 67, Northside-Columbus 54

No. 1 seed Northside-Columbus trailed by as few as four points in the fourth quarter, but No. 2 seed Union Grove held on for the road victory. Union Grove’s Jordan Brooks scored 26 points, Nadea Smith added 14 points and both Julia Baker and Alexis Parson scored 11points. Union Grove led by as many as 16 points in the first quarter and led 37-26 at halftime. Union Grove will travel to No. 1 seed Jackson-Atlanta in the quarterfinals.

Kell 50, Hiram 35

Crystal Henderson led No. 1 seed Kell to a home win over No. 2 seed Hiram with 20 points, three assists and three steals. Also for the Lady Longhorns, MaKayah Harris scored 10 points with three rebounds; Jada Green had nine points, three steals and three blocks; Jamiah Gregory had eight points, seven rebounds and three steals; and Sydney Moss had 10 rebounds. In the quarterfinals, Kell will face the winner of Saturday’s matchup between Bradwell Institute and Decatur.

Midtown 44, Cartersville 31

No. 2 seed Midtown got the home win over No. 4 seed Cartersville, led by 16 points from Cate Barton. Also for Midtown, Sinclair Richman scored 10 points and Briaiah Lewis scored nine points. Midtown moved to 22-8 with the win and will travel to No. 1 seed Warner Robins for the quarterfinals.

In other 5A girls games: No. 1 seed Calhoun came from behind in the second half to defeat No. 2 seed Cambridge at home 68-63. Calhoun will meet Arabia Mountain in the quarterfinals. ... No. 1 seed Warner Robins was a home winner over No. 2 seed Harris County 55-43. In the quarterfinals, Warner Robins will host No. 2 seed Midtown. ... No. 1seed Jackson-Atlanta handled No. 3 seed Dalton at home 66-41.

Class 4A

Girls

Northwest Whitfield 56, Westminster 54

Top-seeded Northwest Whitfield overcame a 35-32 halftime deficit with a 12-8 advantage in the third quarter to take a 44-43 lead before holding off the Wildcats. The victory sends the Bruins into the quarterfinals for the second-straight season and results in Westminster’s only loss within Class 4A this season outside of its 1-2 record to its Region 6 foe Holy Innocents’ this year. Northwest Whitfield is also undefeated in Class 4A outside of its region and avenged its previous losses in the region tournament to take the top seed.

Hardaway 60, Fayette County 30

Hardaway trailed 9-8 after the first quarter before outscoring the visiting Tigers 52-21. Mikayla Johnson finished with a game-high 29 points, Jordyn Askew added nine points and Akilah Shelton finished with eight points to fuel the Hawks.

Griffin 60, Starr’s Mill 30

Top-seeded Griffin picked up its eighth-straight victory and jumped out to a commanding 25-12 halftime lead. The Bears grew the lead to 44-21 heading into the fourth quarter before closing out the 30-point victory.

Chestatee 66, Stockbridge 56

Top-seeded Chestatee outscored Stockbridge 16-6 in the second quarter to grow a 35-18 halftime lead. Stockbridge cut the deficit to 48-36 heading into the final quarter. Carolina Bull and Riley Black accounted for all 35 of Chestatee’s first-half points. The War Eagles will take on Griffin in the Elite 8.

Class 3A

Boys

Dougherty 76, Harlem 59

Jacob Stallworth scored 21 points to lead Dougherty alongside Jawaun Jinks and Jai’on Burns, who scored 14 points each and Kaleke Singletary Jinks, who scored 12 points.

In other boys game: Long County, the Region 3 No. 3 2 seed, upended Region 2 No. 1-seeded Upson-Lee 71-68 and awaits the Cedar Grove/Monroe Area winner in the quarterfinals.

Girls

Lumpkin County 66, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 32

Lumpkin County continued the trek to a title defense after beating Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe. Averie Jones scored 24 points, Kate Jackson finished with 15 points, Mary Mullinax added 14 points and Lexi Pierce scored 11 points for the Indians.

Wesleyan 83, Coahulla Creek 33

Sophomore Johanna Potter scored 21 points with four rebounds and two assists to lead Wesleyan into the quarterfinals. Junior point guard Chazadi Wright scored 15 points with 10 assists, six rebounds and four steals, sophomore Londyn Walker scored 13 points with four rebounds and two steals and Audrey Ekoue-Bla finished with 11 points for the Wolves.

Hebron Christian 77, Carver-Atlanta 23

Hebron Christian remained undefeated at 28-0 and will advance to the quarterfinals after beating Carver-Atlanta 77-23. The Lions were led by Ja’kerra Butler, who scored 24 points with 10 rebounds. Amiya Porter added 20 points with five assists and Aubrey Beckham scored eight points with six assists and five steals. Camryn Register scored eight points with three steals and Nickyia Daniel finished with eight points.

Calvary Day 57, Peach County 49

Senior point guard Hannah Cail scored 23 points to lead the Cavaliers past Peach County and into the quarterfinals. Sophomore point guard Bre Jones finished with 12 points and sophomore shooting guard Destini Gooddine scored nine points. Peach County was led by Alexis Heyward, who scored 15 points.

In other 3A girls games: Dawson County will travel to Calvary Day after beating Adairsville 58-37. … Mary Persons defeated Liberty County 47-43 and will travel to top-ranked Hebron Christian in the quarterfinals. … Carver-Columbus defeated Morgan County 94-31 and will travel to Wesleyan for the quarterfinals.

Class 2A

Girls

Banks County 53, North Cobb Christian 35

No. 3 seed North Cobb Christian got an outstanding 22-point, seven-rebound and five block effort from Brooke Moore, but was no match for the top-seeded Leopards—who improved to 26-3 and stamped their 19th-straight victory. Banks County will take on Central-Macon in the Elite 8 after its 73-54 triumph over Laney.

Central-Macon 73, Laney 54

No. 1 seed Central-Macon junior Taliah Grier netted a game-high 24 points and her Class of 2024 teammate Taye Davis added 10 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

Murray County 61, KIPP Atlanta 56 OT

Murray County survived overtime to advance to the Elite 8 for the first time since 1978 and improved to 22-4 overall with a 13-game win-streak heading into their showdown with the winner.

Class A Division I

Girls

Oglethorpe County 51, Rabun County 50

No. 1 seed Oglethorpe County survived visiting Rabun County in a tightly contested game. Sophomore Kenzie Henderson led the Lady Patriots in scoring with 23 points and added 10 rebounds. Three players scored in double figures for the Patriots, including Amber Watkins (11 points) and Denim Goodward (10). Mili Watts led the Lady Wildcats in scoring with 16 points and finished with six rebounds and six steals. Rabun County had an opportunity to take the lead in the game’s final moments, but the last possession ended in a traveling call. Oglethorpe County will face Woodville-Thompkins in the quarterfinals.

Swainsboro 63, Temple 52

Swainsboro advances to the Elite 8 after a nine-point victory against Temple. Serah Kelly led the team in scoring with 23 points, including 10 points in the second quarter alone, and McKenna Nix led all scorers with 25 points for Temple. Swainsboro will play Elbert County in the next round.

Woodville-Tompkins 67, Dublin 34

Woodville-Tompkins cruised to a 33-point victory to secure a spot in the Elite 8. Senior point guard Sanai Chisholm led the Wolverines in scoring with 24 points, Brianna Pelote had a career night with a 19-point, 13-rebound, 10-block triple-double and Janiyah Heyward added 13 points and 14 rebounds. Woodville-Thompkins will play Oglethorpe County in the quarterfinals.

In other Division I girls games: No. 1 seed St. Francis cruised to a 36-point victory (90-54) against visiting Athens Christian and will face Lamar County following the Trojans’ 76-62 win over East Laurens. … With a 48-37 win over Screven County, No. 1 seed Pelham is advancing to the Elite 8, where the Hornets will play the winner of Saturday’s game between Darlington and Galloway. … Host Elbert County survived No. 3 seed Mount Pisgah, defeating the Patriots 77-71 in overtime. The Blue Devils will see Swainsboro in the third round next week.

Class A Division II

Girls

Mt. Zion-Carroll 57, Macon County 46No. 1 seed Mt. Zion-Carroll advanced to the state quarterfinals for the first time in program history with a home win over No. 2 seed Macon County. The Lady Eagles will host No. 2 seed Wilcox County in next week’s quarterfinals matchup.

In other Division II girls games: No. 2 seed Wilcox County edged No. 1 seed Early County on the road 48-46. ... Defending state champion and No. 1seed Lake Oconee Academy cruised past No. 3 seed Schley County at home63-34. LOA will meet No. 1 seed Turner County, a 69-42 home winner over No. 4 Telfair County, in the quarterfinals. ... No. 2 seed Clinch County defeated No. 1 seed Montgomery County 57-41 on the road. In the quarterfinals, Clinch County will face No. 2 seed Towns County, a66-57 home winner over No. 4 seed Chattahoochee County. ... No. 1 seed Taylor County pulled away for a home win over No. 3 seed Greene County after trailing 23-21 at halftime. In the quarterfinals, Taylor County will host No. 2 seed Randolph-Clay, which won on the road at No. 1seed Hawkinsville 37-30.