GHSA playoff basketball recaps: Second Round

Class 7A

Boys: Wheeler 63, Berkmar 51

Defending state champion Wheeler went into the half with a 30-16 lead after a half-court three-pointer by Amare James at the buzzer. Berkmar shrunk the deficit to 46-37 heading into the final frame before the Wildcats closed out their 12th-straight win. Josh Hill (20) and Amare James (13) notched double-figures for Wheeler, while the Patriots were led by Mekhi Ragland (20) and Michael White (16).

Boys: Campbell 75, Valdosta 49

Region 2 No. 1 seed Campbell avenged last year’s 61-60 first round loss to Valdosta with an emphatic 75-49 home win to set up a showdown with defending state champion Wheeler this Wednesday.

Boys: McEachern 67, Newton 64

Newton jumped out to a 17-9 lead after the first quarter and 33-29 at the half, but McEachern All-American Ace Bailey’s heroics and game-high 33 points were just enough to lead the Indians to a thrilling 67-64 victory. The Rams were led by Jabez Jenkins’ 17 points.

Boys: Norcross 54, Buford 48

Norcross outscored Buford 18-8 in the second quarter to gain a 29-23 lead at the half. The Wolves shrunk the deficit to 43-38 heading into the fourth quarter and 45-41 with 2:49 to play. The Blue Devils were led in scoring by Toby Ojukwu (14), Casey Williams (10), Alex Pace (10) and Jaron Saulsberry (8).

Boys: Grayson 57, Carrollton 44

Carrollton took a 22-21 lead into the half over the No. 1 ranked Rams, but Purde signee Gicarri Harris heated up and finished with a game-high 16 points as Grayson outscored the Trojans 36-22 in the second half. The Rams will take on Peachtree Ridge in the Elite Eight in a rematch of their 80-71 win back on Nov. 22. Peachtree Ridge is fresh off a 50-41 win over Mountain View.

Boys: Pebblebrook 72, Archer 53

Host Pebblebrook cruised past No. 4 seed Archer and was led by Arthur Williams (24) and Zyree (Brown), who combined for 44 of the Falcons’ points. Teammate Caleb Thomas finished with 12 points and facilitated 13 assists. The Falcons will take on Milton in the Elite Eight in a rematch of Milton’s 64-62 win back on Nov. 28. Milton (19-10) advanced with a 57-49 win over Walton and has won eight straight after opening the season 11-10.

Girls: Grayson 76, McEachern 31

No. 1 ranked Grayson jumped out to a 31-15 halftime lead and outscored the Indians 45-16 in the second half to improve its record to 29-0. The Rams previously defeated McEachern 68-50 on Jan. 20 and will take on last year’s state-runner-up Norcross in the Elite 8. Grayson previously defeated Norcross 59-37 on Jan. 15.

Girls: Cherokee 83, Lambert 51

A 29-point night from Toni Warren lifted Cherokee past Lambert and into the quarterfinals while leading a trio of players in double-figures for the Warriors. Madison Moody added 14 points and Riley Simmons finished with 13 points. Lambert was paced by 20 points from Annarose Tyre.

Girls: North Paulding 48, Newton 37

North Paulding nursed a 10-point lead through the fourth quarter to secure the victory and advance to the quarterfinals. The Wolfpack led 13-12 after the first quarter and 21-16 at the half. North Paulding expanded the lead to 37-27 entering the fourth quarter.

Girls: Norcross 49, North Cobb 30

Justus Fitzgerald scored 16 points to lead the Blue Devils to a 24-5 record and send the team to the quarterfinals. Mariyah Valrie tallied 13 points for Norcross.

Girls: Buford 71, North Gwinnett 24

Buford led 57-15 at the half in a romp of North Gwinnett. The halftime lead was fueled by 13 3-point shots. The Wolves will play North Paulding in the quarterfinals.

Class 6A

Girls: North Forsyth 45, Sequoyah 28

North Forsyth used a 10-0 run in the third quarter to break the game open and advance to the Elite Eight. It was a slow start for North Forsyth as they didn’t score their first bucket until 3:55 left in the first period. London Weaver kept the Lady Raiders in it with her eight first-quarter points and finished with 19 points in the game. The Lady Raiders held a slim five-point lead at halftime before extending the deficit to double-digits in the third quarter. Sequoyah made things interesting by countering six unanswered points, but Lindsey Pirkle hit a buzzer-beater at the end of the quarter and restored North Forsyth’s double-digit lead heading into the fourth. The Lady Raiders are eyeing their first time in program history and got one step closer after a dominant second half on Friday.

Girls: Hughes 59, Rome 38

Hughes used a hot start to defeat the Rome Wolves at home. The Lady Panthers started the game on a 10-2 run and extended their lead to 34-18 at halftime. The Lady Wolves made a run in the third quarter holding Hughes to just seven points and trimmed the lead to single digits. Hughes put the game out of reach and outscored Rome 18-8 in the fourth quarter. Friday marked the second consecutive game that Hughes held their opponent to under 40 points in the postseason. The Lady Wolves led the entire way for a wire-to-wire victory on Friday night.

Girls: River Ridge 71, New Manchester 56 OT

Allie Sweet 20-20 double leads River Ridge past New Manchester as they advance to the Elite Eight. Sweet finished with 22 points, 25 rebounds and four assists on Friday. Sophia Pearl was the team’s leading scorer with 26 points and scored 19 of her points from the free-throw line. Pearl also added four assists. New Manchester gave the defending state champion River Ridge a battle as they changed leads with the Lady Knights throughout the night. The Lady Knights were able to pull away from a gritty New Manchester team in overtime, thanks to Pearl and Sweet. Makayla Roberson also hit double-figures and finished with 13 points. River Ridge will face Tift County in the quarterfinals.

Girls: Tift County 65, Glynn Academy 38

Tift County extends its winning streak to seven after a strong second quarter. The Lady Blue Devils held a slim 16-12 lead early in the first quarter, but the lead ballooned to 15 in the second quarter after a 13-2 run. There was no doubt after that, and Glynn Academy couldn’t generate enough offense to keep up. During the winning streak, Tift County has eclipsed 60 points in four of the seven games. The Lady Blue Devils will face 6A defending state champion River Ridge in the Elite Eight.

Boys: Grovetown 36-59, North Atlanta 36

A 23-point victory for Grovetown proved to be more than enough as they will move onto the Elite Eight and play Alexander on the road. Alexander defeated Alpharetta by 16-points in their matchup in the second round.

Boys: Alexander 69, Alpharetta 53

Alexander takes home a 16-point home victory to eliminate Alpharetta from the Class 6A State Playoffs. The Cougars were led by multiple double-doubles from Gregory Dunson as he had 22 points, 10 assists and five rebounds and Chris Hutchinson’s 19 points and 10 rebounds along with two steals. Braedon Lue added 15 points and five blocks of his own in the Cougars victory.

Boys: Woodward Academy 54, Marist 39

After a back and forth first quarter, Woodward led by four points at halftime with a 21-17 lead. The Eagles were able to pull away, advancing to the Elite Eight in 15-point victory against Marist. After their victory tonight the Eagles will host an Elite Eight matchup next round. Woodward was led by Zac Foster with 16 points and eight rebounds and Payton Waites with 13 points.

Boys: Douglas Co 53, Pope 50 OT

An overtime thriller ends in a victory for Douglas CO as they escape with a three-point victory in the extra period. The Tigers scored five points in overtime to break away from the Greyhounds. Douglas County came back from a five point deficit by the end of the first half and pulled away in overtime to move onto the Elite Eight.

Boys: Hughes 58, Sprayberry 51

Hughes takes home a seven point victory on the road as they move past Sprayberry and advance to the Elite Eight. Hughes outscored Sprayberry in three of four quarters in their Sweet 16 matchup and held a four point lead at the half before maintaining the lead for the rest of the game.

Boys: Jonesboro 64, St. Pius 55

Jonesboro defeats St. Pius by nine points to advance past the second round. In the Elite Eight, Jonesboro will face a Langston Hughes team who took home a seven-point victory on the road at Sprayberry in the second round.

Boys: Woodstock 65, South Paulding 54

Woodstock will face Riverwood in the Elite Eight after their 11-point Sweet 16 victory against South Paulding. Woodstock was led by 24 points from Jamier Nowell, 10 points from Quentin Rakestraw and nine points from Jackson Warren. South Paulding was led by Andrew Lavigne with 22 points, Malachi Hogan with nine points and Evrad Makendi six blocks in the loss to Woodstock

Boys: Riverwood 95, Evans 72

The Raiders advanced to the Class 6A Elite Eight as they took home a 24-point victory on the road against Evans. Riverwood will go on the road to play at one-seeded Woodstock in the Elite Eight.

Class 5A

Boys: Jackson-Atlanta 67 Greater Atlanta Christian 64

No. 4 seed Jackson-Atlanta defeated Greater Atlanta Christian in a four quarter battle. Jackson opened the game playing suffocating defense, holding GAC to only seven points, leading 11-7 after the first. GAC fought back in the second to tie by the half, going into the break down 26-25. The second half was mostly even, with Jackson outscoring the Spartans by two in the second half, winning the game 67-64.

Boys: Kell 75 Chapel Hill 63

Defending state champion and No. 1 ranked Kell defeated Chapel Hill to advance to their fifth straight quarterfinals appearance. Kell led the game from start to finish, led by senior guard CJ Brown who had 29 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals, helping the Longhorns outscore Chapel Hill in every quarter, eventually winning 75-63.

Boys: Eagles Landing 52 Bradwell Institute 51

Eagles Landing won a hard fought victory over Bradwell Institute to make it to the next round of the playoffs. The first quarter was evenly matched, with Bradwell Institute leading 12-11 after the first. Eagles Landing dominated the second, going into the half leading 26-14. The Tigers fought back in the third, cutting the lead to four by the end of the period, only trailing 35-31. The Eagles held on to win 52-51, holding off the late Tiger charge to advance to the quarterfinals.

Girls: Arabia Mountain 58, Eagles Landing 46

Arabia Mountain outscored Eagles Landing 16-6 in the third quarter with the game being tightly contested throughout the first half. The Lady Rams held a 19-16 lead at the break. Sha’nya Heath carried the scoring load offensively, including a buzzer-beating three-point shot at the end of the first quarter to give her team some momentum. She surpassed her scoring average of 22 points per game in the contest, finishing with 33 points. For Eagles Landing, Indigo Brown and Jordan Green finished in double-figures. Green had a double-double on the night with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Girls: Midtown 69, GAC 48

Sophomore Hailey Wortmann’s 26-point 13 rebound performance leads Midtown to end Greater Atlanta Christian’s three-game winning streak. The Lady Knight got significant contributions on Friday night as three other players hit double-figures in addition to Wortmann’s 26. Devin Bockman scored 14 points, dished out three assists, and three steals on defense. Sinclair Richman also had 14 points. Junior Cate Barton nearly finished with a double-double grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out nine assists. It was a wire-to-wire victory for Midtown, and they will face Jones County in the Elite Eight.

Boys: Tri-Cities 45, Hiram 41

Tre Keith hit the go-ahead field goal with less than a minute left to lift Tri-Cities past Hiram. The Bulldogs’ defense was stout throughout the game, and they held Hiram to 1-20 from three-point range. Tri-Cities held a 26-17 lead at the half, but the Hornets remained within striking distance in the second half and cut the lead to two points with 1:36 left in the game. As both teams struggled to knock down a shot, Keith’s heroics gave the Bulldogs some cushion late. Ja’Shun London finished with a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Kamon Canty added 10 points for Tri-Cities. Malique Johnson contributed eight assists for the Bulldogs. Tri-Cities will face the winner of Bradwell Institute-Eagles Landing in the quarterfinals.

Boys: Warner Robins 76, Decatur 69

Third seeded Warner Robins won a hard-fought victory over top seeded Decatur to advance to the third round of the playoffs. Warner Robins fought hard, with senior guard Jay Johnson scoring 23 points in the contest, leading all players. Decatur fought just as hard but were unable to overcome the Demons’ offensive barrage in the 76-59 game.

Boys: Tucker 72, Jones County 40

Tucker demolished fourth seeded Jones County to advance to the quarterfinals of the GHSA playoffs. The Tigers started the game on a 21-1 run and never looked back, ballooning their lead to 30 points by the end of the first half. The Greyhounds tried to fight back to start the third, but it was too little too late, and Tucker pushed the lead up to 32 by the end of the game, winning 72-40.

Boys: Winder-Barrow 94, North Springs 73

Winder-Barrow put on an offensive clinic in its second round victory over North Springs. After being upset as the one seed by Mays in the second round of the playoffs last year, the Winder-Barrow Bulldoggs dominated the Spartans on the offensive side of the ball, helping them to the 94-73 win and to advance to the quarterfinals.

Girls: Harris County 50, Bradwell Institute 48

Brooke Bass’ game-winning free throws lifted Harris County past Bradwell Institute. Bradwell controlled the first half, holding a 30-17 lead at halftime. The Lady Tigers held Harris County to single digit scoring quarters in the first half. Harris County’s defense allowed Bradwell Institute an 18-7 effort in the third quarter. Harris County started the fourth quarter on a 13-1 run and capitalized the momentum to help punch their ticket to the Elite Eight.

Girls: Cartersville 66, Jefferson 64

Cartersville outlasted Jefferson thanks to Ansley Griffin’s 29 points in the Sweet 16. Griffin tripled her scoring output from the first round of the playoffs against Cambridge, where she scored nine points. She found her groove early, and it continued throughout the game. The Lady Hurricanes had three scorers in double figures, including Griffin, KK Arnold (12 points) and Nayel Cramper (10 points). The Lady Hurricanes have now won three of their last four games. Cartersville will face Harris County in the quarterfinals.

Girls: Union Grove 61, Statesboro 43

Union Grove advanced after an 18-point third quarter helped them break the game open and win by double-digits. Union Grove trailed by three at half time but used an 18-2 run in the third quarter to take control of the game. The Lady Wolverines got a great performance from Jordan Adair as she scored a game-high 28 points. Adair continues to have a stellar season for Union Grove. The senior was named Region 2-5A player of the year for the 2023-2024 season. Mariah Miller and Nadea Smith combined for 26 points for the Lady Wolverines. Union Grove will face Maynard Jackson in the Elite Eight.

Girls: Veterans 76, Brunswick 42

Veterans dominated for a wire-to-wire victory against Brunswick and had four scorers reach double-figures. Gabby Minus had 10 points, Nariah Nelson scored 15 points, Rionna Byrd added 12 points, and Desteyn Seaton finished with 10 points. Veterans has now won 14 of its last 15 games and has held its first two opponents in the playoffs under 45 points. Veterans will face Langston Hughes in the quarterfinals.

Girls: Jackson-Atlanta 72, Kell 45

Maynard Jackson continues dominance in the postseason after its 27-point victory against the Kell Longhorns. It’s the second time this postseason they have scored more than 70 points in a game, and the 13th time reaching that mark in the 2023-2024 season. The Lady Jaguars have lost three games in the past two seasons and just defeated the 5A defending state champion. They are seeking their first state championship in school history and got one step closer on Friday. For Kell, freshman Asiah Thompson was the leading scorer finishing with 19 points and five rebounds. Kennedy Deese also added 13 points. Deese was a major contributor to Kell’s turnaround midseason. Maynard Jackson will face Union Grove in the quarterfinals.

Girls: Dalton 70, Creekside 60

Dalton’s second-half offense led them past Creekside in the Sweet 16. Creekside held the early lead in the first quarter and a narrow 26-25 lead at halftime. Dalton got their first lead in the game in the third quarter and built a 48-40 lead heading into the fourth after outscoring the Lady Seminoles 22-15 in the period. The Lady Catamounts followed up with another 22-point quarter to defeat Creekside. Grace Ridley was the leading scorer for Dalton and she finished with a double-double, scoring 24 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Two more scorers hit double figures in Kemara Washington (14 points) and Jollie Wingfield 10 points). Dalton will face Arabia Mountain in the Elite Eight.

Girls: Jones County 34, Ware County 32

Jones County survives in a low-scoring affair on Friday night. Jones County hit its second-lowest scoring output this season. One constant so far in the playoffs for the Lady Greyhounds is their defense. Jones County has held their last two opponents in the playoffs to 32 points. In their last four games, opponents are averaging 37.3 points per game. It’s been carrying them so far and the reason why they are moving on to the Elite Eight. Jones County will face Midtown’s streaking offense in the next round.

Class 4A

Boys: Holy Innocents’ 62, Pace Academy 58

No. 1 seed Holy Innocents’ eliminated defending state champion Pace Academy at home and extended its win-streak to 13-straight games, while improving to 24-6 overall. The Golden Bears were eliminated in the first round last year to McDonough—the team that topped the Knights in the Region 5 championship to give Pace a No. 2 seed and send them to red-hot Holy Innocents’. The Golden Bears trailed early before sparking a 13-0 scoring run to take a 15-7 lead after the first quarter. Holy Innocents’ grew its lead to 17 points before taking a 33-24 advantage into the break and were fueled by Devin Hutchinson’s 13 points and Caleb Wilson’s 10 points and four blocked shots in the first half. Hutchinson continued to keep the Golden Bears out front and poured on 16 points in the second half to finish with a game-high 29 points. Holy Innocents’ led 47-37 heading into the final frame before securing the victory.

Boys: Westminster 58, McDonough 50

Visiting Westminster outscored No. 1 ranked McDonough 18-3 in the fourth quarter to punch its ticket to the Elite 8. Westminster jumped out to a 16-11 lead after the first quarter, but McDonough took a 27-21 lead after stacking up a 16-5 edge in the second quarter. Westminster will visit No. 1 seed Baldwin in the finals after the Braves cruised past Riverdale 66-46 Saturday night.

Boys: New Hampstead 66, Cairo 46

Top-seeded New Hampstead jumped out to a 34-21 lead and secured the first quarterfinal appearance in school history, while extending its win-streak to 16-straight victories. The Phoenix will take on North Oconee in the Elite Eight this Wednesday after the top-seeded Titans topped Central-Carroll 91-66 to also grow its win-streak to 16-straight.

Boys: Whitewater 73, Spalding 61

No. 4 seed Whitewater stunned host Spalding and went into the half with a 43-31 lead. The Wildcats secured their first quarterfinal berth in school history and had four Wildcats notch double-figure scoring with Kamiron Jones (23), Ashtain Preston (20), Seyi Daramola (13) and Kaden Thomas (11).

Boys: Benedictine 66, Westover 52

Westover was eliminated by the host Cadets after upsetting last year’s state runner-up Fayette County. Benedictine will host Seckinger this Wednesday with an opportunity to return to the semifinals for consecutive years as the Jags make their first-ever quarterfinal appearance after Saturday’s road win over top-seeded Sonoraville.

Boys: Seckinger 62, Sonoraville 49

Second-year program Seckinger made history on Saturday with a 62-49 road win over No. 1 seed Sonoraville to advance to the quarterfinals. The Jags were led by KJ Banks (19), Carter Watkins (13), Braxton Miller (12) and Tony Wells (8).

Girls: Baldwin 62, Trinity Christian 42

No. 1 ranked Baldwin punched its ticket to the quarterfinals and remains undefeated within Class 4A this season. Janaye Walker notched a double-double with a game-high 20 points and 14 rebounds, Madison Ruff added 17 points, seven assists and six rebounds and teammates Kassidy Neal and Jasmine Williams each finished with eight points.

Girls: Fayette County 53 Burke County 26

Fayette County pulled away late from Burke County in the second round of the playoffs. Burke County led for much of the first half and went into the half with a 16-15 lead over the Tigers. The second half was dominated by Fayette County and their suffocating defense, giving up only ten points the rest of the game while being led on offense by Deyla McCoy with 17 points and Megan Ohonde with 17 points, securing the 53-26 victory.

Girls: Chestatee 61 Heritage-Catoosa 55

Chestatee fought back from adversity early in their first-round victory over Heritage-Catoosa. The War Eagles fell behind early as Heritage ended the first quarter up 16-7. Chestatee battled back through the rest of the first half, taking a 24-23 lead into the break. Led by Riley Black’s 30 points and 18 rebounds, the War Eagles pulled out the victory over the upset minded Generals, 61-55

Girls: Holy Innocents’ 76 Luella 59

Second ranked Holy Innocents rolled past Luella into the Elite Eight. The Golden Bears dominated the majority of the game while Luella put up a fight, with the Lions’ Milani Smith leading all players in scoring with 27 points. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome Holy Innocents and its quest to bring coach Nichole Dixon her fifth state title.

Girls: Stockbridge 63 Southwest DeKalb 61

Stockbridge escapes an upset minded Southwest DeKalb team to advance to the third round of the GHSA state tournament. Led by the scoring output of CJ Wilson with 23 points and Kahli Ingram with 13 points, the top-seeded Tigers needed every point to move on to the next round, defeating Southwest DeKalb 63-61.

Girls: North Oconee 64, Sonoraville 36

North Oconee went on the road and upset top seeded Sonoraville as the Titans advanced to the quarterfinals. North Oconee dominated the Phoenix, led by three double digit scorers Aiyanna Peavy who scored 20 points, Laura Willis who scored 14 points along with 11 rebounds, and Kendall Wells who scored 13 points and brought down 19 rebounds in their 64-36 win.

Girls: Hardaway 64 Griffin 33

Hardaway routed Griffin as the Hawks made a statement in their second-round win. Hardaway led the game from start to finish, amassing a double-digit lead by the end of the first period. The Hawks would continue to grow their lead eventually winning 64-33.

Class 3A

Boys: Hart County 64 Pickens 62

Hart County won a hard fought second round game with Pickens to advance to the Elite 8. The game started off as a back and forth affair, with the Dragons ending the first up 19-17 on Hart County. The Bulldogs dominated the second quarter, going into halftime leading 39-31. Hart County kept the lead at eight throughout the third quarter, heading into the fourth up 51-43. Pickens fought back to within two however, the Dragons missed the game winning buzzer beater, losing by two, 64-62.

Boys: Monroe 61 Calvary Day 41

Monroe comes back against Calvary Day to make it to the Elite 8. The first quarter was evenly matched, with both teams ending the first tied at 11. Calvary Day ended the second taking a four-point lead into the half, leading the Golden Tornados 21-17. Monroe would exit the break on fire, scoring 20 points while holding the Cavaliers to only 8, taking a 41-29 lead into the fourth. The fourth quarter was more of the same, with Monroe winning 61-41.

Girls: Hebron Christian 82, Pickens 63

Aubrey Beckham led Hebron with 20 points and 10 rebounds as the top-ranked Lions advanced to the quarterfinals. Amiya Porter added 19 points with four steals, Ja’kerra Butler scored 14 points with 11 rebounds and five blocks, Danielle Osho finished with nine points with six rebounds and two blocks and Mia James tallied 11 points with four rebounds.

Girls: Hart County 48, Dawson County 40

Hart County trailed 20-12 at the half before a come-from-behind victory at home. Alexis Walker led with 16 points, seven rebounds, four steals and three assists to lead Hart. Dakkota Phillips added 14 points with 10 rebounds and two seals, Madison McLane finished with seven points and five rebounds, Jaz Shealer scored seven points with 10 rebounds and TK Smith made four points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals for the Bulldogs.

Girls: Monroe 66, Mary Persons 53

A pair of freshman did most of the work for Monroe in the victory. Freshman Kie’Aundria Acree led Monroe with 28 points and 11 rebounds and freshman Taylor McKinzy finished with 19 points, four assists and three steals. Senior Cierra London tallied eight points with 13 rebounds in the victory. Monroe led 15-10 after the first quarter and expanded the lead to 39-227 at the half. The Bulldogs narrowed the margin to 45-35 entering the fourth quarter but the Golden Tornadoes were able to hold on for a victory.

Girls: Carver-Columbus 75, Peach County 39

Carver led 13-6 after the first quarter and took complete control of the game through a 27-8 run in the second quarter. Leading 40-14 at the half, Carver expanded the lead to 57-29 entering the fourth quarter.

Girls: White County 66, Franklin County 35

Emma Lightsey scored 25 points to lead White County to its first quarterfinal appearance in 40 years. Kylie Watkins scored 13 points and Aaliyah Anderson finished with 11 points for White County.

Girls: Morgan County 46, Calvary Day 37

Jaden Young finished with 14 points to lead the Bulldogs past Calvary Day. Previous Benford scored 12 points, Kymora Smith added eight points and Ta’Nayah Briney and Destiny Smith each added six points for Morgan County.

Girls: Cross Creek 77, Savannah Country Day 42

Tahjae Hawes scored 23 points, Michaela Bogans finished with 21 points and Alaya Henry tallied 14 points to lead Cross Creek.

Boys: Douglass-Atlanta 79, Dawson County 42

Douglass-Atlanta dominated the fourth seeded Dawson County Tigers en route to their second straight quarterfinals appearance. The Astros were led by four double digit scorers in Naoh Treadwell with 19 points, JaVante Floyd with 13 points, RJ Winegarner with 12 points, and Jacob Mickell with 10 points, as they ran past the Tigers 79-42.

Boys: Sandy Creek 92, Lumpkin County 22

Top ranked Sandy Creek obliterated third seeded Lumpkin County on their way to their second consecutive Elite-8 appearance. Sandy Creek, led by Amari Brown who scored 21 points and Micah Smith who scored 15 points, controlled the Indians from start to finish, having a 50-point lead for much of the second half of the 92-22 victory.

Boys: Hebron Christian 64 Gilmer 59

Hebron edges out Gilmer in a hard fought second round matchup. The Lions, led by senior guards Blake Wilson who scored 28 points to go along with seven rebounds, four blocks, and one steal, and Jelani Smith who had 13 points and 4 assists, helped Hebron make it to the quarterfinals, defeating a feisty Bobcats team 64-59.

Boys: Dougherty 73, Upson-Lee 57

Dougherty uses a strong second half to pull away from an upset-minded Upson-Lee. Upson-Lee started the game off strong, ending the first quarter up 27-20. Dougherty fought back in the second quarter, cutting the Knights’ lead to only two at the half, going into the half down 35-33. Dougherty began taking over the game in the third, finishing the third up 50-45. The Dougherty defense stymied the Knights’ offense, holding them to only 12 points, while the Trojan offense scored 23 of their own, winning the game 73-57.

Boys: Johnson-Savannah 61, Cross Creek 56

Johnson-Savannah upset top seeded Cross Creek in the second round of the state tournament. Cross Creek started the game playing suffocating defense, ending the first up by 5, leading 10-5. The Atom Smashers began to find their shot in the second, taking the lead from Cross Creek, leading 26-19 at the half, a lead they would never give back. Johnson would control the rest of the game, eventually winning 61-56.

Boys: Carver-Columbus 52 Savannah Country Day 47

Carver-Columbus upset the top-seeded Savannah Country Day in a four quarter battle. The game was a battle from the opening tip, with Savannah Country Day leading the Tigers 12-9 after the first period. Carver tied it up with the Hornets and went into the half with the score tied at 21. The Hornets took a slim one-point lead into the fourth. After a back and forth quarter, the Tigers would take the lead with 49.5 seconds remaining, a lead they would not relinquish, defeating Savannah Country Day 52-47.

Class 2A

Girls: Columbia 69 Fannin County 35

Columbia knocked off two seed Fannin County to win its second round playoff matchup. After two years of heartbreak, losing to lower seeded teams in the first round, the Eagles are back in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2021 with their dominant 69-35 win over Fannin County.

Girls: Josey 65 Brantley County 35

Josey defeats top seeded Brantley County on the way to its fourth straight quarterfinals appearance. Josey’s upset of the Region 3 Champion Herons leads to a rematch in the quarterfinals of its 2023 semifinals game against Banks County, a game where revenge will be on the minds of the Eagles.

Girls: Butler 64 Tattnall County 47

Butler defeated Tattnall County as the top seeded Bulldogs continued their quest for a state title. Butler started off the game strong to hold a 20-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Warriors answered quickly, scoring eight unanswered points to start the second period, cutting the lead to five before Butler expanded the lead back to 10 before halftime. The second half was more of the same, with Butler keeping a double-digit lead for the majority of the second half eventually winning 64-47.

Girls: Central-Macon 51 Sumter County 24

Central-Macon continued to dominate its opponents in the second round as they defeated Sumter County, making a second straight Elite 8 appearance. Central-Macon, led by Jazlyn Johnson with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Aniya Dugger with 12 points and six rebounds, dominated Sumter County in every aspect of the game en route to a 51-24 victory.

Girls: Dodge County 66 Spencer 28

Dodge County dominated Spencer in their second-round matchup as the Indians advance to the third round. Dodge County outplayed the Greenwave in every aspect of the game, led by Lyric Green’s 35 points and 25 rebounds. The Indians showed how great they can be in their 66-28 victory.

Girls: Mount Paran 77 Athens Academy 34

Top ranked Mount Paran rolls past Athens Academy on their quest for a state title. The Eagles scored at will throughout the game, ending the contest with three double digit scorers Ciara Alexander with 27 points, Jacalyn Myrthil with 19 points, Isabella Ramirez with 11 points, and Jessica Fields with 10 points, helping lead Mount Paran to the 77-34 win over the Spartans.

Girls: Murray County 46 Union County 41

Murray County defeated Union County to make it back to the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year. The game was a back-and-forth affair through the first two quarters, with Union County going into halftime up 23-20. Murray fought back to tie the game at 30 by the end of the third, however Union County would go on a 7-0 run to start the fourth. Murray County tied the game at 39 on a Callan Ledford 3-pointer. With 1:05 left in the game, Ledford gave Murray County the 41-39 lead, bringing down an offensive rebound and laying it in, eventually winning 46-41.

Boys: South Atlanta 47, Callaway 43

Isaac Benton scored 12 points and Duor Duor added 10 points of his own to advance South Atlanta past Callaway. The Hornets were led by three players in double figures including Benton and Duor and Drew Clark added 10 points of his own to move South Atlanta to the Elite Eight.

Boys: Toombs County 53, Thomson 44

Coming off of a 44-point victory in the first round, Toombs County will advance to the Elite Eight after a nine point victory on Saturday against Thomson. Coming into today, Toombs County’s Dominic Eason had been averaging close to 20 points per game and added to his totals today with 24 points. Toombs County’s Jesus Quintero scored 14 points of his own and Mike Polke added eight points in the win.

Boys: Athens Academy 65, Walker 51

The Walker School was defeated in the Sweet 16 as a 14-point defeat to Athens Academy ended their season. They were led by Anderson Carey’s 18 points and seven rebounds and a near triple-double from Xavier Berry as he finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the Walker Academy loss.

Boys: Butler 58, Spencer 49

The two-seeded Bulldogs advanced past Spencer with a nine-point victory in the second round

Boys: Model 64, ELCA 40

Model built an eight point lead at the half as the Blue Devils went into the break up 26-18. Jeremiah’s Heard scored 11 points and Chase Allen had eight of his own in the first half. By the end of the third quarter, Model was up 50-25, scoring 24 points in the quarter to open up a 24-point lead against ECLA. The Blue Devils opened the second half with a 15-0 run. Model’s 23-point victory advances them to the Elite Eight for the third consecutive season.

Boys: Columbia 62, North Cobb Christian 58

Columbia moves onto the Elite Eight in a close second round matchup against North Cobb Christian. North Cobb Christian was led by Brock Bass-Bonner with 21 points and Xavier Butler with 13 points and seven rebounds. The Eagles starting lineup featured three freshmen and one sophomore. Six different players got on the scoreboard tonight for the Eagles.

Boys: Southwest Macon 46, Sumter County 40

Southwest Macon survives on the road as a six-point difference decided their first round matchup against Sumter County. Southwest was led by Chase Dupree and Kyle Jefferson with 14 points each. Caron Howard’s nine points added to the Southwest’s victory.

Class A Division I

Girls: Galloway 62, Elbert County 33

Tianna Thompson scored 30 points with six steals to lead Galloway. Taryn Thompson scored 13 points with three rebounds, steals and assists and Danaya Stokes made eight points with 10 rebounds and four steals while Sophia Louis-Pierre scored eight points with three steals and assists each.

Girls: Bryan County 63, Heard County 49

Ashanti Brown scored 29 points with 19 rebounds and four steals, Jasmine Mikell finished with 13 points, four steals and four assists, Kayley Wedlow tallied 12 points with eight rebounds and six assists to lead Bryan County.

Girls: Lamar County 63, Dublin 40

Lamar led 20-8 after the first quarter and 36-14 entering the locker room on the way to victory. The Trojans expanded the lead to 51-23 entering the fourth quarter and outlasted a 17-12 run from Dublin to advance.

Girls: Athens Christian 58, Trion 50

Athens Christian was nursing a 44-41 lead entering the fourth quarter before pulling away to secure the victory. I’Ziah McCutchins scored 24 points with five rebounds, four assists and three steals to lead Trion in a loss to Athens Christian. Kinzleigh Turner finished with 15 points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Boys: Pelham 50, Screven Co 47

A 24-point quarter from Screven County proved to not be enough as Pelham escaped with a narrow three-point victory. The Gamecocks came back from a 13-point deficit going into the fourth quarter and brought it close before Pelham was able to pull away and advance to the Elite Eight.

Boys: Paideia 56, Jasper Co 47

Paideia defeats Jasper County with a nine-point victory on the road. They will move onto the Elite Eight to face Pelham, who escaped with a three-point victory, also on the road.

Boys: Savannah 75, Heard County 61

Savannah High School gets the Sweet Sixteen victory against Heard as they were led by Maki Joyner with 24 points and Jermontae Brown had 18 points. The Blue Jackets 14-point victory advances them past Heard County and onto the Elite Eight in Class A Division 1.

Boys: Darlington 64, Athens Christian 54

The Tigers take home a 10-point victory as they advance past Athens Christian and onto the Elite Eight. Darlington was led by 25 points and six rebounds from Brent Bell and 14 points from D’Marion Floyd. The Tigers win on the road and move on to the next round of the Class A Division 1 Playoffs.

Boys: Mt. Pisgah 71, Rabun County 54

The two-seeded Rabun County faced a 12-point halftime deficit at home to four-seeded Mt. Pisgah. Huey Blalock scored 10 points in the first quarter for Rabun County and finished with 20 points on the night. Mt. Pisgah 17-point victory sends them to the Elite Eight. Jackson Williams led Mt. Pisgah with 16 points and seven rebounds and 11 points from Isaac Bealer. Cooper Welch had 16 points and seven rebounds in the loss to Mt. Pisgah.

Boys: Bleckley Co 68, Temple 48

Bleckley County advances as they defeat Temple by 20 points in the Quarterfinals. The Tigers lost at home as Bleckley County advances to the Elite Eight in the Class A Division 1 Playoffs.

Boys: Mt. Vernon 89, Oglethorpe County 61

Mount Vernon takes home a 28-point victory against Oglethorpe in the quarterfinals as they advance to on in the Class A-Division 1 Playoffs to face East Laurnes after their 68-60 win over Irwin County.

Class A Division II

Girls: Taylor County 57, Greene County 44 OT

Taylor County enjoyed a 21—15 lead at the half before Greene County rallied in the second half to force overtime. Sophomore Alasia Montgomery scored nine points in overtime to lead Taylor County into the quarterfinals and get the 100th win for head coach Moneak McCrary.

Girls: Wilcox County 47, Portal 12

Wilcox County held Portal scoreless in the second and third quarters to put the game away. The Patriots led 9-5 after the first quarter and outscored Portal 15-0 in the second quarter and 10-0 in the third quarter to lead 34-5 entering the final frame.

Girls: Clinch County 52, Randolph-Clay 42

Clinch enjoyed an 18-5 lead after the first quarter, but Randolph-Clay narrowed the margin to 29-18 at the half. The Panthers took a 38-23 entering the fourth quarter and weathered a 19-11 run from Randolph-Clay to put the game away.

Girls: Montgomery County 58, Early County 43

Marley Bell scored 32 points to lead Montgomery County into the quarterfinals. Amire Banks finished with 15 points in the victory.

Boys: Portal 54, Early County 40

Top-seeded Portal jumped out to a 32-24 halftime lead before closing out its 17th-straight victory and improving to 28-1 overall. Portal will take on Warren County in the Elite 8.

Boys: Warren County 64, Christian Heritage 56

Christian Heritage jumped out to an 11-2 lead and held off Warren County momentarily to take a 30-21 lead into the half. Christian Heritage maintained a 48-39 lead heading into the final frame before Warren County outscored the Lions 25-8 in the decisive fourth quarter rally.