The highlight of the Class 3A girls basketball weekend came Friday when the No. 2 Wesleyan’s girls (13-1, 5-0) defeated No. 3 Pickens (17-1, 4-1) 62-54 by making key late-game free-throw shots in the final minutes of play.
Wesleyan, which lost in the state finals last season, secured the Region 7 victory in come-from-behind fashion to remain unbeaten in league play.
The Wolves led 15-13 after the first quarter but trailed 34-27 at the half. Entering the fourth quarter, Wesleyan was trailing 48-40 before outscoring the Dragons 22-6.
Trailing 48-40 entering the fourth quarter, Wesleyan’s Chazadi Wright cut into the lead with six minutes left in the game on a 2-pointer, followed by Shayla Bahr’s 3-pointer cut the lead to 48-45.
Pickens extended the lead to 50-45 on a field goal from Isabella Hopkins, but Wesleyan’s Wright cut the lead to 50-47, and Bryanna Preston made three consecutive shots and a free throw to give Wesleyan a 54-50 lead.
With less than a minute left, Pickens was forced to foul, and Wright converted four free throws to secure the victory.
In other key games
-- No. 3 Hebron Christian’s boys remain undefeated (14-0, 2-0) after upending Hart County 76-56 to move to 2-0 in Region 8 game.
--- No. 4 Carver-Columbus’ boys moved to 3-0 in Region 1 play after beating Crisp County 71-51 Friday and Thomasville 72-39 Saturday.
-- Hebron Christian (14-2, 2-0) moved to 2-0 in Region 8 play after beating No. 8 Hart County 70-32 Friday. Hart is 1-1 in league play after beating Monroe Area 62-20 last week.
-- After losing to No. 3 Pickens 58-52 last week, No. 5 White County (15-3, 3-2) beat Dawson County 53-46 Friday in a Region 7 game.
Class 3A boys top-10
1. Sandy Creek (13-2)
2. Monroe (13-2)
3. Hebron Christian (14-0)
4. Carver-Columbus (16-0)
5. Cross Creek (10-7)
6. Cedar Grove (12-5)
7. Dougherty (11-6)
8. Douglass (11-8)
9. Johnson-Savannah (9-6)
10. Liberty County (8-4)
Class 3A girls top-10
1. Hebron Christian (14-2)
2. Wesleyan (13-1)
3. Pickens (17-1)
4. Carver-Columbus (11-5)
5. White County (15-3)
6. Cross Creek (12-4)
7. Dawson County (10-7)
8. Hart County (11-5)
9. Savannah Country Day (10-3)
10. Mary Persons (14-4)
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