GHSA state basketball playoffs: Wednesday night recap

Boys:

North Paulding 69, East Coweta 56

Host North Paulding defeated the visiting No. 3 seeded Indians to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Senior Griffin Cherry led the Wolfpack with 20 points, Daylen Thrower added 16 and Trey Harris finished with 12 points.

Tift County 54, South Gwinnett 49

Tift County closed out the first half on a 10-0 run to hold a 27-20 lead before becoming the only Region 1 team to advance past the opening round. Jatarion Warren scored 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and led all scorers.

McEachern 79, Marietta 41

McEachern defeated Cobb-rival Marietta for the third time this season to punch its ticket to the Sweet Sixteen. The Indians broke the game open with a massive 25-8 scoring run in the second quarter and were led by Cam McDowell’s 22-point performance.

North Gwinnett 55, Roswell 50

No. 1 seed North Gwinnett led 26-20 at the half and held off the visiting Hornets. Randall Godrey Jr. led North Gwinnett with 17 points to go with his nine rebounds. Teammate Luke Keller finished with 10 points.

Collins Hill 75, Etowah 67

Host Collins Hill held off No. 3 seed Etowah. Chris Lanns (16), Vino Glover (15), Jabre Mills (15) and Ethan Davis (14) led Collins Hill with double-digit scoring. Etowah was paced by Dimitri Angeakos’ 24-point performance and a 17-point output by Brock Rechsteiner.

Discovery 56, South Forsyth 52

No. 4 seed Discovery stunned host South Forsyth and completed Region 7′s sweep in the opening round (Norcross, Berkmar, Archer). Ian Davis (14), Navaugh Maise (12) Mikey Moncrease (10) and Cam Shelton (10) led the Titans with double-digit scoring.

Norcross 57, Denmark 44

No. 3 seeded Norcross advanced to the Sweet 16 and was led by Sutton Smith’s 14-point performance. Smith netted four three-pointers and teammates Joseph Scott and Jayden Hilliman also contributed with double-doubles. Scott scored 12 points to go with his 10 rebounds and Hilliman finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Newton 82, Colquitt County 32

Eleven different Rams players scored before the final buzzer and host Newton stormed to a 42-17 halftime lead. Junior T. J. Clark led Newton with a game-high 23 points and sophomore M.J. Whitlock finished with 19 points.

Archer 63, Gainesville 61 OT

Host Archer outlasted in overtime to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Chirstian Drummer posted a team-high with 17 points to go with his seven rebounds. Teammates Mekhi Carter (16 points, six assists) and Ryen Jones (11 points, eight rebounds) also finished in double-digit scoring.

Pebblebrook 84, North Cobb 45

No. 1 seed Pebblebrook took a 28-21 halftime lead and outscored visiting North Cobb 34-12 in the third quarter to run away with the victory.

Girls:

Collins Hill 71, Etowah 42

Collins Hill remains undefeated against Class 7A opponents this season following a massive 29-point victory over visiting Etowah. The Eagles, which are ranked No. 1 in the classification, have not lost a game since their 69-61 loss to Class A Private powerhouse Hebron Christian on Jan. 9 and are 22-1 on the season.

North Paulding 62, East Coweta 43

Host North Paulding was up 46-19 late in the second quarter before East Coweta closed the gap with a 10-0 run before the half to make it 46-29. The Indians finish the season 16-7 and North Paulding advances to host No. 4 seed Newton following the Rams upset over top-seeded Tift County.

South Forsyth 53, Discovery 50

No. 2 seed South Forsyth took a 23-20 lead into the half and was led by Sharon Tolliver’s 9-point first half effort. Tolliver added eight points in the second half to finish with a team-high 17 points. Teammate Clara Thomas notched 12 points with seven assists and four steals.

Daniel Varnado

Daniel Varnado

6A

Boys:

Chattahoochee 68, Pope 60

Thanks to a second-half burst, the Class 6A defending champion Chattahoochee Cougars fended off a familiar rival at home. The No. 3 Cougars (21-3), a No. 1 seed out of Region 7, will host Region 8 No. 3 Buford in the second round.

Tucker 60, Valdosta 56

Region 4 No. 3 Tucker won at Valdosta as senior David Giddens led the Tigers with 20 points. Three other Tigers reached double-figure scoring, as senior Tyler Pendergrass scored 13 points and juniors Raylan Barrion and Christian Yeates each scored 10 points.

Kell 58, River Ridge 56

Region 6 No. 1 Kell held off Region 7 No. 4 River Ridge as senior guard Jaylen Harris scored 21 points to go with five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Scoot Henderson added 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists for the Longhorns, while teammates Najhae Colon (7 pts, 4 asts) and Dylan Cambridge (5 pts, 7 rebs) also contributed. For River Ridge, Jared Russo had 16 points and Jackson Head scored 11 points.

Westlake 66, Northside-Warner Robins 50

Jalal McKie had 24 points, 11 rebounds and two steals as Region 4 No. 1 seed Westlake defeated Region 1 No. 4 Northside-Warner Robins at home. Westlake’s Gaddis Heath had a triple-double with 16 points, 10 assists and 11 blocks.

Buford 66, Alexander 64

Region 8 No. 3 Buford defeated Region 5 No. 1 Alexander on the road as Alexander missed a tip-in opportunity at the buzzer that would have tied the game at the end of regulation. Marc Mauge led the Wolves with 14 points. Jaylon Taylor scored 13 points with seven rebounds, Caleb Blackwell scored 12 points with seven assists and London Williams scored 11 points with seven rebounds.

Lanier 71, South Paulding 43

Junior guard Justin Birch scored 18 points to lead Region 8 No. 1 Lanier to a home win over South Paulding. Senior guard Andrew McConnell scored 16 points and freshman forward Jayce Nathaniel contributed 14 points for the Longhorns, who led South Paulding 53-32 after the third quarter.

Winder-Barrow 64, Douglas County 56 (OT)

Region 8 No. 4 Winder-Barrow pulled off the overtime upset as the Bulldoggs got 22 points from junior guard Tim Loud in their road win over Region 5 No. 1 Douglas County. Stewart Allen added 14 points and seven rebounds for Winder-Barrow, and teammate Wyatt Fricks had 11 points and 11 rebounds. Isaiah Nelson-Ododa added 10 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks for the Bulldoggs. For Douglas County, senior Omarion Smith had 20 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks.

Evans 67, Effingham County 64

Devin Story scored 21 points, hitting five three-pointers, to lead Region 3 top seed Evans to a close home win over Effingham County. Also for Evans, Rashad King scored 17 points, Brasen James scored 14 points and Joshton Mincey scored 13 points.

Girls:

Westlake 85, Northside-Warner Robins 30

Ta’Niya Latson led all scorers with 25 points as Region 4 No. 1 Westlake won easily at home. The Lady Lions also got 16 points, nine assists and six rebounds from Raven Johnson and 14 points from Brianna Turnage. Westlake won the last three state titles in Class AAAAAAA before dropping down a classification this season.

Lee County 40, Lakeside-DeKalb 31

Lee County, the top seed from Region 1, outlasted visiting Lakeside-DeKalb in a low-scoring game in which the Lady Trojans were led by 16 points from Kennedy Snead. Also for Lee County, Erica Irby scored 10 points, Jakailyn Poole scored nine points and Jarnyria Maddox contributed three points. Lee County led 21-15 at halftime.

Rome 68, Dacula 42

A close game at halftime turned into a comfortable win for Region 5 No. 2 seed Rome over visiting Dacula, as the Lady Wolves held a 34-29 lead at the half but outscored Dacula 24-4 in the third quarter. Treneisha Adams led Rome with 18 points, and Breana Griffin added 15 points. Also for the Lady Wolves, Ta’Emmica Nation scored nine points and Taleyiah Chatman had eight points.

5A

Boys:

Villa Rica 72, Cass 67

The Villa Rica Wildcats earned a spot in the second round following their first-round victory over Cass. Now, they await Clarke Central in the sweet sixteen. Junior Kannon Roberts’ sharp shooting was on full display. He scored 19 points, making five three-pointers. Senior point guard Nych Mainor also contributed heavily on the court with 14 points. Other top scorers were Sophomore shooting guard Oray Towns with 12 points, and Freshman strong forward Caleb Odom with 11 points.

New Manchester 49, Hiram 47

New Manchester escaped with a first-round victory over Hiram after a rallying back from its shaky first half. The Jaguars found themselves down 31-16 after two quarters of play, and managed to edge their way back from that 15-point deficit to claim the two-point victory. Now, New Manchester advances into the second round where the Jaguars will take on Decatur.

Dutchtown 63, Coffee 46

A strong win for Dutchtown puts the Bulldogs through to the Sweet Sixteen where they’ll be paired against Jonesboro. This victory over Coffee gives the Bulldogs their thirteenth win in the past fifteen games, and sixth straight postseason victory including the Class 5A title game last season. Senior forward Micah Evans led Dutchtown with 18 points, while Senior guard Cam Callahan put up 15 points.

Forest Park 66, Whitewater 64

Whitewater led Forest Park 28-12 after the first half, but the Panthers refused to back down and battled back to make it a one-point game with 23 seconds remaining. With both teams tied at 56 at the end of regulation, the game extended into overtime where Forest Park finished off its comeback to claim a two-point victory. The Panthers now advance into the second round where they will be matched up against Eagle’s Landing.

Lithonia 62, Greenbrier 53

Greenbrier managed to score 23 points in the fourth quarter alone, but the Lithonia Bulldogs came out on top to advance into the sweet sixteen. They will face off against Chapel Hill following an upset victory over Calhoun. Junior guard Chase Champion led the team in scoring with 16 points. Behind him were Seniors Raheem Swain and Khalil Roache, who each scored 11 points.

Veterans 64, Union Grove 54

Top-seeded Veterans remained undefeated on the season, securing its 22nd-straight win following a 64-54 victory over Union Grove. The Warhawks now advance into the sweet sixteen where they will be paired against Woodward Academy. Junior TJ Grant was electric on the court, scoring a team-high 24 points. Senior guard DeAngelo Hines added 19 points, while Junior Tajh Williams and Senior Khalil Johnson both scored eight points each.

Woodward Academy 55, Griffin 50

The Woodward Academy War Eagles edged out Griffin after being up by one heading into the fourth quarter to advance into the sweet sixteen. There, they will face off against Veterans. The War Eagles were led by Senior guard Logan Stephens, who scored 21 points and snagged three rebounds. Senior Will Richard also had a strong offensive performance, scoring 19 points and grabbing five rebounds. Junior Ryan Thomas and Senior Andrew Nye scored eight and six points, respectively.

Girls:

Hiram 64, Lithia Springs 32

Hiram failed to make it to the playoffs last season but broke through to the second round tonight following a commanding victory over Lithia Springs. The Lady Hornets now await their matchup against St. Pius X in the sweet sixteen and find themselves on a seven-game win streak. Junior power forward Erial Ownes and Sophomore shooting guard Jen’l Mackey both led the Lady Hornets with 12 points each, while Senior Imani Smith scored 11 points.

4A

Boys:

Hardaway 49, Jenkins 47

No. 2 seed Hardaway held off visiting Jenkins with a pair of free-throws by Chris Hicks. The senior point guard was fouled with just .3 seconds left and went to the line where he iced the game to send the Hawks to the Sweet Sixteen.

Luella 74, North Oconee 57

No. 7 ranked Luella handled business by scoring a big road victory over the Titans—that earned home court with the Region 8 No. 2 seed. North Oconee finishes the season with a 22-7 overall record—the best in program history and Luella will have to visit No. 1 seed Miller Grove next in the Sweet Sixteen.

Cedar Shoals 66, Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 43

Top-seeded Cedar Shoals was led by Kashik Brown’s game-high 25 points. Teammate Jerdavian Colbert finished with 15 points to go with his six assists and Elijah Curry notched 14 points and seven rebounds. The victory sets up a second-round showdown between the No. 8 ranked Jaguars and No. 6 Stephenson.

Stephenson 72, Pickens 62

Stephenson held off visiting Pickens to advance to face off with top-seed Cedar Shoals in the Sweet Sixteen. Edwin Walker led the way with 29 points and teammate Chase Ballard finished with 15.

New Hampstead 82, LaGrange 43

Top seed New Hampstead opened a 46-22 halftime lead and never looked back. The Phoenix entered the polls for the first time this season after clinching the Region 3 championship and made their debut at No. 10. After surmounting a commanding halftime lead, New Hampstead extended the lead to 66-29 after a 20-7 scoring edge in the third quarter.

Cedartown 42, Marist 38

Cedartown trailed 13-12 at the half before closing out No. 3 seed Marist. The visiting War Eagles were led by senior Luke Benson’s 19-point effort.

Westover 66, Westside-Macon 62

No. 3 seed Westover led 34-29 at the half following an 8-point run and effort by Kowacie Reeves to chip into the deficit before the break. Westover was led by Bam Wingfield’s 14-point effort.

Miller Grove 54, Central-Carroll 40

Top-seeded Miller Grove extended its winning streak to 12 games at home against visiting Central-Carroll. The Wolverines led 34-21 at the half and held off the Lions third quarter rally that cut the deficit to single digits (40-31).

Dougherty 70, Perry 31

No. 2 seed Dougherty jumped out to a 14-4 lead at the end of the first quarter before stamping an emphatic first-round victory. The Trojans are off to a strong start after falling 68-67 to Burke County in an opening-round heartbreaker last season.

Heritage-Catoosa 60, Mays 43

Heritage-Catoosa entered the tournament as a No. 1 seed after clinching the Region 7 championship but fell in the first round to visiting Mays. As a result, Heritage-Catoosa remains winless in the state tournament and falls to 0-9 in its history.

Girls:

Troup 80, New Hampstead 38

Troup had four players finish in double figures. Alexcia Murphy paced the way with a game-high 19 points. Senior Darnesheyuna Mcullough and junior Aniya Palmer finished with 12 points and Samarria Weldon finished with 10 points.

North Oconee 63, Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 31

No. 3 seed North Oconee scored a massive opening round victory over host Mt. Zion. Annika Bonds (17 points), Callie Jackson (16) and Aiyanna Peavy (11) led the Titans with double-digit scoring.

3A

Boys:

Hart County 60, Carver-Atlanta 46

The Bulldogs will face Cherokee Bluff in the second round after a gritty victory over Region 5 No. 4 Carver-Atlanta. Hart County was led by sophomore Tahj Johnson who scored 17 points with 13 rebounds, two steals and one block. Shone Webb scored 16 points with five rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block, JC Curry scored 10- points with four rebounds and an assists and Sean Teasley scored eight points with six assists, four rebounds and a steal.

Greater Atlanta Christian 59, Monroe Area 53

Five Spartan players scored in double figures as GAC moved past Monroe Area. The Spartans led 17-12 after the first quarter but fell behind at the break after the Hurricanes took a 19-12 advantage in the second quarter. Monroe Area held GAC to just four points in the third quarter but the Spartans took full control in the fourth quarter, outscoring Monroe Area 26-14 to seal the victory. Josh Fulton led with 21 points, Lamarr Randolph scored 15 points with seven rebounds and three assists, Saiku White scored 11 points with five rebounds, Eddie Page grabbed 11 rebounds and Carlton Lucas scored 11 points.

White County 54, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 52

The Warriors avoided a last-second prayer 3-pointer to advance to the second round where it will face top-ranked Sandy Creek. Junior shooting guard Silas Mulligan led with 15 points, senior shooting guard Cooper Turner scored 13 points, junior shooting guard Kenny Simpson scored 11 points and sophomore guard Jadon Yeh scored nine points.

Salem 56, Oconee County 49

Salem overcame a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to advance past Oconee County. The Seminoles will travel to Dawson County in the second round.

Johnson-Savannah 67, Crisp County 55

Johnson-Savannah will face Long County in the second round after its convincing victory over the Cougars. The Atomsmashers lost to Windsor Forest 69-65 to end a regular-season cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the region tournament, Johnson defeated Windsor Forest 60-53 to win the region title in 3-3A.

Appling County 78, Harlem 50

The Pirates won their fifth straight game – including a 1-3A region title -- as it moved past Harlem. Appling will host Windsor Forest in the second round.

LaFayette 69, North Hall 40

Following a 30-5 advantage in the first quarter, LaFayette had little trouble with North Hall in the first round. The Ramblers will play GAC in the second round.

Girls:

Americus-Sumter 48, Southeast Bulloch 28

Americus-Sumter, the Class 4A defending champions, will travel to Region 4 No. 1 Cross Creek after moving past Southeast Bulloch. The Panthers won the 4A title in 2016 for its first title as Americus-Sumter. Americus high school won a Class A title in 1966.

2A

Boys:

Pace Academy 95, Dade County 25

Nationally-ranked Pace Academy secured its spot in the Sweet Sixteen—and won its 24th game in a row—with a 95-25 rout of visiting Dade County. 6′7 senior Matt Cleveland finished with a game-high 24 points 11 rebounds, five assists and four steals. The Knights also got strong performances out of Josh Mininberg (15 points, 5 steals), Cole Middleton (11 rebounds) and Josh Reed (13 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists), the latter two of whom measure in at 6′6 and 6′7, respectively.

Callaway 65, Union County 42

After a tightly-contested first half ended with Calloway ahead by just one point (22-21), the Region 5 No. 1 seeded Cavaliers outscored visiting Union County 23-15 in the third quarter and 20-6 in the fourth to pull away for a decisive 65-42 round-one win. Calloway advances to the Sweet Sixteen with the victory, where it will host Region 6 No. 3 seed Columbia.

Model 45, KIPP Atlanta 40

Top-seeded Model trailed visiting KIPP Atlanta 40-37 late in the fourth quarter before finishing the first-round matchup with eight unanswered points. The Blue Devils move on to Round Two with the 45-40 victory, which was also their 22nd win this season.

Swainsboro 65, Bleckley County 36

Top-seeded Swainsboro secured a spot in the second round of the playoffs with a 65-36 victory over Bleckley County. The Tigers held a 44-18 lead at halftime and a 58-22 advantage heading into the fourth quarter and improved to 17-1 with the win.

Elbert County 64, Bremen 37

Region 8 No. 1 seed Elbert County defeated visiting Bremen 64-37 to improve to .500 on the season (11-11), extend its win streak to four games, and secure a home matchup with fourth-ranked Lovett in this weekend’s Sweet Sixteen.

Woodville-Tompkins 66, Northeast 56

Region 2 No. 3 seed Woodville-Tompkins came away with a round-one upset on the road against Region 3 No. 2 seed Northeast. The 66-56 victory was the fourth-straight for the Wolverines (16-6), who will travel to Thomasville this weekend to face the fifth-ranked Bulldogs.

Thomasville 71, Putnam County 56

Fifth-ranked Thomasville won its 13th-straight game with a 71-56 round-one victory over visiting Putnam County. The Region 1 No. 1 seed Bulldogs advance to the Sweet Sixteen with the win, where they will host Region 2 No. 3 seed Woodville Tompkins following the Wolverine’s round-one upset of Northeast.

Rabun County 70, Heard County 50

After starting the season 0-10, Rabun County has won three of its last four games—including a 70-50 road win over Heard County in the first round of the playoffs. The Wildcats improved to 8-20 with the win and earned a shot at Region 7 No. 1 seed Model in this weekend’s Sweet Sixteen.

Washington County 62, Jeff Davis 33

The Golden Hawks secured a trip to the Sweet Sixteen and improved to 15-1 on the season with a dominant win over Jeff Davis. Junior Quinton Knight finished with 18 points and five steals for Washington County, which also got double-digit scoring from senior Jairus Brown (16 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals) and junior Caleb Moore (12 points, 5 rebounds) and a game-high 11 rebounds from junior JT Thomas (7 points, 4 assists).

Laney 69, Berrien 47

Laney eliminated the Berrien Rebels with a 69-47 first-round win to improve to 16-7 on the year and set up a second-round showdown with Region 2′s top-seeded Swainsboro.

Girls:

Butler 47, Berrien 37

A late Berrien run turned a 41-16 fourth-quarter tally into a 10-point game, but Butler held on to advance to the next round with the 47-37 victory. Seniors Brionna Sims and Jayla Thomas provided double-digit scoring for the Bulldogs, who will face Woodville-Tompkins this weekend.

Callaway 72, Union County 45

Callaway seized control of its first-round matchup with Union County with an 11-0 second-quarter run en route to a 39-23 halftime advantage and an emphatic 72-45 final over the Panthers. The Cavaliers’ victory sets up a second-round showdown with Chattooga.

Columbia 51, Gordon Central 38

Region 6 No. 1 seed Columbia came away with a comfortable 51-38 win over Gordon Central, holding the Warriors—who were making their fourth-straight postseason appearance—to just 10 first-half points. After starting the season 1-6, the Columbia Eagles have won 15 of their last 16 and will enter their second-round matchup against Rabun County with a 13-game win streak.

A Public

Boys:

Portal 61, Clinch County 37

Region 3 No. 1 seed Portal pulled away from an early 5-5 tie against Clinch County with a 12-0 run and never looked back. In the first half alone, freshman Elijah Coleman racked up 15 points and 6′7, 170 lb senior Fred Spells tallied eight blocked shots for the host Panthers, who held a 32-16 advantage over the visiting Panthers at the break. The 61-37 victory extends Portal’s win streak to 10 games and improves the Panthers’ overall record to 20-6.

Terrell County 89, Montgomery County 66

Tenth-ranked Terrell County jumped out to a 50-31 first-half lead over visiting Montgomery County before coasting to an 89-66 win to keep its perfect season alive (8-0) and stamp its ticket to the Sweet Sixteen. The Region 1 No. 1 seed Greenwave will host Region 2 No. 3 seed Lanier County this weekend.

Hancock Central 73, Fulton Leadership 52

Sixth-ranked Hancock Central led visiting Fulton Leadership 27-12 at the end of the first quarter, 47-24 at halftime, and 66-36 heading into the final frame, improving to 12-1 on the season and earning a spot in the Sweet Sixteen with the 73-52 victory. The Region 7 No. 1 seed Bulldogs will host Region 8 No. 3 seed Social Circle this weekend following the Redskins’ narrow 55-52 win over Taylor County.

Towns County 78, Manchester 67

No. 4 ranked Towns County remained comfortably on top throughout its first-round matchup with visiting Manchester, extending its win streak to nine games with the 78-67 victory. The Indians will host Region 7 No. 3 seed Warren County in this weekend’s Sweet Sixteen round.

Warren County 80, Bowdon 70

The Screaming Devils out of Warren County came away with an 80-70 road victory over the Bowdon Red Devils to advance to the next round of the playoffs, where they will see Region 8 No. 1 seed Towns County. Warren County improves to 12-5 on the season with the win.

Dublin 71, Quitman County 39

No. 2 ranked Dublin faced an early scare in its opening-round matchup with Quitman County, trailing 23-14 at the end of the first quarter before outscoring the visiting Hornets 57-16 in the three remaining frames. The 71-39 victory was the 21st-straight for the Fighting Irish, who remain unbeaten in their classification (their lone loss came against undefeated Baldwin out of 4A) and will play Region 2 No. 2 seed Turner County this weekend.

Irwin County 82, Emanuel County Institute 49

No. 3 ranked Irwin County extended its win streak to 15 games with a dominant 82-49 victory over visiting Emanuel County Institute in the opening round of the state playoffs. Garland Benyard led all scorers with 24 points, and John Jones (16 points), Gabriel Benyard (16 points) and Bo Payne (10 points) added double-digit scoring as well. The Indians will face Region 1 No. 3 seed Mitchell County in the second round this weekend.

Girls:

Pelham 50, Wilcox County 45

Region 1 No. 2 seed Pelham defended home court with a 50-45 victory over Region 4 No. 3 seed Wilcox County. The Hornets, who improved to 7-1 on the season with the win, will go on the road this weekend for their second-round meeting with Region 3 No. 1 seed ECI.

Dublin 63, Seminole County 23

Dublin will move on to the second round following its 40-point victory over Seminole County. The Fighting Irish improve to 22-3 on the season and will face Turner County this weekend.

A Private

Boys:

Mount Pisgah Christian 63, North Cobb Christian 41

The Mount Pisgah Christian Patriots blew out the North Cobb Christian Eagles at home. Throughout the first half, the two teams traded blows and managed to match each other, with the Eagles leading the Patriots 28-25 at halftime. However, the Patriots managed to blow things wide open in the third quarter, outscoring the Eagles 24-4, and taking a 49-32 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Greenforest 76, Calvary Day 51

The No. 5-ranked Greenforest Eagles rammed right through the Calvary Day Cavaliers in the first round of the state playoffs. The Eagles scored 25 points and 23 points respectively in the first and second quarter and led the Cavaliers 48-30 at halftime. They continued at this pace for the entire game and managed to win by 25 points. The Eagles will face off against the Trinity Christian Lions in the Sweet 16 on Saturday. The Cavaliers will end their season with an overall record of 12-12.

Galloway 66, Tallulah Falls 57

The Galloway Scots defeated the Tallulah Falls Indians in a close thriller first round playoff game. The first half was very exciting, with the Scots leading the Indians 31-26 at halftime. Eventually, the Scots took a 51-39 lead over the Indians going into the fourth quarter. The Indians managed to make things interesting in the fourth quarter, where they outscored the Scots 18-15, but it wasn’t enough and the Scots held on for the win. The Scots will move on to face the St. Francis Knights in the Sweet Sixteen.

Stratford Academy 79, Brookstone 38

The Stratford Academy Eagles led by 30 points with less than five minutes to go before cruising to a 41-point victory. They move to 19-6 overall on the season. Junior Isaiah Josey led the team with 19 points, Keondre Glover chipped in with 11 points.

Galloway 45, Athens Academy 24

Galloway beat Athens Academy 45-24 after trailing 12-10 at the end of the first quarter. Galloway led 19-17 at the half. In the third quarter, Galloway took control and led 39-19 going into the fourth quarter. The Scots will face Darlington in the Sweet 16.

Providence Christian 71, George Walton 58

No. 1 ranked Providence Christian defeated the George Walton Academy Bulldogs in the first round of the state playoffs on the road as a No. 3 seed following a consolation victory in region tournament action. The Storm led the Bulldogs at halftime 42-28, including scoring 26 points in the first quarter. The Storm took a 20-point lead over the Bulldogs going into the fourth quarter, leading 57-37. The Storm will move on to the Sweet 16 to face off against the Mount Pisgah Patriots for the right to advance to the Elite Eight. The Bulldogs will end their season with an overall record of 11-13.

St. Francis 67, Walker 58

The St. Francis Knights managed to pull away from the Walker Wolverines. The Knights dominated the Wolverines in the first quarter 15-7. However, in the second quarter, both teams got hot, with the Knights and Wolverines scoring 20 points and 21 points, respectively. This allowed for the Knights to take a 35-28 lead going into halftime. The Knights blew things wide open in the third quarter, outscoring the Wolverines 18-8 and taking a 53-36 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Wolverines outscored the Knights 22-14 in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough, and the Knights managed to hold on for the first round playoff win.

Girls:

Greenforest Christian 85, St. Vincent’s Academy 35

The Greenforest Christian Eagles routed the St. Vincent’s Academy Saints at home. This dominating performance by the Eagles included outscoring the Saints 33-4 in the second quarter and then limiting the Saints to just two points in the final frame. This was a true team performance in every way, with senior Ineza Joyeuse leading the team in scoring with 31 points. Seniors L’or Mputu and Benie Lundu each scored 11 points and Devine Lukombo and Adrianna Jones finished with 10 points. Sophomore Sephora Diakese chipped in with eight points.

Galloway 45, Athens Academy 24

Galloway beat Athens Academy 45-24 after trailing 12-10 at the end of the first quarter. Galloway led 19-17 at the half. In the third quarter, Galloway took control and led 39-19 going into the fourth quarter. The Scots will face Darlington in the Sweet 16.