The second round of the GHSA state basketball tournament takes place Friday and Saturday for all classes, boys and girls. On Friday, the AJC will have a writer at the Central Gwinnett-Walton girls game and on Saturday, Madison County at Lovett boys will be covered.
Follow the link to the boys and girls brackets of see the Friday night recaps below.
Class 7A
Boys
Norcross 72 Osborne 60
No. 4-ranked Norcross put up 45 points in the second half to pull away from visiting Osborne and secure a spot in the Elite 8. The Blue Devils held a narrow 27-22 lead at the break and 47-33 heading into the final frame, where Samarion Bond sealed the win with a dunk. Norcross will host two-seeded Newton in the next round.
Newton 73, Pebblebrook 51
Fifth-ranked Newton got a comfortable 73-51 win over visiting four-seed Pebblebrook to earn a trip to Norcross in the third round. MJ Whitlock put up 17 points in the first half and finished with 26, including six made threes, and fellow senior Stephon Castle contributed double-digit rebounds to go along with 22 points.
Cherokee 73, Berkmar 58
Two-seed Cherokee defeated visiting Berkmar 73-58 to move on and face Carrollton in the next round. The Warriors built a 23-11 first-quarter lead, thanks largely to four made threes by senior Tayden Owens in the frame. Owens finished with a game-high 26 points, and Cherokee also got double-digit scoring from Cameron Pope (22 points) and Lawrence Sanford (15).
McEachern 88, Westlake 51
No. 2-ranked McEachern led visiting Westlake big at halftime (40-22) and never let up, defeating the Lions 88-51 to set up a third-round showdown with top-ranked Wheeler. Jalen Hilliard and Moses Hipps each scored 18 points for the Indians, the latter of whom hit six threes, and Ace Bailey finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and four steals.
Wheeler 74, North Gwinnett 49
Top-ranked Wheeler trailed visiting North Gwinnett 32-27 late in the first half, but back-to-back baskets by Isaiah Collier put the Wildcats ahead at the break. The home team proceeded to outscore the Bulldogs 39-17 in the second half to defeat North Gwinnett for the second time this season.
Walton 64, Peachtree Ridge 56
Four-seeded Walton’s season is still alive after a 64-56 road win over host Peachtree Ridge. The Raiders closed an eight-point gap in the final 2:10 of the half to knot the game at 36-36 before pulling away in the third and fourth to earn a trip to No. 3-ranked Grayson in the third round. Junior guard Luke Flynn led all scorers with 33 points, and JP Wells (13 points) and Caesar Burrows added double-digit scoring
as well.
In other 7A boys games: No. 7-ranked Carrollton survived a late rally from three-seed Parkview, winning 58-56 and advancing to host Cherokee in the Elite 8. …No. 3-ranked Grayson improved to 23-5 on the season with a sound 76-53 victory over visiting Valdosta.
Girls
Norcross 59, Lambert 34
No. 3-ranked Norcross got its 27th win of the season with an emphatic 59-34 victory over visiting Lambert. Jania Akins (19 points), Veronaye Charlton (18) and Mariyah Valrie (10) all scored in double digits for the top-seeded Blue Devils, who will host Archer in the next round.
North Paulding 49, Pebblebrook 39
The seventh-ranked Wolfpack advanced to the third round of the playoffs following a 49-39 road win over top-seeded Pebblebrook and improved to 26-3 on the season. North Paulding will travel to No 2-ranked Buford next week in its first-ever Elite 8 appearance in program history.
McEachern 50, Campbell 47
No 6-ranked McEachern held on through a couple of second-half rallies from Campbell to edge out the visiting Spartans 50-47 and set up an Elite 8 showdown with two-seeded Central Gwinnett. The Indians led 13-5 after the opening frame and 30-15 at the half before Campbell cut its deficit to five points in the third. McEachern finished the quarter strong for a 43-32 advantage and remained out in front the remainder of the game, despite being outscored 15-7 in the fourth. Jada Bates finished with 19 points (14 of which came in the first half), nine rebounds and four assists.
In other 7A girls games: No. 2 seed Archer led at the end of each quarter of its 56-53 second-round victory over host Lowndes and will travel to Norcross in the Elite 8.
Class 6A
Lanier 67, South Paulding 55
Lanier is advancing to the Elite 8 after defeating South Paulding 67-55 in a back-and-forth game that came down to the fourth quarter. South Paulding made it a one-possession battle in the final frame, but Lanier went on a 15-5 run to take control and win by double digits. Osmar Garcia-Araujo finished with a game-high 24 points and 13 rebounds, and Tahai Morgan added 16 points and six rebounds for the Longhorns. Jeremiah Taylor had 21 points for the Spartans.
Grovetown 58, Marist 51
Three-seed Marist held a four-point lead at halftime of its Sweet 16 matchup with Grovetown, but the Warriors battled back in the second half to come away with a 58-51 victory. It was a celebratory night for Grovetown, which will face Lanier in the Elite 8, as they honored Derrion Reed and Vashon Ferguson for surpassing 1,000 career points.
Jonesboro 65, Brunswick 46
Jonesboro built a quick 22-6 lead in the first quarter and maintained control throughout, defeating two-seeded Brunswick 65-46. Devon Raines was the leading scorer for the Cardinals with 25 points, and Jacquez Akins added 19 points. Camarion Johnson had 17 points and eight rebounds for Brunswick.
Alexander 66, Shiloh 57
Alexander advances to the Elite 8 after a nine-point victory against Shiloh. Shiloh held a two-point lead at the break behind a strong first-half performance from Tylis Jordan, but Alexander pulled away with a big third-quarter run. Senior guard Jayquan Nelson led the team in scoring with 19 points and Braeden Lue added 18.
In other 6A boys games: No. 1 seed Blessed Trinity defeated River Ridge 69-59 to advance to the quarterfinals and will play Lee County. … No. 5-ranked Etowah put together a 17-point victory over two-seeded Pope and will face St. Pius in the Elite 8 following the No. 6-ranked Golden Lions’ 62-57 win over Lakeside-Evans.
Class 5A
Boys
Union Grove 61, McIntosh 60
No. 1 seed McIntosh fought back from a 15-point deficit with four minutes remaining but fell short at home against No. 2 seed Union Grove. Tony Colley led Union Grove with 27 points, and Chase Williams scored 15 points. Also for the Wolverines, Nile King and Chance Whitfield scored eight points each. Union Grove will travel to No. 1 seed Chapel Hill in the quarterfinals.
Hiram 93, Tri-Cities 73
Jay Boyd scored 28 points and had six rebounds to lead No. 1 seed Hiram past No. 3 seed Tri-Cities at home. Five other Hiram players joined Boyd as double-figure scorers, with Amir Taylor scoring 17 points to go with six assists and five rebounds and Walter Matthews scoring 14 points with 12 rebounds and two blocks. Chase Tyler (12 pts, 7 rebs), Sekai Lockhart (11 pts, 5 rebs) and Aaron Wesley (10 pts, 5 rebs) also contributed to the Hornets’ scoring effort, and Calvin Johnson had three blocks.
Mays 69, Winder-Barrow 68 (OT)
Mykel Williams hit a last-second runner in overtime and Winder-Barrow’s shot from beyond half court fell short, giving No. 2 seed Mays a road victory at No. 1 seed Winder-Barrow. Williams led the Raiders with 22 points, and Derron Lindsey II scored 19 points for Mays, which will travel to No. 1 seed Eagle’s Landing in the quarterfinals.
Dutchtown 55, Decatur 46
Adrian Avery led No. 3 seed Dutchtown over No. 1 seed Decatur on the road with 19 points, nine rebounds and two steals. Also for Dutchtown, Jeremiah Edwards added nine points with two steals; Davari Barthell scored eight points; and Joah Chappelle had 10 rebounds with six points. The Bulldogs led just 39-35 after the third quarter. Dutchtown will travel to No. 1 seed Kell in the quarterfinals.
In other 5A boys games: No. 2 seed Tucker lost at home to No. 4 seed Jones County 64-50. Jones County will travel to No. 1 seed Hiram in the quarterfinals. … No. 1 seed Chapel Hill handled No. 3 seed Cass at home with an 85-52 win.
Girls
Bradwell Institute 66, Decatur 42
No. 2 seed Bradwell Institute put together a comfortable 66-42 victory over No. 1 seed Decatur on the road. Bradwell Institute improved to 23-4 with the win and will visit No. 1 seed Kell in next week’s quarterfinals.
Class 4A
Boys
McDonough 78, Sonoraville 38
Visiting McDonough had four players finish in double-figures—including junior Keenan Gray—who finished with a game-high 22 points to go with five rebounds, four assists and three assists. Zaiden Greene added 16 points, seven rebounds and five steals, Amon Sterr finished with 10 points and Avante Nichols notched a double-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. The third-seeded Warhawks will take on No. 1 seed Westover in the Elite 8 after the Patriots’ 67-55 win over Southeast Bulloch.
Benedictine 72, Perry 57
Top-seeded Benedictine outscored visiting Perry 16-9 in the second quarter to pull ahead 31-24 at the half. The Cadets grew the lead to 49-38 at the end of the third quarter before stamping their ninth-straight victory. Benedictine will host No. 2 seed Madison County in the second round after its dramatic 49-48 win over the top-seeded Lions.
Fayette County 61, Bainbridge 59
Top-seeded Fayette County saw its 33-24 halftime lead evaporate in the third quarter as Bainbridge used a 22-12 scoring advantage to take a 46-45 edge into the final frame. Bainbridge’s Ked Bryant tied the game up 59-59 before Fayette County’s Keith Gillespie scored the game-winning shot for the Tigers. Gillespie finished with eight points and teammate Sean Van Dorn added 13 points. Bainbridge was led by KJ Cochran’s game-high 25 points. Fayette County will host No. 4 seed Woodland-Stockbridge in the Elite 8 after the Wolfpacks’ road win over North Oconee.
Pace Academy 58, Walnut Grove 41
No. 2 seed Pace Academy built a 50-24 lead at the end of the third quarter and cruised past top-seeded Walnut Grove. LJ Moore led Pace Academy with 15 points in the first three quarters and finished with a game-high 18.
Girls
Baldwin 62, Troup 46
No. 2 seed Baldwin opened a 26-18 halftime lead over No. 4 seed Troup. The Braves increased the lead to 44-31 heading into the fourth quarter before advancing to the Elite 8, where they will be visiting top-seed Luella.
Class 3A
Boys
Johnson-Savannah 78, Crisp County 54
Johnson-Savannah had little trouble moving past Crisp County and into the quarterfinals against Sandy Creek. The Atomsmashers led 47-23 at the half. Joshua Quarterman scored 24 points with six rebounds and two assists to lead Johnson. Antonio Baker scored 24 points with six assists and six rebounds and Malachi Robinson added 15 points with 12 rebounds and four assists. Last season, Johnson lost out in the quarterfinals against Thomson 79-66. The Atomsmashers are searching for the program’s first state title since 2013.
Sandy Creek 68, Wesleyan 22
Amari Brown scored 19 points to lead top-ranked Sandy Creek past Wesleyan and into the quarterfinal matchup against No. 2-ranked Johnson-Savannah. The Patriots also got double-digit scoring from Vic Newsome (18 points) and Micah Smith (10 points) in the victory.
Cross Creek 65, Monroe 54
Jaden Priester scored 21 points to lead the Razorbacks past Monroe and into the quarterfinals against Monroe. Antoine Lorick added 15 points, Quavon Henry and Isam Anthony each scored eight points and Kylen Clark finished with seven points for Cross Creek.
Cedar Grove 62, Monroe Area 55
Jayden Adside scored 21 points with four assists to lead the Saints past Monroe Area. EJ Colson scored 20 points with five rebounds. Colson scored two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help Cedar Grove pull away. Emanuel Green added 17 points with 12 rebounds and two blocks. Green scored six of his 17 points in the fourth quarter.
Hart County 68, Adairsville 60
Hart County led 52-42 entering the fourth quarter in its 68-60 victory over Adairsville. Terrance Mitchell scored 24 points with 13 rebounds, two steals and one assist. Keelan Stowers scored 16 points with four assists, two rebounds and two steals and Tahj Johnson finished with seven points, 13 rebounds, six assists and four blocks for Hart. The Bulldogs will face Cross Creek in the quarterfinals.
In other 3A boys games: Douglass beat Hebron Christian 74-43 and will face Dougherty in the quarterfinals. …
Class 2A
Boys
Model 52, Washington 44
Top-seeded Model earned its second-straight trip to the Elite 8 and was led by Jeremias Heard’s game-high 22 points. Jakenes Heard finished with 10 and Model also had Jayden Hames score eight points and Stevie Dallas contribute seven points. The Blue Devils will
South Atlanta 72, North Murray 63
Top-seeded South Atlanta led by 12 points midway through the second quarter before a 12-2 run by North Murray cut the Hornets’ lead to 34-30 at the half. North Murray remained in the game and cut it within 57-53 midway through the fourth quarter before South Atlanta’s 9-1 run put the Hornets up 66-54 with 2:41 left. South Atlanta will take on No. 1 seed Westside-Augusta in the Elite 8 after its 82-49 win over Sumter County.
Columbia 83, Union County 49
Top-seeded Windsor Forest got off to a hot start and built a 21-6 lead after the first quarter and held on for a 72-50 victory. Windsor Forest will take on No. 1 seed Columbia in the Elite 8 after the Eagles’ 83-49 win over Union County Friday Night that extended their win streak to 21-straight.
Class A Division I
Boys
Swainsboro 57, Savannah 54
Swainsboro upset No. 8-ranked Savannah 57-54 on Saturday to advance to the quarterfinals. The host Tigers used a 20-point third quarter to get back in the game after trailing by eight at halftime. Lamelo Lewis scored 18 points and Jakari Nobles added 10 points for the Tigers, while Maki Joyner had 15 points for Savannah.
Mount Pisgah 78, Darlington 66
No. 2-ranked Mount Pisgah defeated Darlington by 12 points to advance to the quarterfinals. The top-seeded Tigers trailed by just two points with 5:07 remaining in the game before Mount Pisgah went on a 15-1 run to pull away. Grant Randall led Mount Pisgah in scoring with 20 points. Senior Braden Bell had a game-high 21 points and six threes for Darlington.
Temple 70, Dublin 61
Temple is advancing to the quarterfinals after a nine-point victory against Dublin. The one-seed Tigers were down by ten points at the break before outscoring their opponent by 19 points in the second half and will face top-ranked Mount Vernon in the Elite 8.
Woodville-Tompkins 81, Pelham 62
Woodville-Tompkins punched its ticket to the quarterfinals with a 19-point victory against Pelham. Alfonzo Ross was huge for the seventh-ranked Wolverines, finishing with a career-high 42 points. Jonathan Pickering added 18 points and Kevin Taylor finished with 17 points.
In other Division I boys games: King’s Ridge put together an emphatic 35-point victory (65-30) over host Rabun County and will face Woodville-Tompkins in the next round. … Top-ranked Mount Vernon won big against visiting Chattooga (87-49) to advance to the quarterfinals. … Athens Christian won 74-68 against Mount Bethel to set up a third-round matchup with Swainsboro.
Class Division II
Boys
Greenforest Christian 60, Manchester 56
No. 1 seed Greenforest Christian outlasted visiting No. 2 seed Manchester, led by 15 points from Elijah Lewis. The 2022 Class A Private champions also got 11 points apiece from Isaiah Lloyd and Dhiaukuei Manyiel Dut. Darius Bryant led Manchester with 15 points.
Portal 62, Randolph-Clay 44
No. 1 seed Portal defeated No. 3 seed Randolph-Clay at home, with Amir Jackson leading the Panthers with 17 points. Also for Portal, Marion Tremble scored 14 points, Elijah Coleman had 12 points and Joseph Thomas added 10 points. Portal will host Wilkinson County in the quarterfinals.
Charlton County 79, Telfair County 42
Elyiss Williams scored a game-high 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting to go with 10 rebounds and three blocks to lead No. 1 seed Charlton County past No. 3 seed Telfair County at home. Charlton County used a 27-6 scoring advantage in the second quarter to seize control of the game after trailing 15-9 after the first quarter. Jarvis Wright added 21 points for Charlton County, and Jaylen King scored 16 points on 4-of-7 three-point shooting. Charlton County will host No. 2 seed Hancock Central in the quarterfinals.
In other Division II boys games: No. 1 seed Calhoun County defeated No. 3 seed McIntosh County Academy at home 66-37. Calhoun County will visit No. 1 seed Greenforest Christian in the quarterfinals. … No. 2 seed Hancock Central edged No. 4 seed Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy 50-48. … No. 1 seed Wilkinson County handled No. 3 seed Fulton Leadership Academy at home 79-52. … No. 1 seed Dooly County defeated No. 2 seed Mitchell County at home 60-56 and will host No. 1 seed Macon County in the quarterfinals. Macon County was a 66-61 home winner over No. 2 seed Christian Heritage.
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