From Score Atlanta reporter Fletcher Proctor:
A first title for one program, old hat for another. Friday afternoon was magical for two teams at Gwinnett Arena as the Southwest DeKalb Lady Panthers and the Columbia Eagles each defeated a Fayette County team to win a state basketball title. In the first matchup, Charenee Stephens showed the world why she is headed for South Carolina to star as a Gamecock. She grabbed rebound after rebound and put back shot after shot as the Lady Panthers claimed the program’s first title. The Panthers were at it from the start as the team held an early 12-7 lead and then watched it grow throughout the half. By the third quarter, the lead was 19, and though Fayette County, behind Tessah Holt, made a late charge, it was not to be as Stephens and the rest of the Lady Panthers gave head coach Kathy Richey-Walton the 2008 AAAA state championship. The final score was 62-46, but the game was never in doubt after the first quarter.
Then it was the boys’ turn as the Columbia Eagles made their third straight appearance in the title game. The Eagles captured the crown in 2006, only to lose to Tucker in 2007. In 2008, the team would have to overcome an early deficit, but ultimately claimed the crown. Fayette County’s Brandon Boykin and Cuincy Carruthers made up for leading scorer Noel Johnson’s absence in the first half, keeping the Tigers to within seven despite letting Eagle senior Kenny Mitchell score 12 first half points. In the second half, Carruthers caught fire as he finished with 25 points, but it was not to be as Travis Leslie and Darrius Morrow led the Eagles to victory. The score was close with three minutes to go and the Tigers had a chance to seize the lead with a minute to play, but the ball couldn’t go through the hoop and the Eagles danced to a 69-63 win. Fayette County, which started the day with a shot at two titles, left Gwinnett Arena without one.
Fletcher Proctor can be reached at fproctor@scoreatl.com.
Showing posts with label Travis Leslie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travis Leslie. Show all posts
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Class 2A Finals preview
By Score Atlanta reporter Fletcher Proctor:
The Southwest DeKalb Lady Panthers have never won a state title, but this team may be on its way to a coronation. SWD took on a tough Westlake team in the semis, but thanks to a 20-11 third quarter which gave the Panthers a 20-point lead, the team, and Eboni Mitchell, kept its foot on the gas and eventually topped the 90-point barrier. The final score was 90-63. Mitchell finished with 32 points and the team looks poised to capture the elusive state title. Charenee Stephens finished with 20 for the Panthers. Southwest DeKalb will be squaring off against the Fayette County Lady Tigers as they squeaked out a one-point victory in the semis over Madison County 45-44. The Tigers, led by junior Tessah Holt and sophomore Anma Oneuku, will look to trip up an upperclassmen-heavy squad in SWD that hasn’t lost since Dec. 15.
Over on the guys’ side, Fayette County continued its run to the state title with a 73-68 win over a tough Miller Grove squad. Noel Johnson scored 29 for the Tigers and the team needed every one of those points to overcome Miller Grove’s Mfon Udofia. The junior Wolverine netted 30 points and rallied his team late to a tie game at 52-52, and to within two points with just under three minutes to play. But then Tiger junior Johnson took over, connecting on a 3-pointer to doom Miller Grove’s hopes. The Tigers will go up against Columbia as the No. 2 team in the state knocked off No. 1 Westlake. The Eagles jumped out early to a 17-4 lead over the Lions and the rout was on. Travis Leslie had 20 points and the Eagles led by 20 at the half. By the time Westlake’s Raymond Willis got it going, it was too late. His 26 weren’t a factor as the Eagles advanced to the state finals – as a three-seed – with a 68-57 victory. The Tigers’ speed against the Eagles’ physicality should make for a VERY interesting finals.
Fletcher Proctor can be reached at fproctor@scoreatl.com.
The Southwest DeKalb Lady Panthers have never won a state title, but this team may be on its way to a coronation. SWD took on a tough Westlake team in the semis, but thanks to a 20-11 third quarter which gave the Panthers a 20-point lead, the team, and Eboni Mitchell, kept its foot on the gas and eventually topped the 90-point barrier. The final score was 90-63. Mitchell finished with 32 points and the team looks poised to capture the elusive state title. Charenee Stephens finished with 20 for the Panthers. Southwest DeKalb will be squaring off against the Fayette County Lady Tigers as they squeaked out a one-point victory in the semis over Madison County 45-44. The Tigers, led by junior Tessah Holt and sophomore Anma Oneuku, will look to trip up an upperclassmen-heavy squad in SWD that hasn’t lost since Dec. 15.
Over on the guys’ side, Fayette County continued its run to the state title with a 73-68 win over a tough Miller Grove squad. Noel Johnson scored 29 for the Tigers and the team needed every one of those points to overcome Miller Grove’s Mfon Udofia. The junior Wolverine netted 30 points and rallied his team late to a tie game at 52-52, and to within two points with just under three minutes to play. But then Tiger junior Johnson took over, connecting on a 3-pointer to doom Miller Grove’s hopes. The Tigers will go up against Columbia as the No. 2 team in the state knocked off No. 1 Westlake. The Eagles jumped out early to a 17-4 lead over the Lions and the rout was on. Travis Leslie had 20 points and the Eagles led by 20 at the half. By the time Westlake’s Raymond Willis got it going, it was too late. His 26 weren’t a factor as the Eagles advanced to the state finals – as a three-seed – with a 68-57 victory. The Tigers’ speed against the Eagles’ physicality should make for a VERY interesting finals.
Fletcher Proctor can be reached at fproctor@scoreatl.com.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Elite 8 Wrapup from Marietta High School
I had the pleasure of taking in the Elite 8 games from Marietta High School last Saturday. And got to see some great basketball. The day had it all: great games, individual performances, loud crowds, and a lot more. Clearly, High school Basketball is better than ever in the state. Here’s some of what I got to see.
Game 1: Clarke Central vs. Southwest Dekalb
When it comes to intensity, this was one of the best games I’ve seen all season. CC were lead by an unreal performance from point guard Brittni Johnson. She kept her team close all game against an SWD team that was clearly the more talented. But in the end, it was too much Charenee Stephens in the post and the Lady Panthers were victorious by a score of 74-63.
Johnson’s first half performance was unbelievable. She dropped 17 in the first 16 minutes to lead her team to a 31-29 lead at the break. She also was helping out her team with plenty of steals in CC’s full-court press, and finding open teammates for plenty of dimes.
But the upset wasn’t meant to be in an intense and physical second half. Both teams were in the bonus with plenty of time to play and the game turned into somewhat of a war from the charity stripe. But Stephens made free throws irrelevant by taking over in crunch time. She got CC’s frontline in foul trouble all on her own and dominated on the offensive glass. Two of her fourth-quarter-putbacks also coincided with fouls, including a three-point play with 2:15 to play that sealed the deal.
Her performance was truly heroic. She scored 13-points in a second half where she never came out of the game, and she never showed any signs of wearing a down. Without her, the result probably would have been different, she finished with 21 points and 15 boards.
Game 2: Miller Grove vs. Lithia Springs
Again, this was a game where the underdog gave the favorite a lot of problems. But just like in the first game, the favorite (Miller Grove) made the plays down the stretch. They escaped with a narrow 62-58 win.
It was a close game throughout and turned into a back-and-forth affair down the stretch. Lithia Springs’ Chris Nelson hit a huge three-pointer to tie it up at 55 with just under three minutes to go. But Mfon Udofia, who struggled with his shot all game long, got to the foul line and hit both to put the Wolverines up 57-55. Lithia Springs didn’t look threatening on the next possessions and turned it over soon after. But Miller Grove turned it right back over, only for LS to miss a seemingly easy shot in the paint that would have tied the game. Then they allowed MGHS to get the ball back to Udofia (a great free throw shooter) and he coolly sank both to seemingly finish of Lithia.
But once again, The Lions got back in it. Devoron Ashmon drove the lane, got fouled, and made the bucket. After he sank his free throw it was a one-point game. But once again, Udofia got the ball and sank two FT’s with 15 seconds to go. Down 61-58, the Lions needed a three-pointer to force OT, but they mistakenly settled for a mid-range jumper which clanked off the back-iron. Justin Allen pulled down the rebound for MG, and sank his second foul shot to ice the game.
Game 3: Mays vs. Madison County
I’ll be honest, I didn’t know much about either of these teams before the game. But both of them came to play in one half each. Mays dominated the first two quarters, but Madison County played a nearly flawless second half en route to a 67-57 victory.
Mays scored the first 17 points of the game. That’s right, it was 17-0 in favor of the 6-AAAA side. They held a 32-23 lead at half. But Madison stormed back in the third quarter, took the lead, and never looked back.
The final score was 67-57, as the Red Raiders outscored Mays 35-15 in the second half. The margin of victory could have been more, but Madison turned the ball over a myriad of times down the stretch with the game essentially out of reach.
Game 4 Rome vs. Columbia
This was supposed to be the game of the evening. The high profile matchup of Rome’s Tony Woods (Wake Forest commit) and Darius Morrow (South Carolina commit) was supposed to be epic. And maybe, just maybe, the Wolves were going to upset the AAAA giants. That didn’t happen. Eagles' mega-recruit Travis Leslie (still undecided) played one of his best games of the season, and it was never close.
It was 22-9 after one quarter. Leslie scored 12 of those, including a late steal and layup that gave the Eagles great momentum. Rome turned it up on the offensive end in the second quarter, but they couldn’t stop Leslie. After two Woods dunks made it 31-19 and the Eagles turned it over, he went to work alongside some great guard play from Jershon Cobb (who doesn’t get enough publicity because of Morrow and Leslie). Although Woods outplayed Morrow in the first half, the Columbia backcourt dominated Rome’s. It was 39-24 at the half.
The second half was more of the same. Woods tried to keep his team close and the Rome guards were better offensively. But they couldn’t stop the Eagles’ offense. Leslie finished with 30 points, and the final score of 69-51 could have been much worse if CHS had been a little more consistent.
Game 1: Clarke Central vs. Southwest Dekalb
When it comes to intensity, this was one of the best games I’ve seen all season. CC were lead by an unreal performance from point guard Brittni Johnson. She kept her team close all game against an SWD team that was clearly the more talented. But in the end, it was too much Charenee Stephens in the post and the Lady Panthers were victorious by a score of 74-63.
Johnson’s first half performance was unbelievable. She dropped 17 in the first 16 minutes to lead her team to a 31-29 lead at the break. She also was helping out her team with plenty of steals in CC’s full-court press, and finding open teammates for plenty of dimes.
But the upset wasn’t meant to be in an intense and physical second half. Both teams were in the bonus with plenty of time to play and the game turned into somewhat of a war from the charity stripe. But Stephens made free throws irrelevant by taking over in crunch time. She got CC’s frontline in foul trouble all on her own and dominated on the offensive glass. Two of her fourth-quarter-putbacks also coincided with fouls, including a three-point play with 2:15 to play that sealed the deal.
Her performance was truly heroic. She scored 13-points in a second half where she never came out of the game, and she never showed any signs of wearing a down. Without her, the result probably would have been different, she finished with 21 points and 15 boards.
Game 2: Miller Grove vs. Lithia Springs
Again, this was a game where the underdog gave the favorite a lot of problems. But just like in the first game, the favorite (Miller Grove) made the plays down the stretch. They escaped with a narrow 62-58 win.
It was a close game throughout and turned into a back-and-forth affair down the stretch. Lithia Springs’ Chris Nelson hit a huge three-pointer to tie it up at 55 with just under three minutes to go. But Mfon Udofia, who struggled with his shot all game long, got to the foul line and hit both to put the Wolverines up 57-55. Lithia Springs didn’t look threatening on the next possessions and turned it over soon after. But Miller Grove turned it right back over, only for LS to miss a seemingly easy shot in the paint that would have tied the game. Then they allowed MGHS to get the ball back to Udofia (a great free throw shooter) and he coolly sank both to seemingly finish of Lithia.
But once again, The Lions got back in it. Devoron Ashmon drove the lane, got fouled, and made the bucket. After he sank his free throw it was a one-point game. But once again, Udofia got the ball and sank two FT’s with 15 seconds to go. Down 61-58, the Lions needed a three-pointer to force OT, but they mistakenly settled for a mid-range jumper which clanked off the back-iron. Justin Allen pulled down the rebound for MG, and sank his second foul shot to ice the game.
Game 3: Mays vs. Madison County
I’ll be honest, I didn’t know much about either of these teams before the game. But both of them came to play in one half each. Mays dominated the first two quarters, but Madison County played a nearly flawless second half en route to a 67-57 victory.
Mays scored the first 17 points of the game. That’s right, it was 17-0 in favor of the 6-AAAA side. They held a 32-23 lead at half. But Madison stormed back in the third quarter, took the lead, and never looked back.
The final score was 67-57, as the Red Raiders outscored Mays 35-15 in the second half. The margin of victory could have been more, but Madison turned the ball over a myriad of times down the stretch with the game essentially out of reach.
Game 4 Rome vs. Columbia
This was supposed to be the game of the evening. The high profile matchup of Rome’s Tony Woods (Wake Forest commit) and Darius Morrow (South Carolina commit) was supposed to be epic. And maybe, just maybe, the Wolves were going to upset the AAAA giants. That didn’t happen. Eagles' mega-recruit Travis Leslie (still undecided) played one of his best games of the season, and it was never close.
It was 22-9 after one quarter. Leslie scored 12 of those, including a late steal and layup that gave the Eagles great momentum. Rome turned it up on the offensive end in the second quarter, but they couldn’t stop Leslie. After two Woods dunks made it 31-19 and the Eagles turned it over, he went to work alongside some great guard play from Jershon Cobb (who doesn’t get enough publicity because of Morrow and Leslie). Although Woods outplayed Morrow in the first half, the Columbia backcourt dominated Rome’s. It was 39-24 at the half.
The second half was more of the same. Woods tried to keep his team close and the Rome guards were better offensively. But they couldn’t stop the Eagles’ offense. Leslie finished with 30 points, and the final score of 69-51 could have been much worse if CHS had been a little more consistent.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
4A semifinal preview
From Score Atlanta reporter Fletcher Proctor:
As the field just eliminated four elite teams from the boys side as well as the girls side, the teams remaining still stand because of outstanding players. In the case of Miller Grove, 6-foot-2 junior Mfon Udofia hoisted the Wolverines onto his back as he tossed in 25 points and helped his squad advance past Lithia Springs and into the Final Four. Meanwhile it wasn’t Fayette County junior Noel Johnson, but rather senior Cuincy Carruthers that helped the Tigers achieve their first-ever semifinals appearance.
As for the other side of the bracket, high school basketball fans will get to see No. 1 Westlake and Raymond Willis take on No. 2 Columbia and Travis Leslie. Columbia advanced to Gwinnett Arena by pressuring Wake Forest-bound Tony Woods and Rome into a 69-51 defeat. Westlake is counting its blessings, surviving a wild one-point quarterfinal victory over Riverdale. Gideon Gamble will be the key for Westlake in the semifinal as most of the opposition’s attention will be focused on the future Boomer Sooner Willis.
For the ladies, youth was served as Fayette County secured its first Final Four appearance with a win over Tai Brown and Northside-Warner Robins. Sophomore Anma Onyeuku scored 14 in the victory and junior Tessa Holt did a little bit of everything with six points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals. They will face junior Courtney Freeman and Madison County at Gwinnett Arena; the Red Raiders knocked off Mays in the quarterfinals. Sade Means and Mays fell behind and could not combat the impressive performance by Dan Lampe’s squad.
The other game will pit No. 1 Southwest DeKalb, still seeking its first state title, against No. 3 Westlake. Westlake was impressive in blowing out Baldwin 66-40 in the quarterfinals, but the Lady Panthers of SW DeKalb are very imposing, as they sport two regular 20-point scorers. Charenee Stephens notched 21 points and 15 rebounds in the 74-63 win over Clarke Central, and Kayla Lewis added 20.
Proctor can be reached at fproctor@scoreatl.com.
As the field just eliminated four elite teams from the boys side as well as the girls side, the teams remaining still stand because of outstanding players. In the case of Miller Grove, 6-foot-2 junior Mfon Udofia hoisted the Wolverines onto his back as he tossed in 25 points and helped his squad advance past Lithia Springs and into the Final Four. Meanwhile it wasn’t Fayette County junior Noel Johnson, but rather senior Cuincy Carruthers that helped the Tigers achieve their first-ever semifinals appearance.
As for the other side of the bracket, high school basketball fans will get to see No. 1 Westlake and Raymond Willis take on No. 2 Columbia and Travis Leslie. Columbia advanced to Gwinnett Arena by pressuring Wake Forest-bound Tony Woods and Rome into a 69-51 defeat. Westlake is counting its blessings, surviving a wild one-point quarterfinal victory over Riverdale. Gideon Gamble will be the key for Westlake in the semifinal as most of the opposition’s attention will be focused on the future Boomer Sooner Willis.
For the ladies, youth was served as Fayette County secured its first Final Four appearance with a win over Tai Brown and Northside-Warner Robins. Sophomore Anma Onyeuku scored 14 in the victory and junior Tessa Holt did a little bit of everything with six points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals. They will face junior Courtney Freeman and Madison County at Gwinnett Arena; the Red Raiders knocked off Mays in the quarterfinals. Sade Means and Mays fell behind and could not combat the impressive performance by Dan Lampe’s squad.
The other game will pit No. 1 Southwest DeKalb, still seeking its first state title, against No. 3 Westlake. Westlake was impressive in blowing out Baldwin 66-40 in the quarterfinals, but the Lady Panthers of SW DeKalb are very imposing, as they sport two regular 20-point scorers. Charenee Stephens notched 21 points and 15 rebounds in the 74-63 win over Clarke Central, and Kayla Lewis added 20.
Proctor can be reached at fproctor@scoreatl.com.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Boys second round quick hits...
5A boys
Wheeler comes back from 11 down in the fourth quarter to get past McEachern 70-67. Wildcats sophomore point guard Phil Taylor only had 11 in the contest, but hit two big 3-pointers down the stretch to spark the rally. Wheeler meets Berkmar on Saturday.
Norcross downs Centennial 69-54 in a rematch of last year's championship game. Al-Farouq Aminu had 17 points and guard Taariq Muhammad chipped in 15 for the Blue Devils, who move on to play...
...Northview, who just shocked Marietta 71-61. Marietta key players - Deandre Cannon and Chris Tanzy - were injured, the Blue Devils hit just 11-24 free throws, and Northview's Ralph Sampson III blocked seven shots ... that's a recipe for an upset.
I guess Savannah was a little more comfortable on its second trip to Clayton County this year, as the team took down Mundy's Mill by the score of 82-52. Mundy's Mill won the first meeting by a point. Savannah will host Douglass on Saturday.
4A boys
Lithia Springs beat Dacula 69-63 yesterday to earn the privilege of playing red-hot Miller Grove at Marietta High School on Saturday. Jeremy Flagg had 18 points in the Lions' road victory.
Columbia has recovered nicely from their stumble in the region tournament, and despite earning Region 6's third seed, are now in the Elite 8. The Eagles defeated Pebblebrook 59-57, and Travis Leslie scored his jersey number (23). Phil McCrary's team will face Wake Forest signee Tony Woods and Rome, which just took out Stone Mountain by a point, the team that upset Columbia in the region tournament in the first place.
3A boys
There was a lot of talent on the floor in the Glenn Hills-Jordan matchup in Augusta, and Glenn Hills alone has three D-I signees. Reggie Middleton (Winthrop), Jerel Stephenson (UNC-Wilmington), and Chris Reynolds (Campbell) scored 49 of their team's 52 points in the 52-49 win. This is a senior-laden squad with the talent to win it all.
2A boys
Wesleyan rolls into the quarterfinals over Macon County, but regionmate Greater Atlanta Christian is out after being upset by Coosa, 85-82.
Defending champs Dublin are still in the thick of things after a win over Swainsboro, but must meet Randolph-Clay in the quarters at Savannah State University.
A boys
If you live in the Rome area (or even if you don't) and are a fan of high school basketball, do yourself a favor and check out some of the best teams in the state at Georgia Highlands College on Saturday. The four best teams in Single-A will be in action on the same day: Whitefield Academy takes on Hancock Central at 5:30, and Southwest Atlanta Christian meets defending champ Wilkinson County at 8:30. Each of these teams won their second round games by double digits; these squads are the cream of the crop in this classification.
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