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Time to look great!

VOLUME 12 ISSUE 9 | MARCH 9 - MARCH 15, 2016

YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS IN GEORGIA

ALL FOR YOU Westlake boys and McEachern girls leave Macon with coveted Class AAAAAA state titles. | Pg. 7

Come Back To Me| Pg. 4 Americus-Sumter returns the state title to Sumter County for the first time since 1966.

Together Again | Pg. 9 After a one-year break, Miller Grove clinches its seventh state title in eight years.

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Vol. 12 Iss. 9 | Mar. 9 - Mar. 15, 2016

STARTING LINEUP PUBLISHER/EDITOR I.J. Rosenberg

ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR DJ Galbiati Blalock

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Rhonda Rawls

MANAGING EDITOR Craig Sager II

COLUMNISTS

ON THE COVER

PREP COVER

ASST. MANAGING EDITOR Kyle Sandy

MARKETING/ Lauren Goldstein PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR

BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick

BEAT WRITERS: Ricky Dimon (Braves) Dan Mathews (UGA) Craig Sager II (Falcons, GHSA, GA Tech) Kyle Sandy (GSU, Kennesaw, Hawks) STAFF WRITERS Tyler Andrews Ned Kaish

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TEAM SCOOP AND VOICES

06 11 12

COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF KENT D. JOHNSON

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SAGER SAYS

SOUTHWEST DEKALB, AMERICUS-SUMTER WIN GIRLS TITLES BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

t took seven lead changes and nine ties before Southwest DeKalb left the Macon Centreplex Iwith its 49-48 victory over Winder-Barrow in the girls Class AAAAA state title game. The win shelved the Panthers their first state title since 2013 and the program’s fifth since 2008. The incredibly tight game happened despite massive disparities in several statistical categories. Southwest DeKalb finished the game 19-of-72 from the field (26.4 % shooting) compared to Winder-Barrow’s 18-of-42 night (42.9%). The 30 extra shots came from Southwest DeKalb’s 26 offensive rebounds and the 27 turnovers the Panthers forced the Bulldoggs in the game. Southwest DeKalb trailed 9-8 after the first quarter and went into the half tied 25-25. The Panthers led 34-29 with a minute left in the third quarter, but Winder-Barrow sparked a 6-2

run to close the quarter after buckets by Tiera Mayweather, Chellia Watson and Mayweather that cut it to 36-35. It remained a one possession game until Chantz Cherry made a pair of free throws with 1:52 left in the final quarter to give Southwest DeKalb a 47-43 lead. Lexi Maddox answered with a Bulldoggs layup and then Daisa Alexander found Cori Bostic with 1:27 left for a layup to give Southwest DeKalb a 49-45 lead. Chellia Watson made a midrange jumper with :32 seconds left to make it a 49-47 game and after a missed free throw by Michaela Bennefield, Winder-Barrow got the ball back with a chance to tie but Lexi Maddox came up short on her layup. Olivia Nelson-Ododa got the offensive rebound and put it back up but was fouled on the play and the ball got to the rim before rolling back on what would have been

SANDY’S SPIEL

LIBERTY COUNTY ENDS JONESBORO’S BID FOR THREE-PEAT BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

outh was served on Friday night in the Class AAAA state championship as No. 2 Liberty County held on and knocked off twotime defending state champ No. 1 Jonesboro 58-52 for the program’s first title in the Class AAAA final. The Panthers (28-1) held the Cardinals (28-5) to 33.3 percent shooting and limited Jonesboro to just one offensive rebound in the first half. The Panthers, known for their firepower, proved they could grind out a defensive battle with one of the state’s most hard-nosed groups. Juniors and sophomores led the way for Liberty County. Five-star UGA football-commit and nationally-ranked safety Richard LeCounte attacked early and often. After three ugly misses to start the day, the uber-athletic guard be-

gan to settle in and netted 14 of his team-high 20 points in the first half while grabbing nine boards on the night. The Panthers took a 14-10 lead after the first period and extended their advantage to 22-13 before Jonesboro ripped off five straight points and captured their championship form. At the half, Liberty County held a 26-22 lead. MJ Walker Jr., Jonesboro’s star junior guard, was harassed into a 6-for-17 night after pouring 30 on the Panthers in last year’s 71-43 semifinal win. He scored the final four points of the half but never caught fire.

DEFENSIVE BATTLE…

Auburn-commit Davion Mitchell was held scoreless in the first half on 0-of-4 shooting but it was sophomore Will Richardson who

the game-tying basket. Nelson-Ododa split the free-throws and Winder-Barrow was left with a desperation inbounds scenario with just over a second left. The result was the Bulldoggs’s 27th and final turnover. Daisa Alexander led Southwest DeKalb with a game-high 19 points off 8-of-29 shooting. Teammate Raven Thurman finished with 13 points. Winder-Barrow had three players finish in double-figures with Nelson-Ododa leading the way with 13 points to go with her game-high 19 rebounds. Latrice Perkins finished with 11 points and Mayweather netted 10. Americus-Sumter (31-1) dominated from the start, building a 10-0 lead out the gates and defeating Veterans (27-5) 56-38 for the girls Class AAAA state championship. With the victory, the Panthers brought the title back to Sumter County for the first time since 1966 when Americus won the title. “It’s been 50 years. It feels great to bring this back to our community,” said AmericusSumter head coach Sherri Harris. “We’ve waited a long time for this to happen. If you’ve noticed there’s a lot of blue up in here. Those people traveled. They’ve been following us all year.” Americus High School and Sumter High School merged in 2004 to form Americus-Sum-

ter High School and the former rival schools have come together since around the unified Panthers. I graduated from Americus High School,” beamed Harris. “ A couple of my assistant coaches went to Sumter County High School. It’s always been a rivalry so at this point this trophy belongs to everybody. It was Americus High. It was Sumter High. Now, it’s AmericusSumter High and it gives us something to build on. That’s what means most about this win. We brought the community together.” Florida-State signee A’tyanna Golden led the senior-laden Panthers with a game-high 16 points and added six rebounds, five steals and four assists. Teammate Jykiera Long went an efficient 5-7 from the field and finished with 12 points. Veterans struggled shooting all game, including 5-of-26 from the field in the first half. As a team, the Warhawks finished just 1-of-15 from beyond the arc and only made 13 of their 30 foul shots. Americus-Sumter played an inside game that included 50 percent shooting from the field and 3-6 shooting from beyond the arc. In fact, the Panthers had as many points in the paint as Veterans had total points (36). Kya Cochran was the lone Warhawk to finish in double-figures with 11 points. Photo courtesy of Kent D. Johnson

stepped up big time for Liberty County, scoring seven of his 19 points in the first 16 minutes. In the third quarter it was time for Mitchell to shine. His first points came in the open court on a fastbreak one-handed jam that made it 30-22. Next with 5:20 to play in the quarter, Mitchell splashed a three-pointer and was fouled to cap a 7-0 run to start the half. He scored the seventh of his 14 points on the night with seconds left on a layup making it a 37-30 lead heading into the final frame. Jonesboro, battled-tested so many times before, was not about to lie down and die. Walker buried a three with 3:35 remaining to cut the deficit to 43-39. With 2:58 left, the officials missed a charge on Mitchell. It looked like Zerrick Cooper was set early and took it on the chest, but instead Mitchell was sent to the line and drilled both foul shots to make it 47-41. Walker split a pair of free throws with 1:48 left closing the gap to 50-48, the closest the Cardinals would get. From there the Panthers finished the game on an 8-4 run sparked by a LeCounte jumper and free throws from Richardson and Mitchell. Youth was a reoccurring theme throughout the game. Mitchell and LeCounte, both juniors who combined for 39 points, will return

next season to defend their crown. Sophomore Will Richardson is also a blossoming prospect, but maybe the most impressive of all was firstyear head coach Julian Stokes, a 24-year-old. The game plan for Stokes was simple. “We had to force him [MJ Walker] to beat us by himself. Just not letting the others get their opportunities and I think our defensive execution was great,” explained Stokes. “We pulled everything out that we prepared for and we came out with the trophy.” The stars were expected to get theirs. Walker, Mitchell and LeCounte all scored the ball well for their teams, but it was Richardson who was the X-factor for the Panthers. “This was a moment I’ve been waiting for. He stepped up and made a name for himself tonight and I’m proud of him for that. I’ve been waiting all year for him to wake up and he’s finally awake. He’s going to be a great kid. Look out for him.” As well as Coach Stokes prepared his team he reflected all the praise to his players. “All I can say is it’s all about the guys. They put in the work day in and day out. They work together, they play together and we came out with the W.” Photo courtesy of Kent D. Johnson

CLASS AAAA…

Vol. 12 Iss. 9 | Mar. 9 - Mar. 15, 2016

This comeback athlete had a long road back. Today it’s 8.5 miles. Know a young athlete who overcame a serious injury or illness? Nominate them for Comeback Athlete of the Month at choa.org/comeback.

Jamie Lewis

Julian Stokes

The dominant big man lifted Pace Academy for its first ever state title last Friday. The five-star junior center went for 30 points and 20 rebounds while destroying Manchester’s smaller frontline. Carter Jr. had the right to get hot-headed after he was kicked in the head while on the floor, but instead the star let his play to the talking for him.

20 points and nine assists in the Class AAAAAA state championship was the line put up by Westlake’s stellar sophomore guard. Lewis has a bright future ahead of him and is continuing to improve his play. He already holds high major offers and for good reason.

At 24 years old winning a state championship in his first season as head coach isn’t too shabby for the Liberty County leader. Stokes brought home the program’s first title behind his coaching and his slew of talented juniors and sophomores. The Panthers ended Jonesboro’s two-year reign over AAAA.

By Kyle Sandy

WHO’S HOT

Wendell Carter Jr .

SCORE LIST By Craig Sager II MORGAN COUNTY SWEEP

The Morgan County boys (26-4) completed a Bulldogs Class AAA sweep of titles following the girls team winning their first title since 1983, with 66-56 win over Jenkins. Jailyn Ingram and Jordan Ford’s size inside wore down the smaller Warriors (28-5) as the Bulldogs avenged last year’s heartbreaking 62-60 championship loss to Jenkins. Ingram scored 11 of his game-high 28 points in the final quarter.

WILKINSON DOES IT AGAIN

After splitting their regular season series, all the marbles were up for grabs in the Class A-Public state title game. No. 1 Wilkinson County’s overpowering size was too much for No. 4 Hancock Central as the Warriors pulled away for their eighth championship in school history, 55-42. Greg Couson finished with 16 points, 18 rebounds and three blocks while Jonathan Baehre added nine points, eight rebounds and five blocks.

WITNESS PERFECTION

After falling in last year’s final, the Turner County girls ran away with a 55-38 victory over Terrell County in the girls Class A-Public state championship Thursday at the Macon Centreplex to clinch a perfect 31-0 season and the program’s first state title. Xariah Office led Turner County with a game-high 22 points and Mylashia Yancey finished with 21, including a perfect 9-9 at the charity stripe.

SHARK WEEK

The Houston County Sharks clinched their fourth straight perfect season and AAASP Wheelchair State Championship with a 40-23 victory over the Gwinnett Heat Friday at the Macon Centreplex. Houston County’s Donovan Way netted the Sharks’ first six points and teammate Braxton Robinson hit a layup to give the Sharks an 8-1 lead after the first of the game’s six eight-minute periods. Gwinnett’s Robbie Berry and Stephen Hobson each finished with eight points.

YEAR OF FIRSTS

Wendell Carter Jr. shined on the biggest stage in the Class AA state championship, carrying No. 3 Pace Academy to its firstever title 65-43 against an overmatched and overpowered No. 10 Manchester Blue Devils. Carter Jr. finished with a gamehigh 30 points (10-of-11 FG), 20 rebounds and three blocks. As a result, Pace Academy has won the school’s first-ever football and basketball state titles this school year.

TOO GOOD

Following a disappointing 96-81 championship loss at the hands of St. Francis last year, Greenforest Christian’s retooled lineup of physical and versatile big men served up a 78-66 victory in the Class A-Private state championship to end the Knights’ two-year run. New Hampshire signee John Ogwuche torched St. Francis for 27 points and five assists, while drawing 23 free throw attempts. This is the Eagles’ second state title (2013).

WHO’S NOT

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Macon Centreplex

Roddy White

Calvin Johnson

If you haven’t heard already about the disaster that took place in Macon this past weekend, you must have been living in the arena because there is no signal or Wi-Fi connecting you to the outer world. The debacle has gained national attention and is another black eye for the GHSA.

Atlanta’s all-time leading receiver was released after his worst season in years. White, now 34, will look for a new job. White struggled in his first year with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and will attempt to resurrect his career elsewhere. However, he needs to understand he is no longer a No. 1 option in the NFL.

One of the greatest wide outs to ever suit up as called it quits after nine years, spurning Lions fans likes decades ago when Barry Sanders returned in his prime. Instead of suffering through more losing seasons, Johnson is at peace with spending more time with his family and enjoying the rest of his life.

NUMBERS

OUR TWO CENTS

By Kyle Sandy

Our email newsletter is something we take a lot of pride in at Score. If you aren’t familiar with it, it is a high school sportsheavy publication that we produce each day to fill in our readers on the latest happenings in Georgia prep sports. We send it out Monday through Friday throughout the year and Monday through Saturday during the fall. Not only do we cover popular sports like football, basketball and baseball, we also cover every other varsity sport the GHSA fields. If you like Georgia high school sports at all, sign up for our email newsletter by visiting www.tinyurl.com/scorenewsletter and enter your email address(es) that you’d like added to the distribution list.

TRIVIA QUESTION

“

SANITY AT LAST

HOW MANY TEAMS WON THEIR FIRST BASKETBALL STATE TITLES THIS WEEKEND?

“We were able to get it together this year. This team has shown more growth on the court as a team than any team I’ve ever coached.”

ANSWER ON PAGE 14

- Holy Innocents’ girls head coach Tony Watkins

The combined threepoint percentage shot at the GHSA state championships

The length of free throws at the Macon Centreplex

State titles won by Wilkinson County

Loss suffered by Allatoona, ending its perfect season in the AAAAA title.

Miller Grove championships in state history

Combined points and rebounds posted by Wendell Carter Jr.

Minutes stalled off the clock in overtime by Coach Darron Rogers

Wins to complete an undefeated season for the Turner County girls

Vol. 12 Iss. 9 | Mar. 9 - Mar. 15, 2016

ON THE COVER

CLASS 6A FINALS

WESTLAKE SURVIVES PEBBLEBROOK, MCEACHERN RUNS PAST TUCKER

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

n the state’s largest classification, the McEachern girls ran away with the Class AAAAAA title, while the Westlake boys survived a fight to the finish with two-time state runner-up Pebblebrook, before closing out the Falcons in overtime. Overall, it was a competitive weekend in Macon, that was overshadowed by the GHSA’s failures on providing regulation court dimensions that recently spread to the national media. All controversy aside, we’ll break down the action from this year’s Class AAAAAA championships. No. 2 Westlake (27-4) raced out to a 15-6 lead and looked like they were going to demolish No. 7 Pebblebrook (23-10) and hand them their second-straight blowout loss to the Lions, and fourth loss overall during the season. Collin Sexton had other ideas. The potent guard came away with a layup in transition to end the quarter after Westlake was attempting

to hold for one shot, cutting into the lead 15-12. It was just the beginning of a monstrous second quarter run for the Falcons. Coach George Washington’s electrifying group stunned the bigger Lions by using Sexton and JJ Smith’s athleticism to counter Westlake’s length. A 26-7 run ended the half with the Falcons on top 32-22, but like in their Region 3 championship meeting, Pebblebrook held an eight point lead before falling 79-57. Sexton netted 14 of his team-high 18 points in the first half while living at the foul line, sinking all eight attempts. In the second half the Falcons continued to soar. Smith threw down a dunk and helped Pebblebrook to its largest lead of the game, 42-31. Jamie Lewis wouldn’t let Westlake fade into oblivion however. The super sophomore poured in 12 of his game-high 21 points in the third quarter and added nine assists on the night to draw

the Lions within three, 46-43. The interesting coaching tactics of Darron Rogers came into play. He called three timeouts within the first three minutes of the fourth quarter including one after a Lewis to Ronald Bell alley-oop tied the game at 48 with 5:13 to play. Chuma Okeke shot just 1-of-3 in the first half for three points but slowly began to wake up when the game was on the line. His seventh point of the game gave the Lions the lead with 4:43 left. Westlake’s 9-2 run pushed the lead to 52-48. Sophomore Dwight Murray knocked down a three to keep the Falcons in striking distance at 53-51. Lewis extended the lead to 58-53 when he found Okeke inside with under a minute to go. After a Pebblebrook bucket, Okeke was sent to the line for a one-and-one. He missed both and Auburn signee Jared Harper, who had a modest finish to his elusive high school career scoring 11 points in each of his last two games after averaging 28 on the season, drilled a three with 19 seconds left to tie the game and send it to overtime at 58. Little did he know, his 15th point of the game coming on 6-of-19 shooting, was the final basket of his career. In overtime Coach Rogers elected to hold the ball and melt the first three minutes off the clock as the crowd erupted in boos. When the Lions finally attacked it was Okeke spinning through the lane for a hoop to go up 6058 with a minute left. Danny Lewis came up with a runout and connected on a layup but was intentionally fouled too. He hit both free throws turning it into a 4-point play which resulted in a 6-point possession as on the ensuing inbound, Okeke slashed to the hoop for an open layup, 66-58 with now just 27 seconds left, stunning the Falcons a year after falling to Wheeler 59-58 on two last second free throws from Jaylen Brown. Okeke scored 10 of his 13 points in the second half and added seven rebounds. Danny Lewis finished with 14 points and Raquan Wilkins chipped in nine points and six boards. Smith was Pebblebrook’s third leading scorer with 13 points and five rebounds.

THREEPEAT IN MACON…. The McEachern Indians outscored Tucker 42-27 in the second half and clinched their third-straight girls Class AAAAAA state title and fourth state title since 2012 with a 71-51 victory Saturday night at the Macon Centreplex. McEachern set the pace early, but failed to close out the first two quarters and Tucker hung around with a buoyant 29-24 halftime deficit. McEachern had opened the game on a 15-5 run but Tucker cut it to 15-9 at the end of the first quarter. The Indians increased the lead back to double-digits in the second quarter (25-15) before the Tigers initiated their 9-4 run to close the half with a five-point deficit. In the second half, however, McEachern’s transition offense, unselfish play and experience overwhelmed Tucker as the Indians ran away with the Class AAAAAA title. McEachern outscored Tucker in fastbreak points 10-0 and posted 20 points in the paint to the Tigers’ eight after the half. Both teams saw balanced scoring from their stars, but McEachern’s ability to get to the foul line proved to be an insurmountable advantage. The Indians connected on 24-of-40 total attempts compared to Tucker’s 13-of-18 shooting but 29 of McEachern’s trips to the charity stripe came in the second half (16-29). Chanel Wilson led McEachern with 17 points and Que Morrison netted 14 points to go with 11 rebounds and four assists. Jada Lewis finished with 12 points, three assists and two steals. Jasmine Clemons corralled a game-high 13 rebounds to go with her five points and teammate Lyndsey Whilby finished with six points. Tucker was led by Jayla Morrow and Najla Shamsid-Deen, who each finished with 15 ponts. Shamsid-Deen fouled out in the final minutes and went to the bench with 10 rebounds. Bria Bass finished with nine points and six rebounds and Kierra Johnson-Graham added 12 rebounds, three points and a teamhigh three steals. Photo courtesy of Kent D. Johnson

SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2016 9AM - 3PM ATLANTA FALCONS PRACTICE FACILITY | 4400 FALCON PARKWAY | FLOWERY BRANCH, GA 30542

THIS INTERACTIVE AND EDUCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACHES FORUM IS DESIGNED TO FOCUS ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TOPICS RELATED TO COACHING A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM AND DEVELOPING STUDENT-ATHLETES. COACHES WILL PARTICIPATE IN BREAKOUT SESSIONS AND HEAR FROM SPEAKERS, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE ATLANTA FALCONS COACHING STAFF, THAT WILL PROVIDE THEM WITH NEW TOOLS TO CONTINUE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LANDSCAPE OF HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

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MUST REGISTER TO ATTEND: ATLANTAFALCONS.COM/COACHESFORUM

PREP SPORTS

MILLER GROVE HOLDS OFF ALLATOONA FOR SEVENTH STATE TITLE KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

ead Coach Sharman White said before the game that No. 1 Miller Grove (30-2) needed to attack to beat No. 2 Allatoona (311) and that’s what they did. They attacked the Buccaneers not only on offense but on defense, surviving previously undefeated Allatoona 5048 for the program’s seventh title in eight years after Ephraim Tshimanga was unable to get a shot off on the Bucs’ final possession in a game that featured six ties and nine separate lead changes. The largest lead of the game was five points and both teams achieved this gap in the third quarter. Miller Grove led by five with 6:50 left in the quarter and with three minutes left, Allatoona had completed the 10-point swing to lead 33-28. Allatoona controlled the tempo and contained Miller Grove’s explosive offense led by McDonald’s All-American and UConn signee

Alterique Gilbert. The Bucs got off to a hot start with a 4-0 lead, but turnovers throughout the game prevented Allatoona from taking a complete grasp of the game. 23 turnovers haunted the Bucs while the two teams combined for 24 in the first half with Miller Grove committing just three errors in the second half. Miller Grove took advantage of the turnovers on with its transition game and finished with 21 points off turnovers to the Bucs’ seven points. Allatoona turned Miller Grove’s turnovers into seven points in the first quarter. An unexpected lift came in the form of 6-foot-7 senior Randy Legros. The defensive specialist attacked Raylon Richardson and got him into foul trouble early. Legros finished with eight points before fouling out in the fourth quarter. The Wolverines surged ahead to take a 24-20 halftime lead behind the play of Gilbert.

The star guard netted eight of his 15 points in the second period. Both he and Aaron Augustin caused the Bucs fits by attacking the hole relentlessly, the two combining to go 13-of-19 from the foul line on the night. Down four at the half, it was still a game that Allatoona felt it had a chance to win by slowing down one of the state’s most potent offenses. After Miller Grove extended its lead to 27-22, its largest of the game, Allatoona stormed back with a 9-0 run to take a 31-27 edge with 3:30 remaining. With 1:36 to play in the third, sophomore guard Trey Doomes began his first battle with cramps with the Bucs still leading by four. Allatoona pushed its lead to 37-32 after Doomes found Kevin Perry for an And-1 with 1:19 left, but Augustin would put the Wolverines on his back to end the quarter, collecting a basket plus the foul and then a steal and a lay up to tie the game at 37, five of his team-high 16 points. The Wolverines trailed 40-37 entering the fourth after Perry banked home a threeball. Up three with 6:34 remaining, Doomes started to cramp up again. Richardson who was surprisingly outplayed by Legros, nailed a clutch three to knot the game at 44 at the 4:46

mark, still anyone’s game. DOWN THE STRETCH...

Tae Hardy found a bucket inside to re-

gain the lead for Miller Grove 46-44 with 2:35 to play. Down two with 1:44 to go, Doomes missed two free throws and Colin Young made him pay with a jumper to make it 49-45.

Augustin fouled Perry on a three on the

following possession and the Coastal Georgia signee sank all three, cutting it to 49-48 with 1:08 left. Mr. Georgia Basketball, Gilbert, was sent to the line with a chance to ice the game but missed the front end of the one-and-one allowing Coach Markus Hood to diagram a play with 19.5 seconds to go.

Instead of getting off a shot, it was Young

who came away with the steal and was fouled in the open court. Young split his free throws with five seconds left setting up one last opportunity for the Buccaneers to complete a dream season and go undefeated but Tshimanga lost the ball on Joshua Jackmon’s leg as it was knocked away and Miller Grove fell on it to secure another banner for Coach White. Photo courtesy of Kent D. Johnson

SCORE ATLANTA | www.ScoreAtl.com

Vol. 12 Iss. 9 | Mar. 9 - Mar. 15, 2016 UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

UGA OPENS SEC TOURNEY WITH MISSISSIPPI STATE BY DAN MATHEWS | DMATHEWS@SCOREATL.COM

eorgia closed out the regular season with a 70-63 win over struggling Alabama on Saturday. The victory clinched the Bulldogs their third straight conference win and improved their record to 17-12 overall and 10-8 in the SEC. With this metric, it appears that Georgia is bound for an NIT bid unless it finds a way to navigate through the SEC tournament, but head coach Mark Fox believes there is still a lot of opportunity left for his team to seize. “I feel like we still have some work to do,” Fox said when asked about his team’s NCAA chances. “If we do scratch out a couple more, I do feel we’re worthy of consideration.” Georgia ferociously crashed the boards and edged the Tide 48-26 in the category. Seniors Charles Mann and Kenny Gaines received standing ovations in a ceremony before their final home regular-season game. These two seniors saw an unprecedented run of success for the Bulldogs program that has

GEORGIA STATE

MAGIC NEEDED FOR PANTHERS BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

he season is on the line for the Georgia State Men’s Basketball team as they look to take another Cinderella run into March Madness. Entering as the sixth-seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, the Panthers (16-13, 9-11) meet seventh-seed Texas State (14-15, 8-12) on Thursday night at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans. Georgia State will have to win four games in four days to repeat as tournament champions. GSU swept Texas State in the regular season, 58-46 and 59-56. Jeremy Hollowell scored 18 points in game one and it was Markus Crider’s career night with 24 points helping the Panthers escape the Bobcats in round two. Freshman Kavin Gilder-Tilbury has hurt Georgia State twice, averaging 14 points per game. He will be an important piece for Coach Ron Hunter to try and slow down.

TIGER BAIT

No. 3 ranked Auburn (20-1) trounced

now finished .500 or better in SEC play for four straight years, a first for the program. Mann finished with 12 points and helped pick up the slack from J.J. Frazier and Gaines as the two struggled shooting the ball. Frazier and Gaines, who are usually the team’s best deep threats, struggled from the field. Frazier scored 12 of his 17 points on free throws and Gaines had seven points, ending his run of three straight games with at least 20 points. The two combined to make only 4 of 20 shots from the field.

UP NEXT…

The next challenge for the bubble team hopeful will be with Mississippi State Thursday night in their SEC tournament opener with a late 9 p.m. tipoff. Georgia was able to beat Mississippi State 66-57 in Starkville back on Feb. 13. In a game that Georgia never trailed and led start to finish, Yante Maten (25) and Mann (21) combined for 46 points and 14 rebounds in the victory. The 25 points by Maten are a career-high. Mississippi State shot just 30.9 percent while Georgia made 46.3 for the game and 54 percent in the second half. Georgia was coming off a hard-fought battle with Kentucky and relied on its zone defense longer than usual to preserve energy. Fortunately, Georgia led by as many as 22 points mid-way through the second half before that fatigue started to set in.

Georgia State (11-10) on Sunday in a doubleheader, 7-0 and 9-0 in women’s softball. Katie Worley hurled two hitless innings in Game 1 before the wheels fell off. A two-run homer ended her day after three innings before the bullpen began to bleed runs. Sophomore Annie Davis went four innings and allowed four runs off four hits in Game 2’s six-inning defeat. The Lady Panthers could only muster two hits and saw Ivie Drake’s 11-game hitting streak come to an end.

BASEBALL BLUES

Georgia State (6-5) rallied late against Minnesota (7-3) but couldn’t get over the hump, falling 11-6 on Sunday at the GSU Baseball Complex. Trailing 8-2, Georgia State rallied for three runs in the sixth and another in the seventh to pull within 8-6. The Golden Gophers bounced back with three runs in the top of the ninth to put the game out of reach. “I think we ran out of time,” head coach Greg Frady said. “We were competitive throughout the course of the game, but we gave up the one five-run inning in the middle of the game, which wound up being the difference. We’re a little thin at the moment, so we asked a lot of our pitching staff this weekend. Both teams swung the bat well today, but they basically got the timely hits. The Panthers host Mercer on Tuesday at 6 P.M. Conference play will began on March 18 as Georgia State welcomes in Arkansas State.

GEORGIA TECH

TECH DRAWS CLEMSON IN ACC TOURNEY OPENER BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

orecasting which Georgia Tech team will show up in the ACC tournament on Wednesday is equally exciting and frightening depending on who you were to ask. Georgia Tech ended its regular season on Saturday with a 63-59 victory over Pittsburgh. The win included a 36-29 halftime deficit that was erased by Georgia Tech’s 34-23 scoring advantage in the second half. The fight his team showed in the comeback keeps hope alive that the Yellow Jackets and perform well enough in this week’s ACC Tournament to momentarily keep the season alive. “We have a chance,” said Gregory. “I think we should be in the discussion [of the NCAA selection committee]. Do we need to do a few more things? Yes, I think so. But we’re in position now.” Adam Smith scored 23 points and Nick Jacobs added a 19-point, 12-rebound doubledouble as the Jackets outstripped the Panthers. The Yellow Jackets (18-13, 8-10 Atlantic

KENNESAW STATE

OWLS BEGIN COACHING SEARCH BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

ennesaw State University has announced K the contract of women’s basketball head coach Nitra Perry will not be renewed.

In four years under Perry, the team compiled a 41-80 record, including a mark of 1945 in Atlantic Sun Conference play. This past season, the Owls finished 11-19 overall and 6-8 in the A-Sun. KSU’s season ended Friday with a 74-56 setback at Stetson in the first round of the A-Sun tournament. “We want to thank Nitra for her dedication and hard work at Kennesaw State,” said Director of Athletics Vaughn Williams. “These decisions are not easy, but I felt the program was not meeting competitive expectations. We wish Nitra nothing but the best in the future.” A search for her replacement begins immediately. “It is disappointing, but I respect and understand the decision,” said Perry. “I want to thank Vaughn Williams for the opportunity to be the head coach at Kennesaw State, and I want to express gratitude to my coach-

Coast Conference) finished their best regular season under Gregory and included five wins in the final six games. However, it’s worth noting that Pittsburgh did miss all 11 of its 3-point attempts and Tech once again failed to play a complete game.

NEXT UP…

Tech will open the ACC Tournament against Clemson, a team the Jackets defeated 75-73 on Feb. 23 in an equally heroic second half effort. That victory improved the Jackets to 16-12 overall and 6-9 in conference play. Marcus Georges-Hunt scored 25 points, including two free throws with three seconds remaining that proved to be the game-winners, and Georgia Tech came back from a secondhalf deficit of 13 points to beat Clemson. Donte Grantham hit a three-pointer for Clemson with 11 seconds remaining tied the game. Gregory decided not to call timeout, and Marcus Georges-Hunt attacked the Clemson defense as he drove toward the basket. “It was more open than I expected,” Georges-Hunt said. “It seemed like us not calling a timeout, they were scrambling all over the place and I just took advantage of it. ... They gave me enough room to get a head of steam going. I just drove and tried to finish and got fouled.” The Clemson victory marked three straight ACC victories for the first time since the 2013-14 season. Clemson has lost three of its last four entering Wednesday’s matchup.

ing staff and student-athletes for their hard work and dedication throughout my four years at KSU.”

ON THE DIAMOND…

As the Kennesaw State University baseball program begins its 33rd season of varsity play in 2016, there are several things you need to know. KSU enters the 2016 season with an all-time record of 1,152-687-2 (.626) entering the season. The Owls, who began Division I play in 2006, have an all-time record of 303-267 (.531) in 10 seasons since joining the Atlantic Sun Conference. Head coach Mike Sansing enters his 25th season at the helm of the Black and Gold with a career mark of 1,020-550 (.654) as the manager of the Owls. The Owls faced Georgia Southern Tuesday night in Statesboro in a series that has been competitive over the past five seasons. This will be the sixth consecutive season the two teams will play each other in a homeand-home series, dating back to 2011. In fact, GSU and KSU have played each other in eight of the Owls’ 10 seasons since joining the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2006 and becoming a D-I member. The Owls lead the alltime series by a 10-8 total and hold a slight edge in total runs with a 51-48 all-time edge. The Owls return to Kennesaw on Friday for a three-day home stand against Middle Tennessee State University.

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ATLANTA HAWKS

HAWKS TAKE OVER HOLLYWOOD BY KYLE SANDY | KSANDY@SCOREATL.COM

Two wins in a row have the Hawks at 35-28 in the Southeast Division but the Miami Heat have won five straight and hold a two-game lead at 37-26. Atlanta double-dipped in Los Angeles and came away with two impressive wins, beating the Lakers 106-77 and the Clippers 107-97. On Friday the Hawks handed out 31 assists to defeat the depleted Lakers. Dennis Schroder scored a game-high 16 points off the bench to lead six Hawks in double figures. Kyle Korver found his stroke, hitting 5-of-6 shots including 4-for-4 from deep to notch 15 points. Newly signed Kris Humphries added 14 points and eight rebounds in his Atlanta debut. Paul Millsap scored 11 points and was pleased with the team’s effort. “I felt like our focus was there the whole game. Finishing fourth quarters out is something we’re trying to get better at when we have leads,” Millsap said. “We were able to get a big lead and it started with our defense. We got out and ran, got steals and got rebounds. That’s our style of basketball.”

ATLANTA BRAVES

BRAVES TRIM DOWN SPRING ROSTER BY RICKY DIMON | RDIMON@SCOREATL.COM

he Atlanta Braves trimmed their spring T roster by seven players on Saturday, as five players were reassigned to minor league

camp and two were given their unconditional release. Outfielders Braxton Davidson and Matt Tuiasosopo, as well as catchers Matt Kennelly, Joe Odom and Braeden Schlehuber, were reassigned to minor league camp. Righthanded pitchers David Carpenter and Ryan Kelly were given their unconditional release. Atlanta now has 63 players remaining in its Major League camp.

LOSING TREND…

The Braves have gone 1-5-1 since last Tuesday, while allowing 47 runs. The organization has 17 games in the next 15 days, so there are plenty of opportunities to continue structuring the team and minor league system before the season begins on Monday, April 4, versus Washington (4:10 p.m.).

OLD FRIENDS…

While the lineup consists of a parade of

Julius Randle had 16 points and 10 rebounds in the loss for L.A. Kobe Bryant did not play with a sore right shoulder.

CHUCKING THE CLIPPERS

Atlanta handed the Clippers their first loss of the season with newly installed mascot Chuck the Condor on Saturday, 107-97. After being outscored 37-25 in the opening frame, the Hawks slowly began to chip away and outscored the Clippers in every quarter including a 27-18 advantage in the fourth to pull away. “To finish it on a run like that, it was a good quality road win for us against a team that’s been playing well,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “After taking a huge punch in the first quarter (37 points against), we came out in the second, third and fourth and found a way to play pretty good defense. It’s pretty satisfying. This was good for our group.” Millsap shredded the Clippers for 20 points, 18 rebounds, five assists and three steals. Jeff Teague held his own against Chris Paul with 22 points, six rebounds and seven assists compared to Paul’s 17 points, six boards and 11 assists. “We knew that we just had to continue to keep doing what we do,” Teague said. “We changed the coverage and was a little more aggressive against Chris Paul to make it tougher on him to make passes.”

fresh faces and rising prospects, the Braves welcomed back a familiar face early last week. Atlanta announced that the club has hired former All-Star outfielder Andruw Jones as a special assistant to baseball operations. Jones, who was named last week as a 2016 inductee into the Braves Hall of Fame, makes his return to the club in a support role. Jones has been in Major League spring training as an instructor and during the regular season he will primarily focus on assisting Braves outfielders, as well as assisting with the Braves’ international initiatives. “We are very excited to add Andruw to our staff as a special assistant,” Coppolella said. “He is perhaps the most accomplished defensive outfielder in our organization’s history and one of the best in baseball history. He signed at the age of 16 and was developed in this organization. He can offer a lot of experience and knowledge to our young players and we look forward to his contributions.” Jones earned 10 consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1998 to 2007 and was a fivetime National League All-Star. In 2005, he led the NL with a Braves franchise-record 51 home runs while also collecting 128 RBI to finish second in voting for the league’s Most Valuable Player Award. That season he also won the Hank Aaron Award as the NL’s top hitter and the Major League Player of the Year Award from Sporting News. “I’m excited to be back with the Braves organization,” Jones said. “This is where I began my career and I’m looking forward to working with the young players and watching them develop.”

ATLANTA FALCONS

RODDY WHITE RELEASED BY FALCONS BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

he Atlanta Falcons today announced the release of veteran and beloved wide receiver Roddy White last Wednesday. “Roddy is one of the greatest players to ever put on a Falcons uniform, and even more importantly he is a man of tremendous character that I and my entire family have profound personal affection and respect for,” said Falcons Owner and Chairman Arthur Blank. “I have developed a special relationship with him over the years, my children have grown admiring him and our partners and I all share a debt of gratitude for what he has meant to us and our team. Truly, there are no words to adequately express my thanks for all he has meant to me, my family, the Falcons and to this community, both on and off the field. He has been a difference maker in every way and has touched numerous lives here in Atlanta. “Roddy will forever be part of the Falcons family and I’m confident our fans will always remember and be grateful for the exemplary way he has represented them over the last 11

GHSA BASKETBALL

LADY KNIGHTS IMPRESS IN A-PRIVATE FINALS BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

ppearing in the Class A-Private state championship for the third time in four years, the St. Francis girls (31-1) outpaced Greenforest Christian (27-1) 63-37 and left the Macon Centreplex with the program’s second straight state crown and third since 2013. Whether it was nationally-ranked five-star junior Maya Dodson showcasing her limitless athleticism or Taja Cummings and Nichel Tampa attacking the paint, the Lady Knights’ combination of size and tempo could not be stopped. “We practice transition every day in practice. That’s our strength,” clarified St. Francis head coach Aisha Kennedy. “So we just really focus on that and it’s gotten us here and we weren’t going to change that.” St. Francis asserted its control of the game in the final three minutes of the first quarter where the Knights held Greenforest scoreless and established a 14-6 lead into the second period that would forecast things to come. Dodson gave St. Francis its first double-digit lead (21-11) with one of her game-high eight offensive re-

years,” said Blank. “We wish him nothing but the very best and, on a personal level, we look forward to a lifetime relationship with Roddy and his family. “It is always a challenge to balance how we feel about a particular player with the implications of the salary cap, as well as the clear commitment we have to our fans and stakeholders to assemble a championship-caliber roster each and every year,” continued Blank. “After a lot of discussion with Thomas (Dimitroff), Dan (Quinn), and others, the difficult decision we’ve made today was ultimately driven by the need to address some key areas on our roster and ultimately to meet that commitment.”

CONSISTENTLY GREAT

White, 6-0, 212 pounds, was originally selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round (27th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft out of Alabama-Birmingham. White is Atlanta’s alltime leading receiver, amassing 808 catches and 10,863 receiving yards in 11 seasons with the team. The South Carolina native set a franchise record with six-straight 1,000-yard seasons and caught more passes (480) than any other player in the NFC during that span. His 6,571 receiving yards from 2008-12 ranked second in the NFL behind Calvin Johnson and his 43 touchdowns tied Larry Fitzgerald for second in the league.

bounds and two of her game-high 22 points with 3:48 left in the second quarter. Foul shots by Dodson, an old-fashioned three-point play by Cummings and a Cummings assist to Dodson increased the lead to 28-11 less than a minute later before the Knights went into the locker room leading a comfortable 30-15.

KEEPING PACE…

St. Francis took a 25-point lead with 2:49 left in the third quarter, but Greenforest took advantage of the seven fouls committed by the Knights in the period and closed out the frame with a 7-0 run that cut it to 44-26 entering the fourth. “I told the girls ‘We don’t have to foul them’, explained Kennedy. “If we get beat, just get in position and contest the shot.” St. Francis led 58-37 with 1:16 left before Olivia Swanston ended the game with five straight free throws that resulted in the final score and the Knights’ biggest lead of game (63-37). St. Francis sophomore Jala Jordan balanced foul trouble for much of the game but finished with a 14-point, 12-rebound doubledouble. Cummings finished with 14 points and Tampa netted seven points as they attacked the basket throughout the contest. Greenforest Christian was led by Chioma Nnamani’s team-high 17 points and nine rebounds. This was Greenforest Christian’s first loss of the year.

Vol. 12 Iss. 9 | Mar. 9 - Mar. 15, 2016

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