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Day 4 Recap: Two More First-Time TItles, Two More For The Regulars
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The final day of the Georgia High School Association basketball championship saw two schools win their first title, while two others added to their trophy total.
Winning for the first time were the King’s Ridge Christian boys in Class A Division I and the Brookwood girls in Class 7A. St. Francis won its third girls championship, but the first in seven years, and the Wheeler boys prevailed to win their third title in four years and ninth overall.
Class A Division I girls: St. Francis 76, Galloway 74 OT
Sa’Maya Wyatt scored 27 points, including the two go-ahead free throws with eight seconds left, to give St. Francis the win. Wyatt had two free throws with 51 seconds left to tie the game. Wyatt scored 17 points in the second half and overtime. She added 10 rebounds and two steals.
St. Francis (27-6) also got 21 points, four assists and two steals from Nya Young. Desi Taylor added nine points and five assists and Trynce Taylor had eight points and 10 rebounds.
Galloway (28-6) was led by Tianna Thompson with 23 points, Kyla Cain with 15 points and five rebounds, Taryn Thompson with 14 points and Dee Stokes with 12 points, eight rebounds and four steals.
It is the fourth state championship for St. Francis, who finished second a year ago. The Knights won their last title in 2016.
Class A Division I Boys: King’s Ridge Christian 68, Mount Pisgah Christian 58
Micah Hoover scored 25 points and Zakary Thomas scored 24 to help King’s Ridge win its first state championship. The Cougars were second last year.
King’s Ridge (23-10) entered the playoffs as the No. 4 seed from Region 6 and did not play a game game in the playoffs.
Mount Pisgah (23-9) was led by Micah Tucker with 19 points, Cedric Haynes with 11 and Tyson Pittman with 10.
Adaptive Sports Wheelchair: Houston County 49, DeKalb 30
The Houston County Sharks used a 10-0 in the second half to pull away from the DeKalb Silver Streak and win its second straight championship.
Ger’Mir Gordon finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds to lead Houston County. Adonis Brown had 12 points and Jaquavious West finished with 10 points. Dalton Crosby and McKayla Moody finished with six points.
DeKalb’s Najee Smothers finished with a game high in both points with 20 and rebounds 11. Cameron Smothers added eight points and eight rebounds. King “KJ” Murray had two points and three rebounds.
Class 7A girls: Brookwood 43, Norcross 39
Diana Collins scored 21 points and had six rebounds to lead Brookwood past the defending state champion Blue Devils to earn its first state championship. Collins, an Ohio State signee, made three of four free throws in the final 14 seconds to secure the win.
Danielle Osho had 10 points and eight rebounds and Jade Weathersby added nine points, 12 rebounds and two blocked shots for the Broncos (31-1).
Norcross (29-3) got 17 points and eight assists from Veronaye Charlton and 13 points and five rebounds from Jania Atkins. Kayla Lindsey had a game-high 16 rebounds.
Class 7A boys: Wheeler 78, Cherokee 58
Isaiah Collier, the GPB Player of the Year, scored 22 points with seven assist to help the Wildcats win the ninth title in school history and the third in the last four seasons.
Arrinten Page, who will be joining Collier at Southern Cal, added 15 points and eight rebounds. Jelani Hamilton added 22 points and eight rebounds and Damion Mitchell Jr. and Rickey McKenzie both added 11 for the Wildcats (26-6).
Cherokee (25-7) was led by Braylin Giddens with 17 points and six rebounds. Cameron Pope (12), Tayden Owens (11) and Dastin Hart (10 points, nine rebounds) were also in double figures for the Warriors.
It was the fourth time Wheeler has beaten Cherokee this season. The Warriors were playing in the championship game for the first time since 1982.