Third-quarter surge lifts Calhoun past Chargers
Calhoun made a run to start the game, but Central (Macon) quickly responded to even up the game. The Jackets made another big run to start the third quarter, and that one was too much for the visitors to overcome on Thursday night.
Calhoun broke open a tied game at the half by pouring in 26 points in the third quarter, including hitting six 3-pointers in the period, to build a lead they wouldn’t give up for a 67- 61 win in front of their home fans in the Class AAA State Tournament second round.
For photos from Thursday’s game, see Wednesday’s Calhoun Times.
The Jackets (22-4) now move into the Elite Eight to face Jenkins on Wednesday. Calhoun won the coin toss on Friday morning to secure home court for the matchup, which will take place today at 6 p.m.
In Thursday’s game, Calhoun went to the halftime break tied 2828 with Central (20-8), but took control with some pesky defense and hot- shooting offense. Calhoun coach Vince Layson said he told his team in the locker room at the half how important the third quarter would be in the outcome and they responded to it.
“Going back to the first quarter, one of our keys was to get off to a good start and we did, but by halftime that lead had evaporated,” said Layson. “So my message at the half was to come out and start the third quarter like we started the first.”
Calhoun’s surge in the third let them build a 54-44 lead going into the final quarter. The Chargers didn’t go away quietly, however, as they continued to battle, and they cut the deficit to 61-59 with just over a minute to play thanks to their pressure defense causing a couple turnovers in that stretch late in the game. But the Jackets responded by hitting 4-of-4 free throws in the final 1:08 to go along with a Davis Allen lay-up to seal it.
Allen finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds for the double-double. The even bigger performance came from senior Chapin Rierson, who racked up 27 points and 10 rebounds. He made six total 3s, including four from beyond the arc in the key third-quarter run.
After a five-hour trip to Savannah followed by 32 minutes of physical basketball, the Darlington Lady Tigers are still alive.
Darlington made a move in the first half and then relied on its free throw shooting down the stretch to pull out a 57- 51 win against higher-seeded Calvary Day in the second round of the Class A Private state playoffs Wednesday in Savannah.
“I was just so proud of how we battled tonight,” Darlington coach Tommy Atha said. “We didn’t let down all game, despite it being so physical. We had so many players who stepped up tonight, stayed composed and just kept fighting.”
Senior forward Anna Claire Atha refused to let Wednesday be the last game of her career as she scored 31 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile Caroline Dingler recorded 11 points, seven of which came in the fourth.
The Lady Tigers (23-6) clung to a 36- 35 lead entering the fourth quarter, but coach Atha said Anna Claire’s consistent penetration to the basket kept them ahead.
The Lady Cavaliers (22-5) were still within a possession of Darlington in the final minutes, but the Lady Tigers stayed poised at the line. The team went 13 of 17 from the charity stripe in the fourth, shutting down Calvary Day’s chance at a comeback bid.
Darlington struggled to score early on, but its defense helped keep the team tied at six after the first quarter. The offense began to click a little more in the second quarter as the Lady Tigers took a 23-19 lead at the half.
The Lady Tigers will travel to Gainesville on Tuesday to face Lakeview Academy in the state quarterfinals.
For the first eight minutes, Model waited for its opportunity.
As the Lady Blue Devils battled point for point with Berrien, they stayed composed, waiting for a chance for the Lady Rebels to slip up. And when that opportunity came, Model didn’t hesitate to strike.
The Lady Devils relied on defensive pressure to go on a 33-2 run over the second and third quarters in Shannon on Wednesday, finishing with a 64-30 win over Berrien in the second round of the Class AA state playoffs.
Like many other times this season, Model turned a close game into a blowout in a matter of minutes.
Junior center Victaria Saxton scored 27 points for Model, including 23 in the second and third periods, to go along with 13 rebounds and five steals. Senior guard Bailey Upton paced the team from outside with 13 points and six rebounds.
Berrien didn’t have any players reach double digits, with Alliyah Styles leading the team with nine points. The Lady Rebels (16-13) were held to a mere 17 points in the final three quarters, thanks to a disciplined defense from Model (24-5).
The Armuchee Lady Indians saw their ride come to an end on the road Wednesday night despite a valiant effort.
Despite getting huge games from Livia Skinner and Morgan Copeland, Armuchee lost 74-60 to Fitzgerald in the second round of the Class AA state playoffs.
“After the game, I just told the team how proud I was of them,” Arm uchee coach Michelle Arp said. “We battled all game tonight, like we have all year, against a great team.”
Senior forward Copeland led the team with 27 points, while junior guard Skinner recorded 24 points.
Armuchee fell behind 22-11 after the first quarter, but stayed competitive the rest of the game. Arp said the team missed some easy baskets early on, but never let the early troubles affect them as the game continued.
In the end, the Lady Indians (1315) just could not manage a large run against Fitzgerald. After leading 39- 30 at halftime, the Lady Canes (22-2) held off any kind of rally.
Armuchee made a strong run late in the season and finished second in the Region 7-AA tournament.
After three deadlocked quarters, the Chattooga Indians decided they weren’t going t o be pushed around, no matter the size of the opponent.
Putting i t s f aith i n s peed and s hooting against a larger Thomasville team, Chattooga pulled out a 68-51 victory over the Bulldogs in the second round of the Class AA state playoffs.
The Indians scored the first 10 points of the fourth quarter and won the final frame by 16 points.
“They were able to use their size most of the night, but in the fourth quarter it was about the fight these guys put in, night in and night out,” Chattooga coach Jared Groce said. “They played a complete 32 minutes, and I could not be prouder of these guys.”
Senior guard Isaiah Foster finished with 19 points, 12 of them coming in the final eight minutes. Devin Price and Jay Shropshire each had 12 points, while Isaac Foster, Isaiah’s brother, finished with 11.
The game’s l eading scorer was Thomasville junior forward Reggie Perry, who did most of his damage inside for 24 points.
But like his teammates, Perry ran out of steam down the stretch when Chattooga (26-1) made its run.
The Bulldogs (19-9) led 42-38 late in the third before a quick 7-2 run put Chattooga up 45-44 enter-