Tuesday March 19th, 2024 2:53AM

(VIDEO) 8-AAAAA tournament: GHS boys advance, Falcons drop heartbreaker in quarterfinals

By Jeff Hart Sports Reporter

GAINESVILLE — The ingredients were there Tuesday for Flowery Branch to cook up the first upset of the Region 8-AAAAA boys tournament.

Salem was without its leading scorer Michael Green. The Falcons were coming off a big win over Winder-Barrow on Monday in the play-in game. And, a long road trip through the snow combined with an early tip contributed to a slow start for the Seminoles.

But some key late turnovers and a couple of controversial calls against the Falcons in the final minute helped Salem rally for a 55-51 win in the quarterfinal round at the Gainesville gym.

The Falcons (16-11) were looking for their first trip to the state tournament since 2009.

Flowery Branch coach David Sokol wore the disappointment after the game.

“I feel we should have won that game,” he said. “We shot the ball well in the first half and had the lead for most of it. We rebounded okay at times.

“But they controlled the boards most of the second half and turnovers were the difference. But, we had two chances to try and win it but had two big ones (turnovers) at the end.”

With 8.7 seconds left and the Seminoles clinging to a 53-51 lead, a Salem rebounder fell out of bounds with the ball after a missed Falcons shot. But instead of giving it to the Falcons it was ruled a push-out and Salem was awarded the possession. A long pass to a wide-open Chandler Davis at mid-court on the inbounds resulted in a dunk to close it out.

“We should have had the ball for the last shot but didn’t get the chance,” Sokol said. “But the kids gave us tremendous effort. It just wasn’t meant to be I guess.”

Flowery Branch fought to a draw on the boards for the game at 23 apiece against the taller Seminoles. But 11 offensive rebounds that led to 16 points were huge for Salem.

Flowery Branch led from the mid-second quarter until early in the fourth quarter behind the shooting of John Mills. The junior guard had 14 first half points to help the Falcons build a 30-23 halftime lead.

A Mills assist on a Trey Bailey basket early in the third quarter helped Flowery Branch to its biggest lead of the game, 34-23, less than two minutes into the second half. But Mills was forced to leave the game two minutes later with a shoulder injury and the Seminoles took advantage going on an 11-0 run to tie the game with 34 seconds left in the period.

“I’m not really sure what happened but we were able to get it loose so I could go back out there,” Mills said.

Mills returned with 20 seconds left and responded quickly draining a long 3-pointer to give the Falcons a 37-34 lead going into the fourth quarter. But the Seminoles height began to take a toll on the Falcons.

After a Gabe Holston basket gave Flowery Branch a 39-36 lead early in the fourth, Salem got two stick-back baskets and a steal and layup as part of a 7-0 run to grab a 43-39 lead. The Seminoles would not trail again, although the Falcons rallied to tie the game at 51 on a Holston 3-pointer with 48 seconds left.

Flowery Branch got the ball twice after a Salem miss and turnover in the final 30 seconds but could not find the tying or winning shot.

“I feel like we had that one, for sure,” Mills said. “Probably too many turnovers.”

Flowery Branch committed 28 turnovers for the game. Salem had just 14 turnovers.

Mills finished with a game-high 23 points to go with four assists to lead Flowery Branch. Holston added 12 points and Garfield Woodruffe had 10 points for the Falcons.

Brandon Smith had 21 points and six steals to lead Salem. Davis added 17 for the Seminoles (17-9).

It was a defensive battle early on as both defenses forced nearly a half dozen turnovers in the first four minutes with the score tied at 4. Mills then got going for the Falcons with a 3-pointer and sihing off a beautiful pass on a Woodruffe basket to spark a 9-0 run for a 13-4 lead.

Flowery Branch led 13-6 after the first quarter before the Seminoles used their size underneath to get back in the game. Salem snagged six offensive rebounds to spark an 11-2 run to tie the game at 15 with 4:45 left in the first half.

Mills then got hot again with seven points in the final 4:27 of the second quarter to help the Falcons run out to a 30-23 halftime lead. The two teams combined for four 3-pointers in the final 1:36 of the half, with Flowery Branch closing out the second quarter with an 8-3 run.

Salem will take on Gainesville, a 82-51 winner over Loganville in the quarterfinals, on Friday at 8:30 p.m. in the semifinals when the tournament moves to Winder-Barrow.

GAINESVILLE BOYS 82,
LOGANVILLE 51 

The Red Elephants started slow trailing the Red Devils 6-5 midway through the first quarter. But Gainesville exploded for 19-2 run in the first and second quarters to blow open a lead en route to the win.

Gainesville (19-4) will take on Salem on Friday at 8:30 p.m. in the semifinals when the tournament moves to Winder-Barrow.

Xavier Bledsoe helped ignite the big run with a pair of 3-pointers to grab the lead and a pair of dunks by Michael White and K.J. Buffen in the middle pushed the lead to 38-16 with just under two minutes left in the half. Gainesville took a 42-18 lead into halftime.

It much of the same in the third quarter as White, Farris Mance, and Harry Oliver all drained 3-pointers to spark another big run as the Red Elephants pulled away for a 63-25 lead late in the third quarter.

Loganville cut the lead to 25 in the fourth quarter but got no closer.

The Red Elephants showed their versatility with 11 different players scoring and eight different players contributing to 17 assists for the game.

Even Gainesville coach Benjie Wood was smiling during most of the fourth quarter.

“This is a family and they get excited for each other out there,” he said. “We had several kids tonight have their turn and it was great to see. They are starting to really understand what they’re doing out there and are an unselfish group.”

Bledson led Gainesville with 16 points, Bailey Minor added 13, and White had 10 points in just three quarters of work for each of them. Tae Turner, Oliver, and Austin Long had eight points apiece for the Red Elephants, who also hit 12 3-pointers for the game.

Tyler Rhodes led Loganville (3-22) with 31 points, including six 3-pointers.

Wood said they will have a challenge with the Seminoles.

“Salem is very athletic and they are much better now than the first time we played them [an 86-60 Gainesville victory],” he said. “We’ll just need to come out and do what we do.”

Region 8-AAAAA boys quarterfinals

(winners advance to state playoffs)

Gainesville 82, Loganville 51

Salem 55, Flowery Branch 51

Heritage, Conyers 69, Apalachee 67

Cedar Shoals 64, Lanier 51

Friday's boys semifinals at Winder-Barrow

Gainesville vs. Salem

Heritage, Conyers vs. Cedar Shoals

  • Associated Categories: Sports, High School Sports
  • Associated Tags: High school basketball, Gainesville boys basketball, Flowery Branch boys basketball
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