DAHLONEGA — There was a buzzer-beater, major upset and history made.
Saturday's Region 7-AAA championship games will have a hard time living up to Friday's semifinals.
The home-standing Lumpkin County boys knocked out top-seeded Banks County 61-54; West Hall's girls ran away from East Hall 69-52 for their first region title shot since 2002; and East Hall's boys drilled a buzzer-beater to edge West Hall 54-52.
Dawson County's 64-32 win over the Banks County girls provided the contest minus major drama on a marathon day in Dahlonega.
Lumpkin County will now take on East Hall for the boys title, as the Indians gun for their first-ever crown. Meanwhile, West Hall will face Dawson County on Saturday in Dahlonega. (NOTE: See below for complete game stories).
WEST HALL GIRLS 69,
EAST HALL 52
In Region 7-AAA, momentum is wearing silver and blue.
The West Hall girls basketball team won its ninth straight contest on Friday, storming past East Hall. And after claiming the program's first state playoff berth since 2006, the Lady Spartans (18-8) will now play for a region crown for the first time since 2002.
"When you start getting confidence it just breeds success, and these girls have sold out for each other and are feeling confident right now," West Hall girls coach Bryan Richerson said. "These girls have trusted and believed in each other; it's a true team.
"And now we have to settle back down and refocus for Saturday."
West Hall will take on Dawson County for the 7-AAA title at 6 p.m. Saturday in Dahlonega.
The Lady Spartans would love another finish like Friday's.
After absorbing a body shot from the Lady Vikings (20-6) -- which saw East Hall overturn a strong West Hall start to take a halftime lead -- the Lady Spartans stormed down the stretch, piecing together a 21-4 run that began midway through the third quarter and gave them full control of the contest.
Anna McKendree played a big role in the run, as the West Hall sophomore sparked her team with 10 third quarter points and finished with a game-high 23.
"Anna was great again, but we're so much more than just Anna; Macy Passmore has also played great for us, and we got some big moments from up and down the line-up today," Richerson said.
Passmore had plenty of big moments, scoring 21 points -- including nine in the second quarter -- while Avery Prather added nine and Izzy Salgado eight.
Team defense also proved crucial, as West Hall forced nine Lady Vikings turnovers in the fourth quarter alone to help maintain their advantage. East Hall's 3-point shooting also went cold in the second half, and after draining seven treys in first two quarters the Lady Vikings were shut out from deep after the interval.
Carly Winters and Kylah Mize did their best to haul East Hall back in front, scoring 19 and 17 points, respectively. Jenny Edwards also chipped in with nine points. But the Lady Vikings never fully recovered after McKendree caught fire in the third quarter.
Trailing 43-42, West Hall ripped off six quick points before Prather launched a 3-pointer that gave the Lady Spartans a 53-45 lead at the start of the fourth quarter. A McKendree putback made it 55-45, and a Salgado 3-pointer extended West Hall's advantage to 61-47 with just over four minutes to play.
"I'm so proud of our defense and the way we've played defense since Christmas really," Richerson said. "And defense is what wins championships."
The first half proved a balanced if hot and cold affair for both teams, as West Hall pounced on an early lead only to be pegged back by East Hall.
The Lady Spartans caught fire midway through the first quarter, pulling away via a 22-5 run that stretched into the second. Avery Prather, Anna McKendree and Macy Passmore each drilled treys during the spurt, as West Hall built a 26-14 advantage with 5:01 left before the half.
East Hall was not about to fade, however.
The Lady Vikings responded via Winters, Ashlyn Ellison, Edwards and Kylah Mize, each hitting big baskets, including 3-pointers for Edwards, Mize and Winters to charge back in front, 33-30 at the interval. Their efforts helped East Hall put together a 19-4 run.
But once West Hall regained the momentum in the third quarter the Lady Vikings were never able to force their way back in front.
East Hall will battle for the No. 3 seed at 3 p.m. Saturday in Dahlonega.
EAST HALL BOYS 54,
WEST HALL 52
Sedrion Morse had just enough time for one thought as he saw the defense split and the ball head his way: Catch it.
"I don't have great hands, so I focused on catching it -- and then I went up with it," Morse said, grinning.
Morse not only went up, he dropped in a perfect bank shot from close range that capped a thrilling fourth quarter comeback -- Morse beating the clock on an inbounds play with 0.4 seconds left in regulation.
"We asked the officials what we had time to do, and they said that with 0.4 left we could catch and shoot," East Hall coach Joe Dix said. "We added a little wrinkle to a play we usually run, and I told (Sedrion) that he would be wide open. He's still young; he's talented, but he's growing into his role."
Morse scored four points on the night, but few present in the Lumpkin County gym will ever forget the last two, as East Hall stormed down the stretch, scoring 25 points over the final eight minutes to secure a 7-AAA championship game berth.
"That is a huge confidence boost," Dix said. "I just hope we play better (Saturday) than we did today, but I think we can ride some of that momentum into tomorrow."
After trailing 40-25 late in the third quarter, East Hall's offense heated up courtesy the play of two seniors hoping to go out on top. Tylor Brown put up 10 of his game-high 17 points over the final eight minutes, while Andy Lara scored eight of his 11 in the fourth, including two 3-pointers.
"They played like seniors," Dix said. "Andy had gone through a little slump, but he played well (in the quarterfinals) and certainly played well tonight. And Tylor is our best player. He was a little tired coming into tonight because of shouldering the load a little bit, but he stepped up."
Markeese Jackson ensured that Morse, Brown and Lara had a chance to make their late impact, scoring 13 points and leading the way for the Vikings (19-7) early -- though it was the Spartans that looked title-game bound.
Tyquan Statham keyed a second quarter burst that saw West Hall take a 28-19 lead at the half, scoring 12 of his game-high 17 in the eight minutes just before the break. That advantage extended to 30-19 immediately after the half, Esteban Ulloa dropping in a short-range effort that kept momentum with the Spartans (13-13).
Ulloa finished the game with 11, while Xzavier Reid added 13.
Ulloa's three-point play with just under three minutes left in the third quarter gave West Hall a 15-point advantage and had East Hall reeling. But the Vikings refused to wilt, as Brown and Lara began chipping away.
"We didn't get down all at once, so I told them we couldn't get it all back at once and to be patient," Dix said.
The Vikings opened the fourth on a 10-1 run, and Brown's 3-pointer with just over two minutes to play gave East Hall its first advantage since the first quarter. But West Hall fired right back through Ulloa, and the lead changed hands five times in the fourth quarter before Brown tied it at 52-52 on a free throw with 1:15 remaining.
West Hall missed on its go-ahead shot, and East Hall held for the final attempt -- which was blocked out of bounds to set up Morse's incredible finish. The sophomore flashed across the paint and fired home from just four feet to send East Hall into Saturday's finale.
West Hall will play for third place at 4:30 p.m. Saturday in Dahlonega. East Hall will play Lumpkin County/Banks County at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
DAWSON COUNTY GIRLS 64,
BANKS COUNTY 32
The Lady Tigers (23-3) rolled into the Region 7-AAA championship game for the second straight season. pulling away from the Lady Leopards (13-13) in the second quarter.
Kaylee Sticker helped spark Dawson County early, scoring all 11 of her points in the first half, as the No. 1 seed rolled to a 36-17 halftime lead.
The Lady Tigers only added to their advantage in the third quarter, claiming a 47-24 lead.
Karlie Bearden put up a game-high 14 points to lead Dawson County, while Eliza Sillesky added nine. Ten different players scored for the Lady Tigers, who will take on West Hall at 6 p.m. Saturday in Dahlonega for the 7-AAA title.
Banks County was led by nine points from Maddie Thomas, while Jaycee Bowen scored six.
The Lady Leopards will take on East Hall for 7-AAA's No. 3 seed at 3 p.m. Saturday in Dahlonega.
LUMPKIN COUNTY BOYS 61,
BANKS COUNTY 54
The first thing that Jeff Steele noticed when he walked into the Lumpkin County gym was an absence of banners bearing Indians basketball titles.
Steele and his charges will get a chance to change that on Saturday following perhaps the biggest upset of the 7-AAA postseason after the Indians handed the 10th-ranked Leopards only their second loss in region play this season.
Lumpkin County entered the semifinal having won one of its last five contests. Yet the Indians (18-9) played with confidence and poise, taking the early lead and answering every Banks County charge to keep their noses in front.
"We had a couple of guys in a slump late in the season, but the dam broke tonight," Steele said. "We made shots and made our free throws all night. You do that and you can win championships.
"And Jack (Howard) especially came out of his shell."
Indeed the Lumpkin County guard put up a game-high 28 points, including an 8 for 8 performance at the free throw line in the fourth quarter, as the Indians pulled away to clinch a championship game berth -- which was the first that anyone involved could remember.
"I don't know if it has happened, but we have a chance to win a title," said Steele. "We hung 10 banners at Johnson, and we want to do that here. The kids are believing in themselves right now and buying in. And I think we're in a good mindset right now.
"We're happy to be here, but I hope we're not satisfied."
Lumpkin County will take on East Hall for the 7-AAA crown at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Dahlonega.
The Indians will like their chances after trading punches with the Leopards (22-4).
Barndon Karate scored 15 to help lead the Lumpkin charge, while Zach Pulley added 13.
Zen Steeple led Banks County with 19, while Zac Orr added 18 -- including eight point in the fourth quarter, as he looked to haul down the hosts. But Lumpkin answered every basket with either a field goal of its own or free throws, missing just one of 10 attempted over the final eight minutes.
"I think we also did some things that kept them out of rhythm and kind of frustrated them early," Steele said.
The Indians came out firing, Howard and Pulley each draining first quarter 3-pointers. But Lumpkin did not live on the perimeter, hitting five 3-pointers for the contest. Instead, they spread the Banks County defense apart and slashed inside, either dishing to Zarate or scoring on lay-ups -- or at the free throw line. Howard finished 12 of 12 from the stripe and the team finished 13 of 15.
Cal Thailkill's 3-pointer at the buzzer gave Lumpkin a 32-27 halftime advantage, which proved its largest until late in the third quarter -- and even then the Indians never led by more than six until the waning seconds of the contest.
Banks County will look to bounce back at 4:30 p.m. Saturday against West Hall in the third place contest.
