Tuesday March 19th, 2024 4:04AM

(VIDEO) 8-AAAA Tournament: Buford boys push past North Hall; Lady Wolves stunned in championship

By AccessWDUN Staff

TOCCOA — The Buford girls basketball team cruised through the Region 8-AAAA regular season schedule.

But that did not make their region tournament a formailty -- North Oconee saw to that.

The Lady Titans battled back from a 10-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to force overtime where they went on to pull a stunning, 54-51 upset in the 8-AAAA championship game on Saturday in Toccoa.

Emma Weynand proved the catalyst for North Oconee (22-6), pouring in a game-high 24 points, including six made 3-pointers. Weynand scored all seven points for the Lady Titans in overtime, including two 3-pointers. North Oconee sank nine 3-pointers as a team.

Buford (22-5) appeared in full control after a 14-point third quarter yielded a 39-29 advantage for the Lady Wolves, but North Oconee caught fire over the final eight minutes, as Weynand and teammates Camryn Williams and Holly Stroman helped the Lady Titans put up 18 points. Williams scored five of her eight in the fourth, while Stroman put up all six of her points in the period.

Jessica Nelson led Buford with 16 points, while Marissa Bruce and Rachel Dobbs each added eight.

Buford moves on to the Class AAAA tournament as a No. 2 seed, where it will host a first round game against Whitewater next week.

BUFORD BOYS 63,
NORTH HALL 54

The Wolves (16-11) jumped ahead, taking a 16-6 first quarter lead and kept the Trojans (21-7) at arms length the rest of the way en route to the 8-AAAA championship on Saturday in Toccoa.

Brandon Iverson led a balanced Buford line-up, scoring 14 points, while Alex Jones added 13 and Will Springer 10. Dawson Wehunt also chipped in with nine points. 

North Hall battled to get back into the contest, putting up 22 points in the fourth quarter -- including 14 from Carson Heinen over the final eight minutes 00 but it was not enough, as the Trojans finished with the No. 2 seed. 

Heinen put up a game-high 23 points, while Sam Jackson added eight and Evan Easton seven.

Buford sank just 17 of 32 free throw attempts during the contest. The Wolves still locked down a No. 1 seed for the upcoming Class AAAA playoffs, however, and will take on Fayette County next week in Buford.

North Hall will also host Carrollton in the first round of the Class AAAA playoffs on Tuesday.

-- NOTE: The North Hall girls fell to Madison County in the third place seeding contest, 56-39. They will travel to face Woodward Academy in the first round of the state playoffs.

  • Associated Categories: Sports, High School Sports
  • Associated Tags: High school basketball, Buford boys basketball, North Hall boys basketball, Buford girls basketball
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