GAINESVILLE — The Gainesville boys basketball team burned Effingham County on either side of halftime to storm back into the state quarterfinals for the first time since 2013 on Thursday, winning 70-44 in Gainesville.
The Red Elephants (27-1) led just 9-4 after the first quarter but torched the visitors for 29 points in the second quarter, taking a 38-18 advantage into the locker room. And Gainesville did not let up after the interval, adding 20 points in the third quarter to keep the Red Elephants moving toward an Elite Eight berth.
Jarrel Rosser and Bailey Minor helped spark the runaway, as Rosser scored seven of his team-high 12 points in the second quarter and Minor added six of his 11.
Michael White took over in the third quarter, putting up seven of his 10 points right after halftime. Jarred Rosser also finished with nine points, while KJ Buffen scored eight.
Jaden Rodriguez scored 13 for Effingham, while Tydarius Fish added 11.
Region 8-AAAAAA champion Gainesville will get to host its third straight state playoff game next week when it takes on Region 5 three seed Langston Hughes in the quarterfinals. The two teams squared off in Gainesville's season-opener, which the Red Elephants claimed 74-57.
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