CUMMING -- If the Flowery Branch boys basketball team was nervous on the verge of clinching a berth in the Class AAA tournament on Tuesday, it sure didn't show it.
Falcons coach Todd Cottrell never saw it, as his squad prepared for the first round of the Region 7-AAA tournament at West Forsyth High.
And fans at the tournament never saw it either, as Flowery Branch (22-3) stormed to a 76-49 win over West Forsyth.
The victory clinched the Falcons' first state playoff bid in two years and moved them into Friday's 7-AAA semifinals, where they will take on the winner of Wednesday's Gainesville vs. North Hall game.
The outcome ended the season of first-round hosts West Forsyth (8-19).
"It's so hard to tell with this group [how they feel]," Cottrell said of his team. "I thought we played pretty well at times tonight, and I thought West Forsyth played pretty well at times too.
"They really make you work."
But work is something the Falcons are not afraid of, as they proved on Tuesday by continuously out-rebounding the Wolverines.
Flowery Branch players Chris Lipscomb (12 rebounds) Izaan Cross (eight rebounds) and A.C. Bailey (eight rebounds) dominated on the glass, giving the Falcons numerous second-chance scoring opportunities. And Cross made the most of those chances, leading his team with 16 points. Bailey also scored 13, while Lipscomb added nine.
"Izaan played big for us tonight," Cottrell said. "But so did a lot of guys. I thought Chris Lipscomb and Connor Shaw really brought a high intensity level to the team tonight."
The duo sparked the Falcons' early push, forcing numerous West Forsyth turnovers in a full-court press. Shaw's back-to-back steals and scores helped the Falcons overcome an early, 4-3 West Forsyth lead. And while the Wolverines regained an 8-7 advantage moments later, it was short lived, as the Falcons responded with a 7-0 run
Friday
February 7th, 2025
4:55PM
