Thursday March 28th, 2024 8:00PM

(VIDEO) Lanierland girls: North Hall, East Hall, West Hall, Branch advance to semifinals

By Jeff Hart Sports Reporter

GAINESVILLE — The North Hall, East Hall, Flowery Branch, and West Hall girls all advanced to the semifinals of the 58th annual Lanierland Tournament with big wins in the opening round Thursday at the Lakeview Academy gym...

The tournament will move to Flowery Branch High School on Friday and Saturday with eight games scheduled each day beginning at 9 a.m. with consolation round action.

East Hall and West Hall will meet at 3 p.m. in the first girls semifinal while Flowery Branch and North Hall will meet at 6 p.m. in the second semifinal with the winners advancing to Saturday's 6 p.m. final.

The lower-seeded team won in two of the four games on Thursday, with North Hall, the No. 5 seed, knocking off No. 4 seed Lakeview Academy and No. 6 East Hall holding off No. 3 Gainsville.

Defending champion Flowery Branch is looking for its third consecutive Lanierland title, which would be the first for any program since West Hall won four straight from 1997-2000.

 

FLOWERY BRANCH GIRLS 62,
JOHNSON 23

Nine of 12 players scored for the Lady Falcons, who opened the game with a 13-0 run and never looked back. Five different players scored in the initial barrage as Flowery Branch led 18-3 at the end of the first quarter and by as much as 33-8 late in the second quarter before taking a 33-11 lead into the intermission.

Johnson’s Chelsea Reece had a big first half scoring all 11 of the Lady Knights points. She finished with 14 points for the game.

Flowery Branch opened up a 50-20 lead by the end of the third quarter to invoke a 6-minute clock for the fourth quarter. The Lady Falcons led by as many as 40 points in the fourth quarter.

Jenna Sutton came off the bench to lead Flowery Branch with 18 points. Ashley Woodroffe added 14 for the Lady Falcons.

Flowery Branch will take on North Hall at 6 p.m. on Friday in the semfinals.

 

WEST HALL GIRLS 46,
CHESTATEE 42

It was a wash in the scorebook between stars Anna McKendree of West Hall and Lindsey Caudell of Chestatee as each poured in 19 points for their respective teams.

But the Lady Spartans (9-5) were able to overcome a quick Chestatee (4-9) start to advance to the semifinals for a second consecutive season.

Chestatee jumped out to a 5-1 lead but West Hall went on an 18-2 run into the second quarter for a 19-7 lead, capped y a pair of McKendree 3-pointers. The Lady Spartans would not trail again.

Chestatee pulled within 23-15 by halftime but West Hall took an eight-point lead, 30-22, into the fourth quarter. The Lady War Eagles caught fire midway through the final period while McKendree sat with four fouls. A 3-pointer by Peri Satterfield and a basket by Caudell pulled them within 36-33  with 3:21 left.

But McKendree a minute later and dished out three assists and swiped a steal as West Hall built a 42-36 lead with just over a minute left.

A Caudell basket got Chestatee to 42-38 with 40 seconds left but they could get no closer as the teams traded baskets the rest of the way

Reagan Horton had 11 points for West Hall, seven in the fourth quarter.

Satterfield finished with 7 points for Chestatee.

West Hall will take on East Hall at 3 p.m. on Friday at Flowery Branch in the semifinals. Chestatee will play Gainesville in the consolation bracket at 9 a.m. at Flowery Branch.

EAST HALL GIRLS 47,
GAINESVILLE 38

East Hall held Gainesville to just two second-quarter points and just four points in the fourth quarter in advancing to the semifinals.

The Lady Vikings got 17 points from Georgia State-signee Carly Winters, including three 3-pointers, but it was four free throws in the final minute of the game that helped seal the victory.

It was a game of runs early as the Lady Red Elephants opened with a 5-0 spurt on a basket and 3-pointer from Tija Blackwell. East Hall answered with a 7-0 blast, capped by a Winters trey, but Gainesville went on a 10-0 run fueled by a pair of Blackwell 3-pointers for a 15-7 lead. After East Hall pulled within 15-14, the Lady Red closed out the period with a 5-0 spurt for a 20-14 lead heading into the second quarter.

But the Lady Vikings grabbed what would be the final lead of the game when Winters, Jenny Lopez, and Maggie Griffin drained consecutive 3-pointers to power an 11-0 run for a 25-20 lead. East Hall held Gainesville to just two free throws in the quarter while taking a 29-22 lead into halftime.

Gainesville pulled within 37-34 by the end of the third quarter but could get no closer as the Lady Red Elephants went scoreless over the final three minutes.

Ashante Peoples had a solid game inside for East Hall with 9 points and 12 rebounds, including three key stick-back baskets.

Blackwell paced Gainesville with 17 points and Tia Shelton added 13 for the Lady Red Elephants.

East Hall will take on West Hall in the semifinals at 3 p.m. on Friday at Flowery Branch. Gainesville will take on Chestatee in the consolation bracket at 9 a.m. at Flowery Branch.

 

NORTH HALL GIRLS 53,
LAKEVIEW ACADEMY 46

North Hall knocked off the host Lady Lions to open the tournament with a 53-46 win.

North Hall used a 16-2 second quarter to erase an early lead and never trailed again. Lakeview cut it to four points twice in the third quarter and to five points in the final minute of play but could get no closer.

Lakeview opened the game strong running out to a 6-2 lead in the opening minutes and then closed out the first quarter with an 8-3 spurt for a 14-9 lead. The Lady Trojans (6-4) then took advantage of Lady Lions’ point guard Matty Blackburn hampered by early foul trouble.

The North Hall defense clamped down on Lakeview’s shooters holding the Lady Lions to no field goals while using its huge run to take a 27-16 halftime lead.

Blackburn did not score in the game and the Lakeview offense struggled without her on the floor.

Lakeview chipped away in the second half cutting it to 33-29 on 3-of-4 free throws by Jackie Allen but trailed 35-29 heading into the fourth quarter. The Lady Trojans then used a clear rebounding edge to push their lead to 12 points to retake control.

The Lady Lions battled back again pulling within 51-46 in the final minute but missed three consecutive 3-pointers with a chance to get within one possession.

North Hall’s Ansleigh Ferguson had a huge game with 22 points and 8 rebounds, with several key stick-back baskets in the fourth quarter to keep Lakeview at bay. Grace Hollifield added 10 points and Natalie Nixon 8 points for the Lady Trojans.

Lakeview was led by Maddy Towles with 14 points and Allen with 13 points. Sadie Thrailkill added 10 points, all coming in the second half.

North Hall will take on Flowery Branch at 6 p.m. on Friday at Flowery Branch. Lakeview Academy will take on Johnson at noon at Flowery Branch.

2017 LANIERLAND SCHEDULE

Semifinals and consolation round - Friday at Flowery Branch
9 a.m. - Girls consolation, Chestatee girls vs. Gainesville
10:30 a.m. - Boys consolation, Chestatee vs. West Hall
Noon - Girls consolation, Lakeview Academy vs. Johnson
1:30 p.m. - Boys consolation, North Hall vs. Johnson
3 p.m. - Girls semifinal, West Hall vs. East Hall -- Radio: 1240 AM
4:30 p.m. - Boys semifinal, East Hall vs. Lakeview Academy -- Radio: 1240 AM
6 p.m. - Girls semifinal, North Hall vs. Flowery Branch -- Radio: 550 AM/102.9 FM
7:30 p.m. - Boys semifinal, Gainesville vs. Flowery Branch -- Radio: 550 AM/102.9 FM

Finals and consolation round - Saturday at Flowery Branch
9 a.m. - Girls consolation
10:30 a.m. - Boys consolation
Noon - Girls consolation
1:30 p.m. - Boys consolation
3 p.m. - Girls third place game
4:30 p.m. - Boys third place game
6 p.m. - Girls championship -- Radio: 550 AM/102.9 FM
7:30 p.m. - Boys championship -- Radio: 550 AM/102.9 FM

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