Lanierland girls: North Hall, Gainesville to battle for 63rd crown

Information was updated on Dec. 29 at 11:45 p.m.

LANIERLAND TOURNAMENT, Dec. 30
(at Chestatee)
(Girls bracket)

East Hall vs. West Hall (7th place), 9 a.m. 
Flowery Branch vs. Lakeview (5th place) 10:30 a.m.
Chestatee vs. Cherokee Bluff (3rd place), 3 p.m.
North Hall vs. Gainesville (Championship), 6 p.m.

GIRLS SECOND-ROUND SCOREBOARD, Dec. 29
(at Flowery Branch; seeds in parenthesis)

(2) Lakeview 54, (6) East Hall 46
(4) Flowery Branch 46, (9) West Hall 7
(2) Gainesville 67, (7 )Chestatee 62 OT
(1) North Hall 65, (5) Cherokee Bluff 56

GIRLS FIRST-ROUND SCOREBOARD, Dec. 28
(at Cherokee Bluff; seeds in parenthesis)

(5) Cherokee Bluff 56, (4) Flowery Branch 48
(3) Gainesville 65, (6) East Hall 39
(7) Chestatee 52, (2) Lakeview 42
(1) North Hall 74, (9) West Hall 8

LANIERLAND TOURNAMENT, Dec. 30
(at Chestatee)
(Boys bracket)

East Hall vs. Chestatee (7th place), 10:30 a.m. 
Lakeview vs. Flowery Branch (5th place), 1:30 p.m.
Cherokee Bluff vs. West Hall (3rd place), 4:30 p.m.
North Hall vs. Gainesville (Championship), 7:30 p.m.

BOYS SECOND-ROUND SCOREBOARD, Dec. 29
(at Flowery Branch; seeds in parenthesis)

(7) Flowery Branch 59, (6) Chestatee 51
(4) Lakeview 57, (1) East Hall 50
(2) Gainesville 68, (3) Cherokee Bluff 59
(5) North Hall 73, (8) West Hall 53

BOYS FIRST-ROUND SCOREBOARD
(at Cherokee Bluff; seeds in parenthesis)

(5) North Hall 75, (4) Lakeview 49
(3) Cherokee Bluff 72, (6) Chestatee 68 2OT
(2) Gainesville 62, (7) Flowery Branch 60
(9) West Hall 52, (1) East Hall 46

(CLICK HERE TO VIEW BOYS INFORMATION)

(CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE BOYS BRACKET STORY)

(CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE GIRLS BRACKET STORY)

CHEROKEE BLUFF LADY BEARS
-- COACH/YEARS AT SCHOOL: Lindsay Justice, 5th season
-- REGION: 8-4A
-- CURRENT 2022-23 RECORD: 9-1, 3-0 FULL SCHEDULE HERE
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 5 
-- KEY PLAYERS: Fr. Claire Carlson 12.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 4.2 apg, 3.6 spg; Sr. Mia Williams 14.8 ppg, 10rpg; Jr. Emma Reynolds 9 ppg, 5.3 rpg; Jr. Kaitlin Cook 5 ppg, 6 rpg, 3.1 apg, 2.3 spg; Jr. Carson DeMars 6.3 ppg, 3 rpg; Fr. Audrey Graham 4.5 ppg, 4 rpg; Sr. Ella Quirarte, Sr. Corey Hammond and Fr. Mac Warren also given the Lady Bears quality minutes off the bench as well. 
-- SEASON RECAP: The Lady Bears came into the season with a young, inexperienced roster with just one starter returning, junior Kaitlin Cook. But they have looked very strong over the first 6 weeks getting key contributions from several freshmen. They are tied with Chestatee in subregion A of Region 8-4A and have won nine straight games since a season-opening loss to Class 3A sixth-ranked Pickens. Williams has been a tough matchup inside averaging a double-double for the season. Carlson has done a good job of taking over the point guard spot to drive the offense. But defensively may be where they have made the most improvement. After surrendering just under 50 ppg last year, they are giving up just 35.8 ppg so far this season. 
-- FIRST ROUND RECAP: Calling it just the first hurdle, Cherokee Bluff girls coach Lindsay Justice was more than pleased after her young Lady Bears held off rival Flowery Branch 56-48 Wednesday morning to open the 63rd annual Lanierland Tournament on their home floor. Freshman Claire Carlson poured in 17 points to go with 6 assists, and senior Mia Williams scored 9 points and pulled down 15 rebounds to lead both the offense and defense for Bluff (10-1). The Lady Bears will take on the North Hall-West Hall winner at 6 p.m. Thursday in the semifinals at Flowery Branch.
-- SECOND ROUND RECAP: North Hall took an early lead, but the Lady Bears went on a 16-3 run behind 8 points from freshman sensation Claire Carlson, whose two free throws gave them a 16-5 lead midway through the first quarter. Bluff would lead by as many as 20-8 on an Emma Reynolds basket. But North Hall's shooters went on a scoring spree. Kristina Peach converted a three-point play and Rylee Thompson’s 3-pointer with 3 seconds left pulled the Lady Trojans within 21-19 by the end of the period. North Hall continued its barrage as Thompson capped a 10-2 run for a 33-25 lead late in the half. Bluff pulled within 34-33 by halftime with an 8-1 spurt over the final three minutes. In the second half, the Lady Bears pulled to within two points, 42-40, but couldn't get the lead back down the stretch to fall. Carlson paced Bluff (10-2) with a game-high 22 points. She also had 4 assists and 4 steals before fouling out. Reynolds added 13 points and Williams 8 for the Lady Bears.

CHESTATEE LADY WAR EAGLES 
-- COACH/YEARS AT SCHOOL: Sutton Shirley, 5th season
-- REGION: 8-4A
-- CURRENT 2022-23 RECORD: 8-3, 3-0 FULL SCHEDULE HERE
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 7
-- KEY PLAYERS: Jr. Riley Black (22.4 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 3.4 spg), Jr. Sierra Yarbrough (5.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg), So. Addison Boyd (7.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg) So. Caroline Bull (9.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.8 spg), So. Payton Cable (4.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
-- SEASON RECAP: The Lady War Eagles returned several experienced players, including the versatile Riley Black, and are off to a strong start despite a challenging schedule. They are tied with Cherokee Bluff in subregion A of Region 8-4A and have won three straight and 6 of their last 7 coming into the tournament. They own a win over North Hall, which they could meet in the finals if both teams advance. Black has emerged as the star and has been as dominant as any player in the area over the first month of the season. But she has plenty of quality help with Bull and Boyd, who are averaging nearly 4 3-pointers combined a game. Defensively they're yielding just 42.1 ppg and swiping 11 steals per contest as a team.
-- FIRST ROUND RECAP: The Lady War Eagles started fast, overcame a sluggish middle, and then finished strong in taking a 52-42 win over Lakeview Academy in the first round of the 63rd annual Lanierland Tournament Wednesday at the Cherokee Bluff gym. Chestatee (9-3) opened with a 9-0 run and looked poised for the rout. But Lakeview Academy (4-7) stormed back with a 20-10 run into the second quarter to grab a 20-19 lead. The Lady War Eagles regrouped to take a 26-22 lead into halftime. Chestatee came out firing in the third quarter using an 8-3 run, capped by a Caroline Bull 3-pointer, for a 34-25 lead. Lakeview never got closer than six (39-33) on a Jia Thapar 3-pointer to end the third quarter. The Lady War Eagles led by as many as 12 in the fourth quarter. Bull paced Chestatee with 19 points. Riley Black added 14, and Addison Boyd had 7 for the Lady War Eagles. Chestatee will play Gainesville in the semifinals at Flowery Branch on Thursday. Game time is 3 p.m.
-- SECOND ROUND RECAP: The Lady War Eagles stormed back to tie the game and send it to overtime but went cold in overtime to fall, 67-62, to Gainesville in the semifinals on Thursday at Flowery Branch. Chestatee trailed 38-14 in the first half, but a Caroline Bull 3-pointer ignited what would be an 8-0 run for the Lady War Eagles to close out the half trailing 38-24. The Lady War Eagles took advantage of a cold Gainesville team and opened the second half on an 18-6 run, sparked by 9 points from Riley Black in the third quarter to pull within two points, 44-42. Chestatee grabbed the lead in the fourth quarter and held on to a 60-59 lead with less than 2 minutes to go. In the final minutes of the fourth, the two teams traded the lead eight times before Sierra Yarbrough sent it to overtime with a basket with 4 seconds left. The Lady War Eagles missed all five shots and were 0-for-5 from the free throw line in the overtime. Black finished with 28 points, including eclipsing the 1,000-point mark in the fourth quarter. Bull added 13 points, and Yarbrough had 11 points for Chestatee. The Lady War Eagles were just 15-of-32 from the free-throw line.

EAST HALL LADY VIKINGS
-- COACH/YEARS AT SCHOOL: Justin Wheeler, 10th season
-- REGION: Region 8-4A
-- CURRENT 2022-23 RECORD: 2-9, 1-3 FULL SCHEDULE HERE
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 6
-- KEY PLAYERS: Sr. G Maleah Harrison, Sr. G Callie Dale (13.4 ppg (20-21), So. G Kaylana Curry, So. G Amari Burce, So. F/C Terriah Watkins
-- SEASON RECAP: The Lady Vikings have played a very difficult schedule over the first month of the season. It's been feast or famine for the Lady Vikings over the past three tournaments. They finished 2nd in 202 but 7th in 2019 and 6th last season. They are still a young team overall with 10 freshmen or sophomores on the roster. Three of their losses have come to tournament teams Cherokee Bluff, Flowery Branch, and North Hall. Offense has been the issue early averaging just 46.0 ppg on the season. They are giving up 56.5 ppg so far o defense, including 87 to North Hall three weeks ago.
-- FIRST ROUND RECAP: The Gainesville girls used an 18-3 run in the first half to erase an early deficit en route to a 65-39 win over rival East Hall in the opening round of the 63rd annual Lanierland Tournament. Kedria Young hit a 3-pointer to break an 8-8 tie and Caloni Young and Zaria Williams each drained 3-pointers in the second quarter as the Lady Red Elephants (9-0) turned an 8-4 East Hall lead into an eventual 22-11 advantage. Gainesville closed out the first quarter with a 7-0 and held the Lady Vikings scoreless over the final 3:24. The Lady Vikings (2-10) never got closer than eight (22-14) on a Kaylana Curry trey midway through the second quarter. The Lady Red Elephants exploded for a 15-4 run to close out the first half for a 37-18 lead. Callie Dale paced East Hall with 11 points. Curry finished with 10 points, and Haley Barton had 8 points for the Lady Vikings. East Hall will take on the Chestatee-Lakeview Academy loser at 9 a.m. on Thursday in the consolation bracket.
--SECOND ROUND RECAP: East Hall had trouble stopping Lakeview's Taliah Gaither in the 54-46 loss in the consolation round on Thursday at Flowery Branch. Gaither scored 24 points and pulled down 15 rebounds in the win. The Lady Lions outpaced East Hall 18-9 in the final quarter to get the win.  

FLOWERY BRANCH LADY FALCONS
-- COACH/YEARS AT SCHOOL: Courtney Newton, 9th Season
-- REGION: 8- 5A
-- CURRENT 2022-23 RECORD: 7-4, 1-1 FULL SCHEDULE HERE
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 4
-- KEY PLAYERS: Sr. G Bella Brick (19.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.0 spg, Georgia state 3-pt shooting champion), Jr. G Amiya Scott (10.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.4 spg), Fr. P Brannen Shiloh (7.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg), So. G Jess Tamplin (3.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg), Jr. P Deniya Randolph (2.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg), Jr. G Kaitlin Cangiolosi (3.3 ppg, 3.6 spg)
-- SEASON RECAP: The Lady Falcons graduated several key players from last year but also had several newcomers join to help revamp the roster. However, leader Bella Brick returned, and she has upped her production, including breaking the school's 3-point record in a game twice already this season. Scott also has picked her game this season, and freshman Shiloh has emerged during the first month. After an 0-2 start, they have won 7 of their last 9 games coming into the tournament. They sit fourth in 8-5A in the early going.
-- FIRST ROUND RECAP: In the second half, Bluff used a 19-11 third-quarter run to reclaim the lead and eventually extended it to 47-34 into the fourth quarter to knock off the Lady Falcons 53-48. They held the Lady Falcons (7-5) without a basket and just a pair of free throws over a 9-minute stretch. Branch made one final push behind Brick, who finished with 15 points. They pulled within 53-48 with 1:23 left on a pair of Brick free throws but could not get closer as Bluff hit 3-of-4 free throws in the final minute to preserve the win. Amiya Scott had 13 points for Flowery Branch. The Lady Falcons will take on the North Hall-West Hall loser at noon in the consolation bracket.
-- SECOND ROUND RECAP: Flowery Branch jumped out quickly on West Hall en route to a 47-7 win in the consolation round at Flowery Branch on Thursday. 

GAINESVILLE LADY RED ELEPHANTS
-- COACH, YEARS AT SCHOOL: Vanessa White, 1st season
-- REGION: 8-6A
-- CURRENT 2022-23 RECORD: 8-0 FULL SCHEDULE HERE
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 3
-- KEY PLAYERS: Sr. Keke Jones, Sr. G/F Caloni Young, Sr. G/F Keidra Young, Sr. PG Zaria Williams, So. G Julia Payne, So. F Dreya Maddox, So. G/F Kinsleigh Teasley
-- SEASON RECAP: The Lady Red Elephants already have matched their entire win total from a year ago. Jones and Williams make up one of the quicker and most dynamic guard tandems in the field while the Young sisters and Teasley give them a solid trio in the front-court. The Lady Red Elephants lead the field in offense averaging 72.3 ppg but may not have faced a series of defensive teams as good as they will see in the tournament. They are allowing a minuscule 28.8 ppg on defense. They are looking for their second title in the last three seasons.
-- FIRST ROUND RECAP: The Gainesville girls used an 18-3 run in the first half to erase an early deficit en route to a 65-39 win over rival East Hall in the opening round of the 63rd annual Lanierland Tournament. Kedria Young hit a 3-pointer to break an 8-8 tie and Caloni Young and Zaria Williams each drained 3-pointers in the second quarter as the Lady Red Elephants (9-0) turned an 8-4 East Hall lead into an eventual 22-11 advantage. Gainesville closed out the first quarter with a 7-0 and held the Lady Vikings scoreless over the final 3:24. The Lady Vikings (2-10) never got closer than eight (22-14) on a Kaylana Curry trey midway through the second quarter. The Lady Red Elephants exploded for a 15-4 run to close out the first half for a 37-18 lead. Gainesville was paced by 22 points from Kedria Young. Caloni Young had 12 points, and Mattie White and Julia Payne each had 8 points for the Lady Red Elephants. The Lady Red Elephants will next take on Chestatee at 3 p.m. on Thursday in the semifinals at Flowery Branch.
-- SECOND ROUND RECAP: The Lady Red Elephants built a huge first-half lead, lost it, rallied to go to overtime, then held Chestatee scoreless in the extra frame to pull out a tough win, 67-62 at the Flowery Branch gym. Keke Jones hit 3-of-4 free throws in the final 1:31 and made a key steal as well in overtime to help the Lady Red Elephants survive a ferocious Chestatee rally in the second half. Big Red lead 38-14 in the first half, but Chestatee took the lead in the fourth quarter. The two teams exchanged the lead four times in the final two minutes of the game. Kedria Young paced Gainesville with 25 points, 12 in the fourth quarter and overtime, before she fouled out as well. Jones finished with 14 points, 6 coming in the fourth quarter and overtime. Caloni Young also had 14 points before fouling out as well.

LAKEVIEW ACADEMY LADY LIONS
-- COACH, YEARS AT SCHOOL: Karen Towles, 1st season
-- REGION: GIAA Region 4-3A
-- CURRENT 2022-23 RECORD: 4-6 FULL SCHEDULE HERE
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 2
-- KEY PLAYERS: So. P Taliah Gaither (16 ppg, 12 rpg) So. G Dynesty Putman (13 ppg, 5 rpg, 3 apg, 3 spg), Sr. G Sidney Corbin (7 ppg, 4 rpg), Kivana Bogne (8 ppg, 8 rpg)
-- SEASON RECAP: The Lady Lions have had an up-and-down start to the season as Putman was out to start the season, came back, only to lose P Ashlyn Henderson for the season at almost the same time Putman returned. Jr. Madi Loggins, a key player off the bench, also may miss the tournament with an injury. They have played well against a tough schedule, considering all the roster changes. They have losses to ranked teams Banks County, White County, and Rabun County. They own wins over Union County and Jackson County and have lost three games by 7 points or less. They face a tough opener against a hot Chestatee team but know how to win in the tournament with a pair of 2nd-place finishes the last three years.
-- FIRST ROUND RECAP: The Lady Lions kept it close and even led in the first half but couldn't hold on in a 52-42 loss to Chestatee. Chestatee (9-3) opened with a 9-0 run and looked poised for the rout. But Lakeview Academy (4-7) stormed back with a 20-10 run into the second quarter to grab a 20-19 lead. The Lady War Eagles regrouped to take a 26-22 lead into halftime. Chestatee came out firing in the third quarter using an 8-3 run, capped by a Caroline Bull 3-pointer, for a 34-25 lead. Lakeview never got closer than six (39-33) on a Jia Thapar 3-pointer to end the third quarter. The Lady War Eagles led by as many as 12 in the fourth quarter. Taliah Gaither led Lakeview with 13 points. Dynesty Putman had 11 points and Kivana Bogne 9 points for the Lady Lions. Lakeview will play East Hall on Thursday in the consolation round at Flowery Branch. Game time is 9 a.m. 
-- SECOND ROUND RECAP: Taliah Gaither turned in a double-double performance to rally the Lady Lions past East Hall, 54-46, in the consolation round on Thursday at Flowery Branch. Gaither scored 24 points and pulled down 15 rebounds in the win. The Lady Lions outpaced East Hall 18-9 in the final quarter to get the win. Dynesty Putman added 13 points. 

NORTH HALL LADY TROJANS
-- COACH/YEARS AT SCHOOL: Eric Herrick, 1st season
-- REGION: 8-4A
-- CURRENT 2022-23 RECORD: 7-3, 2-1 FULL SCHEDULE HERE
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 1
-- KEY PLAYERS: Sr. SG Kristina Peach (15.6 ppg,, 3.3 rpg, 3.0 apg, 3.2 spg), So. G Athena Vachtsevanos (11.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg), Fr. C Genesis Satterfield (5.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg), Sr. PG Rylee Thompson (4.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2.2 spg), Sr. G/F Amelia Shoemaker (4.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg), So. P Sarah Davidson (3.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg). Jr. G Carly Bowen (3.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.6 stg), Sr. G McKayla Waldrop, Jr. G Braelyn McCall. 
-- SEASON RECAP: The defending champion Lady Trojans returned nearly their entire roster but are still learning their way with Herrick, a former North Hall grad. After a 3-0 start, they are just 4-3 since but own a win over East Hall in region play. However, they also lost to Chestatee earlier in the season and sit tied for third in subregion A of Region 8-4A. Peach is one of the more dynamic players in the area, and with Vachtsevanos and Thompson, they make up one of the better backcourts in the tournament. Despite her youth, Satterfield can be a force inside. They are averaging 58.8 ppg on offense and allowing just 38.6 ppg on defense.
-- FIRST ROUND RECAP: Defending champion North Hall rolled to a 74-8 win over West Hall Wednesday at the Cherokee Bluff gym.
The Lady Trojans made sure there would be no upset by running out to a 31-0 lead after the first quarter. Kristina Peach began things with a 3-pointer as she scored the first 5 points of the game and hit four 3-pointers in the opening frame. Summer Orlick broke the run at 36 with a basket for West Hall (2-11) in the second quarter. The Lady Trojans (8-3) went on to take a 39-4 lead into halftime and extended their advantage to 57-7 by the end of the third quarter. Peach finished with 17 points as 11 players scored for the Lady Trojans. Sarah Davidson added 10 points, Lexi Jarrard 9 points, and Genesis Satterfield had 8 points for North Hall. North Hall will take on Cherokee Bluff at 6 p.m. at Flowery Branch on Thursday in the semifinals.
-- SECOND ROUND RECAP: The Lady Trojans fought back from a big early deficit to beat a hot Cherokee Bluff team, 65-56, to advance to their third Lanierland finals in four seasons on Thursday at the Flowery Branch gym. The Lady Trojans opened the second half with a 7-0 run and then maintained that lead the rest of the way. Reynolds got the Lady Bears to 42-40 late in the third quarter, and a pair of Mia Williams free throws got them to 59-55 with 2:08 left. But Bluff missed three shots with a chance to get closer, and North Hall hit 6-of-8 free throws in the final 41 seconds to preserve the win. Athena Vachtsevanos, Peach, and Martha Vachtsevanos all poured in 13 points to lead a balanced North Hall offense. Thompson finished with 11 points, and Satterfield had 8 for the Lady Trojans. North Hall (9-3) will take on arch-rival Gainesville in Friday’s 6 p.m. final at the Cottrell Center at Chestatee High School.

WEST HALL LADY SPARTANS
-- COACH/YEARS AT SCHOOL: Jacob Selman, 1st season
-- REGION: 7-3A
-- CURRENT 2022-23 RECORD: 2-10, 0-3 FULL SCHEDULE HERE
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 8
-- KEY PLAYERS: Fr. PG Summer Orlick (8.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.2 spg), Fr. G Yatsar Matos (6.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg), So. PG Cayla Radich (3.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg), Sr. P Lisa Ososkalo, So. G Kihanna Rich, So. Heidi Zuniga
-- SEASON RECAP: The Lady Spartans are back in the tournament after missing out last year. They beat Johnson, 36-28, in the play-in game to advance to the main bracket. They are young with a new coach but already are showing progress. They snapped a 49-game losing streak with a win over Cristo Rey Atlanta and the 2 wins already are more than they had the last two seasons combined. Orlick, Matos, and Radich give them a young core to build around as they try to get back to competitiveness in Region 7-3A and in Lanierland.
-- FIRST ROUND RECAP: West Hall struggled to find the bottom of the net in a 74-8 loss to defending champion North Hall on Wednesday at the Cherokee Bluff gym.
The Lady Trojans made sure there would be no upset by running out to a 31-0 lead after the first quarter. Kristina Peach began things with a 3-pointer as she scored the first 5 points of the game and hit four 3-pointers in the opening frame. Summer Orlick broke the run at 36 with a basket for West Hall (2-11) in the second quarter. The Lady Trojans (8-3) went on to take a 39-4 lead into halftime and extended their advantage to 57-7 by the end of the third quarter. Orlick finished with 6 points to lead West Hall. Lisa Ososkalo had 2 points for the Lady Spartans. West Hall will play Flowery Branch at noon at Flowery Branch on Thursday in the consolation bracket.
-- SECOND ROUND RECAP: West Hall couldn't keep up with Flowery Branch in a 47-7 loss in the consolation round on Thursday at Flowery Branch.