Basketball: GHS sweeps rival North Hall <b> (VIDEO) </b>

GAINESVILLE -- With region tournaments just around the corner, peaking at the right time is crucial for postseason success.<br /> <br /> The Gainesville girls appear to be right on schedule.<br /> <br /> The Lady Red Elephants won for the 10th time in their last 11 games after taking an efficient 49-40 win over arch-rival North Hall Saturday in a non-region battle at the North Hall gym. <br /> <br /> Taylor Hawks and Shikiya Brown combined for 15 points and sparked several key defensive stops for Gainesville (15-6) which has not allowed more than 43 points in any of its last 11 games.<br /> <br /> Gainesville coach Brenda Gilmore said they are just starting to get to their potential.<br /> <br /> "We've been playing well but really I feel we're not as good as we can be," Gilmore said. "The girls are starting to jell as a group. I think offensively they're understanding better and defensively they have been playing well."<br /> <br /> The Lady Red Elephants never trailed after Brown opened the game with two baskets for a 4-0 lead in the first 90 seconds. North Hall (12-10) climbed to within 4-3 on a basket and free throw by Taylor Anne Kelley in the next minute but Gainesville used a 7-1 run, capped by a Brown 3-pointer and two Kayla Kelly free throws, for an 11-4 lead.<br /> <br /> Brown's second 3-pointer of the half gave Gainesville a 16-8 lead early in the second quarter. She would score 10 of Gainesville's first 16 points.<br /> <br /> But North Hall would respond. Katie Sayres and Kensi Gillespie hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Sarah Hollifield added two free throws to pull the Lady Trojans within 18-16 with 1:53 left in the first half. Gainesville eventually took a 20-17 lead into halftime.<br /> <br /> Both defenses created opportunities for the offenses. Gainesville forced 12 North Hall turnovers while the Lady Trojans forced 13 Gainesville miscues. <br /> <br /> But neither team could get much going from outside. The Lady Red Elephants were just 4-for-14 from 3-point range while North Hall was 5-for-18 on 3-pointers.<br /> <br /> North Hall would get as close as 31-29 late in the third quarter but Brown drained her third 3-pointer of the game at the buzzer for a 34-30 lead. The Lady Trojans could not get closer than four the rest of the way.<br /> <br /> Gainesville is right in the thick of the Region 8-AAAAA title chase and will travel to Flowery Branch on Tuesday. The first-place Lady Falcons sit one game ahead of the Lady Red Elephants, who can grab the tiebreakers with a win. They knocked off Flowery Branch in their first meeting two weeks ago.<br /> <br /> "We can still win the region," Gilmore said. "Flowery Branch is tough and we will need to play like we have been. We'll need to be efficient on offense and tough on defense. It should be a good game."<br /> <br /> Sayres finished with 13 points, including three 3-pointers, to lead North Hall. Gillespie and Sadie Cleveland each had eight points for the Lady Trojans.<br /> <br /> North Hall will travel to Johnson in a key Region 8-AAAA matchup on Tuesday. The Lady Trojans need a win to stay in the top half of the region standings.<br /> <br /> <b>GAINESVILLE BOYS 78<br /> NORTH HALL44</b><br /> <br /> The Red Elephants (19-2) are getting hot at the right time as they won for the ninth time in 11 games over their arch-rivals.<br /> <br /> The Trojans opened the game with a 6-2 run, started by a layup from senior Nicholas Bennett on the opening play of the game. Then Gainesville got going.<br /> <br /> The Red Elephants used an 18-3 run to take control, highlighted by Tyler Scott, who had six points, three rebounds, and two blocks in the period. They led 21-13 heading into the second quarter. D'Marcus Simonds dished out four assists in the quarter.<br /> <br /> North Hall answered to start the second with a 10-2 run, capped by a Carson Heinen turnaround jumper to trail just 28-23 with 4:09 left in the half. Gainesville responded again with a 9-0 run to pull away for a 37-23 lead and the Red Elephants took a 45-29 advantage into halftime.<br /> <br /> Gainesville pushed its lead to 60-39 by the end of the third quarter and the reserves of both teams took over in the fourth quarter. The Red Elephants led by as many as 35 at one point.<br /> <br /> Simonds finished with 16 points and seven assists to pace Gainesville, which had 11 different players score. Scott finished with 14 and neither played in the fourth quarter. K.J. Buffen and Luke Maddox had eight points each for the Red Elephants.<br /> <br /> North Hall (11-11) is 5-6 in its last 11 games and was swept by Gainsville in its season series.<br /> <br /> The Trojans were led by Heinen and Harrison Lovell with 10 points apiece.

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