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CHEROKEE BLUFF BEARS
-- COACH, YEARS AT SCHOOL: Josh Travis, 1st season
-- REGION: 7-3A
-- CURRENT 2021-22 RECORD: 4-8, 1-3
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 2 seed
-- KEY PLAYERS: Jr. G Cade Simmons (14.8 ppg), Jr. G Carlos Marlow (13.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 4.1 apg), Jr. Jhace Justice (8.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg), So. F Justyce Sadler (7.2 ppg, 8 rpg)
-- FIRST ROUND RECAP: The Bears' freshmen were huge in the blowout 79-49 win over West Hall in the first round of the tournament on Tuesday. Boston Kersh poured in a career-high 17 points to pace Cherokee Bluff. Another freshman, Tyler Underwood, finished with 10 points, while junior Carlos Marlow had 12 points for the Bears. Bluff moves on to play East Hall in Wednesday’s semifinals at 4:30 p.m. at Gainesville High School.
-- SECOND ROUND RECAP: Bluff started strong getting 3-pointers from Boston Kersh and Cade Simmons for that 12-4 lead late in the first quarter. But the second CJ Agborsangaya trey of the game gave East Hall an 18-16 lead to open the second quarter, and the Bears never led again as they fell to the Vikings 68-58. Bluff will get Lakeview in the third-place game on Thursday at North Hall. Carlos Marlowe led Cherokee Bluff with 19 points and Cade Simmons had 15. Boston Kersh had 10 points and Jhace Justice 8 for the Bears.
-- SEASON RECAP: The Bears remain a team in rebuild mode. After opening the season winning two of their first three games, the young Bears have only managed one win over the last seven games. However, the Bears picked up a win over their first-round opponent, West Hall, on Dec. 14, 61-43.
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CHESTATEE WAR EAGLES
-- COACH, YEARS AT SCHOOL: Tanner Plemmons, 1st year
-- REGION: 8-4A
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 4 seed
-- CURRENT 2021-22 RECORD: 6-6, 0-2
-- KEY PLAYERS: So. G Colton Wilbanks (16.3 ppg, 10 rpg) Sr. Peyton Phillips (10 ppg, 1 apg, 1 rpg, Jr. Hugh Pruitt ( 10 ppg, 3 rpg, 3 apg), Jr. Josh Bull (7 ppg, 3 rpg, 4 apg), Cade Williams (6 ppg, 3 rpg, 4 apg)
-- FIRST ROUND RECAP: The War Eagles led 51-38 early in the third quarter, but Lakeview's Harrison Cooper powered a 20-6 run early in the fourth quarter to grab the lead. The two teams exchanged the lead eight times over the final seven minutes, but the War Eagles couldn't take control in the Early in the 64-63 loss to the Lions. Colton Wilbanks had 20 points and Vandiver scored 18 to pace Chestatee. Cade Williams added 10 for the War Eagles. Chestatee will play Flowery Branch in the fifth-place consolation bracket at Gainesville. Tip-off is set for 1:30 p.m.
-- SECOND ROUND RECAP: The War Eagles jumped out to a quick first-quarter lead and pulled away to beat Flowery Branch 72-49 to advance to the fifth-place game on Thursday. Chestatee led 23-15 after the first quarter but used a 17-9 second to grab a 40-24 halftime lead. The War Eagles maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way. Jarvis Weaver played one of his best games of the season with 19 points and 9 rebounds to lead Chestatee. Hugh Pruitt added 18 points and Colton Wilbanks continued his strong tournament with 16 points.
-- SEASON RECAP: The War Eagles have shown improvement through the first half of the season. After dropping the first two games, Chestatee has won the last five of eight games and is on the cusp of breaking through in region play. The War Eagles are 0-2 but have lost both games -- East Hall and Flowery Branch -- by just five points.
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EAST HALL VIKINGS
-- COACH/YEARS AT SCHOOL: Tommy Yancey, 2nd season
-- REGION: 8-4A
-- CURRENT 2021-22 RECORD: 12-2, 2-1
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 6 seeding
-- KEY PLAYERS: Sr. G/F Christian Torres (19.4 ppg, 10.7 rpg), Jr. G/F Cletus Agborsangaya (11.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg), Sr. G Clete Cooper (10.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.7 spg, 3.8 apg), Jr. G Levi Holtzclaw (8.4 ppg, 4.7 apg)
-- FIRST ROUND RECAP: The Vikings advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2018 with a 64-50 win over North Hall on Tuesday. East Hall used a 24-2 second-quarter run to grab the commanding lead. Clete Cooper, who scored nine points, gave the Vikings their first lead 16-15. The CJ Agborsangaya scored five straight points, while Levi Holtzclaw nailed a long 3-pointer and Christian Torres had four consecutive points to give the Vikings a 35-17 lead late in the first half.
Torres poured in 21 points to lead East Hall. Holtzclaw knocked down three 3-pointers for part of his 15 points, and Agborsangaya added 14 points. East Hall will take on No. 2 seed Cherokee Bluff at Gainesville High on Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m.
-- SECOND ROUND RECAP: Behind junior C.J. Agborsangaya, the Vikings rallied from an early 12-4 deficit. Agborsangaya, who poured in a game-high 29 points, including five 3-pointers, was the main catalyst, draining four long balls in a 22-6 run for an eventual 26-18 lead midway through the second quarter they would not relinquish in a 68-58 win over Cherokee Bluff in the semifinals on Wednesday. The Vikings (12-2) will Gainesville in Thursday’s championship game at North Hall. It will be their first finals appearance since 2018. Agborsangaya led the Vikings with a game-high 29 points. East Hall got 16 points from Clete Cooper and 10 points from Christian Torres. Holtzclaw finished with 9 points.
-- SEASON RECAP: After winning just 12 games over the last two seasons, the Vikings are steering the ship in the right direction. The Vikings began the season with five straight wins before losing to their first-round opponent, North Hall, 61-56, on Dec. 3, and region foe, Cedar Shoals, 60-37, on Dec. 10. The Vikings, however, ended the first half of the season with four straight wins, including region wins over Flowery Branch and Chestatee.
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FLOWERY BRANCH FALCONS
-- COACH/YEARS AT SCHOOL: Jay Burney, 3rd season
-- REGION: 8-4A
-- CURRENT 2021-22 RECORD: 8-6, 1-3
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 9 seed
-- KEY PLAYERS: Jr. F Tyleek Worth (18.2 ppg, 10.3 rpg), Sr. G Trey Shaw (10.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.2 apg), Jr. G Jack Burney (6.5 ppg, 2.0 apg), Fr. G Jeremiah Ware (6.3 ppg, 1.5 apg), Jr. SF Fe'uan Honors (6.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg), Sr. G JP Aguilar (3.5 rpg)
-- FIRST ROUND RECAP: The Falcons could quite crack the tenacious Gainesville defense in the 60-36 opening-round loss on Tuesday night. Gainesville never trailed, and the game was never tied in a matchup that intrigued many around the county, especially with the Falcons (8-5) off to their best starts in nearly four years. The Red Elephants forced more than two dozen turnovers and held Branch to 13 points or less in all four quarters. The Red Elephants closed out the first quarter with a 3-pointer from Ellis Pitts and a jumper from TJ Ramsey for a 10-4 lead. Gainesville extended its lead to 12-4 moments into the second quarter on a Reisman layup and later took a 17-8 lead on a basket midway through the period. Branch did not go away, though. Jackson Owens hit a long 3-pointer and Jeremiah Ware had a steal and layup to get the Falcons within 17-14 with 1:39 left in the half. But Gainesville went on a 6-0 run in under a minute for a 23-14 lead and got a steal looking to push it to double digits. But Owens picked off a Gainesville pass and hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to get the Falcons within 23-17 at halftime. The third quarter was the difference as Gainesville exploded for a 23-point quarter, including a 20-3 run for a 43-20 lead to blow the game open. Ware had 11 points to pace the Falcons. Honors and Owens each had 7 points for Branch. Branch will play Chestatee in the consolation bracket on Wednesday.
-- SECOND ROUND RECAP: The Falcons couldn't overcome an early barrage from the War Eagles in a 72-49 loss on Thursday in the consolation round. The Falcons will play West Hall in the seventh-place game on Thursday at North Hall. Chestatee led 23-15 after the first quarter but used a 17-9 second to grab a 40-24 halftime lead. The War Eagles maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way. The Falcons were playing without leading scorer Tyleek Worth, who was out sick and was limited in Tuesday’s first-round action as well.
-- SEASON RECAP: The Falcons have turned the corner in the first half of the season. After only winning three games over the last three seasons, the Falcons have won eight games so far, but are still a work in progress. In their three region games, the Falcons have only won once but lost in a close one to East Hall, 70-62, on Dec. 14 and kept it close with No. 4 Jefferson on Dec. 17, before losing 66-51.
--REMAINING SCHEDULE: CLICK HERE
GAINESVILLE RED ELEPHANTS
-- COACH, YEARS AT SCHOOL: Chuck Graham, 4th season
-- REGION: 6-7A
-- CURRENT 2021-22 RECORD:4-9, 0-3
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 1 seed
-- KEY PLAYERS: Jr. G Charlie Reisman (12 ppg, 3 rpg, 2 apg), Jr. G Dre Raven (1o ppg, 4 rpg, 4 apg), So. G Ellis Pitts (9 ppg, 4 rpg, 2 apg), Sr. G Qua Coleey (8 ppg, 6 rpg), Jr. G Julius Jackson (8 ppg, 3 rpg, 3apg), Sr. G Charmarion Bush (7 ppg, 3 rpg)
-- FIRST ROUND RECAP: The Red Elephants, who had lost eight straight games leading up to the 62nd version of the state’s oldest Christmas tournament, put on a defensive show Tuesday night in a 60-36 win over Flowery Branch to close out the first day’s action. Gainesville never trailed, and the game was never tied in a matchup that intrigued many around the county, especially with the Falcons (8-5) off to their best starts in nearly four years. The Red Elephants forced more than two dozen turnovers and held Branch to 13 points or less in all four quarters. The Red Elephants closed out the first quarter with a 3-pointer from Ellis Pitts and a jumper from TJ Ramsey for a 10-4 lead. Gainesville extended its lead to 12-4 moments into the second quarter on a Reisman layup and later took a 17-8 lead on a basket midway through the period. Branch did not go away, though. Jackson Owens hit a long 3-pointer and Jeremiah Ware had a steal and layup to get the Falcons within 17-14 with 1:39 left in the half. But Gainesville went on a 6-0 run in under a minute for a 23-14 lead and got a steal looking to push it to double digits. But Ownes picked off a Gainesville pass and hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to get the Falcons within 23-17 at halftime. The third quarter was the difference as Gainesville exploded for a 23-point quarter, including a 20-3 run for a 43-20 lead to blow the game open. Pitts led the Red Elephants with 25 points. Reisman had 11 points and Raven finished with 5 points in his first action in nearly a month.
-- SECOND ROUND RECAP: The Red Elephants survived a late push from the Lions to advance to their sixth straight Lanierland Tournament finals with a 60-42 win on Wednesday. Early on against Lakeview (5-7) it looked like the Red Elephants were going to make quick work of the Lions, going yup 29-14 in the first half and 37-17 early in the third quarter. But the Lions woke up, behind two 3-pointers from Liam Weidner that sparked a Lions' run to cut the lead, 42-37. But Gainesville hunkered down with a run of its own to take control, 52-37, and never looked back. Ellis Pitts finished with 15 points to pace Gainesville. Charlie Reisman knocked down 10 points, all in the second half, and Julius Jackson had 9 and Dre Raven 8 for the Red Elephants.
-- SEASON RECAP: The Red Elephants started the season 2-1 but have lost the last eight games heading into the tournament. A lot of Gainesville's troubles come from a young roster and early-season injuries. However, the Red Elephants rolled into the 2019 Lanierland with an 0-10 record and stormed through the field to win their third straight. The big question remains: can the Red Elephants do the same this season and win their sixth straight title.
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JOHNSON KNIGHTS
-- COACH/YEARS AT SCHOOL: Chris Guthrie, 3rd season
-- REGION: 8-5A
-- CURRENT 2021-22 RECORD: 0-9, 0-3
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: Johnson lost to Flowery Branch, 65-34, in the play-in game and did not make the tournament.
-- KEY PLAYERS: Sr. C Jake Shaw, Sr. G Alex Flores, Sr. G Sebastian Madera, So. F Jaiden Riley
-- SEASON RECAP: The Knights are only averaging 30 points per game heading into the Christmas break. They'll be forced to sit out of this year's tournament because of the loss to Flowery Branch in the play-in game. Instead, they'll travel to Adairsville to play in the Christmas Clash this week.
-- REMAINING SCHEDULE: CLICK HERE
LAKEVIEW ACADEMY LIONS
-- COACH/YEARS AT SCHOOL: Tyler Sanders, 2nd season
-- REGION: 6-A Private
-- CURRENT 2021-22 RECORD: 5-7, 2-2
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 5 seed
-- KEY PLAYERS: Jr. G Isaiah Rico (15 ppg, 4 rpg), Sr. G Harrison Cooper (11 ppg, 7 rpg, 4apg), Fr. G Jack Collins (9 ppg, 4 rpg), Jr. G Liam Weidner (8 ppg)
-- FIRST ROUND RECAP: Senior Harrison Cooper hit a driving layup with 13.5 seconds left to lift Lakeview Academy to a thrilling 64-63 come-from-behind win over Chestatee on Tuesday in the opening boys game of the tournament. The Lions trailed 51-38 in the third quarter, but Cooper helped power a 20-6 run to grab the lead in the fourth quarter, 58-57. The two teams traded the lead eight times over the final seven minutes before Cooper's bucket sealed the win for the Lions. Lakeview will battle No. 1 seed Gainesville in the semifinals on Wednesday at Gainesville High School. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
-- SECOND ROUND RECAP: The Lions gave the Red Elephants their best shot before falling 60-42 in the semifinals on Wednesday. Early on against Lakeview, it looked like the Red Elephants were going to make quick work of the Lions, going up 29-14 in the first half and 37-17 early in the third quarter. But the Lions woke up, behind two 3-pointers from Liam Weidner that sparked a Lions' run to cut the lead, 42-37. But Gainesville hunkered down with a run of its own to take control, 52-37, and never looked back. Ellis Pitts finished with 15 points to pace Gainesville. Isaiah Rico scored 13 to lead Lakeview. Harrison Cooper and Weidner each had 11 for the Lions.
-- SEASON RECAP: The Lions opened the season with a win over Landmark Christian but fell to White County and Rabun County by 20 or more points. They followed the back-to-back losses with three straight wins, two of which came against region foes, Fellowship Christian and The Weber School and a non-region win over Riverside Military Academy. However, the Lions have dropped four straight heading into the tournament -- St. Francis, No. 4 King's Ridge, Prince Avenue Christian and George Walton Academy.
-- REMAINING SCHEDULE: CLICK HERE
NORTH HALL TROJANS
-- COACH, YEARS AT SCHOOL: Miles Kendall, 2nd season
-- REGION: 7-3A
-- CURRENT 2021-22 RECORD: 10-3, 3-1
-- KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Sr. F Robert Terry (15 ppg, 8.4rpg), So. G/F Andrew Bales (12.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg), Sr. G/F Elijah Gaddy (8.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg), Jr. G Sam Gailey (8.2 ppg), Sr. G Edward Doig (7.9 ppg)
-- FIRST ROUND RECAP: The Trojans couldn't overcome the Vikings' 24-2 run in the second quarter as they fell in the opening round 64-50. North Hall jumped out to a quick 9-4 lead on a Luke Sanders 3-pointer and eventually took a 15-11 lead into the second quarter, but the Vikings to total control in the second quarter. The Trojans did make a push to get back in the game off a Matthew Ray 3-pointer early in the third quarter to close the gap, 38-26, but the Vikings went on a 10-2 run to push the lead up 48-28. Robert Terry finished with 18 points to lead North Hall. Ray had 9 points and Andrew Bales chipped in 8 points for the Trojans. North Hall will play West Hall in the fifth-place consolation round on Wednesday at Gainesville. Tip-off is set for 10:30 a.m.
-- SECOND ROUND RECAP: The Trojans opened the game with a 25-10 run en route to a 65-54 win against West Hall in the consolation bracket on Wednesday. North Hall (10-4) moves into the fifth-place game and will take on Chestatee, which beat Flowery Branch 72-49 in the other consolation game, on Thursday at North Hall. West Hall rallied with a big second quarter to pull within 40-32 by halftime. But the Spartans could get closer in the second half. Elijah Gaddy led North Hall with 21 points. Robert Terry added 16 points and Andrew Bales 14 for the Trojans.
-- SEASON RECAP: The Trojans might be the hottest team in the field coming into the tournament this season. Averaging 70 points per game, the Trojans opened the season with a win over arch-rival Chestatee, followed that with winning the next five out of six before losing to region foe, White County, by just two points, 69-67 on Dec. 14. North Hall is coming into the tournament on a two-game win streak and poised to make a run at its first title since 2012.
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WEST HALL SPARTANS
-- COACH, YEARS AT SCHOOL: Bobby Pless, 6th season
-- REGION: 8-4A
-- CURRENT 2021-22 RECORD: 4-9, 1-3
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 7 seed
-- KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Jr. F Andrew Malin (12.7 ppg , 5.1 rpg) Jr. PG Owen Jenkins (11.5 ppg, 3 spg), Jr. G Stephen Clark (6.8 ppg), Sr. SF Calvin Norman (8 ppg, 5.4 rpg), Fr. G Xavier Felix (3 apg)
-- FIRST ROUND RECAP: West Hall couldn't overcome the Bears' 25-7 third-quarter run en route to a 79-49 loss in the opening round. But it wasn't all bad for the Spartans in a first half that was back and forth and filled with several runs. After the Spartans took a 2-0 lead, the Bears set off on a 7-0 run to grab a 7-2 lead. Then West Hall answered with a 10-0 run that started with an Owen Jenkins 3-pointer and was capped by a Stephen Clark trey for a 12-7 lead. But the Bears followed with a 13-5 run into the second quarter for a 25-17 lead they would not relinquish. The Spartans made a push late in the first half off another Jenkins 3-pointer, 29-25, but that was as close as the Spartans would get in the loss. Jenkins finished with 21 points to lead West Hall. Andrew Malin had 10 for the Spartans. The Spartans will play North Hall in the fifth-place consolation round at Gainesville on Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 10:30 a.m.
-- SECOND ROUND RECAP: The Trojans opened the game with a 25-10 run en route to a 65-54 win in the consolation bracket on Wednesday. West Hall will play Flowery Branch in the seventh-place game on Thursday. West Hall rallied with a big second quarter to pull within 40-32 by halftime. But the Spartans could get closer in the second half. West Hall was paced by Stephen Clark with 20 points. Owen Jenkins added 11 points for the Spartans.
-- SEASON RECAP: The Spartans opened the season with a win over Johnson, then lost two straight -- Flowery Branch and Oglethorpe County -- followed by two straight wins over Atlanta International and Fellowship Christian. But the Spartans dropped the last five of six to close out the first half of the schedule, including losses to region foes Gilmer (71-43), North Hall (96-49), and to their first-round opponent Cherokee Bluff (61-43). They enter the tournament off a region win over East Forsyth on Dec. 17, 72-56.
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