The Champion Lady Chargers extended their victory string to 34 in a row by knocking off the Miller Grove Lady Wolverines 44-30 for their second consecutive DCSD Middle School Basketball Tournament title on Saturday at Cedar Grove.

Champion put together back-to-back 17-0 seasons with the first-place trophy on Saturday behind the play of tournament MVP Aniyah Lee and Kamara Reynolds.

Champion turned up the defense in the second quarter trailing 8-7 when Taylor Christmas got an offensive put back with 4:51 to play in the first half to give Champion the lead for good at 9-7.

The Chargers would outscore Miller Grove (15-2) 10-0 in the second period to take control of the game. Jana Berry followed Christmas’ basket and Reynolds finished the second quarter run with six consecutive points on a short jumper and four free throws to put Champion up 17-8 at the half.

Lee (6 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists) scored four points in a 7-2 run to open the second half as Champion continued to pull away at 24-10 on Lee’s second basket.

India Terrell scored four points in a 6-0 run by Miller Grove, but Reynolds’ layup and another offensive rebound and put back by Christmas sent Champion into the final quarter up 28-18.

Shaquiece May hit a three-pointer and Mica Neal added a basket as Miller Grove fought back within six at 30-24 with under five minutes to play.

Reynolds offensive put back started another 7-2 run for Champion with baskets by Berry and Lauren Randolph. Lee’s layup with 1:38 followed by Kaelyn Edward’s layup stretched the lead back to 15 at 41-26 as the Chargers closed out their second consecutive title.

Reynolds led Champion with 14 points and 7 rebounds. India Terrell finished with 12 points to lead Miller Grove.

(B) Chamblee 60, Lithonia 34
The Chamblee Bulldogs bombed from outside hitting 11 three-pointers on the way to a 60-34 romp over the Lithonia Bulldogs in the boys’ championship game at Cedar Grove on Saturday.

Chase Cormier gave everyone a look at things to come as he opened the game hitting a long three from the right wing and Tournament MVP Chance Moore followed on the next trip down the floor with a three to make it 6-0 with less than a minute gone in the game.

Leading 6-3 with 3:37 left in the first quarter, the Bulldogs went on a 13-3 run started by Moore’s drive to the basket, a drive and a three on consecutive trips down the floor by Antoine Benjamin and ending with a 19-6 lead heading into the second quarter on Cormigr’s second three of the quarter.

Kedrick Green scored six points in the final 2:22 of the half to keep Lithonia within striking distance down 28-16 at halftime.

Moore sandwiched a pair of layups by Benjamin with an offensive put back and a three-pointer in a 9-0 run in the first two minutes of the third quarter to push the lead out to 37-16 before the Wolverines could put a point on the board.

Another Moore three along with threes from Benjamin and Jordan Clemmons made it 48-21 with one quarter to play.

Ashton Patterson and Clemmons hit back-to-back threes in the fourth quarter to give the Bulldogs 11 in the game as they closed out the championship game just like they started it.

Benjamin hit for 18 points to lead all scorers while Moore finished with 17 points and 9 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs in the victory. Greene finished the game with 15 points to lead Lithonia (14-3).

Girls Consolation
Chapel Hill 39, Chamblee 18
Kamiyah Kennedy scored 11 of her 19 points in the first half to lead Chapel Hill to a third-place finish in the tournament with a 39-18 victory over Chamblee.

Kennedy scored seven points in the first quarter to go with four points each from Mikayla Jamison and Keyanna Giles to propel Chapel Hill (16-1) to a 15-6 lead.

Chamblee managed just four points in the second quarter while Kennedy added four more to go with two each from Giles and Genesis Read for an 23-10 halftime lead.

Chapel Hill’s press kept it up in the second half limiting Chamblee (14-3) to just eight second half points. Kennedy would score six of her eight second half points in the fourth quarter as Chapel Hill closed out the win.

Boys Consolation
Champion 53, Chapel Hill 50
Zyair Greene scored five points in the final 58 seconds to help the Champion Chargers close out a 53-50 win over the Chapel Hill Panthers in the boy’s consolation game.

Chapel Hill’s Michael Beneford hit a three pointer with 1:31 to play to pull the Panthers (13-4) within 48-46.

Greene hit two free throws with 58 seconds to play to push the Champion (15-2) lead out to 50-46 and then completed a three-point play with 18.9 seconds to play to extend the lead to seven at 53-46.

Beneford hit two of three free throws with 13.8 seconds to play and Tyreik Boyd hit a layup with four seconds to play to pull Chapel Hill within the final of 54-50.

Shomi Jahoh’s back-to-back three-pointers to open the second quarter gave Chapel Hill it’s only lead of the game at 21-19 with 4:57 left in the first half.

Lamar Randolph hit for four points and A. McIntyre added five to end the first half with Champion up 43-36.

Juluis Coleman’s three-pointer to open the second half made it a nine-point advantage before Beneford would fuel the comeback attempt with seven points, including his three, to pull Chapel Hill within 48-46.

Lamar Randolph finished with 19 points and 6 rebounds to lead Champion while Zyair Green added 16. Shomi Jahoh had 18 points to lead Chapel Hill along with 13 points by Beneford and 12 by Boyd.

DCSD Middle School Basketball Championships Results
Saturday, Feb. 11
Girls Consolation
Chapel Hill (16-1) 39, Chamblee (14-3) 18
Boys Consolation
Champion (15-2) 53, Chapel Hill (13-4) 50
Girls Championship
Champion (17-0) 44, Miller Grove (15-2) 30
Boys Championship
Chamblee (16-1) 60, Lithonia (14-3) 34