Arabia Mountain’s Keyonna Giles (4) drives against Woodland’s Sambresha Everett (22) during their Class 5A girls Elite 8 state playoff game. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Overtime was the theme of the night for three DeKalb basketball teams playing in the Elite 8 on Tuesday night.
The Arabia Mountain Lady Rams were the last remain girls’ team from DeKalb but bowed out 60-53 in double overtime to Woodland in Stockbridge in Class 5A girls’ action.
Battling back from a big first half deficit Arabia Mountain forced overtime and took the lead late before Woodland was able to tie the game at 51 to send the game into the second overtime period.
The game was tied 53-53 with 1:12 to play on a layup by Ward assisted by Giles. Beddis answered and Woodland controlled the rest of the game in part due to seven turnovers by the Lady Rams.
A basket by Woodland’s Sambresha Everett with 1:02 to play made it a 57-53 game and all but sealed the game. Woodland hit three of six free throws in the final 35 seconds to seal the win.
Arabia Mountain (24-6) trailed by as much as 16 points in the second quarter before pulling within 12 (29-17) at the half with a late surge aided by a three-point play Mikayla Jamison and a layup by Sydney Bunkley on a breakaway pass from Myori Pruitt following her steal.
Pruitt hit a pair of driving layups late in the third quarter to pull the Lady Rams within 32-26 with a quarter to play.
Trailing 40-36 with 36 seconds to play, Arabia’s Jordyn Ward hit a three-pointer to close the gap to one. Woodland’s Rayevan Freeman hit one of two free throws with nine seconds left to make it a 41-39 game.
A timeout gave Arabia the ball on the far end of the court and they got the ball to half court and called timeout with 4.8 seconds to play.
Ward through the ball into Ke’Andrea Middlebrooks who found a wide open Keyonna Giles under the basket for the tying layup as the clock ticked down.
Mya Beddis scored seven points to open the overtime to put Woodland up 48-45 with 2:17 to play. Pruitt hit two more free throws (10-10 in fourth quarter and first overtime combined) to pull the Lady Rams within 49-47 and following a turnover Giles got free again for a layup with the assist from Middlebrooks to knot the game at 49-49 with 1:25 to play.
A miss and rebound by Jamison led to Pruitt going to the line again with 1:13 to play. She sank both shots to give Arabia Mountain its first lead of the game at 51-49. Giles had another opportunity for a layup seconds later but went to the floor without a foul being called.
Two missed free throws by Arabia Mountain and Woodland’s Freeman and Nia Lawrence were both one of two from the line to knot the game at 51-all and force a second overtime.
Southwest DeKalb’s Jacorry Gist sealed the Panthers 52-50 overtime win against Clarke Central in the Class 5A boys’ Elite 8 state playoff game at Southwest DeKalb. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Class 5A Boys
The Southwest DeKalb Panthers rallied from an 11-point deficit early in the fourth quarter to knock off Clarke Central 52-50 in overtime.
Jacorry Gist hit a free throw with just seconds remaining to give the Panthers a four-point advantage (52-48). Clarke Central got the ball down the court and managed a meaningless layup at the buzzer.
The Panthers (19-12) found themselves down 42-31 after a turnover for a basket for Clarke Central early in the fourth quarter. A furious 13-0 run put the Panthers in front 44-42 with just over a minute to play.
Clarke Central tied the game at 44-44 and neither team could score in the final 58 seconds to send the game into overtime. Southwest scored four quick points to go up 48-44 and were able to hold Clarke Central (19-9) at a distance.
Gist finished with 12 points and 7 rebounds to lead the Panthers while Eugene Brown added 10 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals.
Southwest DeKalb reaches the Final Four for the second consecutive season and fourth time in program history. The Panthers will face the winner of Thursday’s matchup between No. 3 Lithonia and No. 8 Cedar Shoals at 8:00 pm at Fort Valley State University on Saturday.
In other Class 5A action, the Columbia Eagles dropped a heartbreaking 73-72 overtime decision to No. 2 ranked Dutchtown on the road Tuesday night.
Dutchtown jumped out early in the first quarter going up 23-11 only to have the Eagles rally within 36-33 at the half. The lead went back and forth in the third quarter before ending tied 49-49 heading into the fourth quarter.
Columbia led late in the fourth before the home team tied the game at 64-64 and the two headed to overtime. The Eagles (18-12) were holding a 72-70 lead with just seconds remaining.
A missed free throw was rebounded by Dutchtown and with 0.7 seconds left on the clock a three-pointer launched from about 35 feet went in to end the Eagles’ season.
DCSD QUARTERFINAL ROUND PLAYOFF RESULTS
Tuesday, Feb 25
Class 5A Boys
SW DeKalb (19-12) 52, Clarke Central (19-9) 50
No. 2 Dutchtown (26-4) 73, Columbia (18-12) 72
Class 5A Girls
Woodland-Stockbridge (22-9) 60, Arabia Mountain (24-6) 53
DCSD QUARTERFINAL ROUND PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Wednesday, Feb. 26
Class 6A Boys
No. 4 Tri-Cities (25-5) at No. 1 Tucker (26-3), 7:00 pm
Class 5A Boys
No. 3 Lithonia (26-3) at No. 8 Cedar Shoals (26-3), 7:00 pm
DCSD STATE SEMIFINALS PLAYOFF SCHEUDLE
Saturday, Feb. 29 – Fort Valley State
SW DeKalb (19-12) vs. Lithonia (26-3)/Cedar Shoals (26-3) winner, 8:00 pm