Columbia’s Nia Anderson gets a fastbreak basket as part of her 12 points in the Lady Eagles 43-23 win over South Atlanta. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Quick early leads by the Columbia basketball teams ended in a Region 6-2A sweep of South Atlanta at Columbia on Friday night.
The Lady Eagles started the sweep by limiting the Lady Hornets to just two first half points on the way to a 43-23 win in the girls’ game to open the night.
Columbia (4-5, 1-0) played some smothering defense to hold South Atlanta (3-4, 0-1) to an 0-20 performance from the floor in the first half with the only points coming on a pair of first quarter free throws by R. Wilder.
Nia Anderson had six points in the first half as the Eagles struggled from the floor as well going just 5-16 to lead 12-2 at the half.
Anderson scored the first two baskets of the second half for Columbia and Tekiarah Jones hit a buzzer-beating three to end the third quarter as the Eagles rode a 23-11 lead into the fourth quarter.
Briana Culpatrick followed up Jones’ three with an old fashioned three-point play to start the fourth quarter. Another Jones three and two free throws by Keamaura Robinson gave Columbia a commanding 33-13 advantage with 5:29 to play.
South Atlanta’s Wilder scored 19 second half points including 12 in the fourth quarter to finish with a game-high 21 on the night.
A layup by Robinson with 13 seconds to play finished off the 43-23 win for Columbia. Anderson finished with 12 points and 8 rebounds to lead Columbia in the game and Jones finished with 10 points. Robinson contributed 7 points and 8 rebounds for the Eagles.
Columbia’s Jamari Piercy gets a two-handed jam during second half action of the Eagles’ 64-39 win over South Atlanta. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Boys – Columbia 64, South Atlanta 39
A dunk by Mason Lockhart gave Columbia a 10-0 lead as the Eagles completed the sweep with a 64-39 victory in the nightcap at Columbia.
South Atlanta got its first basket of the game with seven seconds left in the first quarter on a steal and layup by J. Aside to cut the lead to 10-2 heading in the second quarter.
Jamari Piercy scored eight second quarter points and Donquavious Harrison added five to fuel an 18-2 run to extend the Eagles advantage to 28-4 going into the final 3:30 of the half.
Three-pointers by J. Flemister and Aside helped South Atlanta (2-4, 0-1) to close the gap a bit in a 9-2 run, but a three by Columbia’s Marcus Ryner and a layup by Jakobe Goodwin had the Eagles up 35-15 at the half.
Mason Lockhart started an 11-2 run by the Eagles (6-1, 1-0) to open the second half. Harrison had four points and Amir Green-Jones added three in the run.
Piercy scored seven consecutive points in a 44 second span to up the lead to 43-21. South Atlanta’s 12 third quarter points all came from behind the three-point arc, including three treys by Aside. A three-pointer by Green-Jones and two free throws by Lockhart sent the Eagles into the final period up 58-27.
With the game clock shortened to six minutes for the fourth period Columbia subbed out and only got a pair of baskets from Terrell Wright and another by Mekhi Turner.
A pair of three-pointers by J. Lawton and a three-point play by C. Edwards, who had six fourth quarter points, closed the final gap to 64-39.
Piercy finished with 17 points and 5 rebounds to lead the Eagles and DeQuavious Harrison contributed 13 points and 8 rebounds. Aside finished with a team-high 14 points to lead South Atlanta.