Cedar Grove’s Laron Moses goes up in the lane for a basket against Sandy Creek in a 71-48 loss. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Fourteen first half turnovers put the Class 3A No. 5 ranked Cedar Grove Saints in a 38-19 hole they could not climb out of against No. 2 ranked Sandy Creek in a 71-48 Region 5-3A loss on Friday night at Cedar Grove.
Sandy Creek which shot just under 50 percent for the game came out hot to start the game especially guard Vic Newsom who hit three consecutive three pointers as the Patriots (19-6, 6-0) pulled away from a 2-2 tie to an 11-2 lead.
Cedar Grove’s freshman forward Manny Green scored the final four points of the first quarter to close the gap to 20-11 going into the second quarter. Green hit a three-pointer to open the next period and Jaylen Aside hit a pull up jumper in the lane to cut the lead to 20-16 with 7:12 to play in the first half.
Sandy Creek forced a couple of turnovers and scored six consecutive points, the final two on a drive by Newsom to make it a 26-16 advantage with 4:41 remaining. Green answered with another three-pointer to close it to 26-19, but the Saints would be outscored 12-0 in the final four minutes.
Jordan Alexander got a loose ball and hit a short jumper just before the end of half to send Sandy Creek into the breakup 38-19.
Amari Brown hit for six points in the third quarter and PJ Green for eight more, including a pair of three pointers as Sandy Creek went on a 12-2 run to end the third period. Micah Smith got an alley-oop pass from Newsom with 22 seconds left for a big slam to make it 62-31 with a quarter to play.
Darius Reynolds hit for seven points in the fourth quarter and Green added a pair of three-pointers to trim the final margin to 23.
Newsom finished the night with a game-high 18 points to lead Sandy Creek while Smith had a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double and Brown added 14 points.
Manny Green finished with 16 points and Darius Reynolds added 13 points and five rebounds, all in the second half for the Saints (15-8, 3-3).
Cedar Grove’s Miracle Howard had 14 points in her final home game in the Lady Saints’ 49-30 loss to Sandy Creek on Friday. (Photo by Mark Brock)
(G) Sandy Creek 49, Cedar Grove 30
The girls’ contest was decided via the rebounding by Sandy Creek (14-11, 5-1) in a 49-30 Region 5-3A girls’ win over the Cedar Grove Lady Saints (3-15, 0-6) in the nightcap.
Sandy Creek out-rebounded Cedar Grove 48-34, including 26 offensive rebounds. Fourteen points came on offensive put backs under the backboard.
Miracle Howard gave Cedar Grove a 2-1 lead with 6:58 to play in the first quarter which was short-lived as Janae Walker answered with a layup to give Sandy Creek the lead for good. Walker would finish the opening frame with 10 points including a pair of put backs that helped put the Lady Patriots up 19-5 going into the second quarter.
Leading 21-8 Sandy Creek went on a 12-0 run fueled by three baskets by Persia Sanders. Four of the points in the run came on put backs off offensive rebounds. Sandy Creek’s Jaylen Durham and Cedar Grove’s Paris Hornsby traded three-pointers in the final 11 seconds of the half that ended in a 36-13 lead for Sandy Creek.
Despite six points from Miracle Howard Cedar Grove still trailed 43-23 at the end of third quarter as Walker hit for six of her including another put back with under 30 seconds left to make a 20-point gap.
Walker would go on to score her 1,000th career point early in the fourth quarter and came out of the game.
Hornsby drove for a basket with 1:19 to play to make the final of 49-30.
Senior Miracle Howard finished her final home game at Cedar Grove with a 14-point, 5 rebound night to lead the Saints.
Walker finished with a 20-pointer, 12-rebound double-double while Jaylen Durham added 10 points and 7 rebounds and Leslie Green added 12 more rebounds.