A 22-point fourth quarter eruption propelled the Arabia Mountain Lady Rams to a 52-36 victory over the Jones County Greyhounds in the GHSA Class 5A girls’ Sweet 16 high school basketball game at Arabia Mountain on Friday night.

The Greyhounds (20-9) had trailed for most of the first three quarters, but a Carlie Skinner three-pointer just before the end of the third period tied the game at 30-30. Jones County seemed to have taken the momentum rallying from a 22-14 half deficit.

They did so behind a box-and-one defense to slow down Arabia’s Malaya Jones (13 first half points) and some nice passing for easy layups chopped into the lead to give themselves the opportunity to tie it heading into the fourth quarter.

Arabia Mountain (26-2) had other plans and with increased defensive pressure and Angelina Billingsley (6 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks in the period) stepping up with some big plays underneath turned up the offense in the fourth quarter while shutting down Jones County.

Billingsley started an 8-0 run to key the Lady Rams big fourth quarter as she took a rebound away from Skinner and put it up and in to give Arabia Mountain the lead for good at 32-30.

Two of three consecutive Jones County turnovers found the way into the hands of Lauren Chavis for layups on feeds from Jones and Myori Pruitt. Another turnover led to a Pruitt drive for a floater along the baseline to make it 38-30.

Billingsley benefitted from her five fourth quarter rebounds as Chavis and Pruitt both found her flashing to the goal for a pair of layups to make it 42-33 with 2:16 to play in the game.

Jones County turned to fouling to put the Lady Rams at the foul line. Pruitt made them pay hitting eight of 10 from the line and Chavis added two more from the line plus a layup to seal the win.

Myori Pruitt hit for 18 points and grabbed 7 rebounds to lead Arabia Mountain in the win. She became DeKalb’s first girls’ player to reach 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 500 assists and 500 steals for her career. Malaya Jones finished with 15 points and Lauren Chavis chipped in 11 more. Billingsley finished the night with 6 points, 6 rebounds and six blocks.

Kimya Epps and Britley Johnson had 7 points each as no Jones County player reached double figures on the night.

Arabia Mountain moves into the Elite 8 and travels to Calhoun (24-4) on Tuesday for the opportunity to move to the state semifinals. A time has yet to be announced.

Class 2A Boys
Columbia 83, Union Co. 49
Four Columbia Eagles reached double figures as the home team flew out to a 43-27 halftime lead in a blowout 83-49 win over Union County Panthers in a Class 2A Sweet 16 game at Columbia on Friday night.

Leading 19-14 going into the second quarter, the Eagles (29-1) reeled off 24 points and limited Union County to 13 on the way to a 43-27 halftime advantage. Rashad Headges had 7 points in the period and Jadan Baugh added 6 more

Columbia added to their lead in the third period behind Jamarcus Hatcher’s 6 points and 5 more from Trevian Callaway, including a three-pointer, to make it 62-39 with one quarter to play.

Sirrico Jones hit for 7 points in the fourth quarter to go with 6 each from Headges and Baugh as the lead continued to expand to the final of 83-49.

Headges scored 17 points, Bough hit for 16, Kevin Bruce 11 and Trevian Callaway notched 10 points.

Eli Underwood led Union County with 19 points (10 in the fourth quarter) and Jude Ellis added 11.

The Eagles take on the Windsor Forest/Central Macon winner in the Elite 8. A site and time is yet to be determined.

In other action on Friday night, the Lithonia Bulldogs (18-10) had their season come to an end in a 64-36 road loss to No. 2 ranked Eagle’s Landing (27-1) in the Class 5A boys’ tournament.

Friday, 2/24
Class 5A Girls
Arabia Mountain (26-2) 52, Jones Co. (20-9) 36

Class 5A Boys
Eagle’s Landing (27-1) 64, Lithonia (18-10) 36

Class 3A Boys
Columbia (29-1) 83, Union Co. (19-10) 49

Saturday, 2/25
Class 5A Boys
Jones Co. (17-12) at Tucker (20-6), 4:00 pm

Class 2A Boys
Cedar Grove (17-9) at Monroe Area (24-4), 6:00 pm

Tuesday, 2/28
Class 5A Girls
Arabia Mountain (26-2) at Calhoun (24-4), TBA

TBA
Class 2A Boys
Columbia (29-1) vs. Windsor Forest/Central Macon winner, TBA