Miller Grove’s Kaeslyn Benjamin drives the baseline for a basket against Cedar Grove in Miller Grove’s 44-34 win over the Lady Saints. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Two teams looking to go 2-0 on the season did just that as the Cedar Grove Saints and Miller Grove Lady Wolverines picked up wins in DeKalb non-region high school basketball action on Tuesday night at Miller Grove.
The Lady Wolverines (2-0) opened the basketball doubleheader by knocking off the visiting Lady Saints (0-1) 44-34 behind a defense that got 18 turnovers in the first half on the way to a 22-8 halftime lead.
Miller Grove scored five points in the final 22 seconds of the opening period to go up 8-3. Arieyona Christon got a basket off a feed from Makiya Jones and Kaeslyn Benjamin nailed a three-pointer from the corner with six seconds to go in the first quarter.
Five more points to start the second quarter aided a 10-0 run by Miller Grove as Benjamin drove the baseline for a basket and hit one of two from the free-throw line while Christon got a steal for a layup to up the advantage to 13-3.
Two buckets by Heaven Jenkins on passes from Zanya Washington a free throw by Paris Hornsby cut the lead to four (13-9) with 4:54 left in the half.
Miller Grove responded with a 9-0 run to end the second quarter behind a layup by Benjamin, a three by Makiya Jones and an offensive put back by Ja’Niya Smith to go into the locker room up 22-8.
Jones had a pair of baskets to go with single made shots by Akhiya Johnson and Christon as the Lady Wolverines jumped out to a 30-11 lead with 4:49 left in the third quarter.
Washington pulled Cedar Grove within 32-18 as Hornsby fed her down low for the easy bucket before the end of third period. A drive and an and-one by Hornsby with 3:19 to play cut the lead to under 10 at 38-29, but it would be as close as the Saints would get.
Hornsby led Cedar Grove with 12 points to go with five rebounds and Zanya Washington grabbed 17 rebounds, 11 I the second half to lead the Saints.
Three Lady Wolverines hit double figures including Makiya Jones with 13 (6 rebounds), Kaeslyn Benjamin 12 points and Arieyona Christon 11 points (5 rebounds).
Cedar Grove’s Dontavious Stringfield (12) uses the goal as he rolls a ball over the rim for a reverse layup in the Saints’ 58-45 win over the Miller Grove Wolverines. (Photo by Mark Brock)
(B) Cedar Grove 58, Miller Grove 45
Manny Green hit for a 25-points, 10-rebounds double-double to lead the Cedar Grove Saints (2-0) to a 58-45 decision over the Miller Grove Wolverines (0-2) in the nightcap at Miller Grove.
Amore Randolph hit a layup on a pass up court by Xavier Lewis on a steal to put Miller Grove up 20-16 with 5:48 left in the first half but the Saints answered right back with a 12-3 run to take a 28-23 lead into the break.
Following a pair of free throws by Cedar Grove’s Jayden Scott, Green slammed home an offensive rebound and the game was tied 20-20 with 4:56 to play.
A three-pointer by Miller Grove’s Rayshon Williams put the Wolverines back up 23-20 with 4:00 left on the first half clock. Cedar Grove answered with a driving layup by Scott and then Green and Dontavious Stringfield traded giving each other assists for baskets to end the half with the Saints up 28-23.
Green opened the second half with a steal and Nathaniel Loyd converted a three-point play to push the lead to 33-25with 7:01 remaining on the third quarter clock. Scott would score a pair of baskets to go with one Stringfield layup to make it 39-27 in favor of the Saints at the 4:52 mark of the quarter.
Miller Grove closed the gap to 40-25 behind a three-point play by Lewis, two free throws each from Williams and Randolph and another free throw by Lewis.
Green got control of a loose ball under basket with 12 seconds left in the third period to give ethe Sains a 42-35 lead going into the final period of play.
Cedar Grove opened the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run with an emphatic alley-oop dunk from Green coming in the back door as Stringfield threw a perfect toss for the jam.
Stringfield hit a dunk of his own as Green repaid the favor for the earlier dunk with a pass to the forward slashing to the goal with 4:12 to play to make it a 55-39 game.
A pair of free throws by Lewis pulled Miller Grove within 12 (57-45) as the clock ticked down to the one-minute mark and it was as close as the Wolverines would get in the final 2:37 of the game.
Joining Green in double figures for the Saints were Jayden Scott with 13 points and Stringfield with 10 points and 9 rebounds. Miller Grove also had three players in double figures as Lewis finished with 15, Randolph with 13 (5 rebounds) and Williams with 10 (5 rebounds).