First-round battle ends in heartbreak for Canes
- 10 hours ago
- 1 min read
February 26, 2026
Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com
The Cartersville boys basketball team narrowly fell to the Mays Raiders 69-66 on Wednesday night at Mays High School in Atlanta in the first round of the Georgia Class AAAA state tournament. Despite a valiant effort and a fiercely competitive game, the Hurricanes were unable to secure the victory and had their season come to an end.
Cartersville built an early lead and held advantages at halftime and after three quarters, but the Raiders rallied in the fourth to pull out the three-point win on their home floor. The Canes led 46-35 at halftime and 54-48 at the end of the third quarter. The Raiders outscored the Canes 21-12 in the final eight minutes.
Jack Sparks led Mays with a game-high 25 points, while Tiago Lee added 21 points. Juban Hall contributed 8 points to help the Raiders improve to 21-8 on the season.
Cartersville, which finished the year at 21-7, was paced by Xavier Lowe's 25 points. Wyatt Thomason added 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists; Nas Bennett chipped in 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists; and Grayson Warmack posted 11 points and a team-high 11 rebounds with 2 assists.
With the victory, Mays advances to the second round and will travel to face North Oconee on Saturday. The Titans defeated Benedictine 56-48 in their first-round matchup on Wednesday night.
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