Hurricanes claim Carroll County Christmas Tournament title in a rout

December 20, 2025

Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com

The Cartersville Purple Hurricanes stayed perfect on the season, capturing the championship of the SMI Carroll County Christmas Tournament with an 87-59 victory over the host Central-Carroll Lions on Saturday.

Cartersville led 20-17 after a competitive first quarter before pulling away with a 25-14 second period to take a 45-31 halftime advantage. The Hurricanes continued to dominate in the third, outscoring Central 21-16 to build a 66-47 lead entering the final frame and cruising to the 28-point win.

Xavier Lowe erupted for a game-high 34 points to go along with three rebounds, three assists, and three steals to lead Cartersville. Wyatt Thomason posted a monster double-double with 27 points and 18 rebounds while dishing out six assists. Kyron McClendon added 13 points, four assists, and two steals. Logan Van Pelt contributed seven points, seven rebounds, and three steals, and Shakai Taylor grabbed 13 rebounds to go with three points.

Chace North paced Central with 28 points in the loss, while Josiah Buchanan chipped in 12 points. The Lions fell to 5-5 with the defeat.

Cartersville improved to 8-0 and will next face Calhoun on Saturday, December 27, at 5:30 p.m. in the first round of the Adairsville Christmas Classic.

LADY CANES IMPROVE TO 7-1 WITH A ROAD WIN

The Cartersville Lady Canes remained hot on the season, improving to 7-1 with a convincing 71-46 victory over the Discovery Lady Titans on Saturday in Lawrenceville in girls' basketball action.

Cartersville set the tone early, building a 17-8 lead after the first quarter and extending the advantage to 32-19 by halftime. The Lady Canes continued to pull away in the third period, outscoring Discovery 18-17 to take a 50-36 edge into the final frame before sealing the 25-point win.

Kaytlin Arnold paced the Cartersville attack with a game-high 22 points. Zoe McCurry added 14 points, Kaelyn Agee contributed seven, and Rakhia Price, Trinity Montgomery, and Bayley Stanley each finished with six points.

For Discovery, which fell to 6-4, Jaymee Carter and Krisheya Wilson each scored 13 points to lead the Lady Titans.

Cartersville will host Discovery in a rematch on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.