Saturday hoops: Five local teams earn victories
The Cass girls and boys basketball teams both defeated visiting East Paulding in Region 7-AAAAA action Saturday. The Excel Christian Academy boys picked up their first win of the season and the Cartersville and Adairsville girls teams also collected non-region victories.
CASS BOYS 79, EAST PAULDING 76
Jaquan Heard knocked down a three-pointer with one second remaining Saturday afternoon to lift the Cass Colonels to a 79-76 Region 7-AAAAA victory over visiting East Paulding. In a game that remained close throughout, Cass trailed 20-19 after one quarter and held a 36-34 lead at halftime. The Colonels led 59-56 after three quarters. “I love our tough defensive effort tonight,” said Cass head coach Sean Glaze. “C.J. Pipkin took three charges and Braxton Benham had six steals.” Heard and Pipkin led five Cass scorers with 11 or more points. They each had 19. Jordan Ford and Zaylan Chaney scored 13 each while Benham finished with 11 points. Andrew Glaze and Ethan McIntyre added two points apiece.
Sean Rutledge had a game-high 29 points for the visiting Raiders. Teammates Sebastian Tidor and Kristian Ford followed with 23 and 12 points, respectively.
With the loss, East Paulding falls to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in region games.
Cass (6-3, 2-1) travels to region foe Rome Tuesday night for a 7:30 p.m. tip.
CASS GIRLS 62, EAST PAULDING 55
Claire Davis scored 27 points and Londaisha Smith added 20 as the Lady Colonels won for the fifth time this season. Cass jumped out to a 17-8 lead after the opening eight minutes and held a 26-15 advantage at halftime. The Cass lead was 38-30 after three periods. Ariana Hames had five points for the Lady Colonels. Haley Johnson and Keara McDaniel totaled four points each while Taryn Callahan added two points. Faith Lovejoy led East Paulding (2-5, 1-3) with 15 points.
The Cass girls (5-1, 2-1 Region 7-AAAAA) travel to Rome Tuesday for a 6 p.m. start.
CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 47, PEPPERELL 43
Lehla Thomas scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Arianna Cochran scored 15 points and dished out five assists as the Lady Canes beat visiting Pepperell, 47-43.
“We played good defense today,” said Lady Canes head coach Cindy Moore. “Our defense was the difference.”
Naijah Evans added six points for Cartersville.
Pepperell (4-3) was led by Jacey Blanton’s nine points.
Cartersville led 14-12 after the first quarter, but the visiting Dragons held a 24-22 lead at halftime. The Lady Canes regained the lead after three quarters, 33-32.
The Lady Canes (2-1) host North Paulding Tuesday night at the Storm Center and will open play in the Rome News Holiday Tournament Monday, December 16 against Armuchee.
EXCEL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY BOYS 73, STRATFORD ACADEMY 63
Rayshawn Womack scored a game-high 34 points Saturday afternoon as the Excel Christian Academy Eagles earned their initial win of the season at home over Stratford Academy from Macon. ECA led at each quarter stop with a 19-9 lead after one quarter. A 38-27 advantage at halftime and a 53-41 lead through three quarters on their way to a 10-point win. Jakaden Barkley scored 12 points for Excel. Jake Murray finished with nine points. Brenden Quillin added seven. Kahlil Holley and Trippe Anderson contributed six and five points, respectively. Keondre Glover led Stratford with 17 points. Mekhi Lyder scored 15 and Jack Miscall added 14 for the visiting Eagles. The loss evened Stratford Academy’s season record at 3-3. Excel (1-3) hosts Trion Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at The Nest.
ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 50, TEMPLE 36
The Lady Tigers took a 12-7 lead after one quarter and built on their lead throughout the game in a 50-36 non-region win Saturday afternoon at Temple. Adairsville led 23-15 at the intermission and led 32-22 heading into the final quarter. Lexie Childers led all scorers with 18 points for Adairsville. Haley Stiles followed with 17 points and Alexa Varner added nine. Erin Armstrong and Destiny Lord scored 11 each for Temple. Esther Jacobson added 10.
Temple slipped to 1-7 on the season with their loss. Adairsville (2-4, 0-2) will look for its first Region 6-AAA win of the year Tuesday night at Sonoraville at 6 p.m.
TEMPLE 38, ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 37
Mekhilen Stegall scored 17 of his game-high 19 points in the first quarter as Temple took a 19-9 lead after one quarter, but some lock-down defense by Adairsville’s Savaun Henderson kept allowed his team to get back into the contest. Adairsville led 24-23 at halftime and 30-27 after three quarters in the battle of Tigers, but it was Temple who outscored Adairsville 11-7 in the final period to escape with a one-point, non-region win. T.J. Printup finished with nine points for Adairsville. Conner Crunkleton and Henderson added seven each. Gaven Crunkleton scored six. William Longmore and Jaxon Welchel scored three apiece and Malachi Gardner added two points. The Temple Tigers improved to 4-2 with their win.
Adairsville (2-3) returns to Region 6-AAA action Tuesday night at Sonoraville at 7:30 p.m.
