In the girls game, South Gwinnett’s Peace Ashina scored 26 points and Seckinger’s Nalani Gainey added 20 for Team Young in a 78-49 victory over Team Grant. Ashina, a Liberty commit who helped lead the Comets (13-13) to their best season in eight years, said she owes a lot to the South Gwinnett program — and was more than happy to represent the school one last time.
“I’m proud because I came a long way from freshman year to being a senior now and I wouldn’t change it for anything,” Ashina said. “I appreciate everything South Gwinnett has done for me and what it has built me into. I’m very happy with my time there.”
The smooth-shooting guard stuck with the Comets through woeful records across her sophomore and juniors seasons (15-33 combined), and she graduates as one of the best players South has had in recent history.
“I’m very excited,” Ashina said. “I’m ready to go up there and work and get ready to go pro. That’s the plan. I’m more than grateful for South Gwinnett and shaping the character that I have now. Without South Gwinnett, I probably wouldn’t be going to Liberty, so it built a lot of character in me.”
Ashina’s second triple on Wednesday put Team Young ahead 13-9 to start the second quarter, before Greater Atlanta Christian’s Jermani Govan’s putback cut the deficit to a point.
Govan’s sixth point of the first half knotted the score at 15 apiece midway through the second quarter.
Team Young then pieced together a 12-2 run, including Dacula’s London Bryant-Young’s corner trey.
Parkview’s Corrin Sevier closed the opening half with a triple to pull Team Grant within five at the half. Ashina led all scorers with 10 first-half points, while Govan paced her team with eight.
Team Young began the second half on a 7-0 spurt, forcing a timeout after Mill Creek’s Luckiey Williams’ basket a minute into the third. Gainey got into double-figures with 3:50 remaining in the third, drilling a triple to put Team Young ahead 42-25.
Collins Hill Disaya Reid’s 10th point pulled Team Grant within 14, before Ashina answered with a three-point play on the other end.
Gainey’s third 3-pointer of the game — and final in a Seckinger jersey — put Team Young ahead by 22 in the fourth.
Gainey — who doubles as Gwinnett’s best flag football player — was the Region 7-AAAAA Defensive Player of the Year for the Jaguars and amassed over 2,000 career points. Alongside teammate Alaina Johnson, Gainey finished off a marvelous four-year athletic journey on Wednesday.
“It was fun,” Gainey said of the exhibition. “It was really great to wear my jersey again and be able to represent my school one last time and show what the SKG culture is about. … It is sad (to be done) it’s onto the next. I’m excited. I’m going to keep coming back, watch my high school team, my old teammates and keep up with my coaches, for sure.”.
Lanier’s Jordan Johnson added 12 points in the win, while Govan’s 14 points led Team Grant. Govan’s coach, Jessica Guarneri, took on a different role from the stands Wednesday — doing her very best to not shout out instructions at her former standout player.
“It’s definitely strange,” Guarneri said. “There’s been a couple moves she’s made and I’m like, ‘Oh, well, maybe do this,’ but then I’m like, ‘Nah, good job.’ I’m just enjoying what she’s doing. It’s definitely different, but at the same time it’s awesome.”
Govan averaged 9.2 points and a team-best 9.3 rebounds for the 23-9 Spartans, who advanced to the Final Four. But it was more than just the double-doubles that Guarneri will remember Govan for.
“Germani is just a special kid all the way around,” Guarneri said. “She’s probably the single best leader in the locker room that I’ve ever had. She can command a room. Her leadership and the way that she impacted GAC was amazing. So seeing her in the uniform, we’re pretty proud of her representing us tonight.”
Reid and Brookwood’s Justyce McCoy added 10 points apiece in the loss.
In Wednesday’s nightcap, defense was optional — to put it gently. Nonetheless, Team Evans’ 122-119 overtime win over Team Welch supplied plenty of drama.
Highlighted by Norcross’ A.J. Gillespie’s 21 points and Meadowcreek’s Jayden Beckham’s 16, Team Evans squandered a 24-point halftime lead, before holding on in overtime.
Early on, North Gwinnett’s Micah Jones’ dunk put Team Welch ahead 11-10, before Central Gwinnett’s Josiah Hall’s bucket pushed the lead to three.
Archer’s T.J. Tunstall made three straight triples to give Team Welch a 21-20 edge, before Dacula’s Kenny LaRue’s 3-pointer stamped a 21-10 run for Team Evans.
Peachtree Ridge’s Daniel Hollis, who led all scorers with 25 points, dunked over Berkmar’s Jayvon Rampersant (who returned the favor the next possession) to bring both benches to their feet.
Team Evans led 72-48 at halftime and pushed its lead to 25 on Meadowcreek’s Sean Alicea’s lob pass to Hollis for the exhibition’s most impressive dunk.
The biggest surprise of the night came midway through the second half, when a shot clock violation was committed.
Team Welch came roaring back to pull within two on Alicea’s layup with eight minutes left, before taking a 99-98 lead on Peachtree Ridge’s Micah McMorris’ 3-pointer.
The lead grew to four on Mountain View’s Daelyn Wilson’s triple with 4:30 remaining. Discovery’s Jahkiel Mahon drilled a trey to cut Team Evans’ deficit to 112-110 with 90 seconds left. Beckham’s layup then knotted the score with a minute remaining.
Both teams missed on their final possessions of regulation, leading to a two-minute overtime.
From there, Hollis’ layup was answered with Beckham’s three-point play, giving Team Evans a 115-114 lead. Gillespie’s three-point play then pushed the lead to four with 41 seconds left, before Peachtree Ridge’s Duan Day’s trey sealed the win.
For the host of the event, Grayson head coach Geoffrey Pierce understands the importance of giving Gwinnett’s seniors a final opportunity to boast their school’s name across their chests.
“The previous Grayson coach, Brian Anderson, started the tradition,” said Pierce, who had seniors Malik Rideout and Tyler Williams in the game. ... Click here to read full article
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