Grovetown completes magical run through 6A: Day 3 Georgia boys basketball championship game photos and recap

By David Friedlander | Photos by Ed Turlington

Buford rallied twice from big deficits, but Grovetown held off both surges to complete its Cinderella run to its first state title behind a huge game by Frankquon Sherman, who finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds.

The Warriors (29-3) built a 14-point lead in the second quarter and led 32-19 by halftime, only to see the Wolves (25-7) roar back in the third quarter behind 12 points from Alahn Sumler, whose three-point play with 42 seconds left in the period knotted the game at 43-43.

But Grovetown pulled out a 66-59 win to complete a postseason run that saw the Warriors upset Alexander and 6A favorite Wheeler before toppling Buford.

Two free throws each by Derrion Reid and Sherman before the end of the quarter put Grovetown back in front at 47-43, and the Warriors built the lead back to 54-45 after a Sherman layup with 4:52 left.

Once again, Buford fought back, with London Williams' jumper igniting a 9-3 run that culminated with Williams' jump hook in the lane with 27 seconds left that pulled the Wolves as close as 61-59.

Buford then got a steal off the inbound pass, but turned it back over just seconds later, and two Jose Rodriguez free throws with 14 seconds left and a Sherman dunk and free throw on a three-point play with one second left put the game away.

Reid was the only other Grovetown player to reach double figures with 11 points, though E.J. Kency added nine points and Markel Freeman and Malik Ferguson each chipped in eight points and four assists.

Sumler led the Wolves with 17 points and pulled down five rebounds, while Malachi Brown contributed 15 points and four assists. 

Williams finished with 11 points and six boards, and Jaylon Taylor had eight points and eight rebounds.

Class 3A

Cross Creek 60, Windsor Forest 53

Ahmad Hunt came off the bench to score 14 points, nine of which came during a 14-3 run in the second quarter that propelled Cross Creek (26-6) to a successful defense of last year's title.

That run gave the Razorbacks a 30-21 lead at the half, and they led by as many as eight late in the third quarter before Windsor Forest (23-6) began to battle back.

D'ante Bass hit a pair of free throws with one second left in the period and added a three-point play early in the fourth, part of his game-high 22 points, to lead an 11-4 run that pulled the Knights even at 45-45 on two Micheal Cabellero free throws with 4:06 to play.

But Jaquez Ellison put Cross Creek back in front 11 seconds later with a jumper, and the Razorbacks hit just enough free throws down the stretch to pull away and grab the title.

Jayden Pack joined Hunt in double figures with 11 points, while Antoine Lorick added 10 points, seven rebounds, four steals and three blocked shots and Ellison chipped in 10 points and five boards.

Abasi Scott was the only other player for Windsor Forest in double figures with 13 points and seven rebounds.

6A photo gallery: