Lovejoy dominates Sequoyah: Day 3 Georgia girls basketball championship game photos and recap

By David Friedlander | Photos by Cecil Copeland

Lovejoy (28-3) dominated the opening quarter of each half to run away from Sequoyah for a 54-38 win and its first state championship since 2018.

Bryanna Preston (13 points, five assists, three steals) and Keyra Peterson led a 15-7 run in the first quarter that gave the Wildcats a working margin into halftime of the Class 6A championship game.

Then Preston and Layla Hood (game-high 14 points, 16 rebounds) led another opening charge in the second half to Lovejoy build a 20-point lead late in the fourth quarter, and Sequoyah (24-8) never got any closer than 15 the rest of the way.

Bryana Hardy joined Hood with a double-double by finishing with 11 points and 11 rebounds, while La'Nya Foster added eight points and 11 boards as the Wildcats owned the glass, out-rebounding Sequoyah 53-35.

Susanna Rogers posted a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Chiefs.

Class 3A

Lumpkin County 51, Greater Atlanta Christian 47

One big, timely run was all Lumpkin County needed to win the Class 3A state championship game over Greater Atlanta Christian.

Averie Jones scored 10 of her game-high 17 points during a spurt of 14 straight points early in the fourth quarter by the Indians, who held off a late rally by the Spartans for a 51-47 victory Friday at the Macon Centreplex.

Kate Jackson contributed a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds as Lumpkin County (30-1) captured its first state title in program history.

The prospects for that milestone didn't look good when GAC (25-7) used a 10-1 run over the final 2:50 of the third quarter to take a 40-32 lead into the fourth.

Even after a stick-back by Jackson just 50 seconds into the final quarter pulled the Indians to within six points, it looked like Kaleigh Addie had helped the Spartans match their biggest lead at nine points with a 3-pointer from the right corner.

But the bucket was negated when an official ruled that the Xavier-bound guard had shuffled her feet before the shot.

Less than a minute later, Jones capitalized on the opening with a steal, a layup and a free throw to complete a three-point play and draw Lumpkin County to within 40-37 with 5:40 remaining.

Jones would add a 3-pointer to tie the game and a jumper to put the Indians in front and a jumper after one by teammate Mary Mullinax to cap a 14-0 run over a 4:19 stretch that left Lumpkin County in front 46-40 with 2:33 to play before Jaci Bolden finally answered for GAC with a layup at the 2:14 mark.

A pair of steals and layups by Addie, part of her team-high 16 points, quickly pulled the Spartans back even with 50 seconds left.

But Jones threaded the needle with a pass from the right wing into Jackson, who converted from the low block to put Lumpkin County back in front 49-47 with 36 seconds left.

GAC had two attempts to tie the game again, but a blocked shot by Mullinax thwarted one, and a turnover after Addie's offensive rebound and ensuing foul following an inbound pass allowed Mullinax to put the game away with a pair of free throws with three seconds left.

Lexi Pierce also reached double figures for the Indians with 12 points and five assists, while Mullinax added five points, six boards and seven assists.

Addie had five rebounds, three assists and a game-high six steals to go with her points, while GAC also got 13 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals from Bolden and nine points and eight rebounds from Trinity Thomas.

Class 6A photo gallery: