Class-AAAAA State Semifinals - Thursday at Gwinnett Arena

Girls: Westlake (24-3) vs. Norcross (26-4), 4 p.m.

Boys: Westlake (29-2) vs. Cent. Gwinnett (29-2), 5:30 p.m.

Girls: Redan (30-0) vs. Milton (24-5), 7 p.m.

Boys: Newton (30-1) vs. Milton (27-4), 8:30 p.m.

Boy's state tournament teams
Milton (27-4) Class-AAAAA Final 4
St. Francis (13-16) - eliminated
Blessed Trinity (19-11) - eliminated
Centennial (20-9) - eliminated

Girl's state tournament teams
Milton (24-5) Class-AAAAA Final 4
St. Francis (18-12) - eliminated
Blessed Trinity (16-15) - eliminated
Alpharetta (15-14) - eliminated
Chattahoochee (19-8) - eliminated
Roswell (16-12) - eliminated

Saturday Neighbor Game Recap

MARIETTA - The St. Francis Lady Knights figured they would have to encounter Region 7A foe and defending Class-A champ Wesleyan at some point if they hoped to pursue the dream of a state title. That time came on Saturday, and St. Francis came up short for the third time this season against the Lady Wolves, falling 92-45 in a state quarterfinal game at Marietta High School.

Foul trouble haunted St. Francis early. Post players Sasha Robinson and Nettie Brown picked up three first-half fouls each, and were relegated to the bench for significant chunks of the first 16 minutes, as Wesleyan opened up a 40-20 halftime lead on a 3-pointer from Erin Hall as the horn sounded.

"I just felt like if we woulda worked harder on defense and knocked down some easy shots it coulda been a lot better game," said Lady Knights' coach Aisha Gaddis. "We're not as deep as them. We got in foul trouble...But we've been playing against referees all year, so we knew it was gonna be tough.

St. Francis fell behind 10-3 to start the game, as Robinson picked up two quick fouls and the Lady Knights struggled to maintain possession of the ball and cash in opportunities when they had them. Brown provided a spark with five quick points to cut the lead to 12-7, but Wesleyan extended the lead to 17-7 before the quarter ended.

Wesleyan maintained its double-digit lead throughout the second quarter, hurting the Lady Knights with crisp ball rotation and quickness off the ball. A 3-pointer from Hall opened up the biggest lead of the game at the time at 35-18 with 1:09 left in the half, and her buzzer-beater extended the lead to 20 heading into the locker room.

The Lady Wolves (26-4) - who defeated St. Francis by 40 and 37 points in two regular season meetings - built on their lead in the second half. For the game, 12 Wesleyan players scored, with five of them reaching double-figures, led by Hall's 18 points.

St. Francis trailed 59-34 after three periods, and cut the lead to 23 on a jumper from Diamond Henderson to start the fourth quarter. But that is as close as the Lady Knights would get the rest of the way. Wesleyan countered immediately with a 9-0 run that pushed the lead to 68-36 with 6:34 remaining to put the game out of reach.

Henderson led St. Francis with 18 points, before fouling out late in the game. Robinson and Brown also fouled out in the fourth quarter, after combining for 11 points.

There were plenty of whistles during the game, in which the teams combined to shoot 65 free-throws. Wesleyan hit 21-of-34 from the line, while St. Francis converted 20-of-31.

With the win, Wesleyan advances to the Class-A Final 4. The Lady Wolves are the defending state champs, and also won Class-AA titles in 2005, 2006, and 2008.

The loss, however, could not diminish an outstanding year for St. Francis in Gaddis' first go-round as head coach. The Lady Knights (18-12) improved by 11 games from last season in the win column, and advanced to the state quarterfinals for the first time in four years.

"I think that the younger kids, we have a great opportunity in front of us," said an emotional Gaddis after the game, who thanked four seniors - including Henderson and Caroline Edmond - for their contributions.

"I'm a fighter, and I wanted to win state," added Gaddis. "But we'll be back. I've got some young girls, and they're gonna get better. The St. Francis girls, we're here to stay."

Other Elite 8 scores

Class-AAAAA Boy's: Milton 53, Norcross 52

Class-AAAAA Girl's: Milton 54, Mill Creek 47 - N. Dixon 25, E. Brundage 10, T. Waldner 10

Class-AA Girl's: GAC 75, Blessed Trinity 48 - L. Kalinowski 15, K. Hawkins 11

Wednesday Neighbor Game Recap

ALPHARETTA - With time ticking away and the game still in doubt, the Milton Lady Eagles knew just who to turn to. Junior Nikki Dixon and senior Kris Puthoff-King combined for 36 points, and provided all of Milton's second-half scoring as the Lady Eagles defeated North Cobb, 45-31, in a Class-AAAAA Sweet 16 game at Milton High School.

"They just continue to do the things that we ask them to do," Milton head coach Craig Bennett said of Dixon and Puthoff-King.

"It's a pleasure to coach two athletes like that. You just try to not mess them up," he added with a laugh.

Nothing could slow Milton's dynamic pair on this night. The brilliant display by Dixon (20 points) and Puthoff-King (16) allowed the Lady Eagles to avenge an earlier-season loss to North Cobb and stamp the team's first state tournament quarterfinals appearance in school history.

Milton held a 30-25 advantage entering the fourth quarter, and both teams failed to score until Puthoff-King's big 3-pointer with 5:40 remaining in the game. The long range shot provided the Lady Eagles with their biggest lead of the night at eight points.

Four minutes later, Dixon extended the lead on a driving lay-up after breaking North Cobb's pressure. She sliced to the basket and kissed one of the glass for a 37-27 advantage that all but sealed the game. The duo combined to shoot 6-for-7 from the free-thow line to settle the issue.

Puthoff-King hit another big three in the third period. With just under two minutes remaining in the quarter, she drilled a perimeter jumper from the right wing to give Milton the 30-25 advantage. Dixon added a 3-ball earlier in the quarter, as Milton built on a 20-19 halftime edge.

"That was huge, if she'd have missed them I don't know what I would've done," Bennett said of Puthoff-King's threes, which burned North Cobb's zone defense. "But, big shots. And that's what she does, ya know? She's a big time player, so that helps a lot."

Dixon scored 16 of her 20 points in the second half behind six field goals and three free-throws. Her quick hands and explosiveness to the basket burned a North Cobb team that saw its season end at the hands of Milton for the second straight year.

The game did not begin auspiciously for Milton. The team struggled to exploit North Cobb's zone by misfiring on clean looks at the basket. The Lady Eagles' struggles allowed the Lady Warriors to grab an 11-6 lead after one period behind nine points from Jarae Savage.

The lead ballooned to 14-6 in the second quarter before Milton got things going. The Lady Eagles created some transition opportunities and took a 15-14 lead on a 9-0 run capped by Puthoff-King's putback off a miss. The teams traded baskets the rest of the way, and Milton took the aforementioned 1-point lead into the half.

But the final 16 minutes were all Milton. Just like they had done in the team's first round win over North Gwinnett - when they combined for 48 of the team's 63 points - Dixon and Puthoff-King stole the show once more.

Savage led the way for North Cobb with 11.

"It's a credit to those girls, and we're gonna still stay one game at a time. So, we're not looking too far ahead right now," said Bennett.

Next stop: Elite 8 in Carrollton. 

MILTON BOYS WIN BIG:

David Boyd said he was unhappy with his team's inability to put away Collins Hill until late during last week's first-round game. It appears the Eagles received their coach's message.

Five Milton players scored in double-figures and the Eagles built on their lead each quarter in dismantling Marietta, 78-51, in a Sweet 16 game that was originally scheduled for Tuesday but was postponed due to weather.

"I thought we played real well," said Boyd, a coaching veteran who led Milton to the Class-AAAAA state finals in 2009.

"I thought we rebounded well tonight. I thought we got to the basket real well. And very unselfish. We're an unselfish team...And it's fun to watch when we're passing that ball around the way we do."

Marietta opened a quick 4-0 lead, but Milton countered with a 13-0 spurt capped by a pair of Shannon Scott free-throws to take control of the game midway through the opening period. Milton took a 20-11 lead after one period, and grew the spread to 16 at the half with a 41-25 advantage.

Scott led the charge, scoring all 14 of his points in the first half and adding six rebounds and six assists. The Ohio State University commitment also had three steals on the night.

Jordan Loyd paced Milton's scoring attack with 16. Julian Royal notched 15 points and 10 rebounds, Evan Nolte added 13, and Dai-Jon Parker posted 12 points, eight assists, and five rebounds for an Eagles squad that shot 65 percent (30-for-46) from the field.

Seven players scored for Milton in the first half, and nine got in the scoring column for the game.

Nolte's 15-foot jumper at the buzzer gave Milton a 59-38 lead heading into the final quarter.

"Just a team game. Team play. So, I was real pleased with it," added Boyd.

Rob Greer and James Henderson led Marietta with 11 points apiece, but Boyd was pleased with the job Milton did on 6-foot-11 center Chad Lang. One game after notching a triple-double in the Blue Devils' opening round win over Shiloh, Lang scored but nine points and was not a disruptive factor for Marietta.

Milton defeated Marietta, 80-55, in a first-round game last season to end the Blue Devils' state tournament run. The Eagles will play an Elite 8 game on Saturday at the University of West Georgia.

Other Sweet 16 scores

Class-A Girls: St. Francis 68, Pace Academy 62

Class-AA Girls: Blessed Trinity 50, N. Oconee 43 - L. Kalinowski 16, K. Hawkins 15, K. Cremins 10

Class-AA Boys: Spencer 66, Blessed Trinity 57

Class-A Boys: Commerce 52, St. Francis 46 - C. Hawkins 14, N. Grant 11

Saturday Neighbor Game Recap

SMYRNA - Campbell jumped out to an 11-2 lead to open the game, and kept the pressure on all night long as the Lady Spartans extended their lead each quarter and eventually defeated Chattahoochee, 54-39, in a first-round Class-AAAAA state tournament game at Campbell High School.

Campbell's extended pressure and suffocating on-ball defense flustered the Lady Cougars, the No. 3 seed from Region 7AAAAA. Chattahoochee was forced into a number of turnovers, and was impatient in the offensive halfcourt, connecting on but 12 field goals in the defeat.

"It wasn't so much the pressure that hurt us, it was what we did once we broke the pressure," said 'Hooch head coach Eric Herrick. "We forced a lot of shots. We got outta sync. Once we got in the halfcourt, really, we just didn't make them guard. We tried to take the first available shot, which I think that has a lot to do with our point guard not being here."

Herrick was referencing a second quarter injury to point guard Kayla Upchurch. After a foul underneath the Campbell basket with 4:48 to go until halftime, Upchurch fell hard to the floor and was in noticeable pain as Herrick and team trainers tended to her. Upchurch was forced to leave the game, with 'Hooch trailing 18-11, and did not return.

After the game, Herrick said trainers believed Upchurch had broken her right arm. She was at the hospital receiving X-rays at the time.

In the absence of the steady-handed Upchurch, Campbell extended the lead to 25-16 at the half by getting 11 points from guard Erica Norwood and hitting 9-of-10 free-throws. Norwood, who led the Region 6AAAAA No. 2 seed Lady Spartans with 17 points on the night, connected on all 12 of her free-throw attempts on Saturday.

Chattahoochee trailed 37-27 entering the final period, and cut the lead to under 10 at one point in the fourth quarter, but foul trouble haunted the Lady Cougars and Campbell made them pay. For the game, the victors converted on 26-of-37 charity tosses, while 'Hooch made but 14-of-25.

Erika Ford led the Lady Cougars with 18 points, but she sunk only five shots from the field and was 8-for-14 from the free-throw line. Ford got several close looks around the basket, but misfired on many as she rushed to beat Campbell's pressure.

Chakecia Miller (14) and Brittany Hodges (12) also scored in double-figures for the Lady Spartans. Alexis Alexander chipped in eight points for 'Hooch.

The loss ended Chattahoochee's season at 19-8. Campbell, which made it to the Elite 8 in 2009, improved to 23-6 and advances to the Class-AAAAA Sweet 16.

"I think we came out too amped up, and they jumped on us at the beginning," said Herrick.

"We've got unfinished business. It seems like every year we get a little bit better. We drop to AAAA next year, so we'll see how that goes...We'll have a full squad ready to go next year. We're gonna come back and work even harder and hopefully this will motivate us."

Other girl's final scores

AAAAA First Round: Milton 63, N. Gwinnett 43 - K. Puthoff-King 27, N. Dixon 21

AA First Round: Blessed Trinity 61, Pepperell 57 - L. Kalinowski 13, K. Cremins 13

A First Round: St. Francis 70, Gordon Lee 64 - S. Robinson 18, D. Henderson 16, C. Henderson 14

AAAAA First Round: Nocross 58, Roswell 50 - S. Barker 18, N. Baine 14

AAAAA First Round: Mill Creek 63, Alpharetta 48 - K. Smith 33

Friday Neighbor Game Recap

ALPHARETTA - St. Francis was playing for the school's first Sweet 16 berth since 2005 on Friday night, and the Knights looked hungry from the start as they jumped out to a big early lead and hammered Mt. Zion-Carroll, 61-34, in a Class-A boy's state tournament game in Alpharetta.

Mike Turner led the charge with 18 points and scored nine in the first quarter alone as St. Francis - who shocked 7A last week by advancing to the region finals - jumped out to a 13-2 lead and held a 17-6 advantage heading into the second quarter.

The Knights (13-15) successfully attacked Mt. Zion's zone with dribble drive penetration and kick-outs all night long. Turner drilled four 3-pointers and the team combined for seven threes on 55 percent shooting from the field in the convincing win over the Eagles from Region 6A.

"It's hard for a team to play us zone," said St. Francis head coach Cabral Huff, who collected his first state tournament win since becoming head coach of the Knights prior to the 2008-2009 season.

"We knew they were gonna play zone, and we worked on it all week, so we were ready."

St. Francis built a 36-11 halftime advantage behind offensive firepower from Turner and Chris Hawkins (12 points). The Knights were able to fluster the Eagles in the halfcourt and create transition opportunities by also punishing the visitors on the glass, hauling in 45 rebounds as a team and allowing just one second-chance opportunity.

The lead ballooned to 29 points at 46-17 at the end of the third quarter. St. Francis grabbed its biggest lead of the game at 55-21 on a 3-pointer from junior Michael Webb midway through the final period.

Hawkins pulled down eight rebounds and Turner had five for St. Francis, while Victor Alexander led the team with 11 boards. Sam Kim dished out 10 assists, collected eight rebounds, and chipped in four points for the victors.

The St. Francis starters rested for most of the second half, as the bench took over and accounted for 20 of the team's 61 points.

The upstart Knights have won 10 of 15 games after beginning the season 3-10 overall.

St. Francis will play at Region 8A No. 1 seed Commerce on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in the Class-A Sweet 16.

"It's the best start we could hope for," said Huff. "Now we just gotta get ready for the next one."

Other boy's final scores

AA First Round: Blessed Trinity 65, Rockmart 42 - Q. Davis 21, C. Freeman 17, A. Cremins 13, Z. Ritchey 10

AAAAA First Round: Milton 63, Collins Hill 55 - E. Nolte 25, J. Royal 18, D. Parker 12

AAAAA First Round: Norcross 56, Centennial 54 (OT)