Columbia’s Kendall Campbell (10) comes down with a rebound in front of Miller Grove’s Naiarh Cato (10) during Columbia’s championship game win over Miller Grove. (Photo by Mark Brock)
The big defensive second half by the Columbia Lady Eagles limited the Miller Grove Lady Wolverines to just eight points on the way to a 55-23 victory in the Region 6-2A girls’ high school basketball championship game at Miller Grove on Thursday night.
Columbia’s defense limited Miller Grove (13-9) to just three second half baskets (3-14 shooting) as they pulled way from a 26-15 halftime advantage.
Kerserlin Anderon was the catalyst on offense in the third quarter for the Eagles (21-5) scoring eight of Columbia’s 13 points in the quarter. Anderson got things starter with an offensive put back and followed with a layup via an assist by Londyn Durden.
Anderson hit a pull up jumper in the lane with 44 seconds remaining in the third quarter to make it 37-16 game as Miller Grove had managed just single free throw by Kamiya Moore earlier in the quarter.
McKenzie Ward scored Miller Grove’s first basket of the second half with 15 seconds left on the clock before Anderson answered with another basket on the other end of the floor.
The teams traded three-pointers by Durden and Moore to open the fourth quarter before Columbia would go on a 10-0 run. Kendall Campbell would score six of the points (4 on offensive rebounds) and assist on a Daisia Kelly layup in the run as the lead grew to 52-21.
Moore scored Miller Grove’s final points of the night with 2:38 to play.
The two teams were tied 3-3 with 4:34 to play in the first period when Columbia put together seven points, five by Aalon Turner, to take a 10-3 lead into the second quarter.
Kerserlin Anderson led all scorers with 17 points in the game along with four rebounds for Columbia. Kendall Campbell finished with 11 points and nine rebounds and Turner finished with 11 points and eight rebounds.
Kamiya Moore led the way for Miller Grove with 11 points while Arieyonna Christian and McKenzie Ward pulled down nine rebounds reach in the game.
Columbia’s Carlin Jacobs grabs a long reboun out of the reach of Miller Grove’s Jimmy Mattox IV (10) and teammate Zayd Muhammad (24). (Photo by Mark Brock)
BOYS CONSOLATION
Columbia 73, Miller Grove 43
Five Columbia Eagles scored in double figures on the way to a 73-43 win over the Miller Grove Wolverines in the third-place game of the Region 6-2A boys’ high school basketball tournament at Miller Grove on Thursday night.
Carlin Jacobs and Xavier Lewis got the Eagles (22-4) off to a quick start as both scored six points in the first quarter and Columbia got out to a 20-4 lead after trailing 4-2 with 5:53 to play in the quarter. A 10-0 run in the final 2:36 keyed by four points from Jace Smith to make it 20-4.
Two free throws by Zayd Muhammad and baskets by Brandon Bigsby and Jacobs as Columbia opened the second quarter on a 6-0 run to push the advantage to 26-4.
Amari Randolph’s three-pointer with 2:11 left in the half was the last points by the Wolverines until the break, but five points by Jacobs and two more free throws by Muhammad put the Eagles up 35-13 after two quarters of play.
Back-to-back three-pointers by Chance Reynolds and Muhammad gave the Eagles a 31-point lead (48-17) with 3:42 to play in the third quarter.
Miller Grove showed some life with a 10-2 run to close by 50-27 as Nashaun Porter hit for six of the 10 points by the Wolverines.
Columbia again answered the Miller Grove run finishing off the third quarter with a 6-0 run, including a pretty pass from Princeton King to Bryson Bigsby for an easy layup with six seconds left to make it 56-27 with a quarter to play.
Porter would add seven points in the fourth quarter for the Wolverines as they pulled within 63-40 with 3:27 remaining. Reynolds and Muhammad repeated their consecutive three-pointers as the Eagles finished off the final 3:06 on a 10-2 run.
Carlin Jacobs hit for a game-high 17 points to lead Columbia to the win as one of the five players hitting double figures for the game. Chance Reynolds hit for 12 while Xavier Lewis and Jace Smith tacked on 11 points each and Zayd Muhammad contributed 10 point and eight rebounds.
Nashaun Porter scored 14 points to lead Miller Grove and Jimmy Mattox IV hit for seven points and pulled down 15 rebounds.
DCSD BASKETBALL REGION SCHEDULE
Thursday, Feb. 13
REGION 4-5A – At Woodward Academy
GIRLS SEMIFINALS
Tri-Cities (20-4) 55, Lakeside (14-10) 48
Woodward (20-5) 68, Arabia Mountain (17-9) 52
REGION 5-4A – At Tucker
GIRLS SEMIFINALS
Northview (19-8) 61, SW DeKalb (18-9) 58 OT
Marist (25-2) def. St. Pius (16-11)
BOYS
Tucker (21-6) 67, Marist (19-8) 63
SW DeKalb (25-2) 67, St. Pius (19-8) 49
REGION 6-2A – At Miller Grove
GIRLS – Finals
Columbia (21-5) 55, Miller Grove (13-9) 23
BOYS – Consolations/Finals
Columbia (22-4) 73, Miller Grove (8-18) 42
REGION 4-1A – D1 – At Putnam Co.
BOYS SEMIFINALS
Putnam Co. (25-1) 100, Towers (16-9) 94
Friday, Feb. 14
Region 5-3A – At Riverdale
GIRLS SEMIFINALS
Stephenson (16-10) vs. North Clayton (14-11), 4:00 pm
Cedar Grove (11-13) vs. Luella (22-3), 7:00 pm
BOYS
Cedar Grove (22-3) vs. Riverdale (14-11), 8:30 pm
REGION 5-4A – At Tucker
GIRLS CONSOLATION
SW DeKalb (18-9) vs. St. Pius (16-11), 4:00 pm
BOYS FINALS
Tucker (21-6) vs. SW DeKalb (25-2), 8:30 pm
Saturday, Feb. 15
REGION 5-3A – At Riverdale
GIRLS – Consolation/Finals
Stephenson (16-1)/North Clayton (14-11) loser vs. Cedar Grove (11-13)/Luella (22-3) loser, 12:00 pm
Stephenson (16-1)/North Clayton (14-11) winner vs. Cedar Grove (11-13)/Luella (22-3) winner, 3:00 pm
BOYS – Consolation/Finals
Cedar Grove (22-3)/Riverdale (14-11) loser vs. Luella (17-8)/Douglass (17-7) loser, 1:30 pm
Cedar Grove (22-3)/Riverdale (14-11) winner vs. Luella (17-8)/Douglass (17-7) winner, 1:30 pm
REGION 4-5A – At Woodward Academy
GIRLS – Consolation
Lakeside (14-10) vs. Arabia Mountain (17-9), 1:00 pm