By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

          Hancock Central led for so long, then gave up the lead, and seemed destined to do what it could to lose.

          A good free-throw shooting team, the Bulldogs were brutal from the line.

          A solid 3-point shooting team, the Bulldogs were inept outside the paint.

          But they made just enough plays in the end to beat Treutlen 61-58 in overtime for the GHSA Class A Public boys state title before an overflow crowd Wednesday night at the Macon Coliseum.

          And that’s what it came down to in an action-packed but sloppy championship game, finally making a play.

           Treutlen (30-1) took its first lead since giving it up at the 3:43 mark of the first quarter with 1:09 left in regulation on one of two Quentez Jordan free throws. Jordan missed another pair only seconds later.

          The Vikings tied it with 8.8 seconds left on Ka’Sabin Mitchell free throws – he was fouled on a 3-pointer and had three tries, missing the last one -  and Hancock Central had time but ended regulation with a sloppy possession and didn’t get a shot off.

          Cartavious Terry’s putback put Treutlen up 58-55 in overtime. After a turnover. Treutlen missed two decent looks in the paint, though shooting so quickly with a lead rather than pulling it out – which the Vikings did in regulation as well, shooting unnecessarily - will be debated for awhile.

          Jamarcus Morris got the rebound and fired off a quick and long outlet pass to Allen, who had to wait for it before laying it in to get within 58-57 with 31.6 seconds left.

          Terry was fouled in the backcourt, and missed both with 25.7 seconds left. The Bulldogs took the lead when Jamal Taylor drove down the middle for a dipsy-doodle lefty layup with 11 seconds left.

          Mitchell brought the ball downcourt, tried to split defender deep on the right wing and lost control. Marquavious Lawrence grabbed the loose ball and fired down to Morris, who’s layup just beat the buzzer.

          Several Vikings fairly collapsed, stunned at having lost for the second straight year in the final seconds. A year ago, Calhoun County pushed the ball downcourt after Treutlen tied it and got a layup with less than two seconds left to win.

          The Vikings were unable to spoil the Cougars’ perfect season last year. This time, Hancock Central handed Treutlen its only loss of the year.

          The Bulldogs were a staggering 9 for 26 from the line, 34.6 percent compared to a little more than 80 percent for the season.

          And they couldn’t hit a 3-pointer, in 16 tries.

          Treutlen will cringe at its better-but-not-enough numbers: 10 for 24 at the line (41.7 percent) and 4 for 16 on 3-pointers.

          The Vikings were 3 for 9 from the floor in overtime to 4 for 5 for the Bulldogs.

          Lawrence came off the bench to lead the Bulldogs with 14 points, while Taylor had 13 and Leroy Wilson 12. Taylor and Wilson had eight rebounds each, Lawrence and Darious Walker seven each.

          Christopher Floyd led Treutlen with 22 points before fouling out. Terry had a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds, Mitchell 11 points. Kamron Jordan had 12 rebounds to go with eight points.

          Jordan, Floyd, and James Byrd all fouled out.

          The Vikings turned it over 28 times to only five assists, the Bulldogs with 14 turnovers and five assists. Hancock Central scored 23 points off turnovers, and had 10 more fast-break points.

HANCOCK CENTRAL 61, TREUTLEN 58

TREUTLEN (30-1)

Christopher Floyd 9-19 1-3 22; Cartavious Terry 6-10 1-4 13; Ka'Sabin Mitchell 4-10 2-3 11; Kamron Jordan 2-6 4-6 8; Quentez Jordan 1-4 1-6 3; James Byrd 0-1 1-2 1; PJ Smiley 0-5 0-0 0; Dorian Burns 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 22-58 10-24 58.

HANCOCK CENTRAL (28-3)

Jamal Taylor 5-12 3-6 13; Leroy Wilson 4-9 4-8 12; Marquavious Lawrence 6-16 0-4 12; Treyvion Crayton 4-12 0-2 8; Jamarcus Morris 3-11 0-0 6; Darious Walker 1-4 2-6 4; Carnard Chapman 2-5 0-0 4; Carmichael Allen 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 26-72 9-26 61.

Treutlen......................   10   13   12   17    6  -   58
Hancock Central..........   18   11   13   10    9  -   61

3-point goals--Treutlen 4-16 (Christopher Floyd 3-9; Ka'Sabin Mitchell 1-4; PJ Smiley 0-2; Dorian Burns 0-1), Hancock Central 0-16 (Jamal Taylor 0-2; Leroy Wilson 0-1; Treyvion Crayton 0-6; Jamarcus Morris 0-4; Darious Walker 0-2; Carmichael Allen 0-1). Fouled out--Treutlen-Christopher Floyd; James Byrd; Kamron Jordan, Hancock Central-Treyvion Crayton. Rebounds--Treutlen 51 (Cartavious Terry 13), Hancock Central 44 (Jamal Taylor 8; Leroy Wilson 8). Assists--Treutlen 5 (Ka'Sabin Mitchell 2), Hancock Central 5 (Treyvion Crayton 2). Total fouls--Treutlen 23, Hancock Central 20. Technical fouls--Treutlen-None, Hancock Central-None.

Class A Public Girls

Wheeler County 55, Central Talbotton 50

          Central Talbotton led by two at halftime and by 11 in the third quarter, then lost the lead early in the fourth quarter and couldn’t finish a rally.

          The game was tied four times in the fourth quarter before Wheeler County went up by seven with 1:28 left, the margin collapsing to one in barely a half minute.

          Wheeler County got two free throws from Keonya Mincey with 15 seconds left for a three-point lead, and then Central turned it over, Le’La Wright sealing it with two more with 11 seconds left.

          Mincey led Wheeler County (30-1) to its first state title with 23 points on 7-of-16 shooting and 7 of 10 from the line. Samerria Bryant added 16 points and 10 rebounds.

          Bernyia Spark had 24 points (10 of 17 and 4 of 6) and 13 rebounds for Central, which got a 10-point/12-rebound double-double from Shakemia Marshall.

Class A Private Girls

Holy Innocents’ 66, St. Francis 53

          Quality middle quarters put Holy Innocents’ in control over top-ranked St. Francis and help the Golden Bears defend their title, and win their fourth overall.

          Holy Innocents turned a 16-15 deficit after one to a 27-16 second-quarter lead en route to 31-27 at halftime, St. Francis battling back.

          The rerun was coming.

          The Golden Bears made their first five shots of the third quarter to pull ahead 43-27 midway through. The Knights got it to single digits late in the third, and then took advantage of the Golden Bears’ scoring drought early in the fourth to pulled within four.

          That margin grew to nine quickly, and stayed at three possessions or worse the rest of the game.

          Mia Moore and Savannah Samuel had 11 points each for St. Francis (24-6). Jada Farrell had a game-high 21 for HI (25-5), Rachel Suttle adding 19 and Jillian Hollingshead 11 points and 14 rebounds.

Class A Private Boys

St. Francis 76, Greenforest 55

          St. Francis stormed out to a 17-9 lead after one and kept it going, winning every quarter the rest of the way.

          The champs finish 29-3, Greenforest 20-10.

          Dwon Odom went for27 points in 31 minutes for St. Francis, going 10 for 13 from the floor and 7 for 8 at the line. He had a game-high nine rebounds.

          Chase Ellis added 14 points and seven boards, Seth Hubbard 12 and six, and Jusaun Holt 11 and seven.

          Lamar Oden Jr. led Greenforest with 21 points, Chase Cromier adding 11 and Christian Fussell 10.

          Greenforest went 5 for 21 from 3, to 2 for 9 for St. Francis.