GBL Boys Semifinals
By Robert Naddra
Dacula needed two overtimes, but it will get another crack at a Gwinnett Basketball championship.
After finishing runner-up in the fifth grade championship a year ago, Dacula’s sixth grade team advanced to the championship game with a 46-38 double overtime win over Meadowcreek on Saturday at Suwanee Sports Academy. Dacula will face Greater Atlanta Christian on Sunday at 5 p.m. in the sixth grade championship game.
Davion Clark, who plays AAU ball for the Southern Kings, led all scorers with 21 points and had several key baskets. Clark’s layup and free throw with 46 seconds remaining in regulation tied the game at 32-32 and sent the game into overtime. At the end of the first overtime, Dacula’s Tysen Morgan hit a three-pointer with a minute to play to force a second overtime.
Dacula outscored Meadowcreek 10-2 in the second overtime. With Dacula leading 41-38, Clark hit another layup and free throw with 56 seconds to play to put the game out of reach at 44-38. Andre Joseph added nine points for Dacula.
Jaylen Brown led Meadowcreek with 16 points and Desmond Dennis added 12 points.
Here is a look at Saturday’s other boys’ semifinal games:
5th grade:
Mill Creek 37, Dacula 33: Riley Snyder drilled a 3-pointer with 29 seconds remaining to break at 33-33 tie. Snyder also added a free throw with 14.9 seconds remaining and finished with nine points. Jordan Goldwire led Mill Creek with 10 points and Matthew Lewis added eight.
Brookwood 33, North Gwinnett 24: Amir Butler led the Broncos with 10 points. Brookwood will play Mill Creek in the championship game at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
6th grade:
Greater Atlanta Christian 39, Shiloh 32: Jaye Stackhouse led GAC with 23 points. He made 11-of-19 free throws and was 6-for-8 in the fourth quarter. Malik Chandler scored 13 points for Shiloh and Kareem Brewton added 11 points.
7th grade:
Mill Creek 34, North Gwinnett 32: Andrew Sciara led Mill Creek with 12 pints and Devin Mitchell had 11. Mill Creek took the lead at 33-32 with 50 seconds to go and added a free throw with 6.1 seconds. North Gwinnett missed a three-pointer to win at the buzzer. Mill Creek will face Dacula in the championship game Sunday at 7 p.m. Dacula beat Parkview Saturday in the other semifinal.GBL Boys Championships
By Robert Naddra
Mill Creek used a full-court press to break open a close game early in the third quarter and held on to beat Dacula 54-43 in the Gwinnett Basketball League 7th grade boys championship Sunday at Suwanee Sports Academy.
Leading 22-20, the Hawks converted four straight turnovers into points and built a 30-20 lead. Justin Edwards, who had 10 points all in the second half, made a steal and a layup to give the Hawks their biggest lead at 39-27.
Dacula ended the third quarter on an 8-1 run and pulled to within 40-37, but the Hawks answered with a 7-2 run of their own to build the lead back to 47-39.
The backcourt tandem of Carter Govenwale and Andrew Sciara, who each had 19 points, led Mill Creek. Govenwale scored 13 points in the second half. Several of the hawks players will play on the Mill Creek Hawks AAU team this spring.
Dacula relied on its inside game, with Justin Jefferson scoring a game-high 20 points. Post player Aaron Schwartz added 10 points, including seven in the second half.
Mill Creek kept Dacula at bay by hitting just enough of its free throws. The Hawks made 8-of-15 free throws in the fourth quarter, and Edwards converted 5-of-9.
Here is a look at the other boys championships.
5th grade:
Brookwood 31, Mill Creek 27: Zachery Cooks scored six of his team-high eight points in the fourth quarter as Brookwood held off Mill Creek. The Broncos led 20-10 at halftime. Jordan Goldwire led the Hawks with 13 points.
6th grade:
Greater Atlanta Christian 41, Dacula 39: Dacula outscored the Spartans 10-2 in the final minutes and pulled to within 40-39. After a GAC free throw made it 41-39, Dacula missed a layup and two free throws in the final 10 seconds. Cameron Boyd led the Spartans with 16 points and Jaye Stackhouse added 12. Jarell Holmes, who made three 3-pointers, led Dacula with 13 points. Keshawn Gibbs added 11 points, including seven in the fourth quarter.
