Sweet 16 roundup: Jenkins girls advance to the Elite Eight once again
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The Jenkins girls basketball team showed its depth and versatility as the Warriors rolled to a convincing 58-41 win over visiting Lumpkin County to advance to the Class 3A state quarterfinals on Friday, Feb. 27th.
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The Warriors improved to 25-4 on the season and are set to host Pickens (21-9) in an Elite Eight matchup set for Tuesday, Feb. 27, at a time to be announced, in what will be the final home game, win or lose, for the Warrior seniors.
Jenkins jumped out to an 11-2 lead on Lumpkin County after the first quarter. The Indians were able to cut the deficit to 23-16 at the half, but the Warriors pulled away in the second half behind a strong defensive effort combined with their outside shooting.
Senior A'Niyah Browner hit three treys among her team-high 14 points. Her classmate Ke'Ara Jones also knocked down three from distance to score 13, and junior I'Yarna Lee added 13 points. Iycess Scott had eight points and Taylor Young had five points and six rebounds.
"This win means a lot to us because we want to finish and bring home a championship," Browner said. "That's why we try our hardest every game. We've been working well as a team because we know that if we don't trust each other — things can fall apart."
The Warriors reached the Class 3A Final Four last season and lost on a buzzer beater to eventual champion Cherokee Bluff in a semifinal matchup at Fort Valley State. Jenkins entered the playoffs ranked No. 6 among Class 3A teams in the state by Sandysspiel.com. Now the Warriors host No. 8 Pickens on Tuesday in the final home game for a senior class of six players.
"This win was super huge, but the job is not finished," said Warrior coach Brianna Brooker, in her eighth season leading the team at her alma mater. "We've got one more game at home and it's going to mean a lot to our senior class. This class has gone through so much together and have grown so much. They have helped me grow as a coach and person and will always have a special place in my heart.
"Our defense has been the key — I know it's cliché, but that's what wins championships. We need to dig deep and make it happen on Tuesday night because this is our last game at home."
GHSA second round results
Class A Division II
Brooks County 53, Bryan County 47
Bryan County saw its season come to an end on the road in a Sweet 16 loss to Brooks County.
It was the final high school game for Jasmine Mikell, the senior guard who has committed to Auburn University at Montgomery. She had 22 points, four assists and four steals.
Senior Laney Sehr had 15 points and three steals and Layla Mincey closed out an impressive sophomore season with 11 rebounds, six points and a pair of blocks. Senior Elizabeth Harvey added four points, eight rebounds and three steals.
Bryan County, which entered the playoffs ranked No. 6 in the state in Class A Division II, closed out the season with a 23-6 record.
Class A-3A Private
Whitefield Academy 70, Savannah Country Day 40
Whitefield Academy came to Savannah and beat the Hornets in a Class A-3A Private School second-round matchup.
The Wolfpack, who entered the playoffs ranked No. 5 in the state among Class A-3A teams by Sandysspiel.com, improved to 23-5 on the season and will be on the road to face top-ranked Hebron Christian in a quarterfinal matchup Tuesday.
Junior Madison Bueno led SCD with 17 points and her classmate Luana Castillo added seven for the Hornets, who closed out the season with an 18-11 record under second-year coach Joseph Nero.
SCD reached the Region 3A Division I tournament finals, where the Hornets lost to Vidalia, before beating cross-town rival Calvary Day in the first round of the playoffs.
Saturday's (Feb. 28th) GHSA quarterfinal schedule
Boys
Class 5A
Tri-Cities (15-13) at Bradwell (20-5) on Saturday, 28th, 7 p.m.
Class A Division II
Savannah High (18-11) at Turner County (24-4), Saturday, Feb, 28, 6 p.m.
Class A-3A Private
No. 9 Greater Atlanta Christian (17-11) at No. 8 Calvary Day (22-7), Saturday, Feb. 28, 5 p.m.
No. 13 Savannah Christian (17-8) at No. 4 Mt. Vernon (26-3), Saturday, Feb. 28, 4:30 p.m.
Girls
Class 5A
Tri-Cities (19-9) at Bradwell (27-0) on Saturday, 28th, 5:30 p.m.
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at [email protected]. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Jenkins girls basketball team back in Elite Eight after playoff win