GHSA Championship Game Recap – 2A & 5A

MACON, GA – The 4-day extravaganza that is the GHSA Finals continued Thursday with the 2A and 5A Boys Finals.

We recap what we saw below:

By: Keith Agran

2A – WESTSIDE-AUGUSTA 89, PROVIDENCE CHRISTIAN 81 OT

SUMMARY: Super entertaining affair as the stars for both sides came to play, refusing to let down and subsequently forcing overtime. The Storm looked strong in taking a 4-point halftime lead and at points in the 2nd half behind stars Devin McClain and Samuel Thacker (c combined 43 pts) appeared on their way to the school’s first state championship, but the defending champion Patriot star duo of AuMauri Tillman and Khalon Hudson were equal to the test. Tillman’s 36 pts was an electrifying performance in a final’s setting, doing it from all over the court. Fellow senior Hudson, unsigned but not for long, finished his career with another strong game netting 21 pts.

5A – KELL 61, EAGLE’S LANDING 53

SUMMARY: Down four points entering the final quarter and ELHS on a roll after a 24 pt 3rd quarter, Kell’s two star 2024’s needed to assert to deliver the title and they did against yet another tremendous Eagles squad. CJ Brown dropped 8 pts in the final frame and Peyton Marshall 5 after dealing with foul trouble leaving the future Auburn 7-footer unable to impose his will. But the defense helped as well, as the Eagles could only muster 6 points in the final eight minutes and that allowed the Horns to seal the game at the line (8 for 9 in the 4Q), and follow the girls from earlier in the day in bringing home the banner. Mercer-commit David Thomas was terrific in his final game as an Eagle finishing with 23 pts.

Keith Agran has lived in Georgia since 2011 and joined OTR as a National Evaluator in 2021. He previously scouted for Prep Hoops dating back to 2019, and also spent 3 years as a sports writer at two newspapers in New Jersey. After a championship-coaching background on the HS-level also in NJ, he accepted the Girl’s Basketball Head Coaching position in May 2022 at Mt Bethel Christian Academy and now balances scouting and coaching still with a keen eye on talent around the region. You can reach him at keithagran1@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @BracketSage.