ATLANTA — The end of January means the dregs of region play. Lopsided contests aplenty, one has to be selective this time of year to best avoid mismatches assigned by locality. 

Of course, nothing is guaranteed, but Lovett hosting Holy Innocents’ seemed like as good of a bet as any on a Tuesday night. The mitigated gamble paid off, as the two private schools duked it out down to the wire with Holy Innocents’ pulling out the win on a length-of-the-floor, last-second layup by Belmont commit Devin Hutcherson. 

Whenever it looked like the Golden Bears were on the verge of breaking the game open, Lovett fought back in it and even took the lead with single-digit seconds left on the clock. 

Both teams had players step up in big moments. These were some of the noteworthy performances of the night: 

Devin Hutcherson - HIES - Belmont commit: When Hutcherson got going, it was show time. His athleticism and physicality were overwhelming at times. Hutcherson showed off both with above-the-rim finishes and double-digit rebounds. He finished with 23 points, his final ones were the most important, as they gave the Golden Bears the edge with less than a second to go. Hutcherson knocked down a couple of three-pointers as well. That’s becoming a more consistent aspect of his game. He’s one of the very best in the state, and he showed it tonight. 

Jaden McCullough - HIES - 2028: There aren’t many guards in Georgia who can stuff a stat sheet like McCullough can. He finished with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. It feels like whenever he’s around the ball, he’s making some kind of play whether big or small. The basketball higher powers seem to reward McCullough for his two-way activity and willingness to do the dirty work. An example: a steal on defense, keeping a missed shot alive and securing the offensive rebound on the ensuing possession, both immediately leading to him draining a 3-pointer. He just makes winning plays. 

Phillip Claybrooks - Lovett - 2029: Look out for freshman guard Phillip Claybrooks down the line. He showed plenty of promise in this big-time matchup. It started with him getting down hill. He was patient and picked his spots to attack the rim. He had a quick burst of speed in a straight line when he did decide to take off. Later, it was his 3-point shooting that was effective. Claybrooks also added 7 assists to his 15 points. 

Cameron Cannon - Lovett - 2027: Cannon showed off his scoring prowess with 18 for the Lions. He’s quick, shifty and can get going in a variety of ways. It was a balanced effort from him with good production coming inside the arc, outside the arc, and from the free-throw line. Cannon is the catalyst for this team. As he heated up, so did everyone else. 

Khalid Worthy - HIES - 2026: Mark Worthy down for another solid performance for the Golden Bears. It was a sneaky one from him tonight. He just did his job down low for another double-digit scoring night and a handful of rebounds. 

Daniel Gadsden - Lovett - 2027: Like Worthy, Gadsden had one of the quietly productive performances of the night. 10 points, 8 rebounds, he was steady for Lovett throughout the game. The 6-foot-5 wing showed his range with a pair of threes. His last one came during Lovett’s furious fourth-quarter comeback. He’s a guy who could take some major steps forward for this team throughout the spring and summer ahead of his senior season. 

Benny Crane - Lovett - 2029: It was a tough spot for a freshman to be in, but Crane didn’t look overwhelmed by the moment. In fact, he seemed to thrive when things got tight. He hit pivotal shots for the Lions as they were trying to get back in it after HIES made a third-quarter run. He finished with 9 points, but they came in moments when Lovett needed them. 

Josh Tec has been covering prep basketball in Georgia and nationally since 2020. He has served myriad roles as a writer and evaluator, including editor-in-chief. Tec has a degree in journalism from Georgia State. Follow his work on X (Twitter) @_joshtec.