Crisp County boys win Region 1-AAA title

ADEL — The Region 1-AAA boys championship game took an extra period to determine a champion.

In the end, Crisp County came up with a huge defensive stop to secure a 73-71 win over Worth County late Friday night to capture the region tournament title and the region’s top seed in the Georgia High School Association Class AAA state tournament that is scheduled to begin Feb. 18.

Worth County earned the region’s second seed and will host a first-round home playoff game.

The Rams took a 51-50 lead with three minutes left after two free throws by Felix Wooden. They extended that lead after a steal which led to a layup by Wooden.

Worth held a four-point led after yet another huge basket by Wooden, this time a corner three with about 45 seconds left. The Cougars answered with two three-point plays down the stretch to cut the lead to one. Worth County head coach Ronney Mays said the Cougars caught them lagging in transition.

“We didn’t get back,” he said. “They got transition baskets on us because we didn’t do a good job of getting back, so they got a clear shot to the basket and it kinda hurt us a little bit because we didn’t keep the guy in front of us.”

Worth hit a few baskets in between but missed key free throws that would’ve allowed them to make it a two-possession game.

Down three with time expiring in regulation, Crisp’s Quentavious Dean got the ball, charged down the court and nailed a three to send the game into overtime. Mays said he tried to keep his team composed heading into the extra period.

“I was trying to keep the kids motivated, let them know that ‘Hey, we can still win the ball game,’ ” he said. “We just gotta believe in ourselves, play defense and do all the things it’s gonna take to win a game.”

A three-point play by Dean put the Cougars up 69-66 with 2:43 left, but the Rams tied it back up after Gavosky Peterson split a pair of free throws and Wooden converted a layup off an outlet pass.

With 46 seconds left, the Cougars came down the court and Quay Walker slipped to the basket for the dunk putting Crisp up 73-71.

With 11 seconds left, Worth had a man cutting to the basket, but Crisp’s Valdis Daniels met him at the rim and blocked the shot off the glass. Crisp came up with the ball and ran the clock out for the win.

Jakobe Nether led the Rams in scoring with 23, followed by Wooden with 20.