Northwest Georgia will be without a participant in the GHSA boys’ basketball playoffs moving forward after the area’s four remaining teams lost Saturday in the Sweet 16.
All four teams — Christian Heritage, Sonoraville, Chattooga and North Murray — fell behind by double digits early, but two managed to make it close in the final quarter before falling.
North Murray (23-4) was close to being run out of the gym at South Atlanta in a Class AA game, trailing 17-5 six minutes in. The Mountaineers, however, used three 3-pointers from Beau Ellis to cut the Hornets’ lead to 34-30 by halftime.
Though coach Tim Ellis’ team never took a lead, the deep, high-pace Mountaineers appeared to be wearing the hosts down as they made it a one-point game on Gavin Pittman’s 3-pointer halfway through the third quarter.
South Atlanta (23-8), though, ended the quarter on a 10-3 run to take a 55-46 lead into the final eight minutes as Diontae Harris and Sedrick Smith combined for eight points.