Griggs basket leads Newnan to win over Douglas County

REGION 3-AAAAAA BASKETBALL

 

Immanuel Griggs’ follow-up of a Doniel Dean miss with 20 seconds remaining in the game led the Newnan Cougars to a 66-64 Region 3-AAAAAA victory over the Douglas County Tigers at the Max Bass Athletic Center Wednesday night.

The win snapped a losing streak by the Cougars who improved to 16-6 on the season and 4-4 in the region while the Tigers fell to 17-5, 5-4.

After Diamond Jones converted a pair of free throws with 26.5 seconds remaining in regulation cut the Cougars’ deficit to 64-63, the Tigers committed turnover and the Cougars took possession with Dean looking to give the latter a come-from-behind win.

Dean, who scored 11 points in the game, drove from the right sideline through the lane and toward the basket with the potential winning shot but it would not fall.

However, the 6-foot-8 Griggs flew through the lane, took the rebound and banked the shot attempt off the glass to give Newnan a 65-64 lead.

Griggs led Newnan in scoring with 18 points.

Douglas County called timeout after the basket and after the inbound pass committed another turnover and Dean took possession with a foul by the visitors to follow.

With 5.2 seconds remaining Dean connected on his first free throw attempt but the second bounced off the rim and the Tigers took possession.

After a timeout, the Tigers inbounded the ball but it sailed past a player who had his back turned to the play and into the waiting arms of Griggs but he would be called for travelling giving the visitors one more chance at regaining the lead with 2.9 seconds remaining.

A Tiger player drove to the basket for the win, but the shot failed and went out of bounds to the Cougars who ran the final second out for the close victory.

In the first period, the Cougars trailed 8-4 with 3:40 remaining when Jones connected on a three-pointer that started a 9-0 run that gave Newnan a 13-8 lead at the end of the stanza.

The lead changed hands several times in the second period as the Tigers relied on the shooting of K’Ja Johnson and Malik Musgrove who combined to score 15 of Douglas County’s 22 points in the frame as they took a 30-26 lead at the half.

Johnson scored 17 points and Musgrove finished with 13 for the Tigers.

In the third period, Johnson had a different scoring partner in Justin Bridges as the duo combined for 14 of the Tigers’ 21 points that allowed them to take a 51-45 lead into the final period despite Griggs and Dean combining for 13 of 19 points scored by the Cougars in the frame.

Bridges led Douglas County with 18 points before fouling out.

In the fourth period, the Tigers continued to lead but turnovers and foul trouble plagued the visitors with the home team taking advantage by converting nine-of-13 free throws during the stanza while converting five field goals after several miscues.

Jannson Williams scored 13 points and Jones scored 10 to help lead the Cougars’ win.

In the girls’ game, the Lady Tigers broke open a close game in the third period as they were 56-31victors.

The Lady Tigers took a 9-2 after the first period, a 24-10 cushion at intermission and a 38-24 lead after three before an 18-7 fourth period sealed the win.

Three players finished in double figures for the Lady Tigers while Metryes Geter led the Lady Cougars with 10 points.

Newnan will host the East Coweta Indians in a region contest between the two county rivals Friday night in a varsity doubleheader.

 

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