Barham’s walk-off single gives Salem emotional win

CONYERS, Ga. - It had been a difficult night for Kevin Barham until the bottom of the ninth rolled around.

Barham shook off a tough night on the mound and at the plate by delivering a walk-off single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, sending Salem to an emotional, 4-3 victory over Lanier in Region 8-AAAAA play.

The Seminoles loaded the bases in the ninth, which began with Ndiayemon Harrison’s bloop single to center field. After a strike out, Jason Howell drew a walk and Akil Baddoo bunted for a hit. David Paul induced a force out at the plate when Yorel James bounced to second base, but couldn’t get out No. 3 as Barham took an 0-1 pitch and hit a flare over second, sending Howell home with the game-winner.

“We had an opportunity and (Barham) took advantage of it,” said first-year Salem coach Bobby Link. “It’s a team effort. The kids right now are working their tails off, they really want to be successful. Everybody’s contributing, everybody’s doing a job.”

Salem had its first dramatic scoring rally in the seventh against reliever Schulyer Pugh. Down to its last two outs, Harrison reached on a throwing error by third baseman Anthony Valvo and two batters later, Howell lifted a sacrifice fly to left field and the game was tied at 3-3.

Barham, who in his first three trips to the plate struck out twice and popped up to the catcher on a drag bunt attempt, sacrificed James to second with one out in the bottom of the eighth. Paul walked Jordan Johnson, but struck out Kelvin Walker and got Braxton Hogan to line out softly to second to end that threat.

Salem’s bullpen was fantastic in relief of Barham, who started and allowed three earned runs and though he struck out six, also walked five in 3 2/3 innings. Harrison pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, then gave way to James in the seventh. The southpaw got a big caught stealing of Cameron Coursey after the Lanier second baseman reached on a felder’s choice with one out in the seventh, and he struck out the side to work around Cole Dudley’s infield single with one out in the eighth. Lanier didn’t get a runner to second base after the fourth inning.

Salem took the first lead of the night in the bottom of the first. Harrison singled to open the frame, was sacrificed to second and stole third. Lanier starter Will Johnston struck out Barham for what should’ve been the third out, but the pitch went to the backstop and Harrison raced home to put the Seminoles up 1-0.

Johnston also battled control problems at times as the left-hander walked four, but didn’t allow an earned run in four innings of work.

Lanier got all its runs in the third, despite Barham striking out the first two batters of the inning. C.J. Wismer, Coursey and Valvo drew two-out walks in consecutive plate appearances, and Wismer later scored on a Barham wild pitch to tie the game at 1-1. Chandler Burrow followed by lacing a two-run double up the alley in right-center field and the Longhorns went up 3-1.

Dudley singled to open the fourth and Lanier eventually loaded the bases on walks to Riley Terry (Barham’s final batter of the night) and Wismer. Harrison got Coursey to fly out harmlessly to left field to put an end to the Sugar Hill school’s last threat of the game.

Salem scratched together a single run in the fifth, thanks to a mental mistake by Dudley at first. Harrison was hit by a pitch to start the inning and moved to second on an errant pick off throw by Pugh. Howell hit a ground ball to Dudley, who was indecisive about whether he wanted to try and get Harrison, who had stopped about half way up the third base line, or record the out at first. He got neither as Howell was safe at first and Harrison scored to make it 3-2.

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Forest Park girls eliminate Salem in AAAAA hoops quarters

FOREST PARK, Ga. - Blessed with a second chance, Forest Park’s Kerry Watson made the most of it. As a result, the Panthers are headed back to the final four.

Watson’s two free throws with five seconds to play were the difference Tuesday as the Panthers defeated Salem 31-29 in the Class AAAAA quarterfinals. Region 4 champion Forest Park (27-4) will play in the state semifinals for the third consecutive year and fifth time in six seasons, this weekend against the winner of Sequoyah-Stephenson.

Salem (22-9), which was appearing in the Elite 8 for the second consecutive year, had pulled even at 29-29 when after a Forest Park offensive foul, Shay Tarver drained a 3-pointer with 1:22 to play.

Forest Park held for the last shot, but Watson was guarded by Tarver and was hit with a five-second call and the Seminoles took over possession. They gave it right back as Tarver tried to save an errant pass, but the ball was stolen by Kanisha Tharpe. Tarver fouled Watson and the senior guard hit the front end of the one-and-one, then the back end, and Tarver’s desperation heave from about 35 feet away bounced off the rim as time expired.

The game was tied at 24-24 heading into the fourth before Alexius High hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key for Forest Park and Tarver answered with a short jumper with 5:15 to play. The Panthers went ahead 29-26 on Watson’s strong drive and lay-in with two and a half minutes to go.

Region 8 champion Salem, which had never been to the quarterfinals until last season, finally grabbed what turned out to be its only lead of the night when with 1:19 remaining in the third Ayanna Mitchell grabbed a loose ball and hit a bucket to put the Seminoles up 24-23. That was the only field goal for the LSU-bound Mitchell, who finished with just three points.

Makayla Whitfield had four easy lay-ups for all eight of her points, including a pair early in the third that allowed Salem to tie things up at 16-16. Watson and Tharpe each scored five points in the quarter and Tharpes’ lay-up at the 2:40 mark handed Forest Park a 23-19 lead. Tarver was fouled from behind the three-point line at the other end and knocked down all three charity shots, which came a half-minute before Mitchell’s bucket.

It was a tale of two quarters during the opening half with Salem storming back from an early deficit to make it a one-possession game at halftime.

Forest Park built a 12-1 lead after one quarter, thanks to a Tamecia Blue floater in the lane that the 5-5 guard got over the out-stretched arm of the 5-10 Mitchell, and a pair of 3-pointers from High. The last three came with 2:11 to play and gave the Panthers’ that 11-point cushion, but it was the Clayton County school’s defense in the opening eight minutes that was most impressive.

The Panthers forced eight turnovers in the first, many from Tarver, who had a bit of trouble getting the ball up the court, but also appeared to be the victim of non-foul calls on a handful of possessions.

Tarver took whatever frustrations she had out on the basket at the start of the second quarter. She banked in a floater from the foul line for the Conyers school’s first field goal of the night 12 seconds into the period, then added a put back off a Paris Scott miss and a 3-pointer, which pulled the Seminoles to within 14-8 midway through the period.

Tharpe drained a jumper at the 6:53 mark that put the hosts up 14-3, but Forest Park went scoreless for the remainder of the half. Whitfield hit her first two lay-ups within the final two minutes of the half and Salem trailed just 14-12 at the break.

Tarver, an unsigned senior, led all scorers with 15 points. All but four of Forest Park’s points came from the trio of Watson, Tharpe and High, who scored nine each.

Salem girls basketball team moves on to Sweet 16

CONYERS, Ga. - It wasn’t easy, but the Salem girls basketball team is moving on to the Sweet 16.

Ayanna Mitchell scored 27 points to lead three in double figures as the Seminoles defeated River Ridge 49-40 in the first round of the Class AAAAA state playoffs on Tuesday.

Salem (21-8), which has won eight consecutive games, will host Region 2 runner-up Cross Creek in Friday’s round of 16.

Leonor Nickell, who led the visitors from Woodstock with 15 points, hit a 3-pointer with 3:25 to play in the game that sliced Salem’s lead in half to 40-37. The deciding stretch followed and Salem got some separation thanks to a pair of River Ridge turnovers.

After the first miscue, Shay Tarver got to the free-throw line, and though she missed the front end of a 1-and-1 situation, Mitchell corralled the rebound and her put back made it 42-37. After the second River Ridge turnover, Tarver again went to the line and missed the first charity shot and Mitchell had a nearly-identical put back and it was a seven-point game with 1:27 left.

River Ridge, the No. 4 seed from Region 7 which has appeared in the state playoffs in all five years of its existence, got as close as 44-39 when Nickell converted a lay-up at the 1:09 mark, but Mitchell added another put back to make things a bit more comfortable the Conyers school.

Mitchell’s offensive rebound turned into a three-point play with five and a half minutes left in the third and gave the Seminoles their largest lead of the night at 28-18.

Sydney Rodie hit a three and had a conventional three-point play during a 10-3 run for River Ridge, getting the visitors to within 31-28 with a little more than a minute to play in the quarter. That come back happened in large part to Mitchell picking up her fourth foul with three and a half minutes left. The LSU signee didn’t check back in until the 4:16 mark of the fourth, which followed a nice Tarver drive and scoop shot and a 3-pointer by Paris Scott that put Salem up 38-32.

After neither team could get anything going in the opening quarter, things picked up in the second.

Salem took its first lead of the night at 8-6 when a steal led to Mitchell’s put back at the 7:23 mark. Though the Knights immediately tied the game on a nice Rodie-to-Nickell lay-in on an inbounds pass, then took a 10-8 lead on a bucket by Faith Arthur, the cushion was brief.

Mitchell scored seven of her 13 first-half points over the final six minutes, and Tarver picked up her first points of the night on a 3-point play with 1:52 to go that put Salem ahead 19-14. River Ridge got to within one possession on a long 2-pointer from Katie Popp, but Mitchell hit a free throw and Scott drained a 3-pointer in the corner that sent the Seminoles into the halftime locker room with a 23-16 lead.

Nickell scored all six River Ridge points in the first quarter as the Woodstock school led 6-4 after one. Nickell picked up a costly, third foul when Tarver drove right past the junior forward for the lay-in that turned into the three-point play.

Tarver added 11 points and Scott, 10 for Salem, which will be trying to get back to the Elite 8 for the second consecutive season after never getting to that point before 2013.

Jordan, Brown too much for Seminoles

CONYERS, Ga. - Things didn’t go well for Rockdale Friday against Tucker, but a day later, the Conyers school got back to its winning ways. Jalen Jordan scored 22 points to lead a quartet of players in double figures as the Bulldogs overwhelmed Salem 75-48.

Friday’s 59-38 loss snapped a seven-game winning streak for Rockdale (14-6), but stepping out of region play for the Saturday matinee, Jordan made sure there wouldn’t be a losing streak.

The unsigned junior guard hit a trio of 3-pointers over a three and a half minute stretch at the end of the first and beginning of the second quarters. The last trifecta made it 24-17, and Conner Ferrell followed with a 3-pointer of his own and the Bulldogs capped a 9-0 run and led 27-17 with about five minutes to go until halftime.

Salem (9-10) never truly got back in the game, though it was still just a 46-35 deficit midway through the third. Jordan followed with a put back off a missed dunk by Ferrell, then Dwayne Brown had a strong drive and reverse lay-up and went 3-of-4 from the free-throw line and Rockdale built a 15-point cushion.

Jordan knocked down the last of his six 3-pointers, and Brown, who finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds, added two easy buckets and the Rockdale lead was 65-40 at the 3:25 mark of the fourth. Ferrell added 11 points and Ray Washington had 10 of his 12 points in the first half to help pace Rockdale.

“I am just happy that our guys were able to bounce back from that crushing loss to Tucker (Friday),” said Bulldogs coach Tyrone King. “I think Dwayne Brown did an excellent job on the glass tonight. When he is playing at the top of his game I don’t think many teams can stop us. We really stepped it up defensively (Saturday).”

Salem, which saw its two-game winning streak come to an end, was led by Chandler Davis’ 11 points.

The Salem girls got 22 points from Shay Tarver and broke open a close game with a late-third quarter run in defeating Rockdale 51-39 in the first game of the afternoon.

Rockdale (6-12), which dropped its eighth consecutive game, got as close as it would be the entire game at 30-29 after Sydney Fields’ foul line jumper with 3:35 to go in the third. Fields and Dazjai McDonald had four points each during a 12-5 stretch that erased the Bulldogs’ eight-point deficit, but Salem quickly built back its cushion.

Daijah Whitfield converted a lay-up and Paris Scott knocked down consecutive 3-pointers and it was a 38-31 game. Tarver closed a nine-point quarter with two free throws and Salem led 42-31 heading into the final period.

In the fourth, Rockdale pulled to within 46-39 when Fields capped her team-high 13-point day with a free throw, but the visitors from across town wouldn’t score again.

Salem (13-7), which snapped a brief, two-game losing streak, built a big lead with a dominant opening quarter. Rockdale didn’t convert a field goal in the first, while Tarver immediately got to work, hitting a corner three and a off-hand lay-in and the Seminoles went up 12-1 five and a half minutes in.

The Seminoles’ largest lead of the first half was at 16-3 when Rosie Kyles assisted on Saaliyah Greene’s jumper, then Kyles had a lay-in in the early stages of the second. Rockdale’s Alexia Bryant came off the bench and had a put back to seal a 9-2 run and make it an 18-12 game with 3:23 left, and that was the margin at the half.

Salem was playing without LSU signee Ayanna Mitchell, who injured her elbow earlier in the week and also didn’t play in Friday’s loss to Loganville.

Toney dominant in Heritage shut out of Salem

CONYERS, Ga. - Opponents of the Heritage softball team may have watched the departure of Kierra Camp after the 2013 season and think 2014 would provide a better opportunity to score runs against the Patriots. So far, that hasn’t been the case.

New staff ace Kamryn Toney continued her dazzling junior season, tossing a complete game, two-hit shut out in Heritage’s 8-0 victory in five innings over Salem Wednesday.

In a game that was a makeup for a September 4 postponement, Toney, who was the No. 2 pitcher behind Camp (now at Georgia Southern) a year ago, allowed two singles in the top of the first, then was unhittable for the remainder of the night.

That opening inning saw Mary Beth Mosley reach on an infield single and move up to second when Peyton Mitchell’s towering fly ball fell behind centerfielder Jamiya Barker at the base of the fence for a single. That put runners at first and second with one out, but Toney got a fielder’s choice groundout and struck out C.C. McCullum to end the threat. Toney struck out the side in the second, and in her final three innings of work got three comebackers and an infield pop up to go along with five of her 10 strikeouts to polish off the abbreviated gem.

Heritage, which jumped on top of Salem 1-0 with a first-inning run in the rain-suspended game, doubled that run total in the home half of the first Wednesday. Facing starter and losing pitcher, Mosley, Barker led off with a fly ball that McCullum played into a triple in center field when she misjudged the ball and fell down. Two batters later, Morgan Whiten’s squeeze bunt chased home Barker and Destiny Herrera followed that with an RBI-groundout to put the Patriots up 2-0.

The host Patriots ran into three outs on the basepaths - twice when runners left early in steal attempts, Ta’lor Bynum was called out for being out of the batter’s box on a second-inning bunt attempt and pinch-runner Glory Seay being thrown out on a steal attempt in the third - but they still tacked on runs against Mosley in each of the final three frames.

Herrera had a sacrifice fly and Toney’s squeeze bunt brought in another run, making it a 4-0 game in the third. An inning later, Bynum opened with a walk and stole second, later scoring on Mosley’s wild pitch. Barker was hit by a pitch and on a throwing error by third baseman Mariah Briney, who otherwise had an excellent game defensively, came around to score the sixth run. Mosley didn’t get an out in the fifth as the Patriots walked off on Herrera’s walk, Toney’s double and a two-run single from Paige Owens.

Photo: Heritage hurler Kamryn Toney delivers a pitch to Mariah Briney of Salem in Wednesday’s game. 

'Noles hang on to top Heritage

CONYERS, Ga. - Gerald Walker had a pair of touchdown passes and Salem defeated rival Heritage 19-14 Friday in the Region 8-AAAAA opener at Seminole Stadium.

The win, which evened the Seminoles’ record at 1-1, snapped a four-game losing streak in the series, while Heritage is off to its first 0-2 start since 2009.

“I think for the first time since I’ve been here, we’ve got a signature win,” said fifth-year Salem coach John Starr, whose teams had been outscored 96-42 in the four losses to its crosstown rival. “We’re definitely not satisfied with one win.”

Salem went ahead for good with about six minutes to go in the third quarter. Blessed with excellent field position at their own 42, Walker completed all three of his passes on a quick, four-play drive, including a 17-yard scoring strike to Kanome McIntosh that made it 19-14.

A wild final 18 minutes ensued.

Walker fumbled twice, once at the end of the third and the last of which gave Heritage the ball at its own 35-yard line with about three minutes to go in the game. Heritage quarterback David Turner gave it right back on a scramble when he was hit by Darius Crowder and the fumble was recovered by David Britain. Salem tried to run the clock out, but after not moving the ball at all on three plays, punter D.J. Carter couldn’t handle a low snap on fourth-and-10 and took off and was soon tackled behind the line of scrimmage.

The last possession of the game included a fumble by Turner, which would’ve been a sack for Zaayid Cooper and essentially put an end to the game, but the ball was advanced upfield and recovered by Heritage’s Joseph Dorsey for a first down. With no timeouts remaining and the clock winding down, Turner was nearly sacked on a second down scramble, and after getting free, threw a ball into the end zone that Anthony Stanley nearly caught as time expired.

Heritage had taken a 14-13 lead with seven and a half minutes to play in the third. In the eight-play drive, Blade Reid had a 29-yard scamper to the Salem 6 and Stanley carried the ball on the other seven plays, including a seven-yard scoring run.

Walker hooked up with Robby Cyrus on a 67-yard, second-quarter touchdown for the first score of the night.

“Robby came out of the backfield (and) it was a great pass,” Starr said. “Gerald threw that about as good as it could be thrown.”

Heritage evened things up on Reid’s 13-yard touchdown run early in the second, and Salem re-took the lead when Tristan Hernandez had a nice fake on a pitch and scored from 13 yards to make it a 13-7 game with about six minutes left in the opening half.

Mitchell verbally commits to LSU

Ayanna Mitchell has made her collegiate decision.

The Salem High School basketball standout, who will begin her senior season later this year, has verbally committed to play at LSU.

Mitchell made official visits to LSU, Houston and Miami (Florida) before choosing the Baton Rouge school. Salem coach Rochone Dilligard added Mitchell had interest from Louisville and Florida State, but believes the 6-2 guard/forward combo is best suited to be Tiger.

“She’s been very diligent in that process (and) I think LSU is probably the best overall fit for her academically, athletically, socially, and all those kinds of things,” said Dilligard. “Ayanna has been good at evaluating everything academically and athletically…she wants to go into being a sports trainer. She is a 3.6 GPA kid, so she is obviously well-equipped academically.”

Dilligard is also quite familiar with Mitchell’s future college coach, Nikki Caldwell, whose been at LSU since 2011 and has taken the Tigers to the Sweet 16 the past two seasons. The two played together at the University of Tennessee from 1991-1994.

“I do know the hands that she’s going into, I know coach Caldwell. (LSU is) very family oriented, they take care of their players,” Dilligard said. “Nikki’s a great coach, they’ve got a great coaching staff. (Mitchell is) going to continue to get better.”

After what figures to be another successful season at Salem - the Seminoles are coming off the first state quarterfinal appearance in the program’s history - Mitchell will be making a huge leap into Southeastern Conference play, widely regarded as the finest conference in Division 1 women’s basketball.

“It is a great conference to play in, she’s going to be meeting talented athletes every day,” Dilligard said. “Not only that, it kind of fits her makeup as far as what she’s able to do on the floor. She’s able to play with her back to the basket, and face up and…be able to run that floor. That’s where she’s really going to make her mark.”

Perhaps Mitchell’s greatest strength on the court is her ability to collect offensive rebounds, a style of play Dilligard thinks will translate well to the SEC.

“She’s great on offensive rebounds, a lot of those SEC teams, they pride themselves on that,” Dilligard said. “She wants to be the best and she wants to play against the best. I’m excited for Ayanna.”

Newton’s Calloway leads summer team to win in tourney opener

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. - If the GBSA Sox are to contend for a championship in the World Wood Bat 16-under Tournament, Mason Calloway figures to have a prominent role. For the Newton High School rising junior and the Sox, things got off to a great start Friday morning.

Calloway pitched 3 1/3 effective innings to pick up the win and he scored what turned out to be the winning in a 5-2 victory in six innings over Team Rawlings Citius in the opener of pool play at Banneker High School.

GBSA, a team based out of Decatur, played its second pool game Friday against MAP Baseball in a game that ended too late for this edition.

Calloway was the catalyst on the mound and at the plate in the opener. The left-hander had just one difficult stretch when he allowed four consecutive baserunners and Team Rawlings’ only runs of the day on a run-scoring double by Walker Tolar and a double play ball that made it a 2-0 game. Calloway also induced a big double play on a line out by Tyler Bielamowicz to help him get out of the third, then got what looked to be his third double play ball in the fourth. After GBSA got the force out at second base on Noberto Cervantes’ ground ball, Cervantes was called safe at first on the return throw by shortstop Isreal Zackery (Heritage High School). Javon Russell relieved and the right-hander got a pair of strikeouts to end the threat.

GBSA trailed 2-1 before taking the lead for good with a four-run bottom of the third. Tyler Grant led off the inning with a walk and Calloway, who batted leadoff Friday, followed with the first of his two infield singles. A misplay by Team Rawlings’ starter and losing pitcher Hunter Edwards on Myles Smith’s bunt, which turned out to be Edwards’ last batter, loaded the bases, then reliever Marshall Skinner hit Jaquez Williams with a pitch, forcing in Grant with the tying run. Salem High School’s Jason Howell followed with an RBI-groundout that chased home Calloway to put GBSA ahead to stay at 3-2.

Russell and Smith worked in and out of trouble in both the fifth and sixth to help preserve the win. Russell allowed a single to Skinner and walked Justin Mora with two outs in the fifth, but got the last of his three strikeouts against Ethan Cherry to avoid any harm. In the sixth, GBSA turned its third double play to empty the bases with two outs (Zackery was involved in each of the twin killings) before Russell walked Cervantes. Smith also issued a walk on his first batter, to Marcus Cantu that brought Tolar to the plate as the tying run, but the Team Rawlings’ third baseman struck out looking to end the game.

Rockdale grad sets A-Sun track and field record

Kree Clark is once again a conference champion in track and field.

The sophomore at Jacksonville University won two individual titles, setting the Atlantic Sun Conference record in one, as the Dolphins won their ninth consecutive team championship at the league’s outdoor finals this weekend in Jacksonville.

Clark, a 2012 Rockdale graduate, threw a 179-11 in the hammer throw, besting a 176-8 mark that was set by Central Florida’s Tiffany Roebuck in 2004.

She followed that with an individual crown in the discus throw (167-03), her second consecutive league title in that event after breaking the conference record with a 167-06 throw as a freshman. She was also seventh in the shot put at 41-01.75.

Clark came into the weekend as the league’s reigning field performer of the week-her third such award of the season-after she threw a then-school-record 170-00 in the hammer throw at the FSU Seminole Twilight Meet on May 9. That wasn’t good enough for the Conyers native, who was a huge reason why the Dolphins continued their dominance outdoors.

The Kennesaw State womens team finished just two points back of Jacksonville (203.5 to 201.5) and former Heritage standout Jazzalyn Daniels had a lot to do with it.

Daniels, a sophomore, competed in seven heptathlon events with her top finishes coming in the 200-meters (third at 26.28) and javelin throw (fifth at 99-01). Alyxandra Pinkston, a sophomore from Salem, finished sixth in both the 200-meters (24.64) and 400-meters (57.22) for the Owls.

Kennesaw State’s mens team ran away with its second consecutive league title (311 to runner-up East Tennessee State’s 178.5) and Rockdale graduate and sophomore Dorian Powell-Harris placed sixth in the 400-hurdles at 54.31.

Pats beat ‘Noles on diamond for 9th straight time

Heritage continued its dominance over Salem on the baseball field Friday. Matt Studdard tossed a complete game, seven-hitter as Heritage defeated Salem for the ninth consecutive time, 6-1 at Danny Blue Field.

Salem (7-13, 2-8 Region 8-AAAAA), which coughed up a one-run lead late in Wednesday’s loss to Heritage, hasn’t defeated their county rival since March, 2010.

Studdard had a shut out going until Akil Baddoo ripped a two-out solo home run in the sixth. The sophomore right-hander settled back in and struck out Ryan Read looking to end the sixth, then got a game-ending double play in the seventh to help hand Heritage (15-6, 9-3) its sixth consecutive win.

The hosts’ defense helped out as Salem had a pair of runners erased on the base paths.

With runners at the corners and one out in the fourth, Read flied out to center field and Ryan Sutton made a perfect, one-hop throw to the plate that was in plenty of time to get Jordan Johnson for the third out.

An inning later, the Seminoles had two on with two outs when Tiwuan Head hit a ball that shortstop Isreal Zackery made a diving stop on in the hole between third and shortstop. While his throw seemed to pull Zack Boss off the bag at second, Jordan Scott was called out on the force play to retire the side.

The host Patriots manufactured the first run of the game, jumping on top of their rivals in the bottom of the first. Sutton led off the inning with a sharp single, stole second and moved to third when catcher Rocky Mauriello’s throw scooted through the legs of Johnson at second base. Tyler Holcombe followed with a suicide squeeze bunt and Sutton scored easily for a 1-0 lead.

Heritage chased an ineffective Head from the game in the second. Head, who started and went just 1 2/3 innings, surrendered a single to Justin Roberson and a four-pitch walk to Anthony Williams, while a throwing error by second baseman Ndiayemon Harrison loaded the bases with one out. Sutton polished off an eight-pitch at bat with a two-run single and after pinch-runner Justin Jackson and Sutton pulled off a double steal, Jackson scored on Holcombe’s sacrifice fly to make it a 4-0 game.

Kevin Barham relieved Head in the second and got an inning-ending ground out to strand Sutton at third. The freshman left-hander then pitched three scoreless innings before Heritage added a pair of runs in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Jalen Jackson and Domenic Bazzani’s infield single that scored Sutton to make it 6-1.

Big seventh sends Pats to fifth straight win

CONYERS, Ga. - Salem was three outs away from a victory over Heritage Wednesday when the teams took the field for the top of the seventh. Unfortunately for the Seminoles, their crosstown rival wasn’t quite finished.

Heritage erased a one-run deficit with a six-run seventh and won 8-4 in a Region 8-AAAAA game. It was the fifth consecutive victory for the Patriots (14-6, 8-3) and the eighth straight in the series (Salem last won in March, 2010), but it didn’t come easy.

Salem (7-12, 2-7) had grabbed its one-run lead, thanks to a sixth-inning rally that chased Heritage starter Domenic Bazzani from the game. Bazzani got the last of his six strikeouts to start the frame, but then hit Jason Howell with a pitch and gave up Jordan Johnson’s double, which ended the left-hander’s night and tied the game at 2-2.

Facing reliever Ryan Sutton, Akil Baddoo, who had entered the game as a first baseman in the top of the sixth, delivered a single that scored Johnson for a 3-2 lead.

Salem starter Rocky Mauriello had allowed just one earned run and was in line for the victory when he walked Anthony Williams to start the seventh and was lifted for right-handed reliever Ryan Read. Things didn’t go well for Read as he walked Sutton and Tyler Holcombe reached when Cary Campbell made a poor throw from third base.

That loaded the bases and Austin New, who had come into the game to play right field when Bazzani was lifted in the sixth, ripped a line drive back through the middle, which chased home Williams and Sutton and put the red-hot Patriots up for the rest of the night.

Isreal Zackery followed with a single to make it a 5-3 game. Heritage attempted eight bunts over the seven innings (five either allowed the batter to reach base, or scored in a run) and the last two bunts - a sacrifice by Matt Studdard and Justin Roberson’s squeeze bunt that scored Zackery, along with a run-scoring single by George Moll helped Heritage pull away.

The Salem defense faltered in the top of the sixth and that allowed Heritage to take their first lead of the night.

In a 1-1 game and with runners at first and second (Bazzani and Zackery had drawn consecutive walks to open the inning) and no outs, Studdard’s sacrifice was fielded by Campbell, but in attempting to get the lead runner, pinch-runner Austin New, at third, his throw sailed into left field and New scored the go-ahead run.

Salem put together a two-out rally in the bottom of the first to get to Bazzani with the game’s initial run.

Jordan Scott walked and Tiwuan Head followed with a high fly ball that Freddie Bryant nearly caught against the left field wall, but the ball fell in and Scott scored to put the hosts up 1-0.

The Seminoles tried to add to the lead when a wild pitch moved pinch-runner Braxton Hogan to third and Howell walked and stole second. Bazzani struck out Jordan Johnson to end the inning.

Heritage broke through with the tying run without the benefit of a hit in the top of the third.

Moll drew a lead off walk, and after a sacrifice and a throwing error by Johnson at shortstop, runners were at the corners with one out. Holcombe laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt that scored Moll to even things up at 1-1.


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Tucker bounces Salem from state tournament

TUCKER, Ga. - Only one team was going to make a brand-new kind of history in Thursday’s game between Salem and Tucker. And with the way the hosts were playing defense, it was just a matter of time before Tucker was adding a page to the record books.

Tucker forced 14 turnovers in each half and held Salem to just 12 made field goals in a 55-39 victory in the Class AAAAA quarterfinals.

Tucker (27-4), in the Elite 8 for the third time since 2004, advanced to the program’s first final four since 1978 when the DeKalb County school lost to eventual state champion Lowndes in the Class AAA semifinals. The finest season in Salem history, which included Thursday’s first-ever trip to the quarterfinals, ended at 25-4.

It was still a winnable game for Salem with 3 1/2 minutes to go in the fourth. Paris Scott came off the bench and banked in a 3-pointer, capping a 13-2 run and getting the visiting Seminoles to within 43-35 at the 3:32 mark. But Salem couldn’t pull any closer than that.

Tucker followed with a huge possession. Erykah Davenport was fouled and hit the first of two free throws for the last of her game-high 17 points. When Davenport missed the second shot, Naima Jackson grabbed the rebound and was also fouled, hitting both charity shots to make it a 46-35 game with 3:12 to go.

Salem’s main three offensive threats struggled for much of the game, contributing heavily to one of the Seminoles’ lowest point totals of the season. Taylor King, who played what turned out to be her last game in a Salem uniform, was averaging 11 points in two state tournament games, but was held to just two points. Ayanna Mitchell, one of the finest unsigned juniors in the state, was held to just nine points and didn’t register her first and only field goal until a lay up with 39 seconds left and the game well out of hand.

Shay Tarver, who has played through an ankle injury since the Region 8-AAAAA Tournament, had seven points after averaging 12 through the first two rounds. The Seminoles also struggled from the foul line, hitting just 12 of 26 attempts from the stripe.

Jennifer Tindi, another senior, picked up some of the offensive slack early on and kept Salem in the game, thanks to her prowess on the offensive glass in the opening period.

The Seminoles had four made field goals in the first, three of which came on Tindi put backs, including two straight in the final 38 seconds that got the visitors to within 16-9 heading to the second quarter.

Tucker still held a 20-9 cushion when the region 6 runner-up went cold offensively.

The Tigers went 5:43 without a point, but Salem didn’t take advantage enough. King had her only bucket and was fouled, but missed the free throw, and Tindi, Tarver and Rosie Kyles each followed with a 1 for 2 trip to the line and it was a 20-15 game with just under two minutes until halftime.

Tucker got it together late in the first half. Jackson’s steal and assist on Jemilla Flanagan’s lay up was the first of five straight points that heaped the Tigers build a 25-15 halftime lead.

Thanks to a combined 11 points from Davenport and Tori Robinson in the third, Tucker built a lead as large as 19 points. Tarver made a difficult runner in the lane and followed with a fall-away jumper that helped the Seminoles close the period down 41-24. Salem extended its run at the start of the fourth, thanks to a three from Kyles (game-high nine points) and a combined 3 for 5 trip to the line from Mitchell and Tarver. Tarver picked up her last two fouls 13 seconds apart, which preceded Scott’s entrance into the game and her wild three that made it an eight-point game.

Salem didn’t score until Kyles knocked down a 3-pointer at the 5:47 mark of the opening quarter. Davenport scored 11 first-quarter points and the Tucker defense forced 10 turnovers in the opening quarter and led 16-5 at the two-minute mark.

Story at rockdalecitizen.com

Salem girls advance to first Elite 8 in school history

CONYERS, Ga. - The Salem girls basketball team was down for nearly the entirety of the first three quarters Monday in the Class AAAAA second round. But once the Conyers school got the lead, it never trailed again.

Taylor King scored all eight of her points in the fourth quarter and the Salem defense held visiting Kell to just five second-half field goals in a 42-32 victory.

Salem (25-3) made history with the victory, advancing to the Elite 8 for the first time in school history. It wasn’t easy as Kell, the No. 4 seed from Region 7, led for the first 23:54 of the game.

Jennifer Tindi took an inbounds pass and converted a lay up with six seconds to play in the third quarter, giving the region 8 runner-up Seminoles their first cushion at 25-24. Kell (13-17) pulled even at 27-27 on Judea Johnson’s 3-pointer at the 6:06 mark of the fourth, but Ayanna Mitchell had a bucket to get Salem started on an 8-0 run that put the game away.

“Halftime, everybody had the same mindset, ‘we’re not going to lose at home,’ said Mitchell, who led all scorers with 15 points. “We knew we were about to make history.”

Now the Seminoles, who were 0-2 all-time in the round of 16 coming into the night, will travel to either region 7 champion Osborne or to region 6 runner-up Tucker, which would be a rematch of last year’s second round game in Conyers won by the Tigers.

“I’m just happy for the kids, they have worked so hard,” said Salem coach Rochone Dilligard. “We knew where they were (after the loss to Tucker) and where they wanted to be.”

Salem played one of its worst halves of the season and trailed by seven at halftime.

Kell didn’t make a single substitution in the opening half and led throughout. Brittany Stocus had four early points and the Kell defense held Salem to one field goal in the first. Mitchell, who scored Salem’s first points at the 3:42 mark of the opening quarter, drained a 3-pointer late in the first, then had a put back 32 seconds into the second that got the Seminoles to within 8-7.

That was as close as Salem would get in the half as the Longhorns made three 3-pointers in the second - two coming from Johnson - and the Cobb County school held a 19-12 advantage at the break.

Salem finally got a basket from someone other than Mitchell (nine first-half points) when Rosie Kyles knocked down a 3-pointer with 2 1/2 minutes to play in the half, allowing Salem to climb to within 17-12.

The visiting Longhorns still held a 22-17 cushion in the third when Santavia Grant had three of her team-high 12 points with 3:16 to play. Shay Tarver, who was playing her second full game since injuring an ankle in the region quarterfinals, had consecutive buckets to make it a 22-21 game. Onyx Henderson hit a basket for Kell, but Kyles grabbed an offensive rebound in the paint and banked in a short jumper, which preceded Tindi’s lay up on a perfect feed from Tarver on the inbounds pass.

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Clarke upsets Salem girls in region final

It was quite an anniversary for the Clarke Central girls basketball team Wednesday.

Addie McNeely hit two huge 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and second-seeded Clarke Central defeated top seed Salem 38-35 in the Region 8-AAAAA championship game at Loganville High School.

The victory not only signified Clarke’s first region title since the 2010-2011 team defeated Flowery Branch in the Region 8-AAAA final exactly three years ago to the day on February 19, 2011, but it avenged a loss to the Seminoles in last year’s league championship game and put an end to Salem’s nearly-three month-long 21-game winning streak.

Clarke Central (18-4) will host the No. 4 seed from Region 6-AAAAA in the first round of this weekend’s Class AAAAA State Tournament, while Salem (23-3), which suffered its first defeat since November 23 against Columbia, entertains the league’s No. 3 seed.

Salem had gotten to within three points on a pair of free throws by Taylor King with 4:48 to play in the game. After a Clarke free throw, McNeely, who came into the fourth without a point, calmly knocked down a three to push the Gladiators’ lead out to 31-24.

Ayanna Mitchell, who following the title game was named the league’s player of the year, was nearly a one-woman show for the Seminoles in the final quarter. She had seven straight Salem points, including a lay up and free throw that cut the deficit to 35-31 with a minute to play. McNeely struck again, draining a three to make it a 38-31 game. Clarke let Salem hang around, missing the front end of a 1-and-1 on two occasions, while Mitchell, who finished with a game-high 16 points, had two more baskets, the last of which made it 38-35 with five seconds to go.

Salem struggled mightily in the opening half, yet found themselves trailing by just six at halftime.

The Seminoles got early put backs from Jennifer Tindi and Mitchell and a jumper by King at the 3:19 mark of the opening quarter, but that was the final field goal of the half for the defending champions. While the Seminoles scored just three more points before the half - on a combined 3 of 6 effort from the free throw line - and went the final 11:19 of the half without a basket, Clarke got 3-pointers from Tyra Thompson, Jazmin Bell and Fredricka Sheets to go into the half-time locker room up 17-11.

Tindi finally broke the scoreless spell with a lay up at the 5:45 mark of the third, which got the Seminoles to within 19-13.

Salem point guard Shay Tarver, who suffered a left ankle injury in the quarterfinal win over Heritage and didn’t play in the semifinals against Loganville, checked in to the game for the first time and made an immediate impact, draining a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 38 seconds left in the third that got Salem to within 23-18 heading into the final period.

Markia Lester, who along with McNeely and Jasmin Bell were named to the all-region team, paced Clarke with 12 points. King and Tarver joined Mitchell on the all-league team, while Salem coach Rochone Dilligard was named the league’s coach of the year.

The Salem boys never trailed and overwhelmed Gainesville 67-50 in the third-place game of the Region 8-AAAAA Tournament earlier in the night.

Salem (9-19), which had already qualified for the state playoffs for a school-record fourth straight season with its quarterfinal victory over Heritage, bounced back from a disappointing loss to Apalachee in Tuesday’s semifinals.

In a rematch of last season’s region championship game, the No. 7 seed Seminoles did it with defense - forcing 19 Gainesville turnovers - and a balanced scoring effort that saw five players score at least seven points, led by Austin Samuel (14 points) and Demyon Greenwood (10 points and seven rebounds).

It was a 14-point halftime lead for Salem, and a 41-29 advantage three minutes into the third before the Conyers school pulled away.

Starting with a Quintavius Byrd 3-pointer and including baskets from six different players, Salem had an 18-4 spurt that made it a 59-33 game with 30 seconds to go in the period.

Samuel was effective at the close of each of the first two quarters, allowing Salem to build a double-digit cushion it wouldn’t relinquish.

In the first, the junior wing hit a jumper and a 3-pointer, which put the Seminoles up 16-4 at the 3 1/2-minute mark. Gainesville got as close as 25-17 in the second on a pair of free throws from Luke Maddox (team-high 13 points), but Salem scored 12 of the last 18 points of the half, five of which came from Samuel, and led 37-23 at the break.

Salem got off to a fast start, jumping out to a 10-0 lead two minutes into the game. Kristopher Bridgeman converted a nice runner in the lane for two of his eight points, Samuel had a dunk and Greenwood scored half of his eight first-half points during the game-opening spurt.

It took fifth-seeded Gainesville 2 1/2 minutes to score its first basket, getting Rodney Lackey’s bucket with 5:26 to go in the first. Lackey added a runner late in the opening quarter, part of a nine-point first half for the guard, that pulled the Red Elephants to within 18-8 heading into the second.

Salem will visit the Region 6-AAAAA runner-up in this weekend’s first round of the Class AAAAA state tournament, while Gainesville will be hoping to pull the upset against the region 6 champion.

“The team we had tonight was the team we envisioned at the beginning of the year,” Salem boys coach Noah Harrell said before stating the Wednesday win was his team’s finest performance of the season. “The good thing is that we’re playing our best ball going into the state tournament.”

“It’s just great for the school and the program in general, it shows the level of consistent excellence,” said Salem Athletic Director Darren Wilkins. “Both programs now are on very solid ground. I’d like to congratulate both coaches on the season’s they’ve had.”

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Salem survives Loganville in semis, moves on to region final

LOGANVILLE, Ga. - The Salem girls basketball team wasn’t at full strength or at its best Tuesday, but the defending league champions just kept right on winning anyway.

Taylor King had the go-ahead basket in overtime and the Salem defense held host Loganville scoreless in the extra session of a 41-36 victory in the semifinals of the Region 8-AAAAA Tournament.

The top seed Seminoles (23-2) won their 21st consecutive game and will attempt to win consecutive region titles when they play second-seeded Clarke Central Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.

It looked as if Salem would have a comfortable victory. Despite playing without point guard Shay Tarver, who suffered an ankle injury in Monday’s quarterfinal win over Heritage, the Seminoles led 34-23 after Jennifer Tindi’s bucket at the 6:29 mark of the fourth quarter. That was the last field goal Salem would get in regulation, while fifth-seeded Loganville got hot from behind the arc.

Salem maintained its 11-point lead at 36-25 on two free throws from Paris Scott, but Bethany Bowers scored eight straight points, including a pair of 3-pointers that got the Red Devils to within 36-33 with a minute and a half to play. Salem turned the ball over at the other end, leading to Haley Rink’s tying 3-pointer with one minute left, which capped an 11-0 run.

Each team had a shot blocked, including Scott’s attempt that led to a jump ball and a Loganville possession. Rink’s potential go-ahead three missed with eight seconds to play, as did Rosie Kyles’ running 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded.

Loganville had three turnovers in overtime, but thanks to Salem missing six of its seven free throws in the period, the Red Devils still had a chance to pull even. Trailing 39-36, Kelly Ackerman was wide open from behind the arc, but her shot was well short at the 10-second mark, allowing Salem to hang on and advance to the final.

Loganville led 15-11 two minutes into the second quarter before Salem finally got going. Starting with a put back by Ayanna Mitchell, the Seminoles had a 14-0 spurt that stretched into the early stages of the third and made it a 25-15 game.

In the third, Loganville got as close as 27-20 on Rink’s jumper at the 5:32 mark.

Mitchell had game-highs in both points (18) and rebounds (13), while Bowers paced Loganville with 17 points.

Salem girls win, boys lose first round games

CONYERS, Ga. -- Ayana Mitchell had 29 points and 14 rebounds to lead a balanced offensive attack as the Salem girls overwhelmed Paulding County 74-40 in the first round of the Class AAAAA state playoffs.

Salem, fresh off the program's first region title in eight years, will try to extend its winning streak to ten games when it hosts Tucker in this weekend's round of 16.

Salem (19-10) led by 16 at halftime, but turned it into a rout during a lopsided third quarter.

Shay Tarver, who had just one point in the first half, exploded for 13 of her 14 points in the third as the Seminoles build a 63-30 lead heading to the final period.

The Salem defense forced 16 first-half turnovers, which led to 20 points at the other end.

Paulding County had cut the deficit to 16-10 on a free throw by Keshia Shy at the 5:29 mark of the second quarter, but the Seminoles took control from that point. Led by Mitchell, who had 17 points in the opening half, Salem scored 11 of the next 13 points to go up 27-12 with just under three minutes to go.

The visitors tried to stay close, getting to within 10 points at 27-17 on Shy's field goal with 2:10 to play.

But Salem finished the half on a 10-4 run -- Nikkira Brown had a bucket and an assist -- to go into the locker room up 37-21.

Jennifer Tindi added 10 points and eight rebounds for Salem, which snapped a five-game losing streak in the state tournament. Shy had 12 points and Crystal Maner added 11 for Paulding County (20-7).

The Salem boys basketball team is still searching for that elusive first state tournament victory as Daniel Fowler's 23 points led Allatoona to a 69-56 opening round victory in the nightcap.

While No. 3-seed Allatoona (23-6) moves on to the second round to face the winner of Region 7 champion Sprayberry and Tucker, Salem, runner-up in Region 8-AAAAA, fell to 0-3 all-time in the state playoffs and finished 16-13.

Jamaal Garror, who was excellent all game and led Salem with 22 points, had an off-hand layup with 1:56 left in the third quarter that got the host Seminoles to within 36-29. In the fourth, Salem got as close as 46-40 on a beautiful, banked-in runner by Garror and a nice, stepback jumper by Jousel Lumpkin with 6:22 left in the game.

But the Seminoles wouldn't get any closer.

Fowler, Shamar Griffin, Mario Baggs and Austin Faulkner combined to go 16 of 17 from the free throw line over the final four minutes to send the Cobb County school to the second round.

Salem's offense struggled for much of the night, especially during the opening half as the Seminoles converted just five field goals and trailed 27-18 at the break.

Allatoona scored seven consecutive points during one stretch, turning a four-point game into a 23-12 advantage on a layup off an inbounds pass from Baggs to Fowler with 5:24 to go in the half.

Despite a thunderous dunk on a fast break by Garror, two of the guard's 10 first-half points, and 4 of 4 free throws by Dedrick Turner down the stretch of the second quarter, Forrestt Lane's putback made it a nine-point halftime game.

It was a strong start for Allatoona, the No. 3 seed from Region 5-AAAAA, which grabbed a quick, 10-2 lead four and a half minutes in. Salem clawed back thanks to Garror, who had an impressive, one-handed put back at the 2:44 mark and drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key to get the Seminoles to within 14-9 late in the first.

Seminoles cruise in tournament opener

LOGANVILLE, Ga. -- Prior to last season's run to the region tournament championship game, the Salem boys basketball team hadn't ever qualified for the state playoffs. Now, the Seminoles are starting to make a habit of it.

Dedrick Turner scored 22 points and Salem used a dominant stretch in the third quarter to pull away from Madison County, 72-54 in the Region 8-AAAA Tournament quarterfinals at Loganville High School. The No. 2 seed Seminoles are guaranteed a spot in the field of 32, but are two wins away from the first region championship in school history, and will play Loganville in Thursday's semifinals.

"Last year it was getting into state, this year, (qualifying again) really validates our program. The last three years we really made strides," Salem coach Darren Wilkins said, whose team added to its school-record win total and improved to 18-7.

Madison County got to within 42-31 on a 3-pointer by T.J. Skelton with 3:38 left in the third, but Salem took control after that. Starting with a 3-pointer by Turner off a feed from Damion Gordon, the Seminoles had a 12-2 spurt that stretched the lead to 54-33 with just under a minute to play in the quarter. Turner scored eight of his points during the quarter and Caneshe Green added five of his 11.

"They really had to step up and get some points," Wilkins said of Turner and Green. "The way (Madison) wanted to play would slow us down. We're a lot better (in a fast-paced game). When that happens, it relieves a little pressure."

After a sluggish first quarter, the game turned in Salem's favor early in the second when Turner got hot. The junior guard hit consecutive 3-pointers from well behind the three-point arc on passes from Green, then Turner and Marques McKoy each added a tip-in to cap a 7-0 run. That put the Seminoles up 21-15, but they weren't done. Despite McKoy, who was coming off a near-triple-double in a victory over Rockdale in the regular season finale, picking up his third foul with 4:18 left in the half, Salem didn't slow down, getting four more points from Turner and a 3-pointer from Green to score 18 of the last 25 points of the opening half and go into the locker room up 32-22.

"That was good tonight, don't want to do that too many times," Wilkins said of playing stretches without McKoy.

The Seminoles extended their 10-point halftime cushion thanks again to Green and Turner. The pair combined for 11 points in the first five minutes of the third quarter, and Turner put the Seminoles up by double digits for good at 40-28 on another long 3-pointer.

For Madison County, which had its season end at 9-18, Trae Burton led the way with 16 points and Trey Carruth added 15.

Rockdale, Salem basketball teams split Friday doubleheader

CONYERS, Ga. - Heading into the 2011-12 boy's basketball season, Rockdale had to replace two Division I players, another college player and a future Division I player from the starting five of a team that reached the state championship game.

Thanks to the one player that remained, the Bulldogs keep on winning anyway. C.J. Wilson scored 30 points and Rockdale erased a five-point deficit in the fourth quarter to hold off Salem 72-68 on Friday.

Rockdale (13-5, 4-0 Region 8-AAAA) won its sixth consecutive game, though Friday's tilt was a lot more difficult after the previous five had come by an average margin of 19.8 points.

The visiting Bulldogs scored five straight points to turn a 63-58 deficit into a tie game when Charles Moore nailed a 3-pointer with 3:32 left in the game. Ahmad Mitchell hit a bucket for Salem (12-6, 2-2), but that was the last time the Seminoles would lead.

Daron Scott fed David Jelks, who finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds, for a lay up, Moore hit two free throws and Jelks' put back put Rockdale up 69-65 at the 1:29 mark. Salem got to within 69-68 as Caneshe Green lost his footing twice on the baseline, but still found Marques McKoy for a layup. After Wilson calmly hit two free throws, Todd James's potential tying 3-pointer from the top of the key rimmed out.

Rockdale looked in control early in the third when LaRonta Parks made a nifty pass to Darious Mitchell for a basket that gave the Bulldogs a 40-28 cushion. But the rest of the third belonged to Salem and Dedrick Turner. The guard had a dunk on a break away, then hit a difficult shot in the lane and completed the three-point play to cap and 11-4 run and make it a 44-39 game.

Later in the quarter, Turner drained a 3-pointer and had another dunk, then Mitchell's lay up at the buzzer sent the Seminoles into the final period up 53-51. Turner and Wilson matched threes at the start of the fourth, the last of which was banked in by the Rockdale junior to tie the game at 58-58 before Salem ran off five straight to build its largest lead of the night.

Turner led Salem with 17 points and McKoy, who played the final 4:10 with four fouls, had 14 points and eight rebounds.

Salem girls 57, Rockdale 47

After a pair of losses last week, Salem fell out of the Class AAAA rankings at gaprepcountry.com. But with Friday's win, the Seminoles may be headed right back into the rankings, while knocking their rival from the poll. Ayanna Mitchell continued her outstanding freshman season, scoring 16 of her 23 points in the second half as the hosts led the entire way in knocking off the No. 8 Bulldogs.

"Our kids have played hard all year long, they're having fun with each other," said first-year Salem coach Rochone Dilligard. "I have some people that are stepping up as leaders."

One of those leaders is Mitchell, who once again played beyond her years. She hit a pair of free throws and grabbed an offensive rebound-one of her 12 total rebounds-as Salem went on a 9-0 run to take its biggest lead at 44-30 with 4:55 left. The Seminoles were dominant on the glass all night, out-rebounding Rockdale 37-22 (21-9 on the offensive glass) due in large part to the absence of Rockdale's top post presence, Kree Clark, who missed the game while dealing with a death in the family.

"We knew that coming in," Rockdale coach Sherri Williams said of Clark's absence. "Somebody had to step up to the plate, (it) didn't happen."

"(Clark) was definitely a key rebounder for them," Dilligard said. "We stressed all week about boxing out on the boards. We definitely can be better on the boards."

Salem jumped out to leads of 7-0 and 11-2, yet led only 24-20 at halftime. Mitchell began to assert herself in a pivotal third, getting two put backs and grabbing another offensive rebound, which led to a pair of free throws, and a 34-25 lead. Danielle Thomas followed suit, getting a put back at the buzzer to put the Seminoles up 39-30.

Rockdale made one, final push. Despite struggling through much of the game, Tennessee State signee Brianna Lawrence made a nice feed on a 3-pointer by Breanna Richardson (team-high 20 points) to start the Bulldogs on an 11-0 spurt that cut the Salem lead to 44-41 with 2:26 to play. But the Bulldogs got just a pair of field goals from Jasmyn Hill, who played well off the bench, and two free throws from Lawrence over the final 2:26.