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Gainesville boys fall flat against Cedar Shoals in 8-AAAAA tournament title game, 70-48
Red Elephants (20-5) will enter next week's state playoffs as a No. 2 seed
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Gainesville’s Bailey Minor (21) struggles with Cedar Shoals’ Chris Gresham (23) to get the ball during Saturday’s Region 8-AAAAA tournament game at Winder-Barrow High School. - photo by Erin O. Smith

In its closest games this year, Gainesville’s shooters have typically placed their trust in sinking shots from beyond the arc.
That tendency finally burned the Red Elephants as Gainesville fell to No. 3 Cedar Shoals 70-48 in Saturday’s Region 8-AAAAA title game at Winder-Barrow High. The Jaguars (26-2) are now back-to-back region tournament champions.

Fifth-ranked Gainesville (20-5) finished with just four 3-pointers on roughly 24 attempts, while the Jaguars finished 7 of 10 on treys.

“The scouting report had us as the better shooters,” said Gainesville High coach Benjie Wood. “But from the very get-go, they kicked our butts. I think (Cedar Shoals) will be in the final four (of the Class AAAAA tournament).”

Using an uncanny speed and deceptive penetration, Cedar Shoals leapt out to an 11-3 lead in the first quarter, stamping its authority on the game. Gainesville ended the opening quarter with a 10-4 run and led 14-13 with 5:34 left in the second quarter, but the Red Elephants found no luck in the rest of the contest.

Phlandrous Fleming (18 points) and Greg Smith combined to score three treys in the second quarter to lead a 12-2 spurt, give the Jaguars a 10-point halftime lead. Three different Cedar Shoals shooters then combined for four more 3-pointers to create an 18-point advantage at the end of the third quarter.

Jerrick Mitchell (21 points) sank eight of his final nine fourth-quarter free throws to ice the victory. Gainesville cut the lead to 15 with 4:25 left through Tae Turner’s fourth-quarter 3-pointer, but the Red Elephants were unable to threaten Cedar Shoals’ edge.

George State signee D’Marcus Simonds led the Red Elephants with 18 points, Bailey Minor scored 13 points, while Turner tacked on eight.

“We have to go in and still be a team,” said Wood of his team, which will enter the state playoffs as a No. 2 seed. “Win, lose or tie, we’re still a team and we’ll have to regroup and adjust. Whining about it won’t do a bit of difference.”

Gainesville had previously beaten Cedar Shoals in double-overtime Dec. 8 in Athens. The Jaguars, who are riding a 15-game winning streak, have only one other loss on their books, a 3-point defeat to Class AAAAAA power Newton.

Simonds and Minor were named among the 8-AAAAA All-Region team. Gainesville entered last year’s state playoffs as a No. 4 seed and upset North Atlanta on the road.

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