Boys basketball scoreboard: Union, Towns clinch No. 1 seeds and playoff berths: Buford, MCA, Dawson win; NHall, Bluff, EHall, White all lose

ROSWELL, Ga. — Union County clinched the top seed in a wild Region 8-2A finish on Tuesday.

The Panthers needed just to win over Fellowship Christian and left little doubt early, jumping out to a 35-8 lead after the first quarter en route to an 87-39 victory on the road.

Union County (20-5, 7-3 Region 8-2A) led 62-20 at halftime and then cruised in the second half.

Hayden Hughes led 11 Union County scorers with 25 points. Houston Henry had 17 for the Panthers.

The win means Union County will play host to the boys tournament beginning next week.

TOWNS COUNTY 59,
GREENE COUNTY 57

The Indians rallied from a late fourth-quarter deficit to clinch the Region 8-A Division 2 regular season title, a state playoff berth, and the No. 1 seed in the region tournament next week.

Towns led 41-38 after the third quarter but fell behind after a Greene County run to open the fourth. But the Indians answered with a 10-0 run and held on in the final seconds for the victory.

It was a tightly contested game throughout. Greene County led just 12-11 after the first quarter, but Towns County answered back in the second to take a 23-22 halftime lead.

Tanner Cunningham led the Indians in scoring with 17 points. Zane Floyd pitched in with 13 points, and Connor Chastain and Kade McConnell each had 10 points for Towns County.

Towns County will finish the regular season at Washington-Wilkes on Friday.

BUFORD 58,
DACULA 50

The Wolves outscored the Falcons 26-16 over the second and third quarters to build an 11-point lead and then held on in the fourth quarter to complete a perfect run through Region 8-7A.

Brennan Wansley paced Buford with 15 points. Silas Mawdesley added 12 points for the Wolves.

Dacula was led by Jaden Mattison’s 18 points. Khalil Smallwood and Elahi Akida each had 13 for the Falcons.

NORTH OCONEE 77,
EAST HALL 63

East Hall closed out the regular season with a loss in Valhalla on Tuesday.

The Vikings fell behind quickly in the first quarter and could never catch the Titans. North Oconee led just 35-30 at halftime but pulled away in the second half.

Chasen Jones led East Hall with 22 points. Jamarcus Harrison added 17 points, and Khalil Goss had 12 for the Vikings. Chris Alford hit three 3-pointers for his 9 points.

MARANATHA CHRISTIAN 73,
PROMISE PREP ACADEMY 56

Maranatha got balanced scoring Tuesday night to pick up another win.

The Eagles (10-6) were led by Tarrell Grant with 20 points and 5 assists. Jaxon Merritt finished with 17 points, which included five 3-pointers. 

Bode Fisher had 14 points and 8 rebounds, and Bryson Pitts chipped in with 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Maranatha will play host to Riverside Prep on Thursday in its season finale.

WALNUT GROVE 81,
NORTH HALL 74

Cole Hulsey poured in 29 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Trojans fell to the Warriors on the road.

Luke Sanders and Andrew Bales each had 13 points for North Hall.

MADISON COUNTY 61,
CHEROKEE BLUFF 56

Grant Smith scored 12 points in the fourth quarter to lead Madison County past Cherokee Bluff (18-7, 10-5 Region 8-4A) at home on Tuesday. 

After falling behind, 26-21, at halftime, the Bears rallied to take a 38-37 lead after three quarters, but it was Smith and Frae Quin Wilkins, who scored eight of his game-high 24 points in the fourth that pushed the Red Raiders to the win. 

Madison County (19-6, 11-3 Region 8-4A) outpaced the Bears 24-18 in the final eight minutes. 

Boston Kersh led the Bears with 19 points and nine rebounds, and Cooper Glover knocked down 18.

Jay Carruth had 16, and Smith finished with 12 for the Red Raiders. 

Cherokee Bluff, Region 8-4A North No. 1 seed, will play the winner of the Walnut Grove-Cedar Shoals game at home in the Region 8-4A tournament on Tuesday. 

DAWSON COUNTY 77,
WHITE COUNTY 57

After White County (7-17, 3-8 Region 7-3A) took an early 6-0 lead, the Tigers sprinted to a 17-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. 

Dawson County (14-10, 6-5 Region 7-3A) closed the first half on a 10-3 run to take a 32-23 lead into the locker room. 

The Tigers opened the second half on a 7-0 run to push the lead to 39-23. 

Trey Harvey led the Tigers with 27 points — 19 in the second half. Joshua Priest had 14, Ethan Parker with 12 as well as recording his 250th career assist, and Caden Reed had 11. 

Dawson County is tied with Wesleyan for the third spot in the region standings. The Tigers will travel to Wesleyan on Friday. The winner will be the No. 3 seed in the region tournament next week. 

(See the entire schedule for Tuesday below.)