East Laurens vs. Wesleyan

The Macon Centreplex – Macon, GA

Wolves win gives Wesleyan two state champions

Tanner Smith drops 27 on East Laurens 

Tanner Smith scored all 12 of Wesleyan's thrid quarter points.

Macon, GA – When Wesleyan’s 6-5 senior and 4SHOT Hoops All-Star Tanner Smith and the rest of his teammates watched 6-9 Howard Thompkins (a 4SHOT Hoops All-Star and UGA signee) hit the court landing hard on his backbone after being bodied out of the paint by East Laurens Antwan Bailey, it woke up the beast in them, especially Smith who went off for 27 points.

With Tompkins sidelined the Falcons made their move in the third quarter. Jimmy Williams drained a three-pointer and Chris Cephus scored a pair of baskets to cut the Wesleyan lead to 35-28 with 5:34 left in the quarter.

East Laurens guard Jimmy Williams had a disappointing championship game scoring only 7 points.

At that point Smith, a Univ. of Clemson signee put the Wolves on his back and put on a dazzling display of hoops, scoring from all over the court. In fact Smith scored all 12 of Wesleyan’s points in the quarter to help the Wolves maintain an eight-point lead, 45-37.

East Laurens struggled mightily in the forth quarter scoring just 6 points, meanwhile Smith and his teammates kept on rolling. Down the stretch they would hit 8 of 10 free-throws to sealed the deal and give the Wesleyan School their second state basketball championship of the day. The girls beat Paideia in the previous game to capture their 4^th state crown in five years.

The Final Score: Wesleyan 61 – East Laurens 43

Scoring Recap

Wesleyan: Tanner Smith scored a game high 27 points to lead the Wolves to victory. Howard Thompkins added 10 while Michael Cornelius and Dillon McLaughlin each finished with 7.

Terrance Lewis lead the Falcons with 11, Antwan Bailey had 8 and Jimmy Williams chipped in with 7.