DeKalb Schools Basketball: SW DeKalb Wins Ranked Matchup with Chamblee

The No. 3 ranked Southwest DeKalb Panthers used a 10-0 run to end the first quarter to take control in their Region 6-AAAA matchup with No. 8 ranked Chamblee Bulldogs on the way to a 62-46 victory at Southwest DeKalb. Emanuel Walker's drive for a layup with 4:49 to play in the first quarter started the run and gave the Panthers a 5-4 lead they would never relinquish.

Leading 29-18 at the half, the Panthers opened the second half with back-to-back dunks by nationally ranked players Jordan Price and William Goodwin to expand the lead to 15. Southwest would lead by as many as 21 points in the third period and the Bulldogs who upset previously No. 1 ranked Miller Grove just four days before never got closer than the final score the rest of the way.

Goodwin finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Panthers (12-7) while Price and Justin Hollimon added 12 points each. Chamblee (14-4) was led by Jade McClendon with 18 points and nine rebounds. The No. 3 ranked Chamblee Lady Bulldogs (18-1) rallied from a 22-17 halftime deficit and held off a tough Southwest DeKalb Lady Panther (12-6) squad for a 57-54 win.

The game was still in doubt until senior Breana McDonald sealed the win with a pair of free throws with nine seconds left and the Chamblee defense did not allow the Lady Panthers a shot before the buzzer went off to end the game.

Nicole Martin hit a pair of baskets in the final four minutes of the first half as Southwest took the 22-17 advantage at the half. Paden Smith followed up three pointers by Lucy Mason and Auriana Broughton in the first 2:15 of the second half to give the Lady Bulldogs their first lead since the opening period.

Southwest DeKalb led 36-33 before McDonald, Smith and Mason had baskets in the final 1:49 for a 6-0 Chamblee run that put the Lady Bulldogs up 39-36 entering the fourth quarter. Broughton gave Chamblee a 53-47 lead with 1:44 to play, but a Nekia Sockwell three-pointer and Martins layup and free throws had closed the gap to 55-54 with 14 seconds to play and McDonald going to the line for the clinching free throws.

McDonald finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds for Chamblee while Mason added 16 points, Broughton 10 and Smith 10. Martin had 13 points and eight rebounds to lead Southwest while Sockwell chipped in 12 points.

Mark Brock is the Athletics Statistician/Information Officer/Web Manager for DeKalb County Schools Athletics/East DeKalb Campus.