McClellan scores 26, earns MVP

LAFAYETTE — If there’s one thing Stephen McClellan can do, it’s score points in a hurry when necessary and he proved it again Tuesday night in the Tennessee-Georgia All-Star Basketball Classic at LaFayette High School.

McClellan, the all-time scoring king at Christian Heritage School in Dalton, pumped in 14 points in the final 4:18 of the game and led Georgia to a 94-89 victory, tying the overall series at 2-2.

In the earlier girls game, Northwest Whitfield’s Larken Logan, Vanessa Jackson and Brinkley Knowles spearheaded a furious fourth-quarter rally that wiped out a 16-point deficit, but Georgia fell to Tennessee, 85-78, in overtime. The Lady Bruins’ trio scored 21 of Georgia’s last 29 points in the fourth.

Logan scored nine of Georgia’s final 11 points in a span of 1:14 and gave her squad a 74-71 lead. Tennessee’s Juanisha Hansford hit a miraculous 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime and the victory there pushed Tennessee to a 3-1 series lead.

McClellan was in his element.

“I know when to step up,” said McClellan, who finished with a game-record 26 points and was selected Georgia’s most valuable player. “The fourth quarter is the most important. The team needed me and I was able to knock down some shots.”

Tennessee had a 75-66 lead with 6:57 left in the game, but Southeast’s Nick White, who set a game record with nine rebounds, scored five quick points. Murray County’s Daylon Mathis brought the Georgians to within 75-73. Then McClellan drilled a 3-pointer, converted a three-point play and drove the lane for a layup and Georgia led 81-78.

The game was tied at 86 when McClellan, who will attend the Air Force Academy prep school in the fall, nailed a 3 from the left side and added two free throws with 48 seconds left. He made two free throws with 6.3 seconds left for the final margin.

“There’s a lot of pressure on you during the season to win games and win championships,” McClellan said. “But this all-star game was fun. We were out here just having a good time. It was really good playing with these guys.”

In addition to his nine rebounds, White powered his way to 20 points.

“I played pretty good,” White said. “We had to pick it up in the fourth quarter if we were going to win this game. And we did that.”

Mathis finished with nine points and Northwest Whitfield’s Stephen Straw also played in the game. Dalton’s Sam Shacklett backed out.

For 16 minutes, nobody in the small crowd knew Northwest had players competing in the girls game. None of the Lady Bruins scored in the first half, but that changed after intermission.

Logan made three free throws in the final 32.7 seconds and gave Georgia a 74-71 advantage.

But Hansford’s high-arcing 3 at the buzzer stunned the Georgians. She finished with a game-record 22 points and was Tennessee’s most valuable player. Chattooga’s Jheri Booker won the honor for Georgia.

Even the loss, however, could not overshadow the Lady Bruins’ collective second-half performance.

“We were tired of playing bad,” said Logan, who finished with 18 points, second on the team to Booker’s 21.

Jackson and Knowles combined for three free throws to get Georgia’s fourth quarter rally started.

Logan’s field goal with 2:42 left cut Tennessee’s lead to 67-66. Tennessee stretched the lead to 71-66, but Logan scored a basket, Jackson scored on an assist by Knowles and Logan made two free throws to put Georgia up, 73-71, with 32.7 seconds left. She made one free throw with 6.8 seconds left.

Jackson finished with 10 points and Knowles added six.