Yesterday at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, the high school hoops spotlight shifted to Atlanta for the 2025 edition of the Hawks-Naismith Tipoff Classic, produced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club and the Atlanta Hawks. This annual showcase continues to serve as one of the state’s premier early season basketball events, and yesterday proved no exception.
Girls Game Highlights
In the early portion of the day, the Golden Bears girls’ team of Holy Innocents’ squared off against a strong North Paulding Wolfpack squad. The contest went into overtime before Holy Innocents’ pulled away for a 72-60 victory.
Top performers:
- Elana McMasters (Holy Innocents’): Came off the bench and absolutely delivered. She posted 21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 block, shooting 5-9 from the field, 3-5 from three, and a perfect 8-8 at the line. Her willingness to crash the boards, draw fouls, and hit timely shots in OT made the difference.
- Makenzie Weaver (Holy Innocents’): Logged all 36 minutes, hit three of the team’s nine triples, and finished with 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals. On the defensive end she hounded Kenzie Hinkson (North Paulding) into 5-18 shooting and forced 8 turnovers.
- Morgan Landrum (North Paulding): Despite the loss, she showed everything you want from a top-10 6A player: 13 points, 13 rebounds, 8 steals, 3 blocks, though she fouled out.
Takeaway: McMasters’ bench explosion and Weaver’s two-way effort highlight how deep and resilient Holy Innocents’ is this year. They flipped a tight game in OT and proved they’re contenders.
Boys Game Highlights
Later in the evening, the host Golden Bears boys faced off against the venerable Woodward Academy War Eagles. The game delivered one of the more dramatic finishes of the night: Holy Innocents’ edged Woodward 64-63, thanks to a killer buzzer drive.
Top performers:
- Devin Hutcherson (Holy Innocents’): The Belmont-signee sealed the deal with the game-winner, and he finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds. A dominant double-double with massive clutch value.
- Jaden McCullough (Holy Innocents’): A strong supporting piece with 23 points, showing that the Golden Bears aren’t just about the one guy and making a statement for national attention.
- Myles Hayes (Woodward): The explosive guard gave a solid effort 19 points, 5 rebounds but it wasn’t enough to close it out. Donovan Johnson and Bentley Lusakueno scored 13 and 12 respectfully.
Takeaway: Hutcherson’s performance and win in dramatic fashion elevate Holy Innocents’ boys to early-season buzz. If they continue to play at this level, they’ll demand attention.
The McEachern Indians came into the showcase game versus Tri-Cities and delivered a polished, dominant performance, posting an 87-67 victory. The win raises McEachern’s record to 2-0, while Tri-Cities drops to 0-2.
Key Moments & Observations:
- McEachern asserted control early and never looked back. Tri-Cities managed 67 points, usually good enough to be in contention for a win but not tonight against McEachern’s fast pace offense.
- McEachern junior Chase Lumpkin piled up 30 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks.
- On the Tri-Cities side, Jalan Wingfield posting 18 points, 13 rebounds and 4 steals. Aden Sauders added 18pts and Tre Keith chipped in 16pts.
What this result means:
For McEachern, this is an early statement win, they looked comfortable in the spotlight, matched up well, and showed both offensive firepower and defensive discipline. For Tri-Cities, the loss isn’t devastating in isolation, but it shows some vulnerabilities: while scoring is there, locking down defensively or limiting momentum swings may need work.
In a classic one-point thriller, Milton edged Cross Creek 56-55 at the neutral Hawks-Naismith site. Cross Creek held leads at various points, but Milton found a way to close strong and escape with the win.
Key Moments & Analysis:
- Cross Creek came out strong, built a lead by halftime and seemed to dictate the game through three quarters.
- Milton’s resilience in the 4th quarter stands out: closing out a tight game on neutral ground shows poise.
What this result means:
For Milton, this is a confidence-boosting win. Narrow margin, but it speaks to the team’s ability to perform under pressure and finish games. For Cross Creek, it’s an early season setback against a team in a higher classification but with plenty of time to adjust and be in contention for the state championship.
Player Watch:
- Solomon Bratton (Milton): Clutch scoring, key rebounder, stepping up in big moments.
- Cross Creek contributors: Guards like Frashad Tisby (21 pts, 9 reb) and Dontrell Jackson (22 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 6 stl).