Jamius Gunsby QB Georgia Lagrange HS

[JuicedBull]

This guy sounds like a real winner. I'm excited to see BJ and Gunsby battle for the starting spot.

[Mama_Bull]

Bleacher Bull posted this article today in the Gunsby thread on the recruiting board, but since he is now a signee I'm also posting it here.

BEAU CABELL/THE TELEGRAPH LaGrange center Jamius Gunsby, right, scored all 19 of his points Friday night in the second half.

Sports - High School

Saturday, Mar. 13, 2010

LaGrange advances to state finals with 60-49 win over North Hall

Center scores 19 points in second half of victory

Brad Harrison - sports@ledger-enquirer.com

MACON, Ga. — It wasn’t until early in the third quarter that LaGrange’s Jamius Gunsby cracked the scoring column against North Hall on Friday in the GHSA Class AAA semifinals.

But once the Grangers’ mammoth 6-foot-5 center was able to get into the scoring act, LaGrange was well on its way to paving the way to a berth in today’s state title game and a shot at a perfect season with a 60-49 win over North Hall. The Grangers (31-0) play Columbia in the state championship game at 8:45 p.m. today at the Macon Coliseum.

Gunsby wound up with 19 points, all of which came in the paint. Once he and the Grangers were established in the paint, there was little that the Trojans, whose tallest player is listed at 6-2, could do to counter LaGrange’s inside presence. As it turned out, LaGrange controlled the fourth quarter on both ends of the floor, pulling away from North Hall on the offense end while also holding the Trojans to just 11 fourth-quarter points.

Leading 40-38 entering the fourth quarter, LaGrange put the game away with a 12-0 run with three of the first four baskets during the stretch coming from Gunsby, including a one-handed slam dunk that sent the LaGrange fans into a frenzy.

The final two scores in the stretch came from Royal Thomas, putting LaGrange ahead 54-40 and well on its way to a shot at a state title.

North Hall was able to keep the game close thanks to making some contested inside shots. But the Trojans, playing without second-leading scorer Robby Hill, saw their chances of playing for a state title evaporate thanks to LaGrange’s decisive run..

Neither team was able to gain a sizeable advantage in the first half. LaGrange was able to utilize its athleticism to spread the floor and get points in transition, but held just a 30-28 halftime lead thanks to gritty play by North Hall.

In fact, the two teams were tied at 12 at the end of the first quarter, and the largest first-half lead for either team was LaGrange’s 28-20 second-quarter advantage.

Matters weren’t much different in the third quarter. After North Hall trimmed LaGrange’s lead to 36-35 on a Kanler Coker 3-pointer, the Grangers responded with a 4-3 run to end the quarter — the only Trojans points being a 3-pointer by Smith with two forceful layups by Gunsby being LaGrange’s only points in the stretch. As a result, LaGrange held a 40-38 lead going into the fourth quarter, before the Grangers cemented their berth in the state championship game.

Royal Thomas added 12 points for the Grangers, who last won a state title in 1977.

Friday at the Macon Centreplex

LaGrange 12 18 10 20—60

North Hall 12 16 10 11—49

LaGrange (60)

Qua Hardy 6, Dionte Mains 8, Royal Thomas 12, Randazzero Chaney 8, Antione Green 3, Martez Johnson 2, Kerun Hill 2, Jamius Gunsby 19.

North Hall (49)

Trevor Ross 16, Kanler Coker 15, Chase Syfan 4, Robert Humphrey 6, Lance White 4, Ethan Smith 4.

Records: LaGrange 31-0, North Hall 27-4.

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2010/03/13/1050088/lagrange-advances-to-state-finals.html

[Oldsmobull]

Alright, Go Grangers--make it a perfect season tonight! 

[Mama_Bull]

No perfect season for LaGrange. They ended up losing in the finals 54-46.

http://www.macon.com/2010/03/14/1058537/dry-spell-costs-lagrange-against.html