Creekside moves to 3-0, Holy Innocents earns first win in Hawks-Naismith Tipoff Classic

The annual Hawks-Naismith Classic as become one of the premier high school basketball events in Georgia and on Saturday, Georgia High School Association Class 4A girls basketball defending champions, the Creekside Seminoles and GHSA Private girls basketball defending champions, the Holy Innocents Golden Bears, were among several teams in action on a full day of basketball at Holy Innocents.

The Seminoles opened the event taking on the River Ridge Knights in a contest which remained close throughout its entirety, however, the Seminoles would eventually pick up the 69-60 win, led by a 25 points performance by Sydnee Hunter, improving to 3-0 on the season.

"I'm seeing the girls come together and play for each other," Creekside head coach, Akennia Ellis, said after the Hawks-Naismith Tipoff Classic win for the defending champs. "They're remembering what's at stake and we are the defending state champs," Ellis said of her players "bonding to that new identity of hey we belong and we're among some of the best teams in the state," Ellis said.

Following the Creekside, River Ridge matchup, host Holy Innocents took to the court to take on North Paulding as the Golden Bears looked to pick up their first win of the season. Like the game proceeding it, Holy Innocents and North Paulding would go back and forth with several lead changes throughout the contest, which would eventual head into overtime, where the Golden Bears would pull away with the 72-60 win led by 21 points from Elana McMasters.