Norcross made it a clean sweep Thursday night, sending both the girls and boys basketball teams to the state AAAAA title games on Friday at the Gwinnett Arena.
The game started hot. The Blue Devils jumped out to a 6-0 lead but Valdosta battled back to within one at 8-7 when Clarence Smith hit a layup. The Blue Devils then closed out the period with a 5-1 run, leading 13-8.
Jay Rome got the Wildcats in the game with the first 11 points of the second period. Then Jarquez Samuel hit a shot bringing the score to 23-22, giving Valdosta their only lead of the game. Bolden fought back, scored nine points, and Alonzo Nelson-Ododa chipped in with six more in the period as Norcross closed on a 14-0 run to lead 36-23.
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The Blue Devils made the first basket of the third period but the persistent Wildcats kept battling behind Rome, who had 11 in the second and eight more in the third.
Bolden nailed a 3-pointer to keep the 13-point lead at 43-30 with 6:05 left in the period. Norcross went cold but Bolden hit three more 3-pointers in a 1:16 span, giving the Blue Devils 54 points going into the final period.
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E.Victor Nickerson scored with 5:08 to go putting Valdosta on a 17-7 run. The closest they came was a half court heave was by Will Farrell at the buzzer for the final margin.
Bolden led the Blue Devils with 26, Ododa had 14 while Derrick Herbert had 11 and Nickerson had 9. Rome led all scorers with 33 and Farrell was the only other Wildcat in double figures with 10. Valdosta finishes their season 25-7.
Norcross is now 23-9 and on a 16-game winning streak, looking for a state title Friday night after a four-year hiatus.