AAASP Wheelchair Championship: Houston County 41, West Georgia 26

ajc.com

Credit: Seth Ellerbee

Credit: Seth Ellerbee

The Houston County Sharks defeated the West Georgia Wolverines 41-26 for their fifth consecutive GHSA Wheelchair Basketball State Championship Thursday afternoon at the University of Georgia’s Stegeman Coliseum. Houston County jumped to a 4-0 lead after the first of six periods. The Sharks continued to hold the Wolverines scoreless through the second period, taking a 14-0 lead into the third. West Georgia’s Tremmelle Raymond scored all of the team’s eight first-half points in the third quarter to cut the halftime deficit to 18-8. Meanwhile, Jordan Kozloski paced the Sharks through the first three periods with 10 of the team’s 18 points.

Houston County extended the lead to 29-14 in the fourth period and added a 10-4 advantage in the fifth period to push the advantage to 39-18. Kozloski, who was recently chosen to be one of 16 women to make the U.S. Paralympic Wheelchair Basketball National Team, added 14 second half points to finish with a game-high 24 points.

West Georgia’s 26 points mark the highest point total scored against the Sharks this season. Raymond led the way with 16 of the team’s 26 points, while Joseph ‘Bubba’ Ivey (6), Bryan Lanier (2) and Jesse Cochran (2) added the team’s other 10 points all in the second half.

Houston County’s O’lando Hicks netted 10 points and teammate Braxton Roberson finished with seven points.