ATLANTA, GA - In a game that paired two of the South’s best basketball teams head-to-head and a contest that was full of star power, it came down which team would lose their grip first on Saturday night between Westlake and Norcross. 

The two Atlanta powerhouses traded blows for three quarters, going back and forth in front of a packed house in Southwest Atlanta. But when junior Rayshaun Hammonds fouled out for Norcross, Westlake dug in deep and came away with the 61-50 win in the second round of the GHSA AAAAAA state playoffs. 

Hammonds, a top 100 national prospect, fouled out with at 6:44 in the fourth quarter. The score was tied at 46. 

The junior went to the bench and Norcross’s scoring punch went with him. The Blue Devils offense came to a screeching halt, scoring just four points the rest of the game. Defensively, not having Hammonds allowed Westlake to attack the rim with more purpose and finished the contest on a 15-4 run. 

“He’s their biggest threat on offense and he’s big on defense, too,” point guard Jamie Lewis said. “When he fouled out, we were able to play more defense and it helped us more at the end of the game. He wasn’t down there on the defensive end so it helped spread out the floor some more for us, too.

Westlake junior forward Chuma Okeke said he felt the home court surge after Hammonds finished the night early. 

“It was big. The crowd went up. Everyone started clapping. The bench got hype. I think when he went out, their momentum went down,” Okeke said. “Our momentum went up.”

Okeke was a monster on the offensive glass, ripping down 15 boards. He grabbed seven offensive boards. Six of those rebounds were converted into second chance points. The 6-foot-7 junior finished with 17 points in the win.

Lewis, Westlake’s starting point guard, played terrific down the stretch. The sophomore got to the foul line and sank nine of 13 shots from the stripe. He finished with 17 points and five assists on the night. 

His biggest pass was a crucial dagger to the Norcross attack. It went to senior wing Raquan Wilkins in a much-needed three-pointer at the end of the third quarter. Lewis found his teammate in the deep corner in front of the Westlake bench for the bucket. The Lions were 0-for-15 from three up to that point in the game. 

Wilkins drilled the shot and gave Westlake the 49-46 lead. That cushion carried throughout the fourth-quarter. 

“Coach just told us to settle down, stop them in transition and just play together,” Wilkins said. “We just talked to each other and communicated. We stayed true to ourselves and played together as a team.”

Norcross was led by freshman guard Kyle Sturdivant’s 19 points. The rookie was poised on the biggest stage of his young high school career. He made three three-pointers and converted at the right side of the rim. 

Hammonds finished with 11 points and six rebounds. Junior forward Lance Thomas played well in defeat, scoring 12 points and grabbed seven big rebounds. 

Westlake will play Shiloh on Thursday at West Georgia in the quarterfinals of the AAAAAA state playoffs. Norcross finished the season at 26-4 and return all five starters next season.