Lithonia stays undefeated

Lithonia hosted Clarkston Dec. 10 and remained undefeated with a 68-18 win.

The Lithonia Bulldogs (8-0, 2-0) started fast against the Clarkston Angoras (1-6, 0-3) and went up 29-0 before surrendering their first basket.

Lithonia was clicking on both sides of the court from start to finish, with senior guard Eric Gaines continuing his breakout season.

Clarkston won the opening tip and then Gaines took over. He blocked Clarkston’s first shot attempt of the game, which the Angoras were to recover, and then Gaines stole the following pass.

Gaines would have tagged a layup onto the end of that steal but was called for a travel.

Gaines finished with 10 points, three steals, two assists and one block in the first half and totaled 16 points, five steals, three assists, two rebounds and one block in the game, without playing in the fourth quarter.  One of his assists came on a lob he threw to senior center Broderick Jones, who finished the play with a dunk. Jones controlled the glass and the key for most of the game.

“Defense is very important to us,” Gaines said. “I try to get as many steals, on ball, as possible to [help] my teammates.”

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This wasn’t Gaines’ first big game of the season. The senior guard had 27 points in a win over Westside Macon, another 27 points against Glenn Hills, which included seven steals in the first half, and 24 points against Meadowcreek.

Gaines’ speed, athleticism and ball handling makes it hard for defenders to keep up with him when he turns steals into fast breaks.

“We try to get his steals even with his assists,” Lithonia head coach Wallace Corker said. “I emphasize defense and transition to get his points, because a lot of teams will try to double him and things like that.”

Gaines attributes his hot start to the motivation of winning a state championship.

“I just want to get us a state championship this year, that’s it,” Gaines said.

However, Gaines has received interest from schools such as Nebraska, Georgia State, Houston, Middle Tennessee and TCU according to 247sports.

It wasn’t just Gaines contributing to the Bulldogs’ success. Lithonia shut down every Clarkston scoring option while rarely missing a shot of their own.

At the end of the first half, the Bulldogs led 45-5 before Gaines added five points and three steals in the first three minutes of the third quarter and put to bed any hope Clarkston had of a comeback.

The Bulldogs led 62-12 at the end of the third quarter and cruised to a victory.

Lithonia is entering a tough stretch of its schedule, with key games against Columbia, Pinson Valley in Huntsville and Grayson in the Tournament of Champions all coming in the month of December.