The Houston County Bears hosted the Kennesaw Mountain Mustangs in the GHSA Class 5A Sweet 16 playoffs in a game that was competitive early before Houston County pulled away late.
Kennesaw Mountain edged the first quarter, taking a 17–13 lead into the second. The Mustangs extended their advantage to six points in the second quarter and led 19–13 before Houston County shifted the momentum. The Bears closed the half on a 13–1 run to take a 26–20 lead at halftime and stretched that surge to 15–1 overall.
Houston County carried that energy into the second half, building a 40–31 lead by the end of the third quarter. The Bears then dominated the fourth, pulling away for a decisive 64–43 victory to advance to the Elite Eight.
Houston County was led by Josh Jackson with 15 points, while Malik Gillespie added 14 and Andrew Wahiwe contributed 10. The Bears improve to 23–6 on the season and will travel to College Park next Wednesday to face the Woodward Academy War Eagles in the Elite Eight with a berth in the Final Four on the line.
Kennesaw Mountain concludes its season at 17–12.
