The Dalton Boys Basketball team topped Avenues 91-51, behind a record-setting performance from senior Noah Khalid, who scored 49 points to break the program’s single-game scoring record. Khalid sparked a 9-0 run to open the game. The lead ballooned to 30-13 after the first quarter thanks to Khalid’s 25 points. It was the senior’s fourth appearance in a Dalton Invitational final.

“We’re a smaller team this year, but when we play bigs, we have to use teamwork and play hard,” Khalid said. “We picked up the pace, played fast and ran them out of the gym. It was a great win. 4-0 and looking forward to this week.”

Khalid’s 49 points surpassed the previous record of 45 set by Bunmi Samuel ’95. The senior produced 37 points in the first half as Dalton built a 54-33 advantage. Khalid spent the fourth quarter cheering from the bench thanks to the Tigers’ significant lead.

“Shots were falling,” Khalid said. “There are just days like this sometimes. My teammates kept finding me. Even when they started guarding me extra tight, other kids stepped up and hit big shots. That’s what’s most important right now.”

Sophomore Mitchell Lamb added 18 points. Dalton Boys Varsity will open league play with a home game versus Collegiate on Wednesday, December 10 at 5:45 PM.

On the girls’ side, Dalton defeated Packer Collegiate 45-31. The contest was back and forth early, but the Tigers led 12-6 after the first quarter and 26-8 at half. Junior Anari Clouden scored eight of her 14 points during a dominant second quarter. Packer opened the fourth on a 10-0 run to trim its deficit to 34-29, but senior Kellen Calloway responded with five quick points as part of a 7-2 stretch with three minutes left.

Calloway finished with 13 points, while fellow senior Astou Toure was relentless defensively with 10 blocks and 18 rebounds.

“With this team, there’s just a different level of fight and a different level of endurance,” Toure said. “No matter how much they’re beating us, we’re still going to fight and we still want to get the win. I’m really proud of us as a team for coming together, making the plays that we needed to make and slowing down.”

Toure credited the team’s defensive communication. Dalton followed its Packer win with a 60-25 victory versus Trinity in the league opener on Monday, December 8. Now 3-1, the Tigers visit Masters on Wednesday, December 10 at 5:00 PM.