Alabama Christian Closes Regular Season with Wins at LAMP

Both games at LAMP were similar on Tuesday night as both the boys and girls team won easily, but could never quite break the 30-point lead barrier to start the running clock. Both teams won convincingly as they closed out the regular season.

The boys game started with ACA (18-7) scoring the first eleven points over the first five minutes of the game. Sam Davidson hit back to back threes to lead the team with six points in the run. Over the final three minutes of the period, LAMP stayed even and trailed 8-18 after one. The offense cooled off in the second, but the defense remained stout and did not allow the Tigers to close the gap. Leading 24-15 late in the period, Connor Mark put back a missed three and after a Tyree Saadiq steal, Mac Moorer hit a three for five quick points and a 29-15 lead at the break.

Darius Gardner and Mac Moorer played inside/outside in the third as the duo combined to score all fourteen of ACA’s points in the third. Gardner had four field goals in the paint for eight points while Moorer hit two long ones for six points. Team facilitator, Tyree Saadiq assisted on four of the six made baskets. The third ended with Alabama Christian leading 43-22. ACA outscored LAMP 10-3 to start the fourth to lead 53-25, their largest of the night, with four minutes left. AC Walters and Broderick Williams scored in the quarter and Ethan Capps made his varsity debut. The team did not score over the final four minutes of the game, but still won by a 53-33 margin.

Mac Moorer’s 17 points led the offense and added four rebounds. Darius Gardner recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds while Sam Davidson finished with 12 points and three steals. Tyree Saadiq had eight assists to lead the team.

The girls opened the night with a comfortable win over LAMP, but it took a while for things to start rolling. In the first quarter the offense fell in love with the three point shot despite only making one of their first 13 attempts. With a minute left to go in the period and leading 7-3, Coach Cantrell called timeout and implored the troops to stop hanging out at the three point line and start running the offense. Although the team did not score in the last minute of the first, the timeout must have worked as the Eagles (13-11) hit their first five shots, from four different players, of the second to open a 21-3 commanding lead. As quickly as the burst of offense appeared it disappeared just as quickly as ACA scored only one more point over the last five minutes of the half. Luckily, the defense shut down the home team as Alabama Christian 22-6 at the half.

In the third, LAMP scored six to double their score to twelve for the game. Unfortunately, for the Tigers, ACA scored fourteen in the period to stretch the lead to 36-12. Annabelle Pugh, who was the only player not to shoot a three in the first half, hit a long one to start the scoring in the half. The Eagles continued to spread the ball around as five different players scored. With just over a minute left in the game, Izzy Warrick nailed a three to give ACA a 48-16 lead for the final score of the night.

For the third game in a row, Katelynn Sutton led the offense with 17 points and had an all around solid game with six rebounds, six steals, and three assists. Izzy Warrick followed with 11 points and seven rebounds while Addison Smith had seven points and five rebounds.

Lady Eagles Defeat MA in Area Road Test

A trip to MA is met without about as much anticipation as a trip to the dentist. It seems accommodations for visiting fans are the lowest of priorities. The bleachers were an accident waiting to happen without a single handrail in any of the three sections of seating. Tack on two special events during the games that lengthened the time considerably and it was a swell night at the gym.

Luckily, the Lady Eagles (12-11) made it more bearable as they avenged an earlier loss to MA with a 47-39 victory. In the previous meeting it took over eighteen minutes for ACA to score their first bucket, but on Friday night they turned the trick in just twenty-two seconds. Jaide Newkirk scored on a feed from Katelyn Sutton for the first points of the contest. Sutton nailed a three late in the period to give the visiting Eagles a 15-7 lead after one. The point total for the first quarter surpassed the amount of the entire previous game against MA. Sutton opened the second with another long distance dedication to stretch the lead to 18-7 just seconds into the quarter. The junior point guard has looked fantastic the past two nights as she paced the team with 15 points in the first half. ACA led 26-15 at intermission. Despite the never ending moaning and complaining about the lack of calls his team was getting, MA only had two more fouls called against them as compared to ACA. At the end of the night, MA had twenty-five fouls called on them, while ACA had twenty-three.

MA increased the defensive pressure in the second half and tried to make a run at the visiting Eagles. Midway through the quarter they cut the lead to three, 27-24, but another Sutton three and a free throw from Jaide Newkirk stretched the lead back to seven. Alabama Christian led 41-31 after three. The fourth quarter was not a thing of beauty. Through the first five minutes of the period, MA scored four points to cut the lead to 41-35 as ACA missed all six of their shots and turned the ball over eight times. Izzy Warrick righted the ship as the MA press could not contain her and watched her score ACA’s final six points of the evening in the 47-39 win.

Katelyn Sutton’s 25 points led the team to go along with six rebounds. Izzy Warrick finished the night with 10 points, five rebounds, and three assists followed by Campbell Hammett with seven points, six boards, and three steals. Addison Smith led the team with nine rebounds, all in the second half.

The boys contest was much closer than the first meeting although ACA (17-7) never led during the game. Sam Davidson made a three to tie the score, 5-5, but MA scored the next ten points to lead 15-5. All night long, MA would build the lead and Alabama Christian would respond and cut into the deficit. The first period ended with the home team leading 22-14. Back to back treys by Mac Moorer and Tyree Saadiq early in the second cut the lead to two points, 22-24. MA answered with a 7-0 run and would eventually lead 33-24 at the break.

ACA would cut the lead to seven on two occasions in the third period, but it was as close as they would get. The squad never stopped and competed until the very end as they scored the last seven points of the contest for the final margin of 50-59.

Tyree Saadiq led the offense with 22 points with six assists. Mac Moorer finished with eleven points while Darius Gardner had eight points with nine boards. AC Walters tied Gardner with a team high nine rebounds.

Alabama Christian wraps up the regular season against LAMP on Tuesday, January 30th.

Alabama Christian Cruises Past Billingsley

Alabama Christian enjoyed a trip up I-65 to Billingsley as both varsity teams defeated the Bears on Thursday night. The Lady Eagles (11-11) opened the night with a 65-53 win as they seemed to be playing the home team and the officials. ACA had 26 fouls called on them while the home team was called for just 12 fouls.

Katelyn Sutton came out on fire as she scored ten of the team’s fifteen first quarter points. The contest was knotted at fifteen apiece after a quarter. Billingsley scored the first four points of the second, but Sutton countered with two 3-pointers to give ACA a 21-19 lead that they would not lose for the rest of the night. Addison Smith hit another long distance shot to stretch the lead to 24-19. Sutton’s free throws with 1:13 left in the half were the last points of the quarter as the junior guard scored 21 of the team’s 33 first half points.

In the second half, the home team did everything they could to keep Katelyn Sutton from scoring which opened up opportunities for Jaide Newkirk. Like Sutton in the first half, Newkirk carried the offensive load in the second half. After Billingsley scored the first four points of the third, Newkirk scored with an and one chance to extend the lead to 36-31. Late in the period, the Eagles used a 7-0 run to double the lead to fourteen points, 50-36. A Marcy Gregory three late in the quarter gave ACA a 53-39 lead heading to the fourth. Although ACA never pulled away in the final period, the lead stayed in double digits to hold the Bears off, 65-53.

Katelyn Sutton finished with a career high 26 points and added six steals, five assists, and three rebounds. Jaide Newkirk added 24 points, 20 in the second half, with 13 rebounds.

As you can imagine with the disparity of fouls called in the girls game, the fans had primed the refs for the boys match up. Luckily, Alabama Christian (17-6) was just a better team and the officiating did not play into the outcome in the 59-36 victory. ACA scored the first nine points of the game, seven by Mac Moorer, to start hot. By the time Billingsley called a timeout with 2:03 left in the quarter, the Eagles had connected on seven of eleven shots from the field and led 17-5. Tyree Saadiq scored at the buzzer to end the first with a 19-5 cushion. The offense stalled a bit in the second, but since the Bears could not score either, the visitors increased their lead. Sam Davidson’s three at the end of the half gave ACA a 26-9 halftime lead.

Tyree Saadiq controlled the game in the third quarter. The point guard harassed the Bears on defense and created points on offense for his team. In the third alone, Saadiq had 13 points with five steals, three rebounds, and two assists. At the end of the third, Jackson Burton stole the ball and headed to the basket like a freight train to beat the buzzer and give ACA a 47-25 advantage. Alabama Christian maintained a twenty point margin for the bulk of the fourth period and left town with a twenty-three point win.

Mac Moorer finished with a game high 21 points and Tyree Saadiq followed with 15 points, seven rebounds, six steals, and four assists. Broderick Williams and Jackson Burton had productive games off the bench as they combined for eight points and ten rebounds.

Alabama Christian will wrap up the Area schedule on Friday night as they visit MA.

ACA Dismantles Trinity in Road Area Triumph

When shots are falling, life is good! ACA (16-6) experienced the good life Tuesday night at Trinity as they dominated their longtime rival, 77-57. The offense posted a season high in points and made 11 of 21 threes in the Area contest. The defense also clamped down on the Wildcat’s only real offensive weapon and held him in check until he exploded in the final period. The postman would finish with 36 of the home team’s 57 points.

Both teams felt each other out over the first few minutes of the game as Trinity led 3-2 three minutes in. Mac Moorer connected on his first three of the night to give the visitors a 5-3 lead that would never be relinquished. Moorer would finish the quarter with 10 points as ACA led 19-13. Alabama Christian overwhelmed Trinity in the second period as they outscored the Wildcats 13-5 for a 32-18 cushion at the break. Sam Davidson had six in the stanza to lead the team as ACA continued to cook from the outside.

The Eagles came out of the locker room for the second half with confidence as the team looked loose and relaxed warming up for the third. Trinity continued to press in the second half and ACA continued to handle it. The visitors threw over it, moved through it, passed around it as the coaching staff had prepared them well. Two unusual and comical plays happened in the third. The first happened as ACA inbounded underneath their own basket. However, no one seemed to realize it as ACA threw it in everyone headed towards the half court line. Just as Connor Mark approached the line, he turned and threw it to a wide open Darius Gardner who laid the ball in for a 44-27 lead. The second occurred as the Trinity coach pleaded for a foul call and claimed his player’s nose had been bloodied. After further inspection, that seemed to be a gross exaggeration as the player's white jersey was pristine and looked like it was fresh from the factory.

ACA led by twenty-five heading into the fourth and maintained the lead midway through when Trinity decided to start fouling and make the Eagles earn it from the stripe. Coach Mitchell knew the plan was to foul Tyree Saadiq and he masterfully outmaneuvered his counterpart as he moved the senior around the floor and made it difficult for the Wildcats to employ their strategy. When they were able to get to Saadiq, he made them pay as he hit 3 of his 4 freebies down the stretch. Trinity never got closer than 17 points in the fourth as ACA cruised to a 77-57 win.

Mac Moorer scored a career high 34 points, the most since Reed Teel matched the total in 2009, as he connected on six 3-pointers. Sam Davidson finished with 13 points, five rebounds, and three assists followed by Darius Gardner with 12 points and a team-high six boards. Tyree Saadiq, the best point guard among the CCC schools, produced ten points, seven assists, five rebounds, and three steals.

The Lady Eagles (10-11) knew the competition was top notch on Tuesday, but they did not back down and played with heart despite the lopsided final. Trinity scored 25 points per quarter over the first three in a 79-34 defeat of Alabama Christian.

Jaide Newkirk led the team with 18 points and added four rebounds. Izzy Warrick followed with seven points, three rebounds, and three assists. Katelyn Sutton had four points and a team best seven rebounds.

Alabama Christian will travel outside of Area competition as they visit Billingsley on Thursday, January 25th.

Alabama Christian Wins at the Buzzer for Second Straight Game

For the second day in a row Alabama Christian (15-6) won at the buzzer in dramatic fashion. The team’s two seniors closed out the home portion of the schedule in grand fashion as Tyree Saadiq hit the winner on Friday night and Darius Gardner scored at the basket to lift his team over Thomasville 48-46 on Saturday. The Eagles won the first meeting of the season in overtime and the second meeting was close throughout.

Neither team could make a shot until Connor Mark broke the seal with a three with 5:15 left in the first. Tyree Saadiq scored the team’s next four points and Sam Davidson connected on a bomb at the buzzer to tie the game 10-10 at the end of one. As the second period started, the Thomasville head coach, who coached all three Tiger teams on the day, had seen one perceived missed call too many. The sideline eruption resulted in a technical and a seat on the bench for the rest of the contest. Mac Moorer hit both freebies from the infraction for a 12-10 lead. Later in the quarter Moorer made a three for a 19-16 advantage, but the Tigers responded with a 7-0 run over the next two minutes to lead 23-19. Saadiq returned to the game and scored for ACA to cut the deficit to two at the half.

Thomasville stretched the lead to six on a couple of occasions in the third as Coach Mitchell turned to his bench and inserted Broderick Williams into the game. Williams’ effort ignited the team and the bench and helped the Eagles to erase the Tiger lead. With 1:33 left in the quarter, Connor Mark made two from the line to give ACA a 35-33 lead. The Eagles would never trail again. The home team led 37-34 after three. Tyree Saadiq scored to start the final period to give ACA a five point cushion. The lead stayed around there for the next few minutes until the visitors scored on back to back trips to tie the score, 44-44. Trailing 44-46, Mac Moorer drove through heavy contact for a reverse layup to knot the game back up. With 1:00 left Thomasville called time and drew up a plan that was stopped due to an errant pass which was picked off by Saadiq. ACA held it for the last shot, but was fouled on the floor with 3.3 seconds left. After a timeout, Moorer drove to the hole, but again was fouled on the floor with 1.0 second remaining. Coach Mitchell called a timeout and drew up a play, but decided to scrap it and called a second timeout to diagram another play. The move worked as Saadiq found Darius Gardner at the right block for a layup and the victory, 48-46. The celebration might have been smaller with no cheerleaders and no student section, but that didn’t stop the players from relishing the moment.

Mac Moorer scored 20 points with seven rebounds. Tyree Saadiq filled the stat sheet with ten points, five assists, four rebounds, and four steals. Connor Mark finished with nine points, four rebounds, and four assists. Darius Gardenr tied Moorer with a team high seven boards.

So far the flip of the calendar to 2024 has not been kind to the Lady Eagles (10-10). Although the team played much better in a loss Friday night, ACA looked to snap its five game January losing streak. The Eagles were missing four players in the first matchup with Thomasville and lost by 20 in their visit to Clarke County.

On Saturday, the Tigers were surprised as the home team jumped on them early. Thomasville made a free throw on their first possession for their only lead of the game. Jaide Newkirk made Alabama Christian’s first score and the team never looked back. Katelyn Sutton distributed the ball successfully on three consecutive possessions to build a 9-1 lead. The quarter ended with a 12-3 advantage for the home team. Izzy Warrick opened the second with five points to build the lead to 17-3. Although the offense managed just three more points in the half, ACA led 20-9 at the break.

Ninety seconds into the second half, Coach Cantrell was not happy with the production of her starting five which prompted putting the next five in off the bench. Despite questions of who would handle the ball and where would the scoring come from, the second unit gave the team a solid three minutes on the floor and only lost one point off the lead. Adalynn Newkirk hit a three for the team’s only points in the stretch. With the first five focused, they outscored Thomasville 9-4 for the rest of the period for a 33-17 lead headed to the fourth. The Tigers scored the first two baskets in the fourth, but a Jaide Newkirk three helped keep the momentum on ACA’s side. As Thomasville started to foul late to extend the game, Katelyn Sutton made 6 of 8 free throws over the final 2:31 to hold off the visitors 48-39.

Jaide Newkirk led all scorers with 18 points and added six rebounds and five steals. Izzy Warrick had 13 points and five rebounds while Katelyn Sutton had 12 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.

Alabama Christian returns to Area play on Tuesday against Trinity.

Alabama Christian Completes Season Sweep of St James

After an eighteen point loss to ACA (14-6) ten days ago, the St James head coach knew he had to change tactics to have any chance on Friday night. On defense, the Trojans abandoned their man to man for a packed in zone. On offense, Coach Card channeled his inner Norman Dale and slowed the pace of the game drastically. Glaciers were making jokes about how slow the pace was. The changes almost worked, but Tyree Saadiq’s game winner at the buzzer in overtime ruined the plans of the visitors. The good guys prevailed 38-36.

ACA jumped out to an early 8-0 lead with 4:37 left in the first period. The Trojans had only attempted one shot three and a half minutes into the game. Despite the bad start, St James stuck to the plan and did not try to play fast. A technical call on the Trojan coach seemed to light a spark under his team as the Trojans cut the lead to 11-7 at the end of one. Connor Mark hit his second three of the half to start the second period and give ACA a 14-7 lead. However, the pace of play affected the rhythm of the offense as the team only took seven shots over the last six minutes of the half. Midway through the second, Darius Gardner scored to give the Eagles a 16-12 lead. It would be the last two possession lead for either team the rest of the night. As a preview of things to come, Tyree Saadiq hit a shot at the halftime buzzer to give Alabama Christian a 20-19 lead at the break.

If the fans thought the pace was slow in the first half, they hadn’t seen anything yet as the third period unfolded. The teams combined for a paltry eight points in the quarter as the ACA student section grew restless and let St James know what they thought about it. At one point, the visitors went three minutes between shots. One offensive possession for ACA stood out as the team corralled four consecutive offensive rebounds before Darius Gardner hit a layup to give the Eagles a 22-21 lead. The quarter ended with the home team ahead 24-23. The Trojans scored the first three points of the fourth for a 26-24 lead, but Tyree Saadiq tied it with a steal and a score. After a Trojan three, Saadiq was at it again with another steal and scored three the hard way with an and one opportunity to tie the game back up. For the third time in the period Saadiq answered a Trojan score with one of his own to tie the game with ninety seconds remaining. The ball was in Saadiq’s hand at the end of regulation, but a no-call in the lane forced overtime. The official raised his hand to make the call, but never blew the whistle after the shot.

In the overtime period, Alabama Christian hit a free throw and after regaining possession decided it was their turn to put the brakes on the pace of the game. Unfortunately, an Eagle turnover turned into a St James score for a 33-32 Trojan lead. Darius Gardner scored with just over a minute to play to give the lead back to ACA. After a defensive stop, the Eagles were able to run the clock down to 16.7 seconds before Mac Moorer hit two free throws to give the home team a 36-33 lead. The Trojans hit a deep three to tie the score with just 7.7 seconds left which was more than enough time for Tyree Saadiq. The senior went the length of the floor and scored as the horn sounded for a 38-36 overtime thriller over St James. The team and the student section mobbed Saadiq in celebration.

Tyree Saadiq scored 16 points to lead the team as he scored 12 of the team’s 18 points after the half. The point guard added six steals, five assists, and four rebounds. Darius Gardner finished with eight points and seven rebounds while Mac Moorer had eight with four rebounds. Connor Mark rounded out the scoring with six points.

Although the girls lost to St James in the first game of the night, the team played with determination and effort not seen in the past few games. It was good to see the team that the faithful are used to watching go out there and give it everything they had.

ACA (9-10) scored off the opening tip as the Lady Trojan jumper tipped the ball right to Izzy Warrick who raced to the basket for a layup. The Eagles built a 7-2 lead early as Jaide Newkirk scored on consecutive possessions. ACA did a much better job of handling the St James press and 1-3-1 half court defense. The Eagles trailed 10-15 after a quarter. Alabama Christian kept the deficit in single digits for about half the second period, but St James started to pull away towards halftime. The Trojans led 35-18 at the break.

In the second half, ACA continued to fight, led offensively by the three-headed monster of Izzy Warrick, Katelyn Sutton, and Jaide Newkirk. The trio combine to score all but one of the Eagles’ points. Everyone who got on the floor gave it their all despite the score and battled until the end. St James would end up winning 71-47.

Jaide Newkirk led the team with 20 points and seven rebounds. Katelyn Sutton had 16 points with five rebounds and four assists while Izzy Warrick finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. Campbell Hammett also recorded seven rebounds to tie for team high.

Alabama Christian gets right back at it on Saturday afternoon as they host Thomasville.

ACA Falls in Area Play to MA

Alabama Christian looked to make a move in the Area with success against MA Tuesday night, but the visiting Eagles won both games to move ACA down in the standings. The girls were never into the game and didn’t score their first basket until midway through the third period in a 13-40 loss to a very mediocre team. The Lady Eagles (9-9) could not handle the basic press from MA and looked to be doing their own thing on offense. In the first period, ACA missed all fourteen shots attempted, ten from the floor and four from the line, and trailed 0-8 after one. In the second, Katelyn Sutton finally got the Eagles on the board with 3:47 left in the half as she made one of two free throws to cut the score to 1-10. ACA would not score again in the half and trailed 1-16 at intermission. Alabama Christian missed all fifteen shots from the field while committing seventeen turnovers and making just 1 of 10 free throws.

Despite playing arguably the worst half in program history, ACA only trailed by fifteen and was hoping to regroup and play a better half of basketball. Unfortunately, the home team never even got the deficit to under fifteen in the half. Jaide Newkirk scored the first field goal with 5:10 left in the third and ACA trailed 9-28 after three. The fourth period was much the same as MA prevailed 40-13.

Jaide Newkirk led the anemic offensive attack with six points and added six rebounds and three blocks. Addison Smith was the team’s leading rebounder with seven while Katelyn Sutton’s three steals led the team.

The boys game followed the same pattern as Trinity just four days ago. ACA (13-6) was able to hang close for three and a half quarters, but the lack of depth once again proved costly down the stretch. In the fourth, the Eagles managed just three points and were outscored by ten. ACA jumped out early and led 13-5 with a minute left in the first when Tyree Saadiq picked up his third foul. Connor Mark and Darius Gardner combined for ten of the thirteen points to spark the offense. After Saadiq went to the bench, both teams scored once and ACA led 15-7 after one. For most of the period Saadiq’s absence did not adversely affect the home team. Alabama Christian led 29-22 with 2:32 left, but MA closed the half on a 13-0 run and led 35-29 at the half.

ACA was able to cut the lead to four, 43-47, late in the third, but it was as close as they were able to get. In fact, MA closed the third and began the fourth by scoring the next thirteen points to open a 60-43 lead with four minutes left. The final margin was eighteen points in the 46-64 loss.

Mac Moorer was the team’s top scorer with 13 points while Connor Mark added 11 with five assists and four rebounds. Darius Gardner led the team with 10 rebounds while Tyree Saadiq recorded three steals.

Alabama Christian continues Area play Friday night as they play host to St James.

ACA Loses to Trinity in Area Competition

The Lady Eagles wrapped up the toughest three game stretch a team could have with a contest against Trinity Friday night. Last Saturday, ACA started the trio of games against the three-time defending State champ PCA, followed by St James on Tuesday, and finished with last year’s State champ, Trinity. The Lady Wildcats roster is loaded as the Birmingham to Montgomery pipeline is alive and well. Last year, Trinity added a player from Mountain Brook and this season a trio of sisters, formerly of Briarwood Christian, have been added to the roster.

ACA trailed 24-5 after a quarter and the outcome was never in doubt. Trinity had an answer for everything the Eagles offered and controlled the game from the outset. Despite the large lead and the game in hand, the visiting coaches pleaded for every single call. Trinity cruised to an 82-22 victory. Katelyn Sutton led the team with eight points followed by Izzy Warrick with six points.

The boys looked to extend their winning streak as they hosted the Wildcats, but knew this one would be difficult. The visitors pulled away in the fourth period as the lack of depth for ACA was evident. In addition, the Wildcats went to the line twenty-seven times (making twenty-two of them) as compared to eleven attempts for ACA.

The first half was close as neither team led by more than five points. Mac Moorer scored half of the team’s twenty-four first half points, on four 3-pointers, as the Eagles trailed 24-26 at the break. In the third period, Alabama Christian tied the score twice, but could never take the lead. The third ended with a Moorer three, the old fashioned way as he was fouled after scoring. Trinity led 40-39 after three. Early in the fourth, Sam Davidson nailed a three to give ACA a two-point lead, but the Wildcats outscored the Eagles 20-7 over the final six minutes. Eleven of those points came from the charity stripe which kept the Eagles from making a serious run late.

Mac Moorer led the team with 17 points and added three rebounds. Darius Gardner had 14 points and seven rebounds while Tyree Saadiq had 10 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks.

ACA continues Area competition next Tuesday, January 16th, as they host MA.

Alabama Christian Defeats St James in Area Opener

Alabama Christian (13-4) opened Area play in the best way possible with a road win over St James. On Saturday, the Eagles held PCA to eight second half points and the defense did it again on Tuesday as they limited the Trojans to twelve over the final two quarters. The game was tied at the half as Darius Gardner and Mac Moorer combined for 15 of the team’s 22 points. Gardner carried the offense in the second half as the senior scored 17, five more points than the home team. The Eagles led 37-27 after three and continued to pull away in the fourth for a final score of 52-34.

Darius Gardner was the game’s leading scorer with 25 points while Mac Moorer scored 14 points, hitting all four of his free throws in the fourth period. Sam Davidson finished with five points followed by Conner Mark (4), Tyree Saadiq (2), and AC Walters (2).

The Lady Eagles (9-7) faced a very strong opponent for the second game in a row in an Area contest with St James. The Trojans overwhelmed ACA early and dominated in a 76-24 victory. Jaide Newkirk led the offense with eleven points while Katelyn Sutton scored eight, followed by Izzy Warrick with five.

Alabama Christian continues Area play on Friday as they host Trinity.

ACA WIns Two in Weekend Action

Alabama Christian improved their season record to 12-4 as they picked up road wins on Friday and Saturday. The two victories extended the Eagles winning streak to eight games which is the longest since ACA won the first nine games of the 1993-94 season. Ellwood Christian went quietly on Friday, losing by over forty points, 67-26. ACA led 17-5 after the first period and the rout was on. Conner Mark and Mac Moorer both scored 20 points to lead the offense. Alabama Christian has won all four contests against Ellwood in the series by an average of forty-eight points per game.

Saturday night saw the level of competition go up as the Eagles visited PCA. The defense stifled the Panthers in the second half as they shutout the home team over the final twelve minutes in the 44-29 triumph. The game was physical both ways early which started a game long discussion between the PCA coach and the officials about when an offensive foul should be called. The Panthers picked up three fouls in the first fifty-nine seconds of the game. After each team’s initial score, the offenses went on ice. Neither team scored over the middle four minutes of the quarter as the team’s combined for nine missed shots, four turnovers, and five fouls. The period ended in a 6-6 tie.

Conner Mark opened the second quarter with consecutive scores to give ACA a 10-6 advantage. After a Panther three, Mac Moorer scored followed by a Mark bomb to give the Eagles their biggest lead of the half, 15-9. PCA answered and took the lead late in the half until Moorer connected on a heavily contested three to give ACA a 23-21 lead at the half. The three was Moorer’s 100th of his career and came at a crucial time in the game. The junior is the tenth player in program history to make at least 100 threes. Mark and Moorer each scored seven points to lead the offense in the half.

Both teams traded scores to start the second half as the Panthers retook the lead 29-28 midway through the third. It would be the last points the home team would enjoy as they missed their last fourteen shots. Conner Mark responded with a three on the next possession and ACA never trailed again. The last score of the period showed the grit and determination of the Eagle’s squad and in particular, Darius Gardner. The senior refused to let PCA have the ball and corralled five offensive rebounds in one possession which finally ended with a Mac Moorer three-ball. The team and the fans were fired up after the Herculean effort. PCA immediately called a timeout to curb the momentum, but it was too late. Alabama Christian showed they wanted it worse than the home team. Like the second quarter, Mark opened the fourth with consecutive scores to build the lead to 39-29. At this point, ACA slowed the pace and took their time as they scored five more points over the final five minutes.

Conner Mark was the game’s leading scorer with 18 points and four rebounds. Mac Moorer added 13 points with three assists. Tyree Saadiq finished with six points and eight rebounds. Darius Gardner ruled the glass with ten rebounds, seven offensive.

The Lady Eagles (9-6) also played two over the weekend as they split their games. Like the boys, ACA had an easy time at Ellwood Friday night as they won handily, 54-25. The offensive trio of Jaide Newkirk (25), Katelyn Sutton (21), and Izzy Warrick (17) scored all of the points in the game.

Saturday was a different story as the Eagles played the three-time defending State champion. The game was added late with a hope of getting the team ready for Area play with better competition. Despite PCA’s success there were less than fifty fans in the stands for the home-standing Panthers. As the home team’s starting lineups were announced the lights went out for dramatic effect, but no spotlight ever shone on the players. In the end, the fans couldn’t see who the starters were until they turned the lights back on. The same thing happened in the boy’s game so maybe they don’t like spotlights.

Alabama Christian hung close through the first few minutes of the game, but the talented Panthers proved too much as they pulled away and led 17-5 after a quarter. PCA continued to stretch the margin each quarter and eventually won by a score of 76-18. The lone bright spot for the Eagles was Katelyn Sutton who played fearlessly and finished with team highs in points (11) and rebounds (9).

Alabama Christian opens Area play on Tuesday, January 9th, at St James.

Alabama Christian Closes 2023 with a Pair of Wins Over Notasulga

After winning both games yesterday, ACA came home and won two more to close out the calendar year. The Eagles (10-4) defeated Notasulga 52-38 while the Lady Eagles (8-5) handled the Blue Devils 55-13.

Alabama Christian traded baskets with Notasulga to start the boys game as the lead changed hands four times in the first three minutes. Trailing by a point, Tyree Saadiq put the Eagles up one, 6-5, and the lead would not change for the rest of the afternoon. Connor Mark and Mac Moorer hit back to back bombs followed by a Jayden Jones two to extend the lead to 14-5. Mark and Moorer connected again later in the period to give ACA a 20-8 lead after one. The second quarter was played evenly as Alabama Christian never led by more than fourteen and Notasulga was never closer than eight points. The Eagles led 32-21 at the break.

ACA turned up the heat defensively in the third period scoring eight consecutive points for a 40-23 advantage as four different players scored in the run. The two teams both scored seven points to end the third as the home team held a 47-30 lead. The defense continued to shine as the Devils did not score over the first three minutes in the final quarter. Neither team scored over the final 2:45 of the contest as ACA won the game, 52-38.

Mac Moorer led the offense with 21 points as he connected on eight of ten shots from the field. Jayden Jones finished with ten points, four rebounds, and three assists while Connor Mark contributed ten points of his own with three rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Darius Gardner led the team with eight rebounds and Tyree Saadiq produced five steals and five assists.

Katelyn Sutton missed most of Thursday’s game with foul trouble, but she more than made up for it Friday with a magnificent game against Notasulga. The junior point guard made eight of eleven shots and led the team in rebounds and assists. ACA overwhelmed its opponent as they shutout Notasulga in the first period to lead 22-0 after the first eight minutes. The trio of Sutton, Jaide Newkirk, and Izzy Warrick scored all of the points in the quarter. The visitors managed just four shots in the first and committed ten turnovers. Neither team scored to start the second until Warrick broke the string more than three minutes into the period. The Blue Devils scored their first points of the game with three minutes left in the half. Alabama Christian led 31-4 at the half led by Sutton’s 14 points.

The starters rested for chunks of the second half, but with just nine players there was only so much Coach Cantrell can do. Marcy Gregory and Madison Williams both scored in the quarter as the offensive opportunities spread to everyone. The Lady Eagles led 46-12 at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth, Addison Smith joined the scorers column and Katelyn Sutton put an exclamation on her performance with a three to close out the scoring in the 55-13 final.

Katelyn Sutton led all scorers with 22 points and added eight rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Jaide Newkirk finished with 15 points and six rebounds while Izzy Warrick added a double-double with ten points and ten steals.

Alabama Christian will finish their Christmas break and return to the court Friday, January 5th, at Ellwood Christian in Selma.

ACA Breezes Past Westminster-Oak Mountain

The Alabama Christian varsity squads last played twelve days ago at Thomasville, but returned to the hardwood Thursday afternoon with games against Westminster-Oak Mountain at Kingwood Church in Alabaster. The girls looked to halt a two-game losing skid while the boys aimed to extend their winning streak to five games. Both teams accomplished their mission with dominating performances as the girls won 55-22 and the boys final was 60-32. The boys victory was the ninth of the season which surpasses the win total from last season. Coach Jake Mitchell and his staff have done an excellent job in their first year with the program.

The girls game was one of milestones and records. Jaide Newkirk moved into the Top 10 career points in the second quarter and younger sister Adalynn Newkirk scored the first of what is sure to be many points of her career. Addison Smith set a new single game record with 11 steals. The home team scored the first three points of the game as ACA was scoreless in their first three possessions. Katelyn Sutton got the team on the board with a three and Izzy Warrick scored after a steal on the press and the Eagles never trailed again. The pressure defense employed by Alabama Christian overwhelmed the Knights who committed ten turnovers in the period. ACA led 16-8 after the first. Sutton, Warrick, and Newkirk each scored early in the second to stretch the lead to 22-8 and force a Westminster timeout with 6:05 left in the half. The Lady Eagles steadily increased the lead through the remainder of the half and took a 32-14 into the closet. Normally I would say locker room, but the locker room was literally a closet. Newkirk (15) and Warrick (10) combined for 25 of the team’s 32 first half points.

ACA outscored the home team 12-1 over the first half of the third period to build a 44-15 cushion despite one the starters fouling out early in the quarter. The defense did not allow a single made basket in the third as all five points from Westminster were from the free throw line. With a 52-19 lead after three quarters, the clock would run continuously and would end the game mercifully. The Eagles only score in the fourth was an Adalynn Newkirk three as Alabama Christian won 55-22.

Jaide Newkirk outscored the opponent with her 23 points and added 12 rebounds and five steals. Izzy Warrick followed with 17 points, nine steals, and seven rebounds. The team recorded 34 steals in the game as all nine players had at least one theft.

Like the girls game, Westminster scored the first basket of the nightcap, but a Mac Moorer trey gave the Eagles a lead they would never relinquish. In fact, after the opening score, ACA ran off twelve straight for a 12-2 lead midway through the first. Jackson Burton saw his first action of the year and scored in the opening period for a 14-4 lead. Burton was very active for the Eagles and gave a solid effort while on the floor. Moorer and Tyree Saadiq both hit threes to close the quarter for a 20-7 advantage. Both teams were cold to start the second as they combined to miss the first seven shots taken until Jayden Jones broke the streak with 5:42 left in the half. Moorer and Saadiq combined to score the next eleven points for Alabama Christian to build a 33-14 lead. Sam Davidson closed the half with a three for a 36-17 score at the break.

Jayden Jones and Tyree Saadiq carried the offense in the third period as the duo combined to score all ten of the squad’s points. Although the team scored just ten points, they held Westminster to seven on 3 for 15 shooting to extend the lead to 46-24 after three. ACA continued to pull away in the fourth quarter finally reaching the magic thirty point lead which triggered the running clock. The home team scored the final three point for the 60-32 final margin.

Mac Moorer led all scorers with 21 points as he connected on four of five shots from long range. Jayden Jones finished with 14 points and five rebounds while Tyree Saadiq had 13 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Jackson Burton led the team in rebounding off the bench with seven boards followed closely by Darius Gardner and TJ Merritt with six each.

Alabama Christian hosts Notasulga on Friday, December 29, for more holiday games.

ACA Beats Tallassee with Strong Second Quarter

After losing by seven last week at Tallassee, the Eagles exacted a measure of revenge Friday night aided by a strong second quarter to win on their home court. ACA (7-4) outscored the visiting Tigers 20-9 in the frame to take a 32-21 lead into the locker room at the break. Tallassee’s top player was benched for the second half and the Tigers were never able to make a serious run at Alabama Christian.

When ACA held on to the ball in the first, they shot well as they hit five of nine shots in the quarter as five different players scored. However, five turnovers in the period kept the offensive chances at a minimum. Although ACA would hold an eleven point lead at the half, the home team held a slim one point lead with 3:21 left in the second. In the final three minutes of the half, the Eagles outscored Tallassee 12-2. The run was sparked by a Darius Gardner block which led to his score on the other end of the floor. A Jayden Jones steal and score on the next possession made it 24-19. Christian Snipes hit a three to stretch the lead to 27-19 and then blocked a shot on the defensive end before a Mac Moorer bomb made it 30-19. Tyree Saadiq finished the scoring with a putback on an offensive rebound to take a 32-21 lead.

The defense continued to clamp down on Tallassee in the third period as the Tigers hit just one of fourteen shots from the floor. Jayden Jones scored the first Eagle points of the quarter and the last to give ACA a 45-29 cushion after three. Tallassee picked up full court pressure in the fourth and double teamed Saadiq to try and keep the ball out of his hands, but ACA handled it as the lead stayed double digits through the quarter. The final margin was eleven points in the 54-43 victory.

Mac Moorer led the team with 14 points and added three rebounds. Jayden Jones finished with 12 points while Connor Mark had nine with four rebounds and two blocks. Tyree Saadiq once again led the team with twelve rebounds and six assists.

A week ago, the Eagles won a hard fought game against Tallassee 46-40, On Friday night, two key players were out due to injury and illness. The squad missed Katelyn Sutton’s floor leadership and ball handling and Annabelle Pugh’s fierce defense and competitive spirit. The defense suffered the most as the Tigers scored 65 points on the night. ACA scored 53, just above their season average.

The Tiger pressure rattled Alabama Christian in the beginning, but an 11-0 run midway through the first put ACA ahead 13-6. Jaide Newkirk led the surge with seven of the eleven points as she hit from inside and outside. The Tigers responded and scored the final seven points of the quarter for a 13-13 tie after one. WIth 3:38 left in the half, Tallassee sank two free throws to break a tied score and would never trail again. The visitors led 25-22 at the half.

In the third, the Tigers got hot and outscored ACA 19-10 to take a 44-32 lead into the fourth. Back to back scores by Jaide Newkirk and Izzy Warrick to start the fourth quarter closed the lead to eight points, but it was as close as ACA would get. Over the next four minutes, the Tigers outscored the Lady Eagles 13-3 to extend the lead to 57-39. Alabama Christian never gave up and cut away at the lead as best they could, but in the end Tallassee prevailed, 65-53.

Jaide Newkirk was the game’s top scorer with 24 points along with 12 rebounds and two blocks. Izzy Warrick had 18 points with five rebounds and five assists. Campbell Hammett finished with nine points and five rebounds.

Alabama Christian’s final game before the Christmas break is at Thomasville on Saturday, December 16th.

Alabama Christian Defeats Thorsby in Both Varsity Contests

The Lady Eagles won their sixth straight contest Thursday night to improve to 6-3 on the year with a 49-26 defeat of Thorsby. ACA sweeps the season series after defeating the Rebels two weeks ago on the road. Alabama Christian got off to a quick start as they held a ten-point advantage after the first quarter. Kateyln Sutton carried the offensive load early as she scored 10 of the team’s 14 points. The second period was more evenly played as Thorsby settled into the flow of the game. ACA held a 23-12 lead at the half.

The Eagles opened the second half with an 8-3 run to extend the lead to 31-15. Four different players scored a basket in the run as the team was moving the ball well. Five of the eight made field goals in the quarter were assisted. ACA extended the lead to 41-20 at the end of three. The final period saw Alabama Christian maintain the lead at around twenty points as the final margin was twenty-three points in the 49-26 triumph.

Katelyn Sutton led all scorers with 14 points on the night. Izzy Warrick (12) and Jaide Newkirk (11) both reached double figures in the victory.

After losing by two at Thorsby, the boys team held serve on their home court with a 51-41 win over the Rebs. ACA moved to 6-4 on the season with the victory. Both teams traded scores to begin the game, but Thorsby went cold after the initial score. The Rebels did not score again over the next four minutes as they missed their next four shots and were forced into six turnovers. During the same stretch, the Eagles scored eight points and led 10-3 in the first. The Rebels scored in the final minute to cut the score to 13-8 after one. Despite dominating the quarter, the Eagles led by just five points. The defense harassed Thorsby all night as the visitors had trouble with the aggressive man to man defense. ACA led 26-17 at the half led by Christian Snipes with seven points off the bench.

Early in the third quarter the Eagle defense kicked it up a notch and stole the ball on three out of four possessions which resulted in easy transition layups. The defensive outburst caused a Thorsby timeout with 5:09 left in the third with ACA leading 33-17. The offensive woes continued for Thorsby who did not score until the 2:28 mark of the quarter. Jayden Jones ended the period with a three to give the home team a 41-24 lead after three. Thorsby continued to fight and scored the last seven points of the game, but it was too little too late in the 51-41 win for ACA.

Sam Davidson and Mac Moorer led the offense with 11 points apiece as both had three rebounds. Christian Snipes finished with nine points. Once again, Tyree Saadiq did a little bit of everything as he led the team in steals (8), rebounds (5), and assists (5).

ACA Handles Elmore County in Tuesday Night Action

Alabama Christian (5-4) hosted an old foe Tuesday night as Elmore County came to town for some hoops action. The series between the schools began in 1964 when Elmore County was known as Eclectic High School. The fiftieth meeting between the two schools was a thriller won by the Eagles, 48-46.

ACA came out hot and it looked as if they would blow the Panthers out in the first period. Mac Moorer scored the team's first six points from behind the arc while Connor Mark and Sam Davidson joined in to build a 12-1 lead late in the quarter. Elmore County was an abysmal 1 for 9 from the field and committed four turnovers as they trailed 14-3 after one. As well as the Eagles shot in the first, they turned cold in the second as they failed to score in the first four minutes of the period. Despite the offensive drought, ACA still led 14-11 as they went to the foul line with 3:55 in the half and scored their first point of the quarter. Neither team did much offensively the rest of the half as Alabama Christian led 19-15 at the half.

Mac Moorer connected on a three early in the third to give ACA a 24-18 lead and the team’s traded baskets afterwards as the home team led 27-22 with 1:55 left in the quarter. The Panthers made a run at the end of the third and tied it up with a score at the buzzer. After three quarters the game was all even, 32-32. Just twelve seconds into the final period, Elmore County took its first lead of the game making two free throws. The lead changed hands six times in the fourth and kept the crowd on an emotional roller coaster. The Panthers biggest lead of the night came after a made three with five minutes left for a 41-37 advantage. Moorer and Connor Mark hit big time threes over the next two minutes to give ACA a 43-41 lead. With 1:44 left, the Eagle faithful thought Tyree Saadiq had drawn a charge, but the official did not see it that way. The shot was good and a block was called against ACA. After the free throw, Elmore County led 44-43. On the next possession, Moorer connected for the sixth time from deep to vault Alabama Christian back in the lead, 46-44. Mark’s blocked shot and rebound gave the ball back to the Eagles, but a turnover led to an Elmore County score to tie it up. Saadiq missed the next ACA shot, but never gave up on the play and stole the ball at mid-court and found a streaking Jayden Jones for a layup with 4.7 seconds left. The Panthers tried to throw the ball the length of the floor on the inbound pass, but hit the rafters to turn the ball over. However, ACA could not inbound the ball and was called for a five second violation. Saadiq stole the next inbound try and dribbled the game out for a thrilling victory.

Mac Moorer led all scorers with 18 points on a 6 for 11 night from deep. Connor Mark had 13 points and five rebounds while Tyree Saadiq had six points with a team best eight assists, six rebounds, and three steals.

The Lady Eagles (5-3) have historically had success against Elmore County with a 24-10 series lead coming into action on Tuesday night. However, the Panthers had won the last three and ACA looked to stop that streak. The final score does not give a true indication of how close the game was in the first half as ACA pulled away in a 53-38 victory.

Jaide Newkirk opened the scoring as she rebounded her own miss for a 2-0 lead. An Izzy Warrick three gave ACA a 9-5 lead midway through the period. The Lady Panthers answered and led 11-10 after one quarter. In the second, the Eagle defense fouled excessively and put Elmore County in the bonus with 5:26 left in the half. To their credit, ACA only fouled once more in the quarter and kept the visitors off the free throw line. Midway through the second Marcy Gregory rebounded an Eagle miss and found Katelyn Sutton for a three pointer which gave ACA a lead they would not give up the rest of the night. The Lady Eagles scored six points in the final thirty-five seconds to take a 29-22 lead and the game’s momentum into the half.

Two scores by Jaide Newkirk to open the second half increased the lead to 33-22 two minutes in. The Panthers would not go away as they cut the lead to five on two occasions and trailed by six, 40-34 after three periods. In the fourth quarter, the Alabama Christian defense locked down Elmore County and held the Panthers to four points on 1 for 15 shooting from the field. Meanwhile, the team with not a lot of depth outran their opponent down the floor over and over again in the fourth. Newkirk scored eight of the team’s thirteen points as her teammates found her repeatedly. The determined Eagles eventually won by fifteen points, 53-38.

Jaide Newkirk led the offense with 18 points and added 11 rebounds and two blocks. Izzy Warrick had 13 points with three rebounds while Campbell Hammett finished with 12 points and three steals. Katelyn Sutton did it all with eight points, five assists, four rebounds, and three steals. Marcy Gregory also contributed three rebounds and three assists.

ACA hosts Thorsby Thursday night, December 14th, as they continue a busy week.

Lady Eagles Defeat Tallassee on the Road

It was a typical night of basket-brawl at the Tallassee gym Friday night. The rough play was magnified by the officials who allowed very rough play in both games. The girls managed to pull out a victory against the Tigers, but the boys dropped a close one.

Even with the lack of calls, the Lady Eagles (4-3) found early foul trouble as Katelyn Sutton had two fouls just 30 seconds into the game. Izzy Warrick ran the point while Sutton had to go to the bench. Jaide Newkirk scored six of the team’s twelve points in the first as ACA held a 10-2 lead with about three minutes left. The two teams traded baskets and Alabama Christian led 12-5 after one. The second period began with both opponents once again trading scores as the margin remained seven points with five minutes left in the half. Sutton started a 7-0 run with a steal and a score followed by two Newkirk scores sandwiched around a Warrick free throw. The Lady Eagles led 24-10 with 30 seconds left in the quarter. Tallassee managed three points in the final half minute to cut the lead to eleven points at the break.

Although ACA was unable to put Tallassee away, the closest the game got in the second half was five points. A Campbell Hammett three early in the third gave ACA its biggest lead at 30-17. Tallassee answered with seven straight points to cut the margin to six. Alabama Christian led 36-29 after three. Katelyn Sutton and Hammett opened the final quarter with scores to push ACA’s lead back to 41-29, but, once again, the Tigers responded with a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 41-36. In the run by Tallassee, both Sutton and Jaide Newkirk fouled out. Newkirk fouled out with 2:38 left in the game and Coach Cantrell counted on Izzy Warrick and Hammett to carry the offensive load. Although ACA did not make another field goal the rest of the game, Hammett sank five huge free throws down the stretch to help preserve the win. The Tigers were 0 for 4 in the same time to help Alabama Christian to a 46-40 victory.

Campbell Hammett led all scorers with 18 points and added seven rebounds. Jaide Newkirk had a double-double in the first half and finished with 12 points and career highs in rebounds (19) and blocks (5). Katelyn Sutton had six points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals while Izzy Warrick had five points, nine rebounds, four steals, and four assists.

The boys game got off to a strange start as Tallassee went to the free throw line due to an administrative technical violation against ACA (3-4). The home team hit one of two and led before the tipoff. Neither team could find the basket for a long stretch of the first period. Tallassee hit a second free throw for a 2-0 lead with 3:59 left. The first score from the field was a three from Christian Snipes to give the Eagles a 3-2 lead with 3:44 left in the quarter. The two teams combined to miss their first eleven shots from the field. Once the seal was broken the flow of the game was much better as Tallassee ended the quarter with a three for a 10-9 lead after one. The second quarter opened with back to back bombs by Snipes and Connor Mark to give ACA a 15-10 lead. The Eagles never trailed the rest of the half and took a 25-20 advantage into the intermission.

The offense began to sputter in the second half, but the game remained tight. The Tigers scored the first seven points of the half to take the lead three minutes into the third. Tyree Saadiq completed a three point play for ACA’s first points to regain the lead with 2:38 left in the quarter. The final two minutes saw both teams trade baskets as Alabama Christian led 33-32 heading into the fourth. Despite just scoring eight points in the period the Eagles maintained the slimmest of leads. ACA was held to three made field goals in the fourth and Tallassee was able to pull away late for the 47-40 victory.

Christian Snipes led the team with 18 points and added four rebounds. Tyree Saadiq finished with nine points, seven rebounds, and five steals while Connor Mark had five points.

Alabama Christian will be back at home on Tuesday, December 12th as they host Elmore County.

ACA Overwhelms LAMP on the Hardwood

Alabama Christian enjoyed a fun night at the gym with two convincing victories over LAMP. On the boys side, the last four games against LAMP have been close with the average difference being less than four points per game. However, Tuesday night, ACA’s 63-32 win over the Golden Tigers was the largest margin of victory (31 points) in the 54-game history of the series. Similarly, the Lady Eagles ran roughshod over LAMP, 48-10, with their largest margin of victory since 2009. The ten points given up by the Eagles tied for the eighth fewest in a game in school history.

The boys game could not have started any better for the home team as Mac Moorer was fouled just three seconds into the action and sank two free throws to start the festivities. Things continued to go the way of ACA (4-3) as five different players hit threes in the first period as the team connected on six of its first eight attempts from long distance. The defense was spectacular as well and LAMP had no answer for the energy and intensity brought by Alabama Christian. LAMP shot 1 for 12 in the quarter and committed four turnovers as ACA raced to a 26-3 lead after one. The lead would never be under twenty for the rest of the night. Jayden Jones opened the second with a steal and a bucket to further dampen the spirits of the opponent. Sam Davidson closed the quarter with the team’s eighth three of the half for a 41-14 lead. Christian Snipes (11) and Jones (8) led the scoring in the half while Darius Gardner shut down the LAMP big man with stellar defensive play.

The third quarter was evenly played as LAMP actually outscored the Eagles by two points. ACA slowed the pace in the second half and emptied the bench with the big lead. With about four minutes left in the game, ACA hit the magic thirty point lead and the clock ran continuously from that point on. The defense picked back up in the fourth as the Tigers only scored five points in the 63-32 final.

Christian Snipes led the team in scoring off the bench with 13 points. Jayden Jones had 11 points with five rebounds while Connor Mark also had 11 points with four boards. Tyree Saadiq’s seven assists led the team as did Darius Gardner’s four blocks.

Defense was the name of the game for the Lady Eagles as well. ACA (3-3) suffocated LAMP in the first period as the Tigers scored just two points and had 14 turnovers. Jaide Newkirk got off to a quick start with half of the team’s points in the quarter as ACA led 12-2 after one. The lead stayed around ten points in the second quarter until the Eagles scored the last seven points of the half with a little less than two minutes left to take a 25-8 lead into the locker room. Newkirk, Izzy Warrick, and Katelyn Sutton each scored in the seven point run.

LAMP did not make a single field goal in the second half as the ACA defense continued to frustrate them even in the half court. Late in the third quarter as Jaide Newkirk came out to get some rest, Coach Cantrell specifically had Annabelle Pugh guard the LAMP post player which is a testament to her toughness and grit on the floor.. One of the shortest players on the court gave the bigger, taller player fits. With a 42-10 lead after three quarters, the fourth flew by. Only six points were scored in the quarter, all by ACA.

Izzy Warrick tied the school record with nine steals in the game and was the team’s leading scorer with 20 points to go along with three assists. Jaide Newkirk recorded another double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds with four steals and three blocks. Annabelle Pugh had six rebounds and five steals on the night.

ACA travels to Tallassee on Friday for its next contest.

ACA Varsity Basketball Sweeps Ellwood Christian

Alabama Christian hosted Ellwood Christian from Selma Friday night and both teams posted impressive wins. Both offenses produced their highest point totals of the season and were able to substitute freely in the second half.

In the girls game, it took a little while for the offense to get rolling as the game remained relatively close through the first period. The ACA (2-3) pressure harassed Ellwood early and caused eight turnovers by the visitors in the first. Annabelle Pugh and Jaide Newkirk had four of the team’s six steals in the quarter to help spur a 14-8 advantage. Campbell Hammett opened the second with a steal and score and then found Izzy Warrick for a score for a quick four points in thirty seconds. Ellwood responded and scored consecutive baskets to cut the lead to 18-12 with just over six minutes left in the half. After a timeout, Alabama Christian scored the next seventeen points over three minutes to bust the game open. Jaide Newkirk led the attack with ten points during the run and finished with 18 points in the first half. A Katelyn Sutton bucket late in the period gave ACA a 41-19 headed into the half.

The Lady Eagles scored the first eight points of the second half to build a thirty point cushion. The lead extended to thirty-five by the end of the quarter as the bench logged major minutes. Sam Burgess, who made her varsity debut on Tuesday, scored the first point of her varsity career with a free throw with under a minute left in the third and would add a three pointer in the final period. With a thirty point lead, the fourth quarter moved quickly as the clock ran continuously. Another freshman, Madison Williams scored the first points of her career with a trey to close out the scoring on the night. The final was a resounding 75-31 victory.

Jaide Newkirk led all scorers with 29 points with 11 rebounds and three steals. The performance was Newkirk’s third double-double of the season. Kately Sutton filled the stat sheet with 20 points, five rebounds, five steals, and three assists. Izzy Warrick was the third player to hit double digits with ten points and added five rebounds, five steals, and four assists.

After splitting two nail biters earlier in the week, ACA (3-3) didn’t mind a bit of a breather on Friday night. Like the girls, the boys took a while to click early as they led just 5-4 with three minutes left in the quarter. The Eagles scored the last nine points in the first to take a 14-4 lead into the second quarter. After giving up the first points of the second quarter, ACA ran off eleven consecutive points to extend the lead to 25-7. Jayden Jones and Darius Gardner both scored twice in the stretch to lead the offense. The lead continued to build through the remainder of the half as ACA led 39-15 at the break. Gardner (8) and Tyree Saadiq (7) led the offense through the first two quarters.

The offense got going in the third as the team shot 52.9% (9 for 17) from the field in the quarter. Five of the nine makes were assisted as the ball moved crisply for the Eagles. Tyree Saadiq led the charge with six points in the period on two made threes. The lead ballooned to 43 points with the 61-18 margin at the end of the third. The clock ran in the fourth quarter with the big lead. TJ Merritt and Kaiden Green both scored off the bench in the final eight minutes as the game ended with a 69-24 final score.

Ten different Eagles scored on the night and were led by Tyree Saadiq with 13 points and five assists and Jayden Jones with 10 points. Three players, Darius Gardner, Connor Mark, and Christian Snipes, each scored nine points. For the third straight game Gardner led the team in rebounds with eight and Mark had a team high three steals.

Alabama Christian next plays at home against LAMP on Tuesday, December 5th.

Alabama Christian Defeats PCA in Home Opener

Alabama Christian (2-3) defeated PCA for just the second time in program history Thursday night with a 48-47 thriller at home. It was a long night at the gym with four games and an innumerable amount of traveling calls, but the boys varsity squad made it worth the wait.

Amazingly, PCA scored the first point of the night at the stripe for their only lead of the game. Christian Snipes scored on the next possession and the Eagles would never trail again. Snipes and Connor Mark combined for ten points in the opening period as ACA led 14-8 after one. In the second quarter the lead grew to seven on two occasions with Mac Moorer and Connor Mark threes. After Mark’s bucket, PCA responded with five points over the final fifty seconds to trim the lead to 23-21 at the half.

Mac Moorer and Jayden Jones hit back to back shots to open a 28-21 lead early in the third quarter. Late in the period the lead grew to eleven as Moorer connected on his second bomb of the half. With just over a minute left in the third, PCA responded with a three ball and gained immediate possession after a foul was called against ACA on the rebound. The Panthers converted to score five points on the possession which cut the lead to six. Another PCA three at the buzzer cut the lead to 40-36 as the team’s prepared for the fourth. ACA outscored the visitors 8-3 over the first four minutes of the final quarter. Moorer’s fourth three of the night gave ACA a 48-39 lead with just over four minutes to play. If you remember the final score, you realize those were the last points scored by the good guys on the evening. With three minutes left, the Panthers scored to cut the lead to 48-41. After an Eagle miss, PCA scored again to cut the lead to four as they had two offensive rebounds on the possession. On ACA’s next time down the court they were called for their fourth charge of the quarter to give the ball back to PCA. The Panthers hit a three to cut the lead to 48-47 with 1:45 left. ACA tried to run the clock out from there and almost made it, but a turnover with 16 seconds left gave the visitors one last chance. After calling a timeout with 9.9 seconds left, the Panthers ran a play and got a decent look but the ball rattled out and the Eagles hung on for the victory.

Alabama Christian finished with three players in double figures. Christian Snipes had 12 points with three rebounds along with Mac Moorer who had 12 on four made threes. Connor Mark finished with 10 points in the win. Darrius Gardner was again the team’s leading rebounder with six while Sam Davisdon and Tyree Saadiq both had five assists to lead the team.

Alabama Christian will host Ellwood Christian from Selma on Friday, December 1st.

ACA Picks Up First Win of the Year at Thorsby

The Lady Eagles (1-3) notched their first victory of the season with a 56-39 triumph at Thorsby. The seventeen-point final margin was not indicative of how close the contest really was as the game was tied with just over six minutes left. ACA closed the deal with a 19-2 run to pull away late.

In the first period, the Eagles tried the whack-a-mole method of defense as they committed eleven fouls in the quarter and put Thorsby in the bonus just two minutes in. The Rebels took advantage and scored nine of their twelve points from the line in the first. Izzy Warrick scored seven in the first eight minutes to give ACA a 15-12 lead headed to the second. Every time it looked as if Alabama Christian was going to make a run, the home team bounced back and kept the game close for the remainder of the first half. Katelyn Sutton hit two free throws with 3:33 left in the quarter to give ACA a six-point lead, its biggest of the half. Thorsby cut the lead to three, 23-20, but Jaide Newkirk hit three of four free throws in the final thirty-seven seconds to give ACA a 26-22 lead at the break.

Thorsby managed to tie the game 28-28 midway through the third, but ACA countered with a 9-4 run to close the quarter led by Jaide Newkirk’s five points during the stretch. The Lady Rebels scored the first five points of the final stanza and tied the contest 37-37 with just over six minutes to play. Katelyn Sutton broke the tie with a long three that Thorsby dared her to take and she kindly obliged. Izzy Warrick scored on the next two possessions with a three and a theft and a bucket to stretch the lead to eight points. From that point the defensive pressure intensified and Thorsby was held to just three shots attempted the rest of the way.

The scoring duties were handled by a trio of players as Jaide Newkirk, Izzy Warrick, and Katelyn Sutton scored 54 of the team’s 56 points. Newkirk scored 20 and equaled her career best with 18 rebounds along with three assists and three steals. Warrick finished with 20 as well with five rebounds and five steals. Sutton had 14 points with five rebounds, five assists, and four steals.

In the nightcap, the boys team lost a close one to Thorsby, 47-49. The game was a back and forth affair as the lead changed hands eight times. After falling behind 3-10 in the first period, ACA (1-3) scored the next eight points, four by Jayden Jones, to take its first lead of the night. The first ended with the Rebels holding a one-point lead. Sam Davidson hit threes on consecutive possessions to help retake the lead and Jones’ bucket two minutes into the second period gave ACA a 20-15 lead. After another basket, the first of two long scoring droughts haunted the Eagle offense. The visitors from Montgomery did not score over the final five minutes of the half and Thorsby took advantage to build a 27-22 lead at the half.

Jayden Jones and Tyree Saadiq combined to score the first six points of the second half to vault ACA back into the lead two minutes into the quarter. Although the Rebels retook the lead, Sam Davidson closed the period with a trey for a 36-35 lead headed into the fourth. Unfortunately, the second shooting dry spell occurred in the final quarter as ACA did not score in the first six minutes of the period. Again, Thorsby took advantage and built its biggest lead of the night, 48-36, and looked poised to run away with it. Finally, the Eagle offense was resuscitated and the visitors made a furious effort to come back. Christian Snipes and Connor Mark hit back to back baskets to cut the lead to 41-48 and force a timeout with 1:26 left. After a Mark steal, Saadiq was fouled after a made bucket and his free throw cut the lead to 44-48 with 1:03 left. Thorsby missed a pair of free throws, but Sam Davisdon hit all three of his, after being fouled, to cut the lead to one with 27.1 seconds left. The Rebels connected on one of two freebies on their next trip and ACA got a good look at a game-winning three, but could not connect as Thorsby held on for the 49-47 win.

Sam Davidson led the offense with 12 points and added four rebounds. Tyree Saadiq had 11 points with seven rebounds and four assists while Christian Snipes finished with nine points and six boards. Darrius Gardner led the team with nine rebounds.