ACA Impressive in Area Sweep of Dallas County

Alabama Christian earned a much needed Area win as they defended their home court with a 70-59 defeat of Dallas County. The contest was tight through the first three quarters, but the Eagles took control in the fourth and wore the Hornets down. Only five players scored on the night, but four were in double figures in a well balanced attack.

Dallas County jumped out to a 6-2 lead, but a Connor Mark basket cut the lead to a deuce. On the next possession, Jayden Jones had a steal and layup to tie the game. The defensive play got Jones going as he scored the team’s next seven points as he hit his first four shots from the field. Dallas County outscored ACA 16-8 over the second half of the quarter to open a 23-18 lead after one. The Eagles stayed close in the second, but could never make a serious run at the lead until late. The momentum started to swing in the final minute of the half as Alabama Christian finished on a 6-0 run as Mark scored once and Sam Davidson hit two shots to make the score 32-34 at the break.

ACA outscored the visitors 13-4 to take a 45-38 lead midway through the third. Four different players scored in the run punctuated by a Sam Davidson long ball to open up the seven point lead. The Hornets responded and brought the game back to even after three as the game was tied 46-46. The Eagles saved their best for last as they outplayed Dallas County over the final eight minutes of the game. ACA scored eight quick points as Mac Moorer hit a three followed by a Christian Snipes two and a Jayden Jones three in the first minute of the period. Dallas County made one last run at the lead as they cut the lead to three points with just over three minutes to play. The Eagles did not panic and outscored the Hornets 10-2 down the stretch for the 70-59 win.

Christian Snipes led the offense with 22 points, 18 in the second half, with five rebounds. Jayden Jones had 18 points, a team high eight rebounds, and four assists. Mac Moorer finished with 15 points and six rebounds while Sam Davidson had 10 points and five rebounds.

The girls game had much less intrigue than the boys did. Dallas County was late arriving and were not allowed any warm up time. The Lady Hornets came straight out of the locker room and right to the tip off. Honestly, it probably didn’t matter as Dallas County was greatly over matched in the contest. ACA led 18-3 after one and the rout was on. Jaide Newkirk’s nine points paced the offense in the first. The other Newkirk sparked the offense in the second quarter as Adalynn scored eleven in the period to help lead the Eagles to a 40-9 lead at the half.

Because of the lopsided nature of the game, it was decided the entire second half would have a running clock. ACA blanked Dallas County in the third, 15-0 as the lead grew to 55-9. The fourth quarter was much of the same as the Lady eagles cruised to a 67-12 victory. Seven different players scored in the second half.

Adalynn Newkirk led the team with 15 points and added four rebounds. Katelyn Sutton stuffed the box score with 12 points, nine steals, six assists, and five rebounds Jaide Newkirk had 12 points and six rebounds while Izzy Warrick finished with 10 points, five rebounds, five steals, and three assists.

ACA will have the weekend off and will resume Area play on Tuesday, January 14, as they host St James.

Lady Eagles Defeat Westminster-Oak Mountain Easily

Alabama Christian played their last games of the Christmas break on Saturday as they hosted Westminster-Oak Mountain. The girls continued their winning ways with a 20-point victory while the boys let one get away from them as they lost a close game against the Knights.

The way the girls contest started it looked like ACA (15-2) was in for a shootout against Westminster. The visitors hit four of their first five shots as the two teams were tied 17-17 after a quarter. The Knights came back to earth for the remainder of the game as they managed just 23 points over the final three quarters. A three at the buzzer by Katelyn Sutton tied the game. The Eagles scored the first thirteen points of the second period which gave them a little breathing room. Sutton’s eight points during the run sparked the team. Izzy Warrick hit a long one at the end of the half for the second buzzer beater of the game to give ACA a 36-21 lead at the break.

Jaide Newkirk and Evelyn Tankersley combined for Alabama Christian’s first eight points of the second half to take the score to 44-22. ACA outscored the Knights 17-1 over a six and a half minute span to begin the quarter. The home team led 57-27 after three. Since the Eagles led by 30 the mandatory running clock was instituted. With the pressure of the outcome gone, Westminster got hot again with a 7-2 run to start the fourth. The Knights finished the game by scoring the last six points of the afternoon to make the final score 61-40.

Katelyn Sutton led all scorers with 21 points and added six assists and five rebounds. Jaide Newkirk finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks. Evelyn Tankersley led the team with ten rebounds and three steals.

In the boys game it seemed as if ACA (9-7) had superior individual talent, but in the end Westminster proved to be the better team. Time and time again the Knights broke the Alabama Christian pressure as the defense failed to get back leading to easy buckets. In the half court, Westminster converted in the post as the Eagles struggled to fight through picks and cover the backdoor cutter.

The Eagles started fast as Christian Snipes scored nine of the team’s first ten points as ACA built a 10-5 lead. Neither team scored over the final three minutes of the period, but the Eagles still held a 14-7 advantage. The scoring drought continued for the home team in the second quarter as Westminster went on a 9-0 run to take the lead three minutes into the period. ACA managed just six points in the quarter and went from a seven point lead after the first to a seven point deficit at the half, 20-27.

ACA came out with some fire and hustle in the third and seemed to dominate the quarter. Jayden Jones scored eleven in the period to lead the offense. The Eagles took the lead for seventeen seconds late in the third, but two three-point plays by Westminster gave the visitors a 51-45 lead after three. For all of the hard work and imagined momentum it seemed ACA had, they were only able to shave a single point off the lead in the third. In the fourth, ACA cut the lead to two with just over two minutes to play, but the Knights scored the next six points to put the game out of reach. Alabama Christian would eventually lose by a score of 59-63.

Mac Moorer led the team with 15 points and six rebounds. Jayden Jones finished with 14 points and three rebounds while Christian Snipes had 12 points on the afternoon.

Alabama Christian travels to MA next Tuesday to continue Area play.

Alabama Christian Sweeps Thorsby in Area Play

Both the boys and girls teams started 2025 the right way with Area wins over Thorsby. The girls dominated from the opening tip while the boys avenged an earlier loss to the Rebels.

In the boys game, ACA (9-6) scored the last thirteen points of the first period to lead 17-4 at the end of one. Thorsby was scoreless over the final four and a half minutes of the quarter. Christian Snipes and Levi Summers scored eleven of the thirteen points in the run. The Rebels managed just six shot attempts over the last half of the quarter. The teams played evenly in the second and the Eagles were able to maintain a thirteen point advantage at the half. Connor Mark returned to action in the second quarter much to the delight of the ACA faithful.

In the third period Thorsby never went away, but never got closer than nine points either. ACA led 42-32 after three. Alabama Christian pulled away in the fourth and led by as many as nineteen with less than two minutes to play. Mac Moorer got hot as he scored ten points in the final quarter to help secure the 57-42 win.

Mac Moorer led all scorers with 18 points followed closely by Christian Snipes who had 17 points and three rebounds. Jayden Jones had eight assists to lead the team while Levi Summers finished with a team high eight rebounds.

Sometimes it’s not easy to get up for a game when you know you are clearly the better team. ACA (14-2) had their game face on and dominated from the opening tip. The Eagles scored the first fifteen point of the game as they connected on six of their first ten shots. Four different players scored in the stretch as four of the six field goals were assisted and the other two were offensive rebound put backs. ACA led 20-3 after one and continued impress in the second. The Rebels made their first field goal from the floor with seventeen seconds left in the half. The Eagles led 31-7 at the break.

The third period was played evenly between the two teams as ACA only increased its lead by two points to led 42-16 after three. The lead hit thirty points early in the fourth and the clock moved quickly afterwards. Evelyn Tankersley had ten points in the fourth and helped the Eagles to a 58-23 victory.

Four Eagles reached double figures and a fifth scored eight points as the team shared the ball throughout the game. Jaide Newkirk was the top scorer with 14 points along with seven rebounds. Evelyn Tankersley finished with 12 points as she hit all six of her shots from the floor with four rebounds. Izzy Warrick scored 11 points with three steals and Katelyn Sutton had 10 points and nine assists.

Alabama Christian plays again on Saturday, January 4th as they host Westminster-Oak Mountain.

Eagles Participate in Brantley Christmas Tournament

Alabama Christian (8-6) dropped a pair of games at the Brantley Christmas tournament this weekend with losses to Andalusia and the host school, Brantley.

In game one, Andalusia jumped on the Eagles from the outset and led 18-9 after a quarter. The Bulldogs steadily increased the margin as they outscored ACA in every quarter. The final score was a decisive 63-32 win for Andalusia. Christian Snipes led the offense with 12 points followed by Mac Moorer with nine and Sam Davidson with six.

In the consolation game, ACA produced a better start and led after the first period, 26-22. Unfortunately, the offense proved inconsistent as the Eagles scored just 31 points over the final three quarters. Brantley took the lead by halftime and eventually won the game 70-57. Sam Davidson was the team’s leading scorer with 13 points followed closely by Mac Moorer with 12. Jayden Jones had nine points while Broderick Williams and AC Walters each scored eight.

Alabama Christian Picks Up Win over BTW-Magnet

Both varsity basketball teams were victorious Tuesday night with road wins over BTW-Magnet. The girls cruised to a 57-13 win in a game that was never competitive. The boys looked great early and hung on for dear life in a thrilling 64-57 win.

The boys started the game with ten minutes of dominating play as they blitzed the Yellow Jackets 31-10. However, there are thirty-two minutes in a game and a team can’t rely on the first ten to secure a victory. Mac Moorer and Sam Davidson combined for six three balls in the first period to help build a commanding 25-8 lead after one. Moorer kept it going early in the second connecting two more times as he made his first six three-points attempts which resulted in a twenty-one point lead. BTW answered with eight straight points to trail by thirteen with two minutes left in the half. AC Walters and Davidson scored late in the quarter to give ACA (8-3) a 36-22 lead at the intermission.

The home standing Jackets kept the momentum on their side as they scored the first nine points of the second half to cut the Eagle lead to 36-31. Mac Moorer hit his seventh three of the game to stop the bleeding and help settle the team down. Jayden Jones and Broderick Williams worked well together towards the end of the third as the duo combined for six points for a 48-41 advantage after three. ACA looked ready to finally put BTW away in the fourth as they outscored the home team 7-3 to build a 55-44 lead. The Yellow Jackets turned up the pressure and took advantage of the contact being allowed by the officials to go on a 12-3 run of their own to cut the deficit to just two points with 1:50 left. Jones scored to give the Eagles a four point lead and would later, along with Moorer hit four free throws to clinch the game.

Mac Moorer led the offense with 24 points, hitting seven 3-pointers. Sam Davidson finished with 12 points and four rebounds. Jayden Jones had nine points, eight assists, and five rebounds while Christian Snipes had eight points and five boards.

As exciting as the finish of the boys game turned out to be, the outcome pf the girls contest was never in doubt. Although the Eagles (11-1) started slowly they were too much for the hapless Yellow Jacket team. Katelyn Sutton and Izzy Warrick both hit first period threes to build a 10-3 lead after one. ACA built a 26-7 lead at the half as the offense was a little better in the second. Jaide Newkirk led the team with nine first half points.

The third quarter was the team’s best as they buried BTW in a 24-1 barrage that helped the Eagles build a 50-8 lead after three. The Jackets hit a free throw less than a minute into the quarter and did not score again. Three players, A’Kirra McElveen, Katelyn Sutton, and Jaide Newkirk, each had six points in the third to lead a balanced attack. The fourth quarter went quickly as the clock ran continuously. The highlight of the quarter was Campbell Hammett trying to sneak into the game only be turned back by her coach. The Lady Eagles enjoyed a stress free 57-13 romp.

Jaide Newkirk had a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Katelyn Sutton finished with eleven points, six steals, five rebounds, and five assists. Izzy Warrick and A’Kirra McElveen both had eight points while McElveen had a team best 16 rebounds.

ACA Continues Winning Streak

The Alabama Christian girls team won their tenth in a row on Saturday which is the program’s longest winning streak since 2009. The Warriors gave ACA (10-1) a tougher first half than expected, but the Eagles flexed their muscles in the second half to pull away in the road win.

ACA led by two at the end of the first and just three at the half, 24-21. Katelyn Sutton’s 14 first half points led the team at the break. In the second half, the visitors started on a 13-2 spurt to stretch the lead to 37-23. Jaide Newkirk’s eight points sparked the offense during the run. The Eagles led by the same margin at the end of the quarter and went on to win 51-30 over the Warriors.

Katelyn Sutton was the team’s top scorer with 17 points along with six assists, four rebounds, and four steals. Jaide Newkirk had ten points, six rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. A’Kirra McElveen finished with nine points and ten rebounds while Evelyn Tankersley contributed eight points.

The boys faced Lee-Scott in a Thanksgiving tournament a few weeks ago and the Eagles (7-4) knew the Saturday tilt would be difficult. Through the first six minutes of the game ACA was the aggressor and had Lee-Scott on its heels, but the home team scored fourteen straight for a 19-9 lead early in the second period. Once the Warriors found their stride they steadily pulled away from Alabama Christian. The score was 40-25 at the half and the Eagles eventually lost by forty, 44-84.

Sam Davidson led the team with 13 points and three steals. Mac Moorer finished with 12 points while AC Walters had eight points and seven rebounds.

Alabama Christian will visit BTW-Magnet next Tuesday in their last action before the Christmas break.

Eagles Defeat Loachapoaka for Season Sweep

The season opener continues to be the only blemish on the Lady Eagles record as they improved to 9-1 on the season with a 63-20 defeat of Loachapoaka. ACA erased any doubts early as they outscored the Indians 20-3 in the first period. The Eagles increased the lead to 35-11 by the half. Katelyn Sutton led the charge with 12 first half points. The defense continued to shine in the second half as Alabama Christian held its opponent scoreless in the fourth quarter.

Katelyn Sutton led all scorers with 18 points, hitting five 3-pointers, while Jaide Newkirk finiashed with 17 points. A trio of players, Addison Smith, A’Kirra McElveen, and Evelyn Tankersley, each contributed six points.

The boys opened the season with an overtime thriller against Loachapoaka, but could not bring home the victory Friday against the Indians. The home team did just enough to beat ACA (7-3) 51-48. The game was close throughout as ACA trailed by five at the half and cut the lead to three by the end of the third. Unfortunately, the Eagles could not give over the hump and overtake the Indians.

Mac Moorer’s 12 points led the offense followed closely by AC Walters with 11 and Jayden Jones with 10.

Alabama Christian continues its busy week on Saturday as they travel to Lee-Scott Academy.

Jaide Newkirk Reaches 1,000 Point Milestone

Jaide Newkirk entered Thursday night’s game needing only five points to reach 1,000 for her career. She got off to a slow start, but reached the mark midway through the second quarter with a field goal from the left block. Family, friends, and classmates were on hand to cheer on Newkirk. Special guest Syretta Baldwin was on hand to represent the former players already in the exclusive club. Newkirk became just the fifth Lady Eagle in program history to score at least 1,000 points for their career.

Newkirk was not the only one who started slow. The team was tied to an inferior competitor midway through the first period before they started to put some distance between themselves and their opponent. ACA (8-1) led Autauga Academy 16-6 at the end of the first. The Eagles outscored their guests by ten points in the second quarter as well and held a 31-11 lead at the break. The second half was played more evenly, but the Generals never proved to be a seriuous threat to Alabama Christian. ACA would win the contest 58-36.

Katelyn Sutton led the Eagles with 16 points followed closely by the star of the night, Jaide Newkirk with 15 points. Campbell Hammett finished with nine points while A’Kirra McElveen had seven.

The boys also started slowly as they expected to handle the Generals easily. The game was tied 6-6 more than midway through the first before ACA (7-2) finished with a 10-3 run. The last two possessions of the period saw Mac Moorer nail back to back bombs to give the Eagles a 16-9 lead after one. Christian Snipes and Moorer combined for eight quick points in the second quarter which prompted an Autauga Academy timeout. The timeout seemed to work as the Generals scored on four straight possessions to cut the lead to 27-16. That would be the last of the good news for Autauga Academy for the night. The Eagles ended the half on a 9-2 run including a three by Sam Davidson at the horn to take a 36-18 lead into the locker room.

Alabama Christian put their foot on the pedal at the start of the second half and ran away from the Generals. ACA outscored its opponent 18-1 over the first five minutes of the third quarter. Jayden Jones led the charge with eleven points during the run that included two “thank you very much” threes as the defense just kept backing away and left the senior wide open for easy looks. By the time the quarter was over, ACA led 62-23. The fourth period brought a running clock and lots of substitutions as everyone was able to play. The student section even chanted for injured Connor Mark to get in the game. Only five total points were scored in the quarter as Alabama Christian defeated Autauga Academy 66-24.

Mac Moorer led all scorers with 18 points, 16 in the first half as he hit five first half threes. Jayden Jones finished with 11 points, eight rebounds, and five assists while Christian Snipes had 11 points and three rebounds.

Alabama Christian Wins Seventh in a Row

The Eagles (7-1) visited Tallassee on Monday night and came away with a hard fought 49-42 victory. It’s always a wild environment when ACA visits the Tigers, but Alabama Christian tried to take the crowd out of it early. The visitors built a thirteen point lead at the break, 29-16, and withstood the Tallassee comeback in the second half.

Katelyn Sutton hit four 3-pointers to lead the offense with 15 points. Jaide Newkirk finished with 11 points while Campbell Hammett had eight and A’Kirra McElveen had six.

The boys were able to follow the girl’s lead and beat Tallassee in the nightcap. However, they took a different route than the Lady Eagles did. ACA (6-2) was outscored by eight in the first quarter, but was able to cut the lead to two by the half. The Eagles outscored the home team 23-14 in the third, led by Jayden Jones with seven points, to take a 49-42 lead after three. Alabama Christian continued to roll in the fourth for the 65-51 victory.

Christian Snipes led the team with 19 points. Mac Moorer finished with 14 points followed by AC Walters with 13 points.

Both teams return home on Thursday, December 12, to host Autauga Academy.

ACA Breezes Past Autauga Academy

Alabama Christian traveled to Autauga Academy for the first time ever Friday evening to play four games against the Generals. Both JV teams as well as both Varsity teams won easily in a low stress night at the gym.

After dropping the decision to Thorsby on Thursday plus losing Connor Mark due to injury, the boys looked to rebound against Autauga Academy. The home team hit its first two shots and led 5-2 a minute into the game, but that would be the last good news for the rest of the night. After a made free throw, Mac Moorer, Sam Davidson, and AC Walters hit threes on consecutive possessions to pull the Eagles (5-2) ahead 12-5. ACA led 17-7 after a quarter. Alabama Christian opened the second with a 9-0 run to extend the lead to 26-7 midway through the period. The Generals outscored ACA over the final four minutes of the half to close the gap to 36-19. After the first half buzzer a double technical was called as the officials tried to get a handle on the talking between players.

The Eagles continued to increase the lead through the third period. By the end of the quarter the lead had increased to twenty-eight points. AC Walters dominated the glass in the second half as he performed like a man among boys. The fourth moved quickly as the lead passed the thirty-point barrier. Many of the backups played in the final quarter and gained valuable experience.

With Connor Mark missing the game on Friday the question was who would pick up the scoring in his absence. On Friday ,it was AC Walters as the senior recorded a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Mac Moorer had 14 points with five rebounds while Christian Snipes finished with nine points and nine rebounds. Jayden Jones led the team six assists while Sam Davidson had a team high three steals.

In the opening varsity contest, the girls team let an inferior team hang around too long, but won 45-26 when it was all said and done. The game was tied 6-6 with two minutes left in the first quarter. A Katelyn Sutton three broke the tie and helped ACA (6-1) to a 9-8 lead after one. The Lady Eagles outscored Autauga Academy 14-2 in the second quarter to open a 23-10 lead at the half. Sutton, Adalynn Newkirk, and Evelyn Tankersley did all of the scoring in the period as the lead moved to double digits. Although the lead remained in double figures for the rest of the game, ACA could never deliver the knockout punch and blow the game open. The final score was 45-26.

Katelyn Sutton led all scorers with 17 points and added five steals and three assists. Evelyn Tankersley had eight points, seven rebounds, and two blocks while Izzy Warrick had six points, seven rebounds, and three steals.

Alabama Christian visits Tallassee in its next action Monday, December 9th.

Lady Eagles Improve to 5-1 with Area Win on the Road

Alabama Christian learned a valuable lesson as it traveled to very rural Alabama Thursday night. If you are going to play in Podunk, you better bring your own trainer. The Eagles had two girls leave the game with injuries and one boy in the second game with no one to attend to them. We are still waiting for someone from Thorsby to get a trainer or be concerned.

Fortunately, the girls were able to overcome their injuries and win the contest. ACA (5-1) outscored the hosts 15-0 in the first period and it looked as if the game would be a laugher. It took the Rebels almost 90 seconds to even get a shot off against the pressure defense. When ACA stretched the lead to 26-5 with about two minutes left in the half everyone started packing their things up because this game was over. Thorsby didn’t get the memo though and went on a 10-2 run to close the half. In a game they had no business being in, the Rebels only trailed by thirteen at the break.

Katelyn Sutton scored seven of the team’s first nine points in the second half to increase the lead to twenty-one points, 37-16. Then the offense went cold over the final five minutes of the third as they made only one free throw in the stretch. Once again, Thorsby finished a quarter strong and cut the margin to 38-26 after three. The margin stayed around ten for the fourth period as ACA survived with a 48-35 victory.

Katelyn Sutton was the game’s leading scorer with 16 points and six steals. Jaide Newkirk scored nine points with three steals while Sam Burgess finished with six points and six rebounds. A’Kirra McElveen led the team with ten rebounds and five assists.

The boys game did not go the way of the Eagles. Although ACA (4-2) seemed the more talented team, they never seemed to adjust to the officials and did not drive to the basket to pick up fouls. Thorsby did take advantage and and scored 17 points from the free throw line as compared to eight for ACA. The Eagles had a tough night from outside the arc as they were 4 for 26 until they hit their last two in the final 30 seconds of an already decided game.

Thorsby took a one point lead at the end of the first quarter, but Christian Snipes scored to start the second to give the lead back to ACA. The Eagles would keep the lead until 4:26 left in the third when the Rebels hit two freebies for a 29-27 lead. The home team would never trail again from that point. Thorsby managed to pull away late in the opening Area game for both teams.

Christian Snipes led the team with 13 points followed closely by Mac Moorer with 12 and Jayden jones with 11. Jones and Broderick Williams led the team with five rebounds apiece as Jones also led the team with four steals.

Both Alabama Christian squads are back at it Friday night at Autauga Academy.

ACA Defeats Prattville Christian in Convincing Fashion

Monday night’s game pitted two teams trending in opposite directions. Alabama Christian (4-1) look to build off its third place finish in last week’s holiday tournament. On the other hand, PCA looked to rebound after a disappointing week at the same event where they lost all three games played.

The Eagles led 19-9 at the end of one and 42-16 at the half as they dominated the first two quarters. Jayden Jones almost outscored the Panthers himself with 13 first half points to lead the offense. Mac Moorer had 11 at the break. With the big lead, the bench was emptied in the second half as nine different players scored on the night.

Mac Moorer led all scorers with 16 points followed by Jayden Jones with 13 points, four steals, and three rebounds. Sam Davidson and Christian Snipes each scored nine points while AC Walters contributed eight points. Connor Mark led the team in rebounds with seven.

The Eagles begin Area play on Thursday, December 5, as they travel to Thorsby.

Alabama Christian Finishes Third in Thanksgiving Tournament

Both the girls and boys teams enjoyed a successful Thanksgiving week and two weeks into the season each squad has a 3-1 record. After three games last week, the Lady Eagles played one game this week on Monday against New Blockton. The boys, on the other hand, played one game last week and participated in the Larry Chapman Foundation Tip Off Classic at MA where they won two of three and finished third in the tournament. The boys two wins were nail biters as this team has developed a flare for the dramatic in the early part of the season.

Girls

Monday v. New Blockton

ACA used a suffocating defense that forced 27 turnovers as they doubled up New Blockton, 64-32. Katelyn Sutton’s eight first quarter points sparked the team to an 18-11 lead after one. Neither team could capture the momentum to start the second period and with 3:00 left in the half the Eagle lead was still seven points, 23-16. However, Alabama Christian closed out the quarter on a 10-2 run, spurred on by Evelyn Tankersley’s six points, to take a 33-18 lead into halftime.

Riding the momentum from the end of the half, ACA crushed any hope the Gamecocks had for a comeback as the defense held the visitors to one made basket on just ten attempts in the third. The Lady Eagles outscored its opponent 18-4 in the quarter to open a 50-22 lead after three. ACA finally hit the 30-point margin with just under five minutes to go in the game which triggered a running clock the rest of the way. The home team outscored New Brockton 14-10 in the period for the 64-32 final margin.

Katelyn Sutton led all scorers with 21 points with five steals and five assists. Evelyn Tankersley turned in an all-around good game with 12 points, six rebounds, four blocks, and three steals. A’Kirra McElveen led the team with eight rebounds.

Boys

Monday v. Pike Road

A first round draw against 6A Pike Road might have concerned some teams, but ACA stood toe to toe with the bigger team and fought their way to a 71-70 triumph. The Eagles utilized their long game as the team shot 53.6% from deep as they connected on 15 treys against the Patriots, second most in program history. The game was close throughout as Alabama Christian trailed by four and five points, respectively, at the end of the first two quarters. Mac Moorer led the team at the break with nine points.

ACA made their move in the third as they held Pike Road to 13 points to take a 52-49 lead after three periods. The Eagles spread the ball around as five different players scored in the quarter. Down the stretch, the Eagles did just enough to hold off the Patriots in the one-point victory.

Mac Moorer led the team with 21 points, on seven made threes. Jayden Jones had 14 points and five assists while Christian Snipes had 13 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Connor Mark finished with 12 points, six steals, and three rebounds.

Tuesday v. Lee-Scott

The second round brought a first time match up with AHSAA newcomer, Lee-Scott Academy. The Warriors hammered PCA in the first round and came out ready to play against ACA as they took advantage of the numerous foul calls for them. By the end of the game, ACA had 23 fouls called on them compared to only 11 for the Warriors. Lee-Scott was hot in the first period and built a 26-14 lead after one. The Eagles staged a comeback in the second largely on the team’s effectiveness at the free throw line. ACA connected on nine of ten in the quarter and 13 of 14 in the game. The team percentage of 92.9% was the best ever for an ACA team with 10 or more free throws taken in a game. The lead was cut to three, 35-38, at the half. Connor Mark’s 16 points led the team at the break.

In the second half, Lee-Scott methodically pulled away as they showed great ball movement and continued to ride the talents of #2. The talented guard finished with 35 points and everything the Warriors did ran through him. ACA cut the lead to single digits once in the fourth, but could get no closer than nine points in the 57-72 defeat.

Connor Mark led the squad with 19 points with three rebounds. Jayden Jones had 13 points with three rebounds, and three assists while Christian Snipes had 11 points and six rebounds.

Wednesday v. Brew Tech

The third place game pitted two teams who lost on Tuesday and wanted to finish the tournament with a win. Although the teams had not met since 2016, Brew Tech held a 22-game winning streak over ACA, the longest active losing streak for the Eagles. After watching the first half, a betting man would have been sure the streak would be 23 soon.

The game started in odd fashion as Levi Summers, who jumped center for the opening tip, grabbed the ball after it was touched by Brew Tech and went straight to the hole for a lay up and a 2-0 lead. After a Ram basket, Mac Moorer hit a three and asked the official to check the ball. It was discovered a girls ball had been used for the first three possessions of the game. ACA might have hoped the smaller ball stayed in play as they went on to miss nine of their next ten shots. Brew Tech adjusted easily as they hit 7 of 12 first period shots and led 15-13 after one. The second quarter was all Brew Tech. The Rams outscored ACA 17-2 over the first four minutes of the period to open a 32-14 lead. In the stretch, Brew Tech nailed six threes while the Eagles did not score from the floor. ACA’s only made field goal in the quarter was a 3-pointer by Mac Moorer in the final minute of the half. The Eagles walked to the locker room trailing 21-43 as Brew Tech hit 60.7% of their shots in the half.

While Coach Hill went and coached his team during the break, the Brew Tech team never left the floor and horsed around as they thought the game was in hand. In fact, the Rams didn’t even put the starting five back out there for the start of the second half. Conventional thinking was, if ACA wanted a chance to win, to try and cut the lead in half by the fourth quarter. The Eagles had other ideas in mind. The team came out on fire and played with an intensity that was non-existent in the first half. The defense applied a full court press that forced turnovers on six of Brew Tech’s first seven possessions. The combination of Connor Mark, Jayden Jones, and Mac Moorer dealt the Rams fits as they tried to get the ball across midcourt. It didn’t take a quarter to cut the lead in half, it took two minutes. At the 5:53 mark of the third and the score cut to 34-45, Brew Tech called time and put some of the starters back in.

If you thought the first half of the twenty-two point halftime deficit disappeared quickly, the second half evaporated even faster. Starters in or not, momentum was squarely on the Eagles side. After the Brew Tech timeout, ACA went on a 12-0 lead over the next two-plus minutes to incredibly take a 46-45 lead with 3:20 left in the quarter. Connor Mark scored the first seven points of the run followed by a Jayden Jones basket and a three-point play, the old fashioned way, by AC Walters. ACA did not let up after taking the lead and outscored the Rams 16-8 over the final three minutes for a 62-53 lead after three. ACA outscored Brew Tech 41-10 in the quarter.

To Brew Tech’s credit, they did respond in the fourth and cut the lead to two points, 62-60, with five minutes remaining. However, consecutive scores by Sam Davidson and Jaydon McElrath pushed the score back to 67-60 for some breathing room. Alabama Christian kept the Rams at an arm's length distance the rest of the way for the third place finish with the 76-65 win.

Connor Mark’s 25 points led the team with seven rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. Jayden Jones and Mac Moorer each scored 16 points while Jones had six rebounds and Moorer had four rebounds and four steals. Sam Davidson finished with 10 points and three steals.

ACA Wins Overtime Thriller to Open Season

Coach Trace Hill’s first game at Alabama Christian was a wild one. With family and friends in the stands to support him, the first year coach watched his Eagles never give up and beat Loachapoaka 60-55 in overtime.

Loachapoaka came out smoking as they connected on 8 of 9 shots from the floor in the first quarter. Sam Davidson helped keep the score close with a couple of three balls, but the visitors led 17-12 after one. In the second period, the Indians had an answer every time ACA would close the gap. Midway through the quarter Jaydon McElrath and Broderick Williams hit back to back baskets to tie the game 21-21. However, Loachapoaka finished the half on a 6-1 run to open the lead back to five points at intermission. Davidson and Connor Mark both had six at the break to lead the offense.

Like the first half, the Eagles would cut into the lead in the third period, but Loachapoaka would stretch the lead back out. With just over four minutes left in the quarter the Indians took their biggest lead at 35-28. Connor Mark and Christian Snipes scored the next five points to cut the margin to two, but the gap was four points at the end of the third, 35-39. The Indians continued to fight off ACA’s attempts to comeback in the final period. A three pointer with just over three minutes left gave the visitors a 46-40 cushion and it looked as if Alabama Christian would run out of time. Mac Moorer and Jayden Jones hit three of four free throws to cut the lead to 43-46 with 2:27 left. After the teams traded baskets Mark came up with a steal to gain possession for ACA. The offensive trip produced an AC Walters free throw to cut the lead to 46-48 with 1:08 left.

The last minute was not for the faint of heart. After an Indian score, Sam Davidson nailed a three to cut the lead to 49-50 with 35.6 seconds left. The Eagles dilemma was they still had a foul to give before free throws. Loachapoaka was able to bleed the clock to 11.2 seconds before they were sent to the charity stripe. Both free throws were good and the Eagles trailed by three with one shot left to tie it. Christian Snipes dialed long distance just left of the top of the key at the buzzer to force overtime much to the dismay of a shocked Loachapoaka bench and cheering section.

In overtime the team got on Jayden Jones’ back and he carried them the rest of the way home. The Indians scored first, but Jones responded with a bucket of his own to tie the game, 54-54. Christian Snipes gambled on defense and stole an attempted pass to the post to give ACA a chance to take the lead. Jones rebounded a missed three and was fouled with 1:22 left. The senior connected on both freebies to give the home team its first lead since 3-2 early in the contest. The Indians hit a free throw to cut the lead to a single point and got the ball back after an Eagle turnover. However, Jaydon McElrath cleaned the glass with a tough rebound and got the ball to Jones who was fouled and hit two more free throws. Jones closed it out with two more with 7.1 seconds left for a 60-55 triumph.

Jayden Jones led the team with 15 points, including all eight of the team’s points in overtime, and 12 rebounds. Connor Mark finished with 12 points, five rebounds, and four steals while Sam Davidson and Christian Snipes both had nine points in the victory.

Alabama Christian will play in the Larry Chapman Foundation Tip Off Classic at MA next week. The Eagles first game will be against Pike Road on Monday, November 25th.

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.