Michaelyn Manning Ranks Eighth in Career Points After LAMP Game

Senior Michaelyn Manning passed Heather Dailey and Suzy Stowe to move into eighth place in points scored in program history. Manning’s 14 points against LAMP gives her 744 points for her career. ACA defeated the Golden Tigers, 40-25, to clinch the regular season Area title and secured a spot in the sub-regionals. The game was tied 6-6 midway through the opening period when Manning and Izzy Warrick hit back-to-back threes to give the Eagles a lead they would never relinquish. Late in the second quarter, Heather Ford scored five consecutive points to stretch the ACA lead to 23-9 as the Eagles took control of the game. In the third period, neither team could score as the two opponents combined for only ten points. Alabama Christian led 27-17 heading to the final period. The Lady Eagles connected on 7 of 10 free throws in the fourth to keep LAMP at arm’s length and won the contest by 15 points. Manning led the offense with 14 points, seven rebounds and three steals while Ford had seven points with eleven rebounds and four blocks. Katie Chappell had seven points, five rebounds and three steals and Izzy Warrick finished with seven points, three rebounds and three steals.

Heather Ford scores down low for the Eagles.

The boys also had a chance to clinch a spot in the sub-regional round against LAMP Friday night and the Eagles beat the Golden Tigers, 57-42. The game was tightly contested for the first ten minutes as ACA led 14-13 one minute into the second quarter. Alabama Christian scored the next 13 points in the game and held LAMP scoreless for over six minutes and led 27-16 at the half. The second half started with a bang as Avery Stuart stole the ball and hammered home a two-hand dunk for the first bucket of the quarter. LAMP responded and cut the score to 35-30 with 2:29 remaining in the third and the period ended with the Eagles leading 37-30. ACA scored the first eight points of the final quarter and looked ready to put LAMP away, but was unable as LAMP once again closed the gap and trailed 47-40 with two minutes left in the game. The Eagles hit eight of nine free throws in the final 1:42 of the game to expand the lead and beat LAMP 57-42. Stuart led the Eagle attack with 24 points and four rebounds and Braden Alford scored nine points. Caden Perry added seven points with five rebounds while Hayes Hunt grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the team.

Avery Stuart drives to the bucket for two points.

Both teams continue play Tuesday night against BTW-Magnet in an Area match up.

ACA Boys and Girls Remain Undefeated in Area Play

Both varsity squads remained atop the Area standings as Alabama Christian defeated BTW-Magnet twice Tuesday night. In the boys game, ACA never trailed and held the Yellow Jackets to just four points in the first quarter. Hayes Hunt found Elijah Collins under the basket to give the Eagles their biggest lead of the half at 21-8. ACA pulled away in the third period outscoring BTW 16-8 and were led by Avery Stuart who scored 12 points in the frame. Alabama Christian almost duplicated the feat in the final period as they outscored their opponent 15-8 to finish the game with a 54-28 victory. Avery Stuart led the team in scoring with 14 points and eight rebounds while Braden Alford scored 12 points. Hayes Hunt had an excellent all around game and was just two assists short of a triple-double. The sophomore scored ten points with eleven rebounds and eight assists.

The Eagle defense awaits the BTW ball handler.

The Lady Eagles had one of their best offensive nights of the season as they defeated the Lady Jackets 65-33. ACA led 11-9 with 2:45 remaining in the first quarter and exploded for twelve consecutive points to finish the period led by Michaelyn Manning who scored six points during the run. Alabama Christian led 38-20 at the half. The Eagles outscored BTW 27-13 in the second half for the easy 32 point triumph. One highlight of the final period was a Jaide Newkirk basket for her first points of her varsity career. Michaelyn Manning was the game’s leading scorer with 24 points with five assists, five steals and three rebounds. Katie Chappell scored 12 points with eight rebounds, six steals and three assists while Izzy Warrick had 11 points with four rebounds.

Cayla Schofield blocks a BTW shot.

ACA continues play this week as they travel to Thorsby Thursday night.

Lady Eagles Win Third in a Row Against Highland Home

ACA continued its winning ways Tuesday night with a 53-33 victory over Highland Home. Seniors Sarah Johnson and Michaelyn Manning each scored six points in the first quarter as the Lady Eagles led 12-6 after one period. Alabama Christian scored the first eight points of the second quarter and built a 26-14 lead heading into the locker room at the half. The offense slowed down in the third period as ACA did not score from the field for the first five minutes of the quarter, but the defense was able to keep the Squadron off the board to take a 35-22 lead to the final period. The Eagle offense picked up the pace in the fourth quarter and pulled away for the 53-33 triumph. Jaide Newkirk and Maddie Traywick both made their varsity debuts in the closing minutes of the contest. Four Eagles finished in double digits as Michaelyn Manning had 17 points with six steals, four assists and three rebounds. Katie Chappell scored 12 with nine rebounds while Sarah Johnson had 10 points, four rebounds and four steals and Izzy Warrick added 10 with six rebounds and four steals.

Izzy Warrick drives the lane against Highland Home.

In the second game of the evening both teams had trouble putting the ball in the bucket as Alabama Christian fell 43-38 to Highland Home. The Squadron led for the majority of the first half, but an Elijah Collins free throw with 18.8 seconds remaining in the half tied the game 16-16. ACA built a five point lead early in the third quarter, but Highland Home kept it close and trailed by two after three. Again, the Eagles jumped out to a five point lead with six minutes left in the game, but the offense stalled from there and ACA was outscored 12-2 down the stretch for the five point loss. Senior Jalen Clark had nine points with seven steals and three rebounds. Avery Stuart also had nine points with eight rebounds, three steals and three blocks while Braden Alford added eight points.

Elijah Collins draws a foul on the drive.

Alabama Christian next plays at St James on Friday night.

Alabama Christian Wins Both Games Against Holtville

The Lady Eagles continued their dominance over Holtville with a 53-18 drubbing of the Lady Bulldogs. After Holtville scored the first bucket of the game, ACA ran off 14 straight points and the game was essentially over. The Lady Eagles led 33-11 at the half and throttled down in the second half as they took off the press and played half court defense. Michaelyn Manning was the best player on the court and was one steal short of a triple-double as she led the Eagle attack with 20 points, ten rebounds, nine steals and six assists. Izzy Warrick scored 11 points with six rebounds and Katie Chappell added seven points with six rebounds and two assists.

Michaelyn Manning connects on two of her twenty points.

The boys avenged a loss from earlier in the season with a 55-45 win over the Bulldogs. After a Holtville sharp shooter (#5) hit two early three-pointers, Jalen Clark took the defensive assignment and did not allow him another three for the remainder of the game. Hayes Hunt put ACA ahead for good with a put back of his own miss late in the first quarter for a 9-8 lead. Caden Perry drained a three to give the Eagles their biggest lead of the first half with a 21-12 lead in the second period. Alabama Christian led 25-21 at the half. The Eagles opened the second half with back to back steals and layups to lead 29-21, seconds into the quarter. Holtville closed the gap to 29-27, but the Eagles led by five heading to the final period where they outscored Holtville 11-2 to take a 47-33 lead midway through the quarter. The Bulldogs scored ten of the next twelve points to cut the lead to 49-43 with 1:54 remaining. Avery Stuart scored the last six points for the Eagles as ACA held on for the victory. Stuart led the team with 21 points, 14 in the final quarter, with five rebounds and four steals. Jalen Clark scored 10 points with four rebounds and three assists while Braden Alford added seven points and two steals.

Avery Stuart races to the goal after a steal.

ACA hosts Highland Home Tuesday night in their next contests.

ACA Sweeps LAMP in Area Opener

Both the boys and girls teams begin Area play with a 1-0 record as Alabama Christian was victorious at LAMP on Friday night. The boys broke a ten game losing streak against LAMP and recorded the most points in a game this season in the 71-59 defeat of the Golden Tigers. The Eagles controlled the game in the first half and led 36-21 at the half. ACA stretched the lead in the third period and led 54-33 as they headed to the fourth. LAMP tried to get back in the game in the final period, but the Eagles had built too big a lead and walked away with the 71-59 victory. Caden Perry connected on all nine of his free throw attempts in the second half and led the offense with 25 points. Sophomore Avery Stuart scored 15 points while Preston Hicks added six and DeAndre Sneed contributed five points.

In the opener, the Lady Eagles beat LAMP for the fifth consecutive time with a 43-32 triumph over the Lady Tigers. The teams combined for 40 fouls and 55 free throws attempts in the physical game. Michaelyn Manning tied a school record with 19 free throw attempts in the contest. The game was close through the opening half as the Eagles held a 24-19 advantage after two quarters. In the third quarter Alabama Christian held LAMP without a field goal and increased the lead to 33-23 going to the fourth. The teams played evenly in the final period and the Lady Eagles went on to win 43-32. Manning was the game’s leading scorer with 22 points with 11 rebounds and four steals. Izzy Warrick scored seven points with six rebounds while Heather Ford had six points and sixteen rebounds.

Both teams begin a busy week as the host Holtville on Monday night.

Boys and Girls Lose at Home to Catholic

To look at the matchup on paper, the Lady Knights were bigger and more experienced than ACA and seemed to have an advantage over the Lady Eagles. Although the final score of 50-41 might indicate that Catholic won easily, it was anything but an easy win. The lead changed hands four times in the first quarter and Catholic led 12-11 after one. Catholic scored the first five points of the second quarter, but a three pointer by Sarah Johnson and a bucket by Michaelyn Manning cut the lead back to one. The two teams traded baskets for the remainder of the half and ACA trailed 23-20 at the intermission. Catholic scored the first 12 points of the second half and it looked like the Lady Eagles had run out of gas, but they responded with a 17-4 run capped by a Katie Chappell bucket which cut the lead to 39-37 with six minutes remaining. Catholic handled the run and closed the game outscoring ACA 11-4 down the stretch for the 50-41 win. Sarah Johnson scored 11 points with seven rebounds and two assists as Katelyn Sutton had 11 with two steals. Izzy Warrick had nine points with three steals. Katie Chappell pulled down eight rebounds to lead the team.

In the nightcap, the boys faced a very athletic Catholic squad and were beaten 63-45. Midway through the first quarter, Avery Stuart scored to pull the Eagles to within four points of the Knights, 11-7, but Catholic scored the next 19 points to hold a 30-7 lead early in the second quarter. ACA actually outscored Catholic 38-33 for the remainder of the game, but the 19-0 run was too much to overcome. Sixteen points was as close as the Eagles could get through the rest of the game. Senior Braden Alford led the Eagles in scoring with 12 points and two rebounds. Caden Perry had nine points with six rebounds and two blocks while DeAndre Sneed had eight points with a rebound and a steal.

Both teams will visit LAMP on Friday to open Area play.

Eagles Finish Fourth in CCC Tournament

Alabama Christian won its first game in the Capital City Conference Holiday Tournament on Friday night against a short-handed MA squad to advance to the winner’s bracket for their next two contests. The Eagles held a 29-15 lead at the half, but managed only six points in the second half in the 35-33 victory over MA. Braden Alford led the Eagles with 11 points. Caden Perry had seven points, six rebounds and two blocks and Hayes Hunt added six points with five rebounds.

In the second game, ACA took on Trinity for the second time this season. Like the game on Friday night, the Eagles had a solid first half and led the Wildcats, 29-28, but the offense struggled in the second half producing only 12 points in the 51-41 loss. Caden Perry led all scorers with 18 points and Avery Stuart had 11 points while Hayes Hunt added nine points.

Hayes Hunt plays defense in the lane.

In the finale on Monday, ACA battled PCA in the third place game. The Eagles did not handle the PCA pressure in the opening period and trailed 15-4 after one. Although Alabama Christian outscored the Panthers over the final three quarters, the first quarter hole was too deep to overcome in the 58-51 loss. In the second half, the seven man rotation ACA used seemed to light a spark under the team with their strong play. Avery Stuart led ACA with 23 points, 21 in the second half, with eight rebounds and three steals. Caden Perry had 12 points while Hayes Hunt added 10 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.

ACA (4-5) hosts Catholic on January 5th after the Christmas break for their next game.

ACA Defeats St James in Close Contest

The Eagles were looking for their third consecutive win on the young season as they hosted St James on Tuesday night and came away with the victory in a low scoring, tightly played contest, 38-36. The Trojans scored the first bucket of the night, but would never lead again after Braden Alford tied the game just over a minute into the contest. Although the Eagles led the rest of the night, they could build a lead no bigger than eight points due to the team’s poor free throw shooting. Luckily, St James could not take advantage as they suffered from the charity stripe as well. Both teams combined to miss 28 free throws on the night.

Jalen Clark glides to the basket for a layup.

ACA (3-2) led 22-18 at the half and stretched the lead to eight points at the end of the third quarter as Jalen Clark knocked down two free throws with no time on the clock after a Trojan foul. The Eagles would head to the final period with a 30-22 lead. The offense scored just two points over the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter and held a slim 32-30 lead with 52.2 seconds remaining in the game. Over the last 52 seconds the two teams committed ten fouls and the game became a free throw shooting contest. The Eagles connected on six of ten free throws and the Trojans only made four of ten in the final minute as ACA won by two points.

Hayes Hunt drives the baseline for a reverse layup.

Hayes Hunt led the Eagle attack with 12 points and had four rebounds and two blocks. Caden Perry scored eight points with eight rebounds and eight blocked shots. Jalen Clark finished the night with eight points, eight rebounds and five steals.

The Lady Eagles began a very difficult week of games with a hard fought loss to the Lady Trojans. At times, ACA (2-4) looked like the better team on the floor and bothered St James with their pressure. However, a second quarter injury took the focus off the game long enough for St James to take advantage and build a lead the Eagles could not overcome. Alabama Christian led 18-15 at the time of the injury, but the Lady Trojans scored the next 13 points in the quarter and took a 30-20 lead into the locker room at the half. ACA fought hard in the second half and cut the lead to two in the third period, but St James led 35-29 after three quarters and outscored the Lady Eagles in the fourth quarter for a 50-39 win over ACA.

Michaelyn Manning led all scorers with 17 points with seven rebounds and seven steals. Katelyn Sutton finished with seven points and two rebounds. Katie Chappell added six points with four rebounds and two steals while Sarah Johnson scored six points with two rebounds.

The Lady Eagles travel to MA on Thursday night for their next game and both teams will visit Trinity on Friday night.

Katie Chappell fights for a rebound.

Eagles Win Second Straight in Victory Over Samson

ACA dominated Friday night with a 50 point win over Samson, 64-14. The Eagles (2-2) led 41-5 at the half on their way to a dominating victory. Samson’s 14 points is the second fewest allowed by ACA in program history. Eleven players were able to score on the night as everyone was able to get quality playing time. Three Eagles hit double digits as Caden Perry led the team with 11 points while Hayes Hunt and Avery Stuart each scored 10 points. Jake Bailey scored seven points while six other players all scored four points.

The Lady Eagles opened the night with a loss to Samson, 61-35. The Lady Tigers built a 34-18 lead in the first half and ACA was unable to overcome the deficit. The Eagles (2-3) showed some fight in the third quarter, outscoring Samson 16-12 in the period, but in the end, Samson proved too strong for the Lady Eagles. Michaelyn Manning carried the offensive load on the night, scoring 19 of the team’s 35 points, including 12 points in the third quarter. Katie Chappell and Sarah Johnson each scored five points with Katelyn Sutton contributing four points.

ACA Varsity Teams Sweep Thorsby

Coach Steven Thomas got his first win as the head coach of the ACA basketball team with a 50-41 victory over Thorsby. Alabama Christian (1-2) took control early hitting 3 three pointers in the opening quarter for a 12-2 lead. As would be the pattern for the game, Thorsby clawed their way back into the contest and trailed 14-11 early in the second period. The Eagles scored eight of the next ten points in the quarter to extend the lead to 22-13 midway through the second. Once again, Thorsby fought back into the game and cut the lead to 24-19 at the half. ACA scored the first nine points of the second half and built its biggest lead of the night at 33-19. The Rebels answered and scored the last 13 points of the period to cut the deficit to one at 33-32, entering the fourth quarter. The contest was tight through the fourth quarter as the lead changed hands four times. Avery Stuart gave the Eagles the lead for good with a steal and a bucket for a 43-41 advantage. Hayes Hunt sealed the game on the next possession as he picked the pocket of Thorsby’s best player and drew the fifth foul of the Rebel as he hit the layup with 1:07 left for a four point lead. In a game of runs, ACA scored the last ten points of the night in a 50-41 victory. Caden Perry led all scorers with 18 points and added three rebounds and three assists. Hayes Hunt scored 12 with four steals and two assists and Braden Alford contributed eight points and three rebounds.

Michaelyn Manning pulls up at the foul line for the jumper.

The Lady Eagles opened the night with a very similar game as the boys played. ACA (2-2) scored the first eight points of the contest and seemed to dominate the first quarter, but only led 12-7 at the end of the period as the Lady Rebels hit a three. The game was tied 14-14 with four minutes left in the half when the Eagles turned up the pressure and finished the quarter with a 14-0 run for a 28-14 lead at the intermission. During the run, Katie Chappell and Michaelyn Manning scored twelve of the fourteen points for Alabama Christian. Thorsby was only able to get as close as eight points in the second half as ACA came away with a 49-33 win. Michaelyn Manning finished the game with 16 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals. Katie Chappell also scored 16 for the game with five rebounds and three assists. Sarah Johnson added seven points and led the Lady Eagles with ten rebounds and six steals.

Both teams travel to Sansom Friday night for their next contest.

Where Are They Now? - Trey Tew

Looking back 35 years to the 1985-86 boys basketball team, we caught up with Trey Tew to talk about his time at Alabama Christian and what he is doing these days. The 1985-86 team finished 11-16 on the season and advanced to the sub-regionals in Coach Ronnie Sewell's last full season with the team. Tew finished second on the team in scoring averaging 12.0 points per game while leading the team in free throw percentage hitting 73.0% of his free throws. The senior was also named to the Montgomery Advertiser All-Metro team.

What year did you graduate from Alabama Christian? 1986

What grades did you attend at Alabama Christian? 8th-12th

What is your favorite memory of Alabama Christian? Our basketball locker room my ninth grade year. We took over a storage area in the top of Faulkner’s gym and made it our own. It allowed our team to really bond. It was eventually taken away from us. We didn’t handle it very well and Coach Sewell let us know about it.

What is your favorite basketball memory? Winning the Area tournament my junior year.

Who took you under their wing when you joined the varsity team? Zane Tarance. He probably didn’t know he did anything. I just really liked the way he played and tried to be as good as he was.

Who was your most memorable teammate? It was actually in baseball. My senior year we had a seventh grader start every game for us. Dmitri Young went on to a solid MLB career. 

What teacher/coach had the most influence on you? Chris Goodman. He started coaching me in the eighth grade and coached me in a sport pretty much through high school. He expected a lot from us, but also took interest in us as people.

Where do you currently live? My wife, Patty, and I live in Dadeville, AL.

What do you do for a living? I’m the Managing Partner of Texas Roadhouse in Montgomery, AL.

Tell us about your family. My wife and I have four children. Paige is 30 years old and lives in Auburn. Blaike is 25 and lives in Prattville. Aaron is 29 and lives in Athens and Cameron is 25 and lives in Los Angeles. We also have a granddaughter, Brielle, and she is about to turn 10.

Rapid Fire

Favorite Food: Spaghetti

Pet Peeve: Punctuality

Person I'd most like to meet: Kenny Chesney

Ride or Drive: Drive

Alabama or Auburn (or other): RTR!!!!

Alabama Christian Drops Two to Loachapoaka in Home Opener

As ACA hosted Loachapoaka Tuesday night, the boys were looking for their first win of the year for Coach Steven Thomas while the Lady Eagles were looking to stay unbeaten on the young season. Neither team reached its goal as the Indians beat Alabama Christian 54-32 in the girls game and 54-50 in the boys game.

The Lady Eagles (1-1) stayed close in the first quarter with Loachapoaka, trailing 14-9 heading to the second. However, the Lady Indians outscored ACA 18-6 in the second period and built a commanding 32-15 lead heading into the half. ACA was only able to get as close as 13 points in the second half and Loachapoaka defeated the Lady Eagles 54-32. Michaelyn Manning led the offense with 13 points and five assists. Katie Chappell had five points with five rebounds and four steals while Heather Ford scored five points with five rebounds and two blocks.

In the boys game, ACA (0-2) was close early in the game, but the Indians finished the opening quarter with an 11-1 run to take a 17-4 lead after the first. The Indian lead stayed around ten points through the second and third quarters and entered the final period with a 46-34 advantage. The Eagles gained some life in the fourth quarter and cut the lead to 54-50 on a Braden Alford basket with over three minutes left to go in the contest. Both teams were scoreless over the last three plus minutes of the game and the game ended with a Loachapoaka 54-50 victory. Alford led the ACA attack with 17 points while Caden Perry scored 13 points and Landon Hunton added seven points.

The Lady Eagles next game will be at Catholic on Monday, November 23rd while the boys are taking the thanksgiving break off and will not play again until December 1st.

Girls Win and Boys Lose in Holtville to Open Season

The 2020/2021 basketball season opened Monday night as Alabama Christian hit the road to play long time foe, Holtville. The schools first met in December of 1967 and ACA holds a 38-35 advantage in the series. With potentially three starters still playing football, the Eagles would be shorthanded against the Bulldogs. Holtville led by eleven points at the end of the first and the Eagles were never able to cut the lead to single digits over the final three quarters. Holtville would eventually win 62-42.

Caden Perry led the Eagles (0-1) in scoring with 13 points with 14 rebounds, four steals and two blocks. Braden Alford had a tough night from the field, but was 7 for 8 from the free throw line to finish with 12 points. Landon Hunton added eight points

The Lady Eagles (1-0) have dominated the series against Holtville over the years and have won all 30 of the previous contests played. The Lady Bulldogs have always struggled to score points against ACA and that trend continued in the season opener as the Eagles prevailed 54-21. ACA started slowly and held a slim 9-6 lead midway through the opening quarter, but the defense sparked a 26-6 run with full court pressure and the game was in hand by halftime. Five Lady Eagles made their varsity debuts against Holtville as Tia Coker, Ashlyn Harris, Lynleigh Stephen, Katelyn Sutton and Izzy Warrick all saw playing time on the night.

Katie Chappell led all scorers with 16 points and added six steals and three rebounds. Michaelyn Manning scored 13 points with five steals while Katelyn Sutton contributed 10 points with four steals. Sarah Johnson and Lynleigh Stephen each scored six points.

Both squads will play their home opener Tuesday night against Loachapoaka.

Alabama Christian Beaten by Catholic in Area Tournament

Like the Lady Eagles Tuesday night, ACA’s season ended with a loss to Catholc in the Area Tournament. The Eagles (8-20) felt they had some momentum on their side with back to back wins to end the regular season, but the Knights proved too strong in a 80-59 win Wednesday night. Catholic held a 40-16 lead after the first half and ACA was never able to close the gap in the second half. In the last game of the year eleven of the twelve players who played were able to score. Braden Alford led ACA in scoring with 11 points and Avery Stuart added 10 points. Jake Bailey, KJ Kendrick and Caden Perry each scored six points on the night.

Caden Perry Named ACA Athlete of the Week

Caden Perry helped the Eagles win two out of three games this week and delivered a historic performance with 32 points against Maplesville to earn Athlete of the Week honors. Perry’s 32 points was the most scored by any Eagle since Reed Teel scored the same total in February of 2010. The junior averaged 17 points, 3 rebounds and two blocks a game on the week. For the season, Perry leads the team in three pointers made (37), free throw percentage (70.6%) and blocks per game (1.6) and is second in scoring (10.2 points per game) and assists (1.7).

ACA Sweeps Maplesville to Close Out Regular Season

Caden Perry allowed K J Kendrick to keep the season best scoring mark for just one day as he scored a career high 32 points against Maplesville Friday night. Perry is the first Eagle to hit at least 30 points in a game since Michael Graham scored 30 against Catholic in December 2010. Hayes Hunt also produced a career high performance with 16 points while Braden Alford and Avery Stuart each scored eight in the contest.

ACA (8-19) led after the first quarter, 20-15, but Maplesville used a 16-5 run in the second quarter to help take an eight point lead into the half. The Devils continued to control the game for much of the second half and led 67-57 lead with 3:13 remaining in the game as they completed a three point play. Maplesville would not score another point for the remainder of the game. Over the next two minutes, Perry and Avery Stuart combined for ten points to tie the game. On Maplesville’s next possession, Jalen Clark stole the ball and the Eagles called timeout to set up the final play. ACA was patient on offense and a lane opened up for Perry as he made it all the way to the basket and hit a layup with 34.2 seconds remaining. The junior hit four free throws over the final 25 seconds to secure the 73-67 win.

The Lady Eagle’s (12-14) defense was strong again for the second game in a row. ACA held Maplesville to ten points in a 32-10 victory over the Lady Devils. Alabama Christian led 13-2 at the half and the outcome was never in doubt. michaelyn Manning led all scorers with 15 points with four steals and three rebounds. Mary Hall scored six points with three rebounds and three steals.

Alabama Christian Defeats Saint James on Senior Night

K J Kendrick put together a career performance on Senior Night as he paced the Eagles (7-19) to a 73-68 victory over Saint James Thursday night. The senior scored a season best 29 points to lead the comeback against the Trojans as ACA outscored Saint James 20-12 in the final quarter. With the score tied 68-68, Hayes Hunt hit one of two free throws with 56.7 seconds remaining to give Alabama Christian the lead for good. Kendrick hit two more free throws with 18.3 seconds left to put his team up by three and Caden Perry iced the game with 1.7 seconds hitting the last two free throws of the contest. The Eagles played with an energy and a sense of urgency rarely seen this season and that effort produced one of their best games of the season. Caden Perry scored 15 points while Braden Alford chipped in 11 points on the night.

The Lady Eagles (11-14) did not fair as well as the boys did as they trailed 27-8 at the half and were never a serious threat to the Lady Trojans in a 45-21 loss. Michaelyn Manning led the Eagles with 10 points while Mary Hall and Sarah Johnson each scored three points.

ACA travels to Maplesville tomorrow night for the regular season finale.

Alabama Christian Splits a Pair with LAMP

ACA played their fourth consecutive Area contest as they hosted LAMP Friday night. With the win, the Lady Eagles improved their Area record to 2-2, but the boys dropped to 0-4 with the loss.

In the Eagles first match up last week with LAMP, ACA waited until the fourth quarter to pull away and secure the victory. Friday night, Alabama Christian (9-12) pulled away in the third quarter as they outscored LAMP 13-5 in the period. The Eagles continued to pour it on as they scored the first eight points of the final quarter and finished the game with a convincing 55-32 victory. Mary Reagan Hilyer and Michaelyn Manning led the Lady Eagles as each scored 13 points on the night. Hilyer added three rebounds and two assists while Manning filled the stat sheet with nine rebounds, four assists and three steals. Mya Moskowitz added eight points with seven rebounds and three steals.

In the boys game, ACA (6-15) played LAMP close most of the night, but two big runs for the Golden Tigers proved the difference in the outcome. In the first quarter, the Eagles led 12-6 when LAMP ran off a 17-0 run in just under three minutes to take a 23-12 lead and led 26-17 at the end of the quarter. The contest was evenly played in the second and third quarters and the Tigers were up 47-41 heading to the fourth period. Jalen Clark and Braden Alford hit the first two shots of the final quarter to pull the Eagles to within two points of the Tigers. LAMP responded with a 13-0 run and outscored ACA 29-15 in the final period. LAMP would go on to win by a score of 78-57. Jalen Clark led the team in scoring with 15 points and added five rebounds and four assists. Avery Stuart scored 12 points with a team high nine rebounds and two blocks. Braden Alford scored 11 points with four rebounds.

ACA Loses Both Games at Catholic

Alabama Christian played the second of four consecutive area games Friday night as they visited Catholic. This was ACA’s first trip to the new gymnasium on the Catholic campus.

The girls played another tough, physical game against the Lady Knights and came up just short, 38-40. The two teams combined for 43 fouls and 56 free throw attempts. Unfortunately, neither team was able to take advantage as the two squads combined for 37 free throw misses. The Lady Eagles finished the first half on a 6-0 run, capped off by a Michaelyn Manning three pointer, and took a 20-13 lead into the locker room. ACA (8-11) lost the lead quickly to open the third quarter and the score remained close for the remainder of the game. Despite only making 2 of 10 free throws in the final 1:30 of the contest, Catholic was able to hold off ACA and come away with the two point victory. Michaelyn Manning led the offense with 17 points and three rebounds. Mary Reagan Hilyer scored eight points with three assists.

In the boys game, offense was the name of the game in a high scoring affair. The Knights defeated the Eagles (6-13), 107-75 in a game with a great number of impressive individual plays. Catholic was led by another athlete who transferred in for his senior season and built a 24 point lead at the half and cruised to the easy victory. Four Eagles scored in double figures led by Avery Stuart with 19 points and Braden Alford with 18 points. Jalen Clark added 14 points and Caden Perry tallied 12 points.

Eagles Split Two with LAMP in Area Opener

Alabama Christian opened its area slate with a visit to LAMP Tuesday night. The Lady Eagles beat LAMP in the opener by a 43-31 score, but the boys fell to the Golden Tigers, 49-62.

ACA (8-10) used a combination of a strong fourth quarter and a dominating performance on the glass by Mary Hall to secure their first area win of the year. The senior post player controlled the boards with a career high 20 rebounds. The Lady Eagles held a slim lead heading into the fourth quarter, but outscored the Tigers 17-7 in the final period as they moved the ball and hit the open player on their fast break opportunities. Michaelyn Manning led the Eagle offense with 11 points with six steals, three rebounds and three assists. Mary Hall added eight points and two steals to go along with her 20 rebounds. Seventh grader, Mya Moskowitz made her varsity debut and scored eight points with seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

In the boys contest, the Eagles (6-12), as is their custom, started strong and held a 13-9 lead after the first quarter. LAMP responded in the second quarter and outscored Alabama Christian 26-10 to take a 35-23 lead to the locker room at the half. The Golden Tigers pounded the boards in the first half with 11 offensive rebounds and an overall 28-17 advantage in the half. LAMP would go on to out rebound ACA 51-33 for the game. The Eagles had a 12-2 run at the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 45-46. However, LAMP outscored ACA 16-4 over the final seven minutes to secure their first are win of the year. Freshman Avery Stuart led the squad with a double-double scoring 14 points with 11 rebounds. Jalen Clark scored 12 points with nine rebounds, three assists and three steals. K J Kendrick added nine points and four rebounds.

ACA continues area play with a trip to Catholic Friday night.