Alabama Christian Opens Season in Holiday Tournament

Both boys and girls teams opened the season in the Coach Larry Chapman Foundation Tip Off Tournament during the week of Thanksgiving. Coach Jake Mitchell picked up his first win as the ACA head coach in a victory over Notasulga.

Boys tournament - JAG (Jeff Davis)

The boys team opened the season under new coach Jake Mitchell with a match up against JAG High School (more commonly known as Jeff Davis). The offense never got on track in the 33-62 loss to JAG. ACA committed 22 turnovers which led to 18 less shots attempted than their opponent. JAG dominated down low as they out rebounded ACA 36-21 and outscored them 26-10 in the paint.

Connor Mark led the team with seven points and three steals. A pair of Eagles, Sam Davidson and Christian Snipes, both contributed six points on the afternoon. Snipes and Jayden Jones led the team with four rebounds each.

PCA

Day two saw the Eagles play against PCA. ACA led 13-10 at the end of the first, but were outscored 14-4 in the second to trail 24-17 at the half. The game was relatively even in the second half and the Panthers won by ten, 54-44.

Tyree Saadiq led the team in scoring with 14 points with five rebounds, five steals, and four assists. Sam Davidson added 11 points with three rebounds. Jayden Jones and Mac Moorer each contributed six points. Darius Gardner led the team with seven rebounds and four blocks.

Notasulga

The final game of the week saw ACA win their first of the year with a 60-39 defeat of Notasulga. The Eagles started quick and built a 17-5 lead at the end of the first period. Jayden Jones led the way with six points as six different Eagles scored in the quarter. Notasulga scored the first five points of the second, but Alabama Christian rebounded with a 10-2 run to extend the lead to 27-12 and led by twelve at the break. The third period was even, but ACA used a 13-2 run in the fourth to extend the lead to twenty-one points.

Connor Mark led the team with 15 points with four rebounds and four steals. Jayden Jones was one rebound short of a double-double as he finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, and four steals. Mac Moorer got hot late and added 10 points with three rebounds.

Girls tournament - Brew Tech

ACA began the season against a tough Brew Tech squad that reached the Final Four in Class 5A last year. Alabama Christian took the Rams to overtime before dropping the contest, 40-44. The game was tight throughout as Brew Tech held a 24-18 lead at the break. The Eagles held their opponent to just two points in the third period to cut the lead to two heading into the fourth. ACA scored the final seven points of regulation to force the extra session despite losing Katelyn Sutton with 2:40 left due to five fouls. The Rams outscored ACA 7-3 in the OT period to secure the win.

Jaide Newkirk recorded the first double-doubles of the season with a team leading 12 points and 16 rebounds. Izzy Warrick also reached double figures with 11 points and five rebounds. Campbell Hammett finished with nine points and six boards while Katelyn Sutton added eight points, seven steals, four rebounds, and three assists.

MA

The Lady Eagles looked to rebound against the host school on Tuesday, but looked out of sync as MA built a 20-9 lead late in the second period. ACA scored the last five points of the half to cut the lead to six points at the break. Although the contest remained close through the second half, Alabama Christian dropped another four point decision, 38-42.

Izzy Warrick led all scorers with 19 points and five steals. Jaide Newkirk added 13 points with eight boards and four steals. Katelyn Sutton had a team best five assists.

Catholic

ACA finished the tournament with a match up against longtime opponent, Catholic. Both of the teams came out hot and combined for 46 points in the first period. The Knights led 26-20 heading into the second quarter. Catholic doubled the lead in the period and took a 41-29 lead into the halftime. The third quarter belonged to Catholic who used a 19-0 run to build a thirty point bulge. The game ended with a Catholic victory, 68-41.

A trio of players, Izzy Warrick, Campbell Hammett, and Katelyn Sutton, each scored nine points to lead the team. Right behind them was Jaide Newkirk with eight points. Newkirk lead the team with five rebounds.

ACA 2022-23 Season Recap

Like the girl’s team, Coach Jim Sanderson’s first year saw his squad double their win total from last year with eight wins. There were many questions heading into the season with a new coach and several key players leaving the program over the past couple of years, but Coach Sanderson found ten willing to give it all they had every night. The team played with an intensity lacking last season and improved greatly over the course of the year. 

The last week of the regular season saw the team win three straight games. The team might have played its best game in the Area tournament as they gave top-seed St James everything they could handle before falling 42-54. Although the Eagles graduate three seniors, ninety percent of the offense came from underclassmen which bodes well for the future. Sophomore Mac Moorer’s sixty-made threes this year is the tenth most in a season for the Eagles.

This year’s team leaders are:

Points per game: Christian Snipes (11.4), Mac Moorer (9.9), Darius Gardner (6.3)

Rebounds: Christian Snipes (5.3), Darius Gardner (4.9), Tyree Saadiq (4.0)

Assists: Tyree Saadiq (3.4), Darius Gardner (1.2), Mac Moorer (1.1)

Steals: Tyree Saadiq (2.0), Darius Gardner (1.2), Mac Moorer (1.1)

Blocks: Darius Gardenr (0.8), Conner Mark (0.4), Christian Snipes (0.4)

Field goal percentage: Mac Moorer (44.1%), Christian Snipes (43.4%), Darius Gardner (41.1%)

3-point field goal percentage: Mac Moorer (35.0%), Devin Mosesley (28.0%), Conner Mark (27.1%)

Free throw percentage: Christian Snipes (70.4%), Darius Gardner (68.2%), Jayden Jones (63.6%)

Alabama Christian Wins Overtime Thriller at Notasulga

What the girl’s game lacked in intensity and drama, the boy’s game more than made up for it. The Eagles were able to withstand the Blue Devil's charge in the second half to force overtime and then took the victory in the extra period, 50-49.

ACA looked good early as they jumped out to an 8-3 lead highlighted by treys from Mac Moorer and Christian Snipes. Notasulga tied the game 9-9 midway through the quarter, but the Eagles answered with a 9-0 run that extended into the second period. Conner Mark ended the run with a three to build an 18-9 advantage. After Notasulga hit a long one, Moorer connected twice to give ACA its largest lead of the night at twelve points. The teams traded baskets in the last minute of the half as Alabama Christian left the floor with a 26-16 lead at the break. Moorer paced the team with 13 points in the half.

The home team came out in the second half and increased the defensive pressure to help build momentum and stir up the fans. At the end of the third, the teams traded threes like two heavyweights trading punches trying for the knockout. Down 30-33, Notasulga tied the game and then took the lead after an ACA turnover with another bomb. Now down by three, the Eagles punched back with a Mac Moorer basket to tie it and took a 39-37 lead to the fourth on another Moorer three.

The fourth period stayed close as neither team led by more than three points. Late in the quarter, Sam Davidson cut the deficit to one point as he scored on a putback off a missed layup for his only score of the night. With 2:10 left, the Blue Devils seemed content to run the clock, but became impatient and launched an ill-advised three that was rebounded by Darius Gardner. As the shot left the player’s hand, the coach from Notasulga could be heard yelling “Why?!?”. ACA missed a shot and gave up a score to trail 43-46 with less than a minute left. Tyree Saadiq found Christian Snipes for a clutch three with 25 seconds left to tie the game and eventually force overtime. Notasulga held for the last shot and did not get a good look as the buzzer sounded.

In the extra session, Notasulga’s first possession ended on the foul line, but two misses later, the game was still tied. After a turnover on its second possession, the Blue Devils ended up on the line again only to miss two more freebies. With 2:14 left in overtime, neither team had scored. ACA finally broke through as Darius Gardner rebounded a Mac Moorer miss and drew a foul. Gardner hit both chances at the line for a 48-46 lead with 2:06 remaining. Notasulga scored with 1:25 left with a chance for the lead on the and-one opportunity but again missed the free throw to leave the game tied. Both teams turned the ball over on their next possessions as the tension mounted. After an ACA timeout, Conner Mark asked the official if he could move as he inbounded. The official said no and shook his head, but moved his arm back and forth like the signal to be able to move. Mark did move on the inbound attempt and was called for a turnover due to the poor communication he received. Notasulga took advantage and was fouled on the next play. The home team made one of two for a 49-48 lead with 46.7 seconds left. ACA called timeout with 20.6 seconds left to set up the winning play. Conner Mark found himself on the left baseline and with a shot fake moved closer to the basket to make a runner with just 8.0 seconds left on the clock. Notasulga called timeout twice in the final seconds desperate to get a shot off but were unable as Gardner stole the ball to end the game.

Mac Moorer scored 22 points to lead the offense with six rebounds and a blocked shot. Christian Snipes finished with 12 points, including the three that forced overtime, and two rebounds. Darius Gardner had eight points and a team-high 14 rebounds. Conner Mark ended the night with five points, the biggest being the game-winner in overtime.

ACA closes out the regular season at home against Pike Liberal on Friday night.

Alabama Christian Snaps Long Losing Streak on Senior Night

ACA began the final week of the regular season with victories. Both teams celebrated Senior Night with dominating wins over Ellwood Christian from Selma.

Boys

Cole Barsukoff started Senior Night with a bang as he nailed a three on the team’s first possession. Mac Moorer scored the next seven ACA points to extend the lead to 10-4. Darius Gardner closed the scoring in the quarter as Alabama Christian led 12-5 after one. The home team heated up in the second and closed the half on a 14-2 run to stretch the lead to 34-10 at the break. Moorer’s long-distance shooting was featured in the period as he totaled 22 points in the first half.

The second half flew by as both teams took their time on offense in the lopsided game. Christian Snipes, Mac Moorer, and Jayden Jones scored all thirteen points in the third period to give ACA the lead by a score of 47-14. The offense was slowed down in the third, but in the fourth, it was put in neutral and left to idle as Alabama Christian decided to just run the clock. Over the final six minutes of the contest, ACA had two possessions and took one shot as they played keep away from Ellwood. The Eagles triumphed in the end, 51-16.

Mac Moorer outscored the opponent with 26 points on the night with seven steals and two assists. Christian Snipes had eight points, three rebounds and two steals while Jayden Jones had five points and two rebounds.

Girls

Rachel Rine, the team’s lone senior, led the team in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals to spark a blowout, 72-29. The guard finished with nineteen points, twelve rebounds, eight steals and seven assists.

It took the Lady Eagles almost two minutes to score their first points, but once they did the rout was on. Jaide Newkirk and Katelyn Sutton scored the team’s first eleven points for an 11-2 lead midway through the quarter. The period ended with a 20-6 advantage as Rachel Rine and Marcy Gregory scored for the Eagles. Rine scored the first four points of the second and ended the first half with 14 points as ACA built a 37-18 lead at the half.

The lead continued to grow in the third as Campbell Hammett got the hot hand with eight points in the quarter. The bench erupted with the biggest cheer of the night as Marcy Gregory hit a three from the corner for a 49-18 lead. ACA led by thirty-eight after three quarters. The running clock in the fourth made the game fly by, but the Lady Eagles did manage to extend the lead even further. Addison Smith scored the last bucket of the night in a 72-29 annihilation of Ellwood.

Three more Eagles scored in double figures as Katelyn Sutton finished with 13 points, four assists and two steals. Jaide Newkirk had 11 points and 10 rebounds while Campbell Hammett scored eleven with two rebounds. Marcy Gregory also had a career-high seven points.

Both teams travel to Notasulga on Thursday. 

Lady Eagles Sweep Season Series with MA

Girls

Alabama Christian defeated MA for the second time this season with a 39-31 triumph over the Area foe. Both offenses struggled to score, but ACA did enough on to take home the victory on their own floor. Jaide Newkirk scored on the first possession of the game, but the Eagles managed just one more score the rest of the period. MA built an 8-4 lead after one as the home Eagles did not score over the last five minutes of the quarter. Newkirk scored four quick points to open the second tying the score, 8-8. ACA scored the final six points of the half highlighted by a Rachel Rine bomb to take a 17-11 lead into the locker room.

ACA would never trail in the second half although MA did cut the lead to two points a couple of times. Izzy Warrick and Katelyn Sutton each scored to start the second half to build a 21-11 lead. The duo closed the quarter as Sutton found Warrick for a score to give the Lady Eagles their biggest lead of the night, 29-18. MA scored at the buzzer to cut the lead to nine heading to the fourth. Senior Rachel Rine was injured near the end of the third and the offense sputtered for a while in her absence. ACA failed to score over a five minute stretch that covered parts of the third and fourth quarters. The visitors cut the score to 29-27 before Jaide Newkirk scored to extend the lead to four points. Sutton took the reins from there and guided the team through the final minutes contributing to the team’s final eight points. The sophomore guard assisted on the next two baskets and drained a three herself after grabbing two offensive rebounds earlier in the possession. 

Jaide Newkirk led the squad in scoring with 14 points and added six rebounds and a block. Izzy Warrick scored 11 points, 10 in the second half, with five steals and four rebounds. Katelyn Sutton had nine points, eight in the second half, with eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals.

Boys

The boys capped the night with a hard fought effort against MA, but in the end fell 44-55. ACA trailed by just two points midway through the fourth, but were unable to score down the stretch. Neither offense was clicking in a methodical opening period as the teams shot a combined 6 for 25 from the floor. MA led 7-6 after one. Devin Moseley connected from deep to open the second to give ACA its first lead of the game. Conner Mark and Christian Snipes also dialed long distance with threes to help keep the game close. Alabama Christian led 21-19 at the half.

ACA led for most of the third as Jayden Jones and Darius Gardner combined for 12 of the team’s 14 points in the quarter. MA hit a three with 1:08 left in the period to take a lead they would not relinquish. The home team was able to tie the game at 43 apiece as Tyree Saadiq found Christian Snipes for a score, but mustered just a single point the rest of the game as MA finally pulled away for the eleven point victory.

A trio of players scored eleven points to lead the offense. Christian Snipes had eleven with seven rebounds and two assists. Jayden Jones had five rebounds to go along with his eleven points and Darius Gardner finished with eleven points, two blocks, and two assists.

Alabama Christian Halts Losing Streak to MA

Girls

ACA stopped a fifteen-game losing streak to MA with a 47-38 victory on the road. The officials had no intention of going home as they whistled 55 fouls in the game. The two opponents combined for seventy free throw attempts while five players fouled out. ACA made at least thirty free throws in a game for just the second time in program history and the forty-one attempts tied for third-most ever in a game. The team shot 73% from the stripe.

Rachel Rine and Jaide Newkirk scored the first five points of the night to give the visitors the early lead. MA cut the lead to one by the end of the quarter and took their only lead with a basket to start the second. Rine answered on the next possession with a three and Alabama Christian never trailed again. MA managed to keep the game close and trailed 25-22 at the break.

Both teams left the offense in the locker room in the third period. Neither team scored for almost three minutes until Jaide Newkirk broke the seal on the goal with a score in the lane. The teams combined for just six points in the third. MA got as close as five points with 57.9 seconds left in the game, but Rachel Rine clinched the win with six straight made free throws over the final 38.6 seconds.

Rachel Rine broke her own single-game record she shared with Carlie Ainsworth with fourteen made free throws in the contest. The senior led the team with 25 points and seven rebounds. Katelyn Sutton finished with nine points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals while Jaide Newkirk had eight points, four rebounds and two blocks.

Boys

ACA fell on the road 47-61 against MA Tuesday night. At the end of the first period, Devin Moseley and Jayden Jones hit back-to-back buckets to tie the score, 10-10, with less than a minute to go. The visitors gave up a three and then turned the ball over against the press and fouled the MA shooter. After hitting one free throw, the home-standing Eagles led 14-10 heading to the second. Christian Snipes scored the first points of the second quarter, but MA responded with an 8-0 run to take a ten-point lead. The teams played evenly for the remainder of the half as Mac Moorer hit a trey to close the gap to 23-30 at halftime. 

MA stretched the lead to as much as sixteen in the third quarter as they began to take control of the game. Darius Gardner and Christian Snipes combined to score on three consecutive possessions at the end of the quarter, but MA scored on a putback at the buzzer to lead 47-35. ACA fought in the fourth, but were never able to get the deficit to single digits in the fourteen point loss.

Christian Snipes scored ten points to lead ACA withfour rebounds. Mac Moorer had nine points and two steals while Jayden Jones scored eight points with four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Both varsity squads travel to St James Friday night to continue Area play.

Lady Eagles Start New Year with a Blowout

Girls

Alabama Christian enjoyed an easy night on the court with a 59-13 demolition at Pike Liberal Friday night. The Eagles scored the games first twenty-two points in a contest that was never in doubt. The win evens the team’s record at 7-7.

Rachel Rine scored the night’s first points with an old fashioned three point play as she was fouled on the made bucket. All five starters scored in the period which was puncuated by Izzy Warrick’s three to close the quarter. Pike Liberal scored first in the second quarter, but ACA responded with fifteen consecutive points led by Katelyn Sutton, who scored eight points during the run. Alabama Christian led 40-5 at the break.

Jaide Newkirk highlighted the third quarter as she hit her first career 3-pointer as the Eagles expanded the lead to as much as forty-nine points. The fourth period had a running clock and all of the Eagle’s subs played the entire quarter. The final score was 59-13.

Katelyn Sutton led three Eagles in double figures with 14 points, two assists and two steals. Rachel Rine scored 13 points with seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals while Jaide Newkirk also scored 13 with six rebounds, three steals and three blocks.

The Lady Eagles open Area play in their next game as St James visits ACA on Tuesday, January 10th.

Boys

The boys game started like the girls game with ACA scoring the first five points of the game on a Mac Moorer three and a Darius Gardner two-pointer. Unfortunately, that would be the high point of the evening. The Eagles did not score a point over the next five minutes of the quarter as Pike Liberal scored ten points and never trailed again on the night. A basket at the first quarter buzzer and the first five points of the second gave the Patriots a 17-9 advantage. The teams played even the rest of the half as ACA trailed 17-25 at intermission.

Again in the second half, the Eagles scored the first five points and cut the Pike Liberal lead to three points. ACA would not score again in the period as the team managed just seven shots over the final five and a half minutes of the quarter. The Patriots led 36-22 after three as they scored the last eleven points. ACA fought in the fourth, but could get no closer than six points and fell 38-44.

Mac Moorer led the team with seven points and two assists. A trio of players scored six points. Jayden Jones had six with three rebounds, Christian Snipes had six with five rebounds, and Devin Mosely had six with three rebounds and three steals.

The Eagles next play PCA on Monday, January 9th, before opening Area play.

Lady Eagles Defeat Tallassee in a Close Game

Girls

In the first meeting, two weeks ago, ACA handled Tallassee easily with only six players. Tuesday night, the Eagles were short just one player and struggled to find an offensive rhythm all night. Senior Rachel Rine’s presence was definitely missed. 

Campbell Hammett scored the first points of the night and the two teams traded baskets throughout the opening period. The contest was tied 8-8 as neither team scored over the last two minutes of the quarter. Early in the second the visiting Tigers took their first lead of the game with an offensive rebound and score off a missed free throw. ACA tied the game on two different occasions, but could not regain the lead and trailed 19-20 at the intermission. Izzy Warrick and Jaide Newkirk each scored six points in the half to pace the offense.

The lead changed hands five times in the third period, but a pair of Katelyn Sutton free throws gave the home team the lead for good with 21.3 seconds left in the quarter. Izzy Warrick and Maddie Traywick scored the first two baskets of the final period to give ACA a 36-31 lead. Tallassee responded and tied the game 40-40 with just over a minute left in the game. Jaide Newkirk scored in the paint and Campbell Hammett made a steal and scored to make it 44-40. After Tallassee made one of two free throws, Hammett grabbed an offensive rebound on an Eagle missed freebie and scored to seal the game. The last four possessions of the game ended with both teams making one of two free throws and Alabama Christian hung on for the 48-43 victory.

Jaide Newkirk was the game’s leading scorer with 16 points as she dominated the inside with 18 rebounds and four blocks. Campbell Hammett added 11 points with four rebounds and three steals while Izzy Warrick had 10 points with four rebounds.

Boys

ACA came out on fire in the boy’s game as a bewildered Tallassee coach called his second timeout of the quarter with 3:11 left and his team trailing 13-2. Mac Moorer and Conner Mark combined for three made threes in the first five minutes of the game. The Tigers settled down and cut the lead to 15-8 by the end of the period. The end of the quarter saw the first of seven attempts to stall or hold for a last shot by the Tallassee coach. Although they would eventually win the game, the visitors only scored once when they tried to slow the pace. Tallassee scored the first ten points of the second period to take their first lead of the night, and would never trail again. ACA trailed 18-21 after two quarters.

The offenses for both teams disappeared in the third period as the two teams combined to make just seven shots from the floor as Tallassee outscored ACA 9-6 to extend the lead to six points. ACA continued to struggle as the Tigers pulled away in the fourth. Trailing by just three points, the Eagles gave up eleven straight points to trail 29-43. Both teams added a basket in the final two and a half minutes as Tallassee prevailed, 45-31.

Tyree Saadiq’s ten points led the offense with four rebounds and four assists. Conner Mark had seven points while Mac Moorer finished with six points. Mark, Moorer and Christian Snipes were all held scoreless in the second half. Darius Gardner led the team with five rebounds.

ACA Sweeps Thorsby with Road Victory

After winning their first game of the year against Thorsby a few weeks ago, the Eagles completed the season sweep with a 60-41 defeat of the Rebels. ACA started fast as they opened up an 11-3 lead midway through the first period as four different players scored. The home team responded and closed the gap to one point as they scored the first points of the second quarter. The two teams played evenly to start the second, but Alabama Christian pulled away late with an 11-0 run, punctuated by a Conner Mark steal and score, for a 33-18 lead. The team moved the ball well in the stretch with three assists on five made baskets. The Eagles led 33-21 at the break.

Conner Mark scores after a steal.

The two teams traded threes to start the second half as Mac Moorer and Conner Mark hit from deep and Thorsby made a three and converted an and-one opportunity. With ACA leading 39-27, the Eagles scored seven straight points to extend the lead to 46-27 with almost two minutes left. The third ended with the Eagles leading 50-35. Devin Moseley scored the first four points of the fourth to spark the offense. The defense allowed only six points in the final period as the Eagles won by nineteen points, 60-41.

Jayden Jones drives to the hoop.

Mac Moorer led all scorers with 20 points and added five rebounds and two assists. Christian Snipes had 14 points, four rebounds and two assists while Jayden Jones finished with eight points. Tyree Saadiq led the team with eight rebounds and five assists.   

ACA Boys and Girls Sweep Ellwood Christian

Both varsity teams won their fourth game of the season as they dominated at Ellwood Christian in Selma. Alabama Christian overpowered the home standing Eagles as the boys won 90-19 and the girls won by a score of 75-34. The boys point total was the most since 2008 and the seventy-one point margin of victory is the second biggest in program history. The Lady Eagles offensive output was the best since 2010.

Jayden Jones drives to the basket for two.

The boys led 33-9 after a quarter and extended the lead in every quarter for the rest of the game. All ten players played and scored on the night. Four players scored in double figures led by Jayden Jones with 23 points. Christian Snipes scored 18 followed by Mac Moorer with 15 and Cole Barsukoff with 11 points.

Katelyn Sutton hits a layup.

The Lady Eagles were also impressive in their game against Ellwood. Leading 42-22 at the half, the squad took away all doubt of the outcome by outscoring its opponent 25-4 in the third and cruised to a forty-one-point triumph. Five players reached double figures as Katelyn Sutton scored 18 points, connecting on four threes. Rachel Rine scored 15 points while Campbell Hammett and Jaide Newkirk both had 13 and Izzy Warrick had 11 points.

ACA Survives Road Test at LAMP

Boys

A young team, learning a new coach, a new system, and how to finish games, held off LAMP in a 52-50 thriller Friday night. The Eagles have won three of their last four games and are showing improvement every time out. 

Christian Snipes hit the first shot of the game, but LAMP controlled much of the opening period and led 11-6 with 2:26 left. Devin Moseley and Mac Moorer hit back-to-back threes to give ACA a 12-11 lead. The lead switched hands three more times in the final 96 seconds as LAMP held a 15-14 advantage at the end of the quarter. Neither team scored during the first two minutes of the second quarter. Snipes broke the scoreless drought and put the Eagles back up by one. The teams traded baskets as the lead changed four times over the next two minutes. The home-standing Tigers finally put together consecutive scores and once again built a five-point lead, 25-20. Snipes and Darius Gardner combined for seven straight Alabama Christian points to take a two-point lead, but LAMP hit a triple late to take a 28-27 advantage into the half. 

Darius Gardner guards the LAMP ballhandler.

LAMP scored the first five points of the second half to build their biggest lead of the game, 33-27. Once again it took ACA a while to get in a rhythm as they scored their first points more than two and a half minutes into the period. With 1:15 left in the third, Mac Moorer connected from downtown to give the Eagles the lead for good. Christian Snipes added two free throws one possession later and ACA took a 40-37 lead to the final quarter. The Eagles looked poised to run away with the contest as the lead extended to seven points early in the period on a Snipes basket. To LAMP’s credit, they fought back and tied the score 48-48 with 1:09 remaining. ACA turned the ball over, but the Tigers returned the favor with an errant throw on a fast break opportunity. On the next possession, Darius Gardner was fouled going to the hole and calmly sunk his free shots with 33.8 seconds left. The defense forced a LAMP turnover and Gardner hit two more freebies with 20.8 seconds to ice the contest. The home team scored at the buzzer for the final margin of 52-50.

Tyree Saadiq looks for an open teammate.

Christian Snipes scored a game-high 24 points with seven rebounds and three blocks. Darius Gardner scored eleven, hitting all six of his free throws, with nine rebounds while Mac Moorer had ten points. Tyree Saadiq had a team-high five assists as he directed the offense.

Girls

The Lady Eagles had their chances against LAMP Friday night but shot poorly from the floor and the line as the game got away from them in the fourth quarter. ACA shot just 27% from the floor and made one of twenty 3-point attempts.

Alabama Christian scored the first six points of the game and looked ready to blow LAMP out, but it never happened. The Lady Tigers methodically ran their offense and trailed by only one point at the end of the first, 7-8. In the second, the contest remained close as the lead changed hands a couple of times. Rachel Rine and Jaide Newkirk scored the last four points of the half to give the Eagles a 20-17 advantage.

The Eagles built the lead to five on three different occasions in the third, but LAMP responded every time. The Tigers held ACA scoreless for over three minutes in the middle of the period and hit a three in the final seconds for a 30-28 lead. In the fourth quarter, Alabama Christian wilted under the pressure LAMP produced. The home team outscored its opponent 11-2 to start the quarter and stretched the lead to double digits. Overall, the Eagles were outscored 8-19 in the period and lost 36-49.

Rachel Rine produced a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds with three steals. Jaide Newkirk had eight points with twelve rebounds and two blocks while Katelyn Sutton had seven points, all in the first half, with four steals and three rebounds.

Short Handed Lady Eagles Run Over Tallassee

Girls

ACA dressed only six players Monday night due to other school activities and injury, but the team was unphased by the lack of players as they blitzed Tallassee 67-36 on the road. Alabama Christian more than doubled up the Tigers in the first quarter to lead 16-7 and did it again in the second for a 34-16 halftime advantage. The Lady Eagles continued to pull away in the second half for the decisive thirty-one-point triumph. 

Jaide Newkirk became just the fourth different player in program history to score at least 30 points in a game with a 31-point performance. The last player to score 31 in a game was Christina Hayes in 2008. Rachel Rine finished with 20 points followed by Katelyn Sutton with 10 points and Izzy Warrick with six points.

Boys

For the second game in a row Coach Jim Sanderson faced off against a former player as his Eagles played at Tallassee Monday night. The home team jumped out early and built a 24-12 lead after a quarter. ACA fought their way back into it as they cut the lead to single digits by halftime, 33-25. The Eagles managed just 13 points in the second half as they fell to the Tigers 50-38.

Christian Snipes led the offense with 13 points. Mac Moorer, who made all three of the team’s 3-pointers, scored 11 followed by Darius Gardner’s 10 points.

Both Alabama Christian teams play at LAMP Friday night in the third of six consecutive road games.

ACA Boys Week in Review - Eagles Win Two of Three

ACA took two of three on the week to win their first games of the year. Veteran coach Jim Sanderson led the squad to its first triumphs of the year. After losing to Notasulga the Eagles rebounded with wins over Thorsby and Thomasville.

11-29-22 Notasulga

Alabama Christian began the week on Tuesday and fell to Notasulga in a hotly contested affair, 47-48. Neither team led by more than seven points on the night. Darius Gardner and AC Walters were both available to play and added depth to the ACA rotation. Tyree Saadiq scored the games first points two minutes into the first period. The Blue Devils scored at the buzzer on a reverse layup to lead 12-9 after one. Notasulga outscored ACA 8-4 over the first four minutes of the second quarter to gain their biggest lead of the night, 20-13. The Eagles closed the half on a 10-3 run to tie the game at intermission, 23-23. Four different players scored the last ten points as Christian Snipes and Devin Mosely both had buckets and Darius Gardner and Mac Moorer both hit triples, the last of which tied the game with 36.3 seconds remaining.

Mac Moorer fires from deep.

Gardner scored the first four points of the second half for Alabama Christian. Devin Moseley closed the quarter with two free throws for a 33-32 lead with 1:38 left. The score remained the same for the rest of the period. The offense featured Christian Snipes in the final quarter as he scored ten of the team’s fourteen points. Trailing by two points, Snipes was fouled with 32.8 seconds left in the game. The freshman made the first but missed the second attempt. AC Walters grabbed the rebound and scored his only two points of the game to give the Eagles a 47-46 lead. The defense held and retained possession with 14.9 seconds left in the game. However, the inbound man did not hold his spot as he attempted to pass the ball in and was called for traveling and a crucial turnover. Notasulga scored quickly on the inbounds play and regained the lead, 48-47. After an Eagle timeout and two delays trying to figure out how much time should be on the clock, the home team inbounded with nine seconds remaining. Alabama Christian drew a foul and had a chance for the win with 1.7 seconds left, but missed both free throws. The Blue Devils collected the rebound and the game was over. Free throws were the key to the outcome as Notasulga hit all five of theirs in the fourth and ACA connected on just two of eight attempts.

Tyree Saadiq drives to the basket.

Christian Snipes led the team with 18 points and added eight rebounds and two blocks. Mac Moorer finished with eight points and two assists while Darius Gardner had seven points and three rebounds. Tyree Saadiq led the team with eleven rebounds and five assists.

12-1-22 Thorsby

ACA secured their first win of the season and gave Jim Sanderson his first as coach of the Eagles. Alabama Christian defeated Thorsby 61-52 in a contest filled with strange goings on. The Rebels raced to a 7-2 lead, but ACA answered and never trailed again as Darius Gardner hit two freebies for a 9-7 lead with 2:29 left in the first. The margin stretched to seven points by the end of the quarter as Mac Moorer and Sam Davidson hit treys on consecutive possessions for a 16-9 advantage. Thorsby scored the first five points of the second and the score stayed close through the rest of the half. Christian Snipes closed the half with a putback bucket to give the Eagles a 26-21 lead the break.

Coach Jim Sanderson gives instructions to his team.

Darius Gardner scored nine of the team’s first eleven points in the second half to give Alabama Christian their biggest lead of the night at 37-27. At this point in the period, the strange happenings began. As Thorsby hit three 3-pointers and ACA scored one bucket, the score should have been 39-38 in favor of the home team, but the scoreboard read 39-39. As the scorer’s table was trying to figure that out, the Eagles went to the foul line and made the first of two free throws. The only problem was the refs didn’t see it because of the discussion about the score and the made shot was disallowed. The referee running the clock struggled all night as he seemed to be confused by the technological wizardry of the scoreboard control. The period ended with ACA holding a slim one-point lead, 40-39. The Rebels tied the score one last time at 43-43 before the Eagles ran off nine straight points and forced a timeout from the visitors with 3:20 left. Four different players scored in the run, highlighted by a Cole Barsukoff three. Unlike the game against Notasulga, the Eagles hit their free throws down the stretch, connecting on seven of ten over the final seventy-two seconds. The second unusual item was the ejection of a Thorsby player with just 16.5 seconds left as he said something the lead official didn’t like. No technicals or free throws were assessed, just sent the player off the floor. When the final horn sounded, the home team enjoyed its first victory of the year.

Darius Gardner scores two of his team-high 25 points.

Darius Gardner led the offense with 25 points, scoring 21 in the second half and adding eight rebounds. Christian Snipes had 18 points and seven boards while Mac Moorer finished with 10 points and two assists. Tyree Saadiq led the team with four assists.  

12-3-22 at Thomasville

Like the Lady Eagles, the boy’s team handled the opening quarter on the road very well as they led 14-4 after eight minutes. Conner Mark and Darius Gardner both connected twice from long distance to spark the offense. Christian Snipes picked up his third foul with 3:28 left in the half with a 20-11 lead. The rest of the team held their own to close the period as Sam Davidson and Gardner both scored in the final minute for a 24-16 cushion at the break. 

Sam Davidson handles the defensive pressure.

Alabama Christian had a strong third quarter as they outscored the Tigers 13-8. Christian Snipes scored seven in the period to lead the team as Darius Gardner, Mac Moorer and Conner Mark each scored for the Eagles. Snipes scored the first points of the final quarter for a 39-24 lead, the biggest of the night. With 6:58 left in the game, Snipes fouled out with the lead still at fifteen points. Without the freshman center on the floor, the Thomasville offense caught fire. The Tigers outscored ACA 23-5 over the next five minutes to take a 47-44 lead. At one stretch, the opponent connected on 3-pointers on four consecutive possessions. Down three, AC Walters hit one of two freebies to cut the lead to 45-47. After a defensive stop, Tyree Saadiq found Conner Mark behind the arc and the sophomore drained it for a 48-47 lead with 48 seconds left. The defense allowed only one shot and stole the ball twice from the home team to hold on for a dramatic one-point victory.

Conner Mark eyes his man on defense.

Christian Snipes led the way with 15 points and nine rebounds. Darius Gardner had 14 and eight boards while Conner Mark finished with 11 points and three rebounds. Although Tyree Saadiq did not score he contributed mightily with eight assists and six rebounds.

ACA will visit Tallassee and LAMP next week and look to continue their win streak.

Eagles Lose Both Games in Thanksgiving Tournament

The Eagles opened the season Monday night as they hosted Abbeville in the ACA Thanksgiving Tournament. The year’s first game was the latest start of a season since 2005. Coach Jim Sanderson coached his first game as the head man at Alabama Christian.

Mac Moorer gave ACA its only lead of the game with a first-quarter trey, but Abbeville responded quickly. Although the game was close most of the night, the visiting Panthers never trailed after they regained the lead midway through the opening period. The Eagles trailed 7-14 after one quarter. Devin Moseley sparked the offense with back-to-back threes to cut the lead to 17-22 in the second, but Abbeville scored the last two buckets of the quarter to take a 26-17 lead into the locker room. 

Christian Snipes tips the season off against Abbeville.

ACA leaned heavily on Christian Snipes in the second half as he scored 14 of the team’s 28 points over the final two quarters. Abbeville had an answer for everything ACA threw at them and extended the lead to thirteen points at the end of the third. The Panthers scored six points in the final 30 seconds to make the score look worse than it really was. Abbeville defeated the Eagles 62-45.

Tyree Saadiq drives to the bucket for two.

Christian Snipes led the team with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Mac Moorer had 11 points and two steals while Devin Moseley had 10 points, three rebounds and two steals. Tyree Saadiq had a team-high six assists and he and Sam Davidson both had three steals.

Tuesday, ACA faced Sipsey Valley in the second game of the tournament. Both teams struggled offensively throughout the contest. The Eagles scored the first five points of the game as Devin Moseley and Conner Mark both connected from the field. Neither team scored over the next two and a half minutes, but Sipsey Valley scored nine points over the final 3:45 of the period to take a 9-5 lead into the second quarter. The Bears held a 17-9 lead late in the half, but Moseley and Christian Snipes both scored to cut the lead to four at intermission.

Devin Moseley battles for the ball with a Sipsey Valley player.

The second half began with another two-and-a-half-minute scoring drought for both teams before Tyree Saadiq scored to cut the Bear’s lead to two points. Christian Snipes gave the lead back to ACA late in the third with an offensive rebound and a free throw after the bucket for a 23-21 lead. Both teams traded scores to finish the period as Alabama Christian led by two after three. In the fourth, the offense went cold and Sipsey Valley took advantage with a 15-2 run for their biggest lead of the night with 1:19 left. Sam Davidson and Snipes added late scores, but the visiting Bears won the game 40-31.

Sam Davidson watches the Sipsey Valley ball handler.

Christian Snipes led the team with 13 points and added six rebounds followed by Devin Moseley with eight points and a team-high ten boards. Conner Mark and Mac Moorer both scored three while Tyree Saadiq and Sam Davidson both scored two points. Saadiq led the squad with five assists and two steals.

ACA Ends Season with Opening Round Loss to LAMP

After winning their last two Area games to cause a three-way tie at the top, Alabama Christian fell to LAMP in the first round of the Area tournament. The Eagles ended up being the number three seed and should have played LAMP (the #2 seed) at the gym of the top seed, BTW-Magnet. Instead, LAMP caught a huge competitive advantage as they were allowed to host the game against ACA. Instead of playing on a neutral court, the game turned into a road contest for the Eagles.

The game was close after a quarter, but the Golden Tigers extended the lead in the second period and took a 22-17 lead into the locker room at the half. The third was the undoing of Alabama Christian as LAMP outscored the visitors 15-3 to take a 37-20 lead into the fourth. The game was played evenly in the final period, but the outcome was already sealed in the 49-30 LAMP triumph. D’Andre Sneed led the team in scoring in his final game with seven points while Devin Mosely finished with six points.

Eagles Win Two Over LAMP to Close Out Area Play

Alabama Christian hosted LAMP to end Area play in the regular season. With a victory, both teams would be tied for first place in the Area. The girls started the night with a 54-44 win over the Golden Tigers and the boys finished the evening with a 47-40 victory over the visitors.

The Lady Eagles gave up a three to start the contest, but ran off eleven straight points to take an 11-3 lead with 4:31 left in the opening period. Two Jaide Newkirk free throws extended the lead to 18-5, the biggest of the half, with 1:30 remaining in the quarter. LAMP clawed back into the game as they outscored ACA 15-7 over the last nine and a half minutes of the half to cut the lead to 25-22. Newkirk and Izzy Warrick led the Eagles with seven points apiece in the half.

LAMP tied the score 27-27 early in the third period, but were never able to take the lead. With the contest tied Rachel Rine, Jaide Newkirk and Izzy Warrick scored consecutive buckets to take the lead back to 33-27. Rine connected on a trey late in the quarter to extend the lead to 42-33 after three. The junior point guard scored the first bucket of the fourth and ACA kept a double digit lead the rest of the game. The Eagles effectively ran the pick and roll in the final period to give the offense a boost. Rachel Rine led the offense with 20 points, six rebounds and four assists. Jaide Newkirk finished with 19 points,13 boards and two blocks.

The boy’s game started the same way the girls game had. LAMP scored the first basket and then ACA ran off twelve consecutive points as they overwhelmed the visitors with full court pressure. The first period ended with the Eagles leading 14-5. Avery Stuart’s three pointer gave Alabama Christian a 23-9 lead midway through the second. The Tigers made a run to end the half as ACA turned the ball over seven times over the final four minutes to cut the lead to five points at intermission.

The visitors from LAMP played close to the Eagles in the third period and took the lead for the first time since 2-0 with 2:52 remaining in the third. LAMP led 36-33 to end the third period. LAMP led 40-36 with 4:40 left in the game, but were held scoreless the rest of the way. ACA finished the game on an 11-0 run for the 47-40 victory. Avery Stuart was one steal short of a triple-double and led the squad with 30 points, 11 rebounds, nine steals and four assists. D’Andre Sneed had six points, six rebounds and two blocks.

Both teams visit Trinity on Tuesday for the final away game of the regular season.

ACA Sweeps BTW in Area Play

Alabama Christian won two Area games Tuesday night as the both varsity teams posted victories over BTW-Magnet. The girls completed the season sweep with a 47-39 final over the Jackets while the boys avenged an earlier loss with a 55-48 triumph over the visitors from BTW.

Izzy Warrick drives to the basket against BTW.

In the girl’s contest, both teams hit a three on their opening possession and then hit a dry spell as neither team scored over the next two minutes of game time. BTW led 9-8 after the opening period. Rachel Rine began the scoring for the Eagles in the second period with a three-point play for an 11-10 lead with 6:03 left in the half. However, the Lady Jackets outscored ACA 11-1 over the next three minutes to take their biggest lead of the game, at 20-12, with 2:46 remaining in the quarter. The Lady Eagles erased the lead in just fifty-nine seconds as Rine’s three gave the home team the lead for good, 21-20. ACA finished the half with an 11-0 run to take a 24-20 lead into the locker room. Alabama Christian extended its lead to double digits in the third period and led 38-29 after three. The lead ballooned to fifteen points with an Izzy Warrick layup with 4:46 remaining for a 47-32 lead. BTW scored the last six points of the game for the final margin of 47-38. Rachel Rine paced the offense with 17 points and four rebounds. Izzy Warrick finished with 14 points, five rebounds and four steals while Jaide Newkirk had 12 points and 14 rebounds. Katelyn Sutton led the squad with seven steals and four assists on the night.

Gerrod Green works down low against the Jackets.

In the nightcap, Avery Stuart and Gerrod Green came off the bench to spark the offense in a much needed Area win. The teams played a close first half until BTW hit threes on back to back possessions before intermission to take a 30-21 lead. The Jackets scored the first basket of the second half to open up an eleven point lead over ACA. The Eagles responded by scoring the game’s next nine points to cut the lead to two midway through the third. BTW again closed the quarter with a three pointer to tie the game 40-40 heading into the fourth period. Stuart scored the first nine points in the quarter for the Eagles as he turned up his game. The junior scored twice on put backs on the offensive glass and once on a steal and score to put his team up 49-42. The contest was played evenly the rest of the way with ACA prevailing 55-48. Avery Stuart led all scorers with 25 points and added nine rebounds and three steals. Gerrod Green scored ten points while D’Andre Sneed finished with eight points, four rebounds and two blocks.

The boys team will host PCA Thursday night while both teams will visit Wetumpka to end the week.

Both Varsity Teams Split Games to End the Week

The ACA varsity teams both split their last two games of the week. The Eagles defeated Thorsby at home on Thursday night, but dropped Area games at LAMP on Friday.

On Thursday, the boys team played its second straight game without second leading scorer, Gerrod Green and, leading scorer, Avery Stuart was out as well. The Eagles were beaten by Thorsby earlier in the season, but the squad played with a fight and determination not seen often enough this season. Alabama Christian outscored the Rebels 39-28 in the second and third periods in the 63-58 triumph. Mason Kimbro led the team with 17 points along with six rebounds and three assists while Isaac Warrick produced a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Four other Eagles scored at least seven points as the offense was evenly distributed.

D’Andre Sneed drives to the hole against the Rebels.

Friday night ACA played its second Area game of the year as they visited LAMP. The team jumped out to a 7-1 lead as Devin Mosely hits two baskets and Mac Moorer nailed a three for the early momentum. LAMP closed the gap and Alabama Christian led 11-9 at the end of one. in the second period, ACA started fast again and built a 17-10 lead with 6:18 left in the half. Both teams went cold and neither team scored for three minutes until Clay Williams hit two free throws to build a 19-10 lead. ACA took a 25-17 lead into the locker room. The game stayed tight through the third quarter and the Eagles took a 36-30 lead into the final quarter. The lead disappeared as LAMP took the lead just 90 seconds into the period. The home team stretched the lead to 46-39 with just over two minutes left in the contest. The Eagles tied the game in a minute and four seconds as D’Andre Sneed scored a bucket, Mac Moorer drained a three and after a steal and foul Sneed hit two freebies to tie the game with 1:02 left. LAMP held the ball and was either going to win it or force overtime. Unfortunately, LAMP hit a shot with 1.5 seconds left in the game to come away with a 48-46 win over ACA. D’Andre Sneed led the team with 17 points, four rebounds and four steals while Mac Moorer added eight points with three rebounds.

Isaac Warrick plays tough defense against LAMP.

The Lady Eagles jumped on Thorsby early and led 18-7 after a quarter. The Lady Rebels closed the gap in the second quarter, but ACA outscored its opponent 32-14 in the second half to blow the game open in the 53-32 victory. ACA forced 27 Thorsby turnovers which led to 16 fast break points. Junior Rachel Rine led the team with an all-around performance of 14 points with eight rebounds, four steals and four assists. Jaide Newkirk added 11 points with nine boards with Katelyn Sutton scoring nine points with five steals.

Katelyn Sutton brings the ball up against Thorsby.

ACA started slowly Friday night and trailed 16-6 after the first quarter. The Eagles settled down in the second and cut the lead to 24-20 led by Izzy Warrick who had six points in the period. Rachel Rine was hot in the third quarter with eleven points, but was the only Eagle to score in the period. LAMP took advantage and stretched the lead to fourteen points with a 45-31 lead after three quarters. The teams played evenly in the fourth, but ACA could not overcome the third quarter deficit as LAMP won 65-52. Rachel Rine led all scorers with 24 points as she connected on 13 of 16 free throws. Rine matched Carlie Ainsworth’s school record, set in 2005, for most made free throws in a game. Izzy Warrick scored 14 points with four rebounds while Jaide Newkirk added six points with seven rebounds.

Rachel Rine hits one of her record setting free throws against LAMP.

Lady Eagles Open Area Play with Win Over BTW-Magnet

Wins have been hard to find this season for the varsity basketball teams, but the good news is only four games really count towards the postseason. Area play started Tuesday night as ACA traveled to Lanier High School to play BTW-Magnet. Both varsity teams have defeated the Yellow Jackets in earlier tournaments this year which hopefully would translate into confidence for both teams.

The girls team took advantage of their opportunity and defeated the Yellow Jackets 62-43 to move to 1-0 in Area play. The Eagles started slowly and led by two points after the first and second quarters. BTW’s leading scorer had 17 of the Jackets 24 points in the half. Alabama Christian turned the pressure up with full court defense and pulled away from the home team, outscoring BTW 36-19 in the second half. ACA had four players in double figures in an even scoring offensive effort. Izzy Warrick led the squad with 21 points while Rachel Rine (12), Katelyn Sutton (12) and Jaide Newkirk (11) each hit double digits.

Unfortunately, the boys team did not take advantage of their opportunity as they wilted under the BTW pressure in 58-36 loss. After a close first period, the Yellow Jackets outplayed, out hustled and plainly wanted the game more that the Eagles. Alabama Christian turned the ball over thirty times and gave up fifteen offensive boards. Avery Stuart led the team with 12 points and seven rebounds. Isaac Warrick finished with eight points and four rebounds while Mac Moorer had five points off the bench.

Both teams host Thorsby Thursday night in their next contest.

Week in Review - Guthrie Notches First Win as ACA Coach

Augusta Guthrie picked up her first win of the season as the leader of the Lady Eagle program in a 41-23 victory at Thorsby on Thursday night. Alabama Christian faithful hope this is the first of many wins in the long tenure of Coach Guthrie as she leads the girl’s basketball program. The girls lost two out of three as they had a busy week coming off Thanksgiving break. The boys lost both games they played this week.

Coach Guthrie talks to her team during a timeout.

The week began with a Tuesday matchup against MA. Only the girls played on Tuesday due to MA still being in the football playoffs, although they managed to field a team for their own Thanksgiving tournament the previous week. MA is a perennial power in girls basketball and they dominated the game from the opening tip. The visiting Eagles scored the first eleven points of the game and led 17-1 after a quarter. Katie Chappell closed the first half with back-to-back buckets but ACA still trailed 27-8 at the break. The deficit grew in the second half and the Lady Eagles were beaten 52-17. Izzy Warrick led the Eagles with seven points, four rebounds and four steals. Katie Chappell and Rachel Rine each scored four points while Chappell pulled down a team high eight rebounds.

Izzy Warrick drives for two.

The Lady Eagles hit the road for the first time this season on Thursday night with a visit to Thorsby. The Rebel’s gym was barely bigger than the court as about twelve inches separated the baseline and the wall. The Rebel offense was Arctic Circle cold in the first half as they scored just one bucket from the field. ACA did not take advantage of the anemic offense and led just 14-4 at the break. Rachel Rine came off the bench to spark the squad and scored eight of the team’s fourteen first half points, including a four-point play on her very first shot. The Eagles led 12-1 after one period, but managed only two points in the second quarter for the ten-point halftime lead. The two teams played evenly in the third period as ACA increased its lead by just one point, to 22-11, headed into the final quarter. Katie Chappell scored four of the team’s eight points in the quarter to help keep the lead in double digits. The two teams combined to score just 33 points over the first three quarters, but exploded in the fourth period to combine for 31 points. The Rebels cut the lead to 27-22 halfway through the period, but ACA responded with a 14-1 run to finish the game for the 41-23 triumph. The Lady Eagles moved the ball and found the post to pull away late as four of the last six baskets were assisted. Rachel Rine led the team with 14 points followed by Izzy Warrick with 11 points, four rebounds and four steals. Katie Chappell finished with six points and a team high eleven rebounds while Katelyn Sutton led the squad with six assists.

Rachel Rine takes a shot against Thorsby.

After nine days off, the boys team played Thorsby on Thursday night and the rust showed. The team could not put together an extended stretch of winning basketball and it cost them in the 66-48 loss to the Rebels. The game was close through the first two quarters as the 28-21 advantage Thorsby had at the half was the biggest lead for either team. Avery Stuart put the team ahead, 10-9, for the last time with a little more than two minutes left in the first period. With the game tied 14-14, Thorsby closed the first half on a 14-7 run to take the lead into the locker room. The Eagles showed a spark of life to start the second half as Devin Mosely scored and Gerrod Green added a free throw after a steal in the first forty seconds of the period to cut the lead to four points. The home team scored the next nine points over the next two minutes as ACA committed two turnovers and gave up three offensive rebounds during the stretch. Isaac Warrick and Stuart combined for six consecutive points to cut the score to 30-37 for the last serious run the Eagles had on the night. Thorsby led 47-34 after three quarters and led by double figures throughout the final period. Avery Stuart finished with 28 points and three rebounds. Isaac Warrick had eight points, eight rebounds and three steals while Gerrod Green had eight points, seven rebounds and five steals.  

Avery Stuart hammers one at Thorsby.

The week ended with both varsity teams hosting Highland Home. In the girls game, points were hard to come by as the teams combined to miss 35 free throws on the night. Jaide Newkirk carried the offensive load as she scored eight of the team’s eleven first half points. Highland Home outscored the Eagles 11-2 to start the second half to build a 26-13 lead with three minutes left in the third period. ACA cut the lead to five late in the game, but missed several key free throws to prevent them from getting any closer. The Squadron did just enough to record the 37-30 road win. Jaide Newkirk led all scorers with 19 points with eight rebounds. Rachel Rine finished with five points, four rebounds and three steals while Katie Chappell had four points, thirteen rebounds and three assists.

Jaide Newkirk lays in two of her team high nineteen points.

The boys game pitted a very big, confident team in Highland Home against the Eagles who are still trying to find an identity this season. ACA kept it close in the first quarter as Avery Stuart hit two threes early to keep it tight. The Squadron led 20-15 at the end of the quarter. The game got away from Alabama Christian in the second quarter as Highland Home blanked the home team 18-0 over the first six minutes of the period. The lead had ballooned to 42-19 by halftime in favor of the visitors. The second half was much of the same and Highland Home cruised to a 73-43 win over Alabama Christian. Avery Stuart was the top scorer with 15 points while Gerrod Green had eleven and D’andre Sneed had eight points.

D’andre Sneed goes coast to coast for two against Highland Home.

Both squads will host St James and Trinity next week.