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.

Mary Hall Named ACA Athlete of the Week

Mary Hall was named the ACA Athlete of the Week for the second time this season. On Tuesday night, the senior became only the 13th Lady Eagle in history to play in 100 varsity games in her career as ACA played BTW. Hall scored eight points to help the Eagles defeat the Lady Jackets and had four points, ten rebounds and three blocks against Trinity on Friday. The Eagle post player leads the team in rebounds (8.3) and blocks (1.0) for the season. Hall is ranked all time in school history in field goals made and free throws made and attempted.

Lady Eagles Beat BTW for Second Time this Season

ACA played as the visitor in their home gym Tuesday night against Booker T Washington, who does not have a home gym of their own.

The Lady Eagles (10-12) completed the season sweep with a 50-30 defeat of the Lady Jackets. ACA led after two quarters 30-15 and stretched the lead to 46-17 heading to the fourth quarter. BTW outscored the Eagles in the final period, but it was too little too late. All eleven players were able to log minutes in the game and ten Lady Eagles scored baskets in the contest. Junior Rose Costanza led ACA with 10 points while Mary Hall and Michaelyn Manning each scored eight points.

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.

Michaelyn Manning Named ACA Athlete of the Week

Michaelyn Manning helped lead the Lady Eagles to a split in their first two area games of the season to earn Athlete of the Week honors. ACA defeated LAMP on Tuesday night and lost a close contest to Catholic on Friday night. Manning led the team in scoring in both games, scoring 11 and 17 points, respectively. The junior also contributed ten rebounds, six steals, and three assists in the two contests. For the season, Manning leads the team in scoring, assists and steals.

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.

ACA Opens 2020 with a Sweep of Maplesville

Both Eagles varsity basketball teams improved their records to 7-9 on the season with victories over Maplesville Friday night. The Lady Eagles cruised to a 42-7 win and the boys won a close contest, 52-48.

in the second game of the night, Alabama Christian played a close game with the Red Devils as neither team led by more than six points through three quarters. Late in the contest, the Eagles were able to increase the lead to nine points with 1:20 left in the game. Maplesville kept the pace of the game slow and made the Eagles play defense for long periods on most possessions, but ACA proved to be too athletic in the end. K J Kendrick led the offense with 18 points and five rebounds. Avery Stuart contributed 14 points with six rebounds and Hayes Hunt scored 10 points with six rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

In the opener, the Lady Eagles overpowered Maplesville and won easily by 35 points. ACA led 28-5 at the half and continued to dominate in the second half. All eleven players were able to play in the blowout with nine different Eagles scoring baskets. Michaelyn Manning was the games leading scorer with 11 points with four steals and two rebounds. Sarah Johnson scored eight points with three steals and Mary Reagan Hilyer added seven points with three rebounds and two assists.

ACA travels across town Saturday to play Pike Road for their next contest.

Lady Eagles Split Last Two Games Before Christmas Break

After a week of finals, ACA (6-9) split their games on Friday and Saturday heading into the Christmas break. Alabama Christian hopes to come back healthy after the two week break.

Friday night against Horseshoe Bend, the Lady Eagles trailed by one at the half, 17-18, but outscored their opponent by 11 points in the second half for a 54-44 victory. ACA hit a season high five 3 pointers in the game. Three Eagles reached double figures on the night led by Sarah Johnson with 14 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Mary Reagan Hilyer scored 13 points with three rebounds and three assists. Mary Hall recorded her third double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds along with four steals.

Saturday was a different story as Pike Road shut down the Eagles in a 60-15 defeat of ACA. The Patriots led 22-3 after one quarter and the outcome was never in doubt. Michaelyn Manning was the team’s leading scorer with six points and five rebounds. Mary Hall added four points and four rebounds.

Lady Eagles Lose Physical Game to Samson

ACA (5-8) lost a closely fought contest to visiting Samson. The Lady Tigers led for the majority of the game, but the Eagles kept it close and the outcome remained in doubt throughout the clash. ACA was able to cut the lead to one point with 2:47 left in the game, but did not score again as Samson scored the last five points to secure the 40-34 victory. Michaelyn Manning scored 12 points to lead the offense with seven steals and four assists. Rose Costanza had seven points and Mary Hall added five points and seven rebounds.

The Lady Eagles play again next Friday as they visit Horseshoe Bend.

ACA Beaten by MA

ACA looked to avenge a pair of losses to MA from last week, but were unable to defeat the visiting Eagles. The Academy defeated both Alabama Christian teams Thursday night.

In the second game of the night, MA defeated ACA 72-64 in overtime. In a familiar pattern, Alabama Christian (3-7) started strong as they scored 24 first quarter points and took an eight point lead into the second quarter. MA closed the gap in the second quarter and trailed by just one point at halftime as ACA was held scoreless over the final 4:37 of the half. MA took the lead in the third quarter and ended the period with a six point advantage. With 1:43 remaining in the game, MA looked to have the game in hand, but Alabama Christian staged a furious comeback as K J Kendrick scored three baskets in the final 47.4 seconds of the game to force overtime. In overtime, the game turned into a free throw shooting contest with MA hitting 9 of its 10 free throws and ACA only hitting 3 of 8 from the foul line. The discrepancy at the free throw line helped MA secure the victory. Jalen Clark led the offense with 17 points and added seven rebounds and five assists. Avery Stuart scored 13 points with nine rebounds and three steals while Kendrick added 12 points with seven rebounds.

In the opener, the Lady Eagles (5-7) were overwhelmed by MA falling behind early and never able to recover. MA led by 17 at the half and went on to a 53-18 defeat of ACA. Michaelyn Manning led the team in scoring with eight points and Mary Hall added five more.

The Lady Eagles take on Sansom at home on Friday night.

Eagles Swept at Saint James

Alabama Christian took on one of its oldest rivals Tuesday night as they visited Saint James. The home standing Trojans won both games over the Eagles.

In the opener, the Lady Eagles shot a better percentage than Saint James from the field, but the Lady Trojans ability to connect from long distance and control the offensive boards was the difference in the game. ACA (5-6) trailed by one point, 20-21, at halftime while Mary Reagan Hilyer and Michaelyn Manning combined for 14 of the Lady Eagle’s 20 first half points. Saint James pulled away in the fourth quarter and beat ACA by ten points, 34-44. Manning led the Eagles in scoring with 15 points and added five rebounds on the night while Hilyer finished with nine points and five steals. Rose Costanza led the team in rebounds with seven.

In the boys contest, Alabama Christian (3-6) led after one quarter, 13-11. In the second quarter, ACA dealt with foul trouble and the Trojans took advantage outscoring the Eagles 21-6 in the quarter for a 32-19 lead at the half. The remainder of the game was relatively even, but the damage was done. Saint James won by a final score of 65-45. Braden Alford led the offense with 12 points while Jalen Clark scored nine points with six rebounds and four steals. Caden Perry and Avery Stuart each contributed six points. Hayes Hunt led the Eagles with seven rebounds.

Both squads host MA on Thursday night for their next game.

ACA Splits Two Games with Highland Home

Alabama Christian traveled to Highland Home Friday and came away with a win and a loss on the night. The Lady Eagles won a close game for the second night in a row with a 35-32 victory to even their record to 5-5. In the second game, ACA lost to to the Flying Squadron 60-67 and fell to 3-5 on the season.

In the opener, both teams struggled to get the offense clicking as ACA and Highland Home committed turnovers on seven of the first eight possessions of the game. The Lady Squadron found their rhythm first and held a 13-4 advantage after the first quarter. ACA began the second quarter with an 8-0 run to cut the Squadron lead to one. Michaelyn Manning sparked the offense as she scored six of the Eagle’s eight points in the quarter. Highland Home scored the last four points of the quarter and took a 17-12 lead at halftime. Alabama Christian turned up the defensive pressure in the second half and Highland Home responded by turning the ball over 12 times over the final two quarters. Sarah Johnson’s field goal with a minute remaining in the third quarter gave ACA a 21-20 lead. The basket was the last points of a 9-0 run that gave the Eagles the lead for good on the night. ACA built a nine point lead in the final quarter, but struggled closing out Highland Home at the end of the game. The Squadron pulled to within one point with 90 seconds remaining, but Alabama Christian held their opponent off and came home with the win. Sarah Johnson scored 10 points with three steals and Michaelyn Manning had 10 points also with eight steals and four assists. Rose Costanza added six points, six rebounds and three steals.

In the second varsity game of the evening, ACA had to contend with Highland Home’s freshman center and were unable to overcome his size and power in the paint. The Eagles kept the game close and even led 53-52 early in the fourth quarter. Highland Home outscored the Eagles 15-7 over the final five minutes of the game to secure the win. Jalen Clark had an outstanding performance as he scored a game high 28 points with eight rebounds and three steals. Caden Perry had 16 points with three rebounds. both Clark and Perry knocked down a trio of 3 pointers on the night. Avery Stuart added nine points and seven rebounds.

ACA faces off against Capital City Conference foe Saint James in their next contest Tuesday night.

Eagles Rebound with Wins Over Horseshoe Bend

Coming off losses on Tuesday, ACA’s boys and girls teams both defeated Horseshoe Bend Thursday night. The Lady Eagles improved to 4-5 with the victory and the boys moved to 3-4 with the win.

The Lady Eagles defeated Horseshoe Bend in a tightly contested game, 34-32. The Lady Generals led after one quarter and the lead changed hands multiple times on the night. Mary Reagan Hilyer hit the game winner for the Eagles with less than a minute to play. The defense had two stops in the final 30 seconds to seal the victory. Michaelyn Manning carried the offense in the first half as she scored 12 of the team’s 16 points. Manning finished the game with a game high 16 points while Hilyer added 10 points.

In the boys game, ACA beat a methodical Horseshoe Bend team, 59-35. The General’s offense struggled in the first quarter with three illegal screens called in the first eight minutes. The Eagles were too athletic for the Generals and outscored their opponent in every quarter. Caden Perry led all scorers with 20 points, including two 3 pointers, four rebounds and two blocks. Jalen Clark scored 13 points with five rebounds and three assists while Avery Stuart contributed 11 points and eight rebounds.

Alabama Christian travels to Highland Home Friday night for their next contest.

ACA Girls and Boys Teams Lose at MA

Alabama Christian’s girls and boys team both extended long losing streaks against MA on Tuesday night. The Lady Eagles lost their 12th straight to MA, a streak which dates back to January 2009. The boys last beat MA in November 2010 and have lost 11 consecutive games to the Eagles.

In the girls game, ACA lost to MA 18-56. Despite the lopsided score, the two teams shot close to the same percentage from the floor. MA attempted 23 more shots from the field and had 15 more free throw attempts to tip the scales in their favor. MA built a big lead in the first half and led 44-10 at halftime. Heather Ford led the team in scoring with seven points and was the only player to hit more than one shot from the field for the Lady Eagles. Mary Hall added three points with seven rebounds and two blocks.

In the boys game, ACA led after the first quarter for the fifth time in six games this season with a 15-7 advantage. However, MA outscored Alabama Christian 46-26 over the second and third quarters to seize control of the game. MA would go on to win the contest, 78-63. Jalen Clark recorded his second double-double of the year with a team leading 16 points and 10 rebounds with seven assists. Avery Stuart had 12 points and seven rebounds while Braden Alford added 12 points.

Both teams host Horseshoe Bend Thursday night in their next contest.

Lady Eagles Finish Second in Tallassee Thanksgiving Tournament

Alabama Christian met Catholic in the championship game of the Tallassee Tournament again this year, but were unable to repeat as champions as the Lady Knights defeated ACA, 48-32. ACA scored 16 points in a high scoring first quarter, but managed only 16 more over the final three quarters. Despite the lack of offense, the contest was close until the end of the third quarter when Catholic scored the final five points of the period to take a 38-27 lead to the fourth. The Lady Knights extended the lead in the final quarter to win the contest by 16 points. Michaelyn Manning led the offense with eight points while Rose Costanza, Heather Ford and Sarah Johnson each scored six points.

In the first game of the tournament ACA defeated Elmore County 43-31 to advance to the finals. The Eagles started cold, connecting on only one field goal in the first quarter, but only trailed by one point heading into the second. ACA shot close to 40% from the field for the rest of the game and outscored the Panthers in every quarter. Mary Hall led all scorers with 15 points and tallied 12 rebounds. Michaelyn Manning added 11 points with three rebounds and three assists. Hall and Manning were both named to the all tournament team.

The boys team also split their two games in Tallassee, losing to Elmore County, 47-49, on Monday afternoon and defeating BTW convincingly, 67-29, on Tuesday. The Eagles controlled the contest against Elmore County for three quarters, but allowed an 11-0 run from the Panthers to tie the game with 4:00 left in the game. Elmore County scored the winning basket with 2.5 seconds on the clock for the two point victory. Braden Alford led the Eagles in scoring with 14 points with Jalen Clark and Caden Perry each scoring 12 points.

Game two of the tournament, on Tuesday, the Eagles were matched up for the second time this year against BTW. The Yellow Jackets defeated ACA in their first meeting and the Eagles exacted a measure of revenge with a 67-29 throttling of their opponent. Alabama Christian led 35-22 at the half and proceeded to shut BTW down in the second half as they outscored the Jackets 34-7 over the final two quarters. Avery Stuart paced the offense with 18 points. Jalen Clark scored ten points and Hayes Hunt added nine points in the contest. Clark was named to the all tournament team for the boys.

Both the boys and girls will have the rest of the week off and will return next Tuesday to face MA.

Mary Hall Named ACA Athlete of the Week

Mary Hall’s season ended in injury last year, but she has bounced back this season as one of the Lady Eagle’s top performers. The lone senior starter helped ACA split their two games this week and earned her Atlete of the Week honors. Hall scored seven points with ten rebounds and seven steals in a win against BTW and had 16 points and 15 rebounds, both season highs for the team, in a losing effort to J F Shields. Hall leads the Lady Eagles in rebounds (8.0) and blocks (0.8) so far this season and is second in scoring (7.4).

ACA Boys and Girls Both Defeated by J F Shields

Alabama Christian traveled to Beatrice, AL to take on J F Shields Friday night. Both teams had their chances to come away with a victory, but were unable to overcome the Panthers.

The boys game was close throughout the first half with neither team leading by more than five points. Jalen Clark scored the last basket before the half and the Eagles took a 30-28 lead at the intermission. The second half started with J F Shields outscoring ACA 10-3 in a little over a minute which caused Coach Scott Galloway to call a timeout to try to stop the momentum, The Panthers continued to play well and outscored ACA 20-9 in the quarter to take control of the game and went on to win, 61-48. The Eagles were led in scoring by Avery Stuart who came off the bench to score ten points with eight rebounds. Jalen Clark added nine points with seven assists and four rebounds while Caden Perry scored nine points with four rebounds.

The Lady Eagles lost to J F Shields 45-46 in a closely contested game. The lead changed hands several times during the game and ACA had seven chances over the final 1:44 of the game to tie or take the lead, but were unable to make the crucial score. Senior Mary Hall led the team with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Katie Chappell had a breakout performance with 12 points, 11 rebounds and three steals and Michaelyn Manning added ten points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals.

Both teams will play in the Thanksgiving tournament in Tallassee on Monday and Tuesday next week.

Eagles Split with BTW in Home Opener

Alabama Christian opened play on their home court Tuesday night as they hosted Booker T. Washington. BTW was designated the home team due to their lack of a gym to play their games in.

The Lady Eagles (2-3) beat BTW 39-20 in a slow paced game that was plagued with 33 total fouls called. ACA doubled up the Yellow Jackets in the first half and took a 20-10 lead into the locker room. ACA blanked BTW in the third quarter to stretch the lead to 31-10. Michaelyn Manning led all scorers with 14 points while Mary Reagan Hilyer added eight points. Mary Hall contributed seven points.

In the boys game, ACA started quickly and took a 15-8 lead at the end of the first quarter. BTW hit their stride in the second quarter and the Eagles defense had no answer for the Yellow Jackets. BTW outscored ACA 47-31 over the second and third quarters. The Eagles made a run late in the game and cut the score to 63-66, but in the end BTW made the plays they needed to secure the victory. Alabama Christian (1-1) lost by a score of 63-68. KJ Kendrick led the Eagles with 15 points and Caden Perry scored 12 points. A trio of Eagles, Braden Alford, Mason Kimbro and Avery Stuart each added eight points.

Both ACA teams travel to J F Shields Friday night for their next game.

ACA Opens Season at St James Tip Off Classic

The new look Lady Eagles opened the season with three games at the St. James Tip Off Classic, winning one of the three contests. ACA returns only one starter from last year’s squad and only three current players saw significant time last year. The Eagles defeated Prattville and lost to Pell City and Loachapoaka over the two day event.

ACA opened the season Friday afternoon with a 29-56 loss to Pell City. The Lady Eagles looked nervous to start the game and fell behind early as the Lady Panthers scored the first 18 points of the game. For the remainder of the game, Pell City only outscored ACA 38-29, but the Eagles had already dug too deep a hole for themselves. Rose Costanza scored the first bucket of the season midway through the first quarter to start the scoring for the Lady Eagles. Michaelyn Manning led the offense with ten points and four rebounds. Sarah Johnson added seven points with three rebounds while Rose Costanza had six points and four rebounds.

On Saturday morning, game two of the weekend against Prattville had an unusual start as ACA was assessed a technical foul for a scorebook violation. The Lady Lions hit one of the two free throws to start play with a 1-0 iead. With two minutes left to go in the first quarter, ACA turned up the heat on defense by pressing Prattville and scored the final nine points of the period. During the run, Katie Chappell scored a basket and made her free throw to complete a three point play that gave ACA an 11-10 lead. The Eagles would not trail for the rest of the contest and won by a sore of 53-42. Michaelyn Manning and Sarah Johnson led the offense as Manning scored 14 points and Johnson had 13 points with seven rebounds, six assists and six steals. Katie Chappell added nine points and six rebounds.

In the final game of the weekend, ACA opened the game with cold shooting, as they missed their first 14 shots of the game. Despite the struggle to score the ball, the Eagles only trailed Loachapoaka 2-7 at the end of the first quarter. Both offenses scuffled on the afternoon as each team shot less than 25% from the field and combined for just 44 points, as the Indians prevailed 30-14. Michaelyn Manning had four points to lead the Eagle offense while Rose Costanza and Mary Hall each had three points.