AISA GIRLS QUARTERS: Lowndes Academy girls moves into semis; Jackson Academy, Southern Clarke Prep move on

Lowndes Academy’s Sarah Beth Murchison passes over the Monroe defense in Tuesday’s AISA quarterfinal game at Garrett Coliseum. (Tim Gayle)

By TIM GAYLE

Lowndes Academy coach Matt Marshall knew his team would open play in the Alabama Independent School Association Class AA quarterfinals at Garrett Coliseum with a little case of nerves.

“I told my headmaster during warmups, ‘We’re going to come out tight, the first quarter is going to be close because we’re going to come out and try not to make mistakes and we’re going to make a bunch of them,’” Marshall said.

He also knew once his team settled down, it would use its depth and its transition game to roll past Monroe Academy and into the Final Four for the fourth consecutive year.

He was right on that formula as well.

“I thought we had to calm down, let the game flow,” Marshall said. “We wore them down a little bit. I’ve probably got a little more depth than everybody here and our style of play is going to wear people down. It just took a little while longer for us to get on board. We had to have a little talk.”

Lowndes actually trailed 10-9 after eight minutes, then exploded in a 22-point second quarter that turned the game into a rout as the Rebels defeated Monroe Academy 52-16 on Tuesday night.

Lowndes (16-3) will play Clarke Prep in the AA semifinals on Thursday at 9 a.m.

The Rebels took out Monroe’s top scorer, Mia Shadburn, who scored six first-quarter points to help the Volunteers to the lead, then only two the remainder of the game after spending much of the final three quarters in foul trouble and fouling out early in the fourth quarter.

“We knew that she would get a little headstrong and a little downhill and we could take a couple of charges on her,” Marshall said. “We didn’t do a good job of forcing her to her left hand (with the dribble). But we did a good job of taking charges and putting her in a position to foul.”

Without Shadburn, the Volunteers were doomed but Lowndes converted miscues into transition baskets, holding Monroe to just one field goal in the second quarter, one in the third and none in the fourth.

“Defense travels,” Marshall said, “and if you get enough close shots, you’re going to make them eventually. We don’t shoot many shots from the outside.”

Catie Wallace Self led a balanced attack with 13 points, followed by Abby Lovell with 12 and Camryn Hess with 10.  

GIRLS QUARTERFINALS

Jackson Academy 36, Springwood School 33

Bethany Clayton scored 23 points to lead Jackson to a three-point win over Springwood in a battle of defending state champions on Tuesday in the AISA state tournment at Garrett Coliseum.

Jackson, the defending Class A champion, also got eight points from Olivia Garris to beat Springwood, the defending Class AA state champion.  

Jackson will face Southern in the AA semifinals on Thursday at noon.

Springwood had six points in each of the first two quarters, but was leading 12-11 at the half before Jackson scored 16 points in the third quarter to take a 27-21 lead into the fourth quarter.

Tori Patillo led Springwood with 20 points.

Southern Academy 54, Fort Dale Academy 49 (OT)

Abby Sluder scored seven of her team’s 10 points in overtime to help the Cougars defeat Fort Dale 54-49 in overtime in the Class AA quarterfinals at Garrett Coliseum on Tuesday.

Southern will play Jackson in the AA semifinals on Thursday at noon.

Sluder finished with 33 points, including eight in the fourth quarter as the Cougars tried to hold on to their lead. Fort Dale’s Natalie Skipper hit a free throw to tie the game, then added two more on the Eagles’ next possession for a 44-42 lead before Sluder dropped in a pair of free throws with 13.8 seconds left to send the game into overtime.

Mallory Newton added nine points for Southern.

Ceil Gregory scored 20 points to lead Fort Dale, including a clutch 3-pointer in the fourth quarter and another in overtime. Ella Ealum added 13.

Clarke Prep 47, Chambers Academy 22

Drue Flint led a balanced attack with 13 points as the Gators defeated Chambers 47-22 in the Class AA quarterfinals at Garrett Coliseum on Tuesday.

Clarke Prep will face Lowndes in the AA semifinals on Thursday at 9 a.m.

Brooke Brasell added 12 points for Clarke Prep, followed by Addie Hicks with 10.

Blakely Allen led Chambers with five points.