CHAPMAN GIRLS TOURNEY: Smith leads Catholic to win over Pike Road; Stanhope tops MA

Pike Road’s Haiden Scott looks to shoot against Catholic’s Paige Sims and Hannah Smith in Wednesday’s matchup at Montgomery Academy. (Tim Gayle)

By TIM GAYLE

Catholic senior Hannah Smith outjumped, outrebounded and outhustled all of her Pike Road counterparts in the championship game of the Coach Larry Chapman Foundation Tip-Off Classic at Montgomery Academy on Wednesday.

By the end of the first quarter, she had personally outscored Pike Road 12-7. By halftime, she had 19 points and her 32-point total included a trio of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, just for good measure. How does a youthful and undersized Pike Road team handle that?

“You handle her by waiting until she graduates and hoping next year you can match up better,” Pike Road coach Barry Fencher said. “She’s going to give everybody fits. She’s just so strong and can do so many things. When she’s making shots like that, it’s hard.”

Smith earned most valuable player honors and the Catholic Knights continued their impressive roll with an 81-41 rout of the Class 6A Patriots to earn the tournament title, which might have even surprised first-year coach Courtney Ward.

“The first game we had, I had no idea what to expect, how to feel,” Ward said, “and that’s the first time I’ve ever gone into a game like that. Now, it’s us continuing to be one of the best coaching staffs in Montgomery and in the state of Alabama. We’re always going to apply pressure and challenge ourselves as coaches to be the greatest.”

Catholic (3-0) won its first two games in the tournament with strong fourth-quarter performances, but on Wednesday the Knights got 12 points from Smith and 10 from Kierstyn Green in a 30-point explosion in the first quarter that buried the Patriots before they could get untracked.

“It was just going in, giving (the players) the confidence to define themselves, letting them know that they are a great team and they can be greater than they are,” Ward said. “It’s just a confidence thing with them finding who their coach actually is and getting on that level of play.”

For Pike Road (3-3), the inexperience and lack of size showed itself early as the Knights dominated the glass on both ends of the court. The Patriots were able to draw a little closer in the second quarter as Smith, Jordan Robinson and Ajah Tuggle all went to the bench with three personal fouls, but the rebounding deficit allowed Catholic to lead 45-21 at the half and pull away in the fourth quarter with another 22-point display by the Knights.

“They’re still trying to figure it out,” Fencher said of his players. “They’re undisciplined. We’re trying to get them playing as a unit, but (we’re) missing too many free throws and won’t box out as a small team. Our tallest player is 5-foot-7 and we have to rebound by committee and I can’t get them to box out. They’re walking in there trying to outjump people.”

The Patriots hit just 11 of 28 free-throw attempts, preventing any type of rally while the more experienced Knights hit 12 of 15 free-throw attempts.

Robinson had 18 points, followed by Green with 15 and Tuggle with nine. The Knights travel to St. James on Tuesday.

Camille Moorer led Pike Road with 14 points, followed by Haiden Scott with 10 and Sharae Martin with eight. The Patriots play host to Montgomery Academy on Monday.

Joining Smith on the all-tournament team were teammates Tuggle, Green and Robinson, along with Martin, Scott and Moorer of Pike Road, Aniya Burton and Heaven Bailey of Stanhope Elmore and Kaci Armistead and Bennett Britt of Montgomery Academy. Montgomery Academy’s E.G. Hines received the Coach Larry Chapman Foundation Character Award.

Stanhope Elmore 64, Montgomery Academy 20

The Mustangs won the consolation game of the Coach Larry Chapman Foundation Tip-Off Classic with a dominating performance against Montgomery Academy on Wednesday afternoon.

Freshman Garland Thomas led the Eagles with six points, two assists and a pair of rebounds.

Montgomery Academy (1-2) will travel to Pike Road to play the Patriots on Monday at 6 p.m.

Brew Tech 51, Prattville Christian 34

The Rams defeated Prattville Christian 51-34 in the battle for seventh place in the Coach Larry Chapman Foundation Tip-Off Classic at Montgomery Academy on Wednesday.

Reagan Houston led the Panthers with 16 points and four rebounds, followed by Laney Little with 10 points and 14 rebounds and Leah Cate Wilson with six points and 10 rebounds. Baylee Rogers dished out nine assists and grabbed four rebounds.

PCA (2-6) will play host to Greenville next Tuesday.

COACH LARRY CHAPMAN FOUNDATION TIP-OFF TOURNAMENT

at Montgomery Academy

GIRLS

Monday’s results

Game 1 -- Stanhope Elmore 73, Lee-Scott Academy 30

Game 2 -- Pike Road 61, Prattville Christian 39

Game 3 -- Catholic 67. Brewbaker Tech 42

Game 4 -- Montgomery Academy 44, JAG 32

Tuesday’s results

Game 5 -- Catholic 58, Stanhope Elmore 50

Game 6 -- Lee-Scott Academy 54, Brew Tech 52

Game 7 -- Pike Road 48, Montgomery Academy 41

Game 8 -- JAG 34, Prattville Christian 30

Wednesday’s schedule

Game 9 -- 7th place, Brew Tech 51, Prattville Christian 34

Game 10 -- 5th place, Lee-Scott Academy 59, JAG 52

Game 11 -- Consolation, Stanhope Elmore 64, Montgomery Academy 20

Game 12 -- Championship Game, Catholic 81, Pike Road 41