WEEKEND PREPS: Montgomery Academy, Catholic win in Hoops with Heart Showcase (UPDATED)
Montgomery Academy’s Jarrett Friendly drives to the hoop against Park Crossing’s Michael May in Saturday’s matchup, won by the Eagles. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
The larger the prey, the harder they fall.
Montgomery Academy seems to thrive on playing programs in the larger classifications, compiling a 7-1 record this season against Class 6A and Class 7A basketball programs.
Two days after knocking off 7A Carver, the Eagles made it 3 for 3 in the city, taking out 6A Park Crossing 64-62 in the final game of the Hoop with Heart High School Showcase at Montgomery Academy’s Joe Mooty Court on Saturday night.
“All of our guys like to compete against bigger schools,” Montgomery Academy coach Jeremy Arant said. “They think they’re the best and they want to go out and prove it. So when we get in these games against bigger schools, they’re ready to go.”
The Eagles had an early lead but as the Thunderbirds turned the game into a physical battle, the larger team grabbed the upper hand. Montgomery Academy hit just 3 of 15 shots in the second quarter, allowing Park Crossing to pull within 28-27 at the half before the Thunderbirds took a five-point lead in the third quarter.
“In the third quarter, we had some turnovers we would have liked to have back,” Arant said. “They got some offensive rebounds and putbacks. Their No. 10 (Isyiah Scott) shot it really well. He got away from us a couple of times in the second half. They played really well and did some things that bothered us.
“Then in the fourth quarter, ‘Bray’ (Braden Gordon) got going. And if he gets going like that, you can just about forget about it.”
Gordon, who had a quiet five points in the first half, hit a pair of 3-pointers in early in the fourth quarter to put the Eagles back in front, missed a third attempt from the corner, then hit the fourth long range shot with a little less than two minutes remaining to follow up a Mason Ellis basket and give Montgomery Academy a five-point lead.
“I was just feeling it,” Gordon said. “I got hot two nights ago (at Carver) so I really wanted to find that again and I did. Against Carver, I found it and I got it back tonight. That was great.”
Gordon finished with 27 points, seven rebounds and two assists. The junior sported a bandaged right wrist which didn’t seem to affect him in the final quarter. With the game in doubt between the defending 3A state champion and their 6A Montgomery counterparts, Gordon scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of free throws with 10.6 seconds remaining to seal the win.
“The atmosphere of these games are totally different from the ones of CCC (Capital City Conference) teams,” Gordon said. “That’s just how it is. It was great they could come and play us here. Hopefully, one day, we can play them there (in their gym).”
Ellis added 16 points, five rebounds, five steals and three assists while Jarrett Friendly chipped in 13 points, including 11 in the first quarter, along with 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots. JayJay Jackson added six points, six rebounds and three steals while Will Renfroe had two points, 10 rebounds and two steals.
Scott led Park Crossing with 19 points, including five 3-pointers, followed by Jayvion Jones with 15.
Montgomery Academy won its eighth consecutive game and its fourth straight win over 6A-7A competition. The Eagles have beaten 6A Pike Road, 7A Huntsville, 7A Oak Mountain, 7A Grissom and 6A Julian, losing only to 7A Oxford in a December tournament.
The Eagles (16-5) remain home to play St. James in a 3A Area 5 game on Tuesday.
Pike Road’s Kody Calhoun (3) has his shot contested by Bryant's TyJavion Byrd during Saturday action at Montgomery Academy. (Tim Gayle)
Paul Bryant 47, Pike Road 31
The Patriots and the Stampede fought evenly for most of the first three quarters, but the Patriots were held without a basket in the final period and fell 47-31 to Paul Bryant in the fourth game of the Hoop with Heart High School Showcase at Montgomery Academy’s Joe Mooty Court on Saturday.
“I thought we played well,” Pike Road coach Marcus Mickles said. “Those are the things we’ve been battling, about being consistent. One half we look really good, the next half we don’t show up. We just have to work on continuing to be consistent throughout the games and continue to battle. I love the guys’ effort. I haven’t seen that all year so it was good to see they’ll fight.”
Pike Road led 10-7 at the end of the first quarter and 23-18 at the half, taking the fight to the defending 6A state champions. In the third quarter, however, the Patriots hit a slump on both ends of the court, losing their defensive pressure as their offense disappeared. And it got worse in the fourth quarter when the Patriots failed to score after falling behind 34-31 at the end of the third quarter.
“We didn’t score for like five minutes,” Mickles said. “That killed us. They were going down and getting easy buckets, we couldn’t score and they were getting out in transition. If we could just score, we would have been fine. We just couldn’t make a shot.”
Jamal Canty led Pike Road (13-11) with 14 points.
McKinley Everette led Paul Bryant (21-7) with 17 points, followed by TyJavion Byrd and Cameron Walton with 10 points each.
Prattville’s Deshawn Hall shoots over Pacelli's Mikehi Williams (5) and Matthew Melvin in Saturday’s game at Montgomery Academy. (Tim Gayle)
St. Anne-Pacelli (GA) 52, Prattville 49
The Vikings got a layup from Mikehi Williams, a dunk from Michael Rowe and a couple of free throws down the stretch to rally past Prattville 52-49 in the third game of the Hoop with Heart High School Showcase at Montgomery Academy’s Joe Mooty Court on Saturday.
Prattville (8-13) led for much of the game but a recurring theme for the Lions this season -- who have nine losses by two possessions or less -- is letting potential wins slip through their hands.
On Saturday, Prattville led 41-39 with five minutes left and tried to hold the ball to make St. Anne-Pacelli (Columbus, GA) abandon the zone defense, but three and a half minutes later, the Lions were still holding the ball but were trailing 44-41.
“Three-point game, we had eight missed free throws,” said first-year coach Letwan Hall said. “When they were making their run, we were getting fouled, but you’ve got to make those. Then, in the fourth quarter, when it’s winning time, we’ve got to make more winning plays. We were up two points and they were just sitting in the lane and I said, ‘Let them sit in there. Eventually they’ve got to come out because they’re behind.’ But my guys went in there and probably took some shots they shouldn’t have taken.”
Rowe led the Vikings with 18 points, followed by Matthew Melvin with 10 points and Williams with 10 points, all in the second half.
Deshawn Hall led Prattville with 16 points, but was held to a pair of free throws in the fourth quarter. Jersey Farbes added 13 points for the Lions, followed by Letwan Hall Jr. with nine.
“We’re right there, we’re so close,” Hall said. “Most of our games are one or two-possession games, so it’s making a play here, making a play there. That’s just about learning how to play winning basketball. We’re so young -- five freshmen, five sophomores and a junior. They’re getting all this experience.”
Catholic 51, Brantley 44
The Knights pulled away from a one-point game early in the fourth quarter, then held the ball in the final minutes to record their fifth consecutive win in the second game of the Hoop with Heart High School Showcase at Montgomery Academy’s Joe Mooty Court on Saturday.
Saturday’s win marked the first time Catholic (10-9) has had a winning record this season.
“We couldn’t pull away from them,” Catholic coach Mike Curry said, “but I thought we did enough. I thought the third quarter we weren’t very sharp, we weren’t very focused, but we came back in the fourth quarter and did what we needed to do -- made shots, got a couple of good stops and played a little smarter basketball.”
Mylez Gourdine and Matt Gourdine had 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and Devin Hampton put back a missed shot for another basket. The Knights also went 7 for 10 at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, one of their best performances for a team that isn’t noted for its free-throw shooting.
The Knights led virtually all of the first half, but then fell behind early in the third period before fighting back for a 36-35 lead going into the fourth quarter.
“We stopped trapping,” Curry explained. “We went to trapping and they threw it out of the trap and started getting open looks. We said we weren’t going to trap any more, everyone was going to stay home and guard their man and we kind of let our guard (Matt Gourdine) have free rein and let him do what he does, make good decisions and play.”
Julius Sylvester had 16, while Devin Melton had nine and Asa Blackmon had seven for the Bulldogs.
MJ Belser led the Knights with 15, followed by Mylez Gourdine with 13 -- including nine in the fourth quarter -- and Matt Gourdine with 11. Hampton added seven.
Catholic travels to Tallassee on Tuesday for a 4A Area 5 matchup with the Tigers.
Lanett 54, St. James 36
St. James kept Lanett off balance in the first half, but the Panthers rallied from a 20-18 halftime deficit with a strong second half performance to defeat the Trojans 54-36 in the first game of the Hoop with Heart High School Showcase at Montgomery Academy’s Joe Mooty Court on Saturday.
Lanett trailed 16-7 at the end of the first half but switched to a zone defense and held the Trojans to just 20 points in the final three quarters.
“We played good, but what I have to factor in as a coach is we just played five games in six days,” St. James coach Mark Hall said. “Us competing and just getting better when teams pressure, it was important that we stay healthy but just compete and don’t lose that competitive fire. But my team’s a litrtle tired.”
Riontae Zeigler led Lanett with 17 points, followed by Jeramiah McGilberry with 14.
Wilson Aman, Jordan Williams and Caleb Ellis all had nine points each to lead the Trojans (8-10), which return to the same gym on Tuesday night to play Montgomery Academy in a 3A Area 5 matchup.
FRIDAY RESULTS
BOYS BASKETBALL
Montgomery Academy 70, Alabama Christian 24
Montgomery Academy took care of ACA early, outscoring the Eagles 23-2 in the first quarter on the way to a 46-point win at Joe Mooty Court on Friday night.
MA would make 11 3-pointers in the game and every player who participated scored.
Mason Ellis led all scorers with 14 points, all in the first half. Ellis also had three assists and three rebounds. Paxton Haigler added nine points, seven rebounds and two steals. JayJay Jackson chipped in eight points, all in the first half, grabbed five rebounds, had three assists and three steals. Jarrett Friendly added six points, grabbed 10 rebounds, had three blocked shots and a pair of steals. Braden Gordon added seven points, five rebounds and three assists.
Montgomery Academy improved to 5-0 in Area 5 play, followed by Dallas County (4-2), Thorsby (2-2), St. James (2-3) and Alabama Christian (0-6).
Montgomery Academy is at home against St. James on Tuesday. ACA will travel to Thorsby on Tuesday.
Hooper Academy 37, Trinity Christian 32
HOPE HULL -- Tray Davenport hit a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help the Colts hold on for a crucial Class A Region 1 Area 2 victory over Trinity Christian on Friday in Darrell Self Gym.
Kingston White led the Colts with nine points, including all eight of his team’s points in the first quarter as Hooper built an 8-4 lead. The Colts led by just two points at the end of the third quarter, but outscored Trinity 15-12 in the final period to hold on for the victory.
Davenport added eight points, followed by Ayden Newman with seven.
Reid House led Trinity with 11 points, followed by Mac Ellis with 10 points and Nate Riddle with eight.
Edgewood leads the area at 3-1, but Hooper’s win left the Colts and Trinity a game back at 2-2, followed by The Oaks at 1-3.
Hooper Academy (15-5) travels to The Oaks on Tuesday, then plays host to Edgewood on Thursday.
Bibb County 58, Prattville Christian 55
PRATTVILLE -- Carter Fiacco led the Panthers with 22 points and five rebounds as PCA dropped a 4A Area 6 heartbreaker to the Choctaws on Friday in the PCA gym.
Cody Chapman added 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists, followed by Ethan Girlie with nine points, eight rebounds and four assists, Justin Chapman with eight points and nine rebounds and Wade Mora with four points and six rebounds.
PCA (10-12) dropped to 2-3 in area play and will travel to West Blocton on Tuesday and Bibb County on Friday for a pair of Area 6 games next week.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Montgomery Academy 43, Alabama Christian 24
Montgomery Academy’s defense took charge in the second half, extending a 22-17 halftime lead into a 19-point win in a 3A Area 5 matchup with Alabama Christian at Joe Mooty Court on Friday night.
Junior Kaci Armistead scored a season high 19 points, along with four steals, three rebounds and an assist. Garland Thomas and Bailey Davis added eight points each, with Thomas adding two steals, a rebound and an assist. Davis would add three steals and was the leading rebounder on the night with 10, eight of which were on the offensive end.
Montgomery Academy improved to 4-1 in Area 5 play behind St. James (5-0) and ahead of Thorsby (2-2), Alabama Christian (1-5) and Dallas County (1-5).
Montgomery Academy (8-11) will play host to St. James on Tuesday, while ACA will travel to Thorsby on Tuesday.
Catholic 79, LAMP 17
Hannah Smith scored 27 points, along with seven rebounds, five assists and 14 steals, to lead the Knights to their fourth consecutive victory in a 79-17 win over the Golden Tigers in the LAMP gym on Friday night.
Catholic improved to 5-0 in 4A Area 5 play, followed by Trinity (3-1), Booker T. Washington (2-3), Tallassee (1-2) and LAMP (0-4).
Smith hit 13 of 18 field goals from the field to take care of the Golden Tigers. Jordan Robinson added 20 points, hitting 4 of 5 shots from the 3-point line, along with five assists, seven rebounds and four steals. The sophomore went 8 of 9 from the field to help the Knights build a 48-9 lead in the first half.
Lela Rogers had 11 points and three steals, Ajah Tuggle had 10 points and six rebounds and Maggie McNeely followed with five points.
Catholic (13-5) returns to action on Monday in a tournament in Hoover against Pleasant Grove and will travel to Tallassee for an area game on Tuesday.
Trinity 62, Tallassee 31
TALLASSEE -- Lilly Smith scored 32 points and pulled down nine rebounds to help the Wildcats to a 62-31 win over the Tigers in a 4A Area 5 game in the Tallassee gym on Friday night.
Ellie Causey added 17 points, four rebounds and four steals, followed by Emory Causey with 10 points. Emma Rose Meldrum had eight steals, while Micaiah Shelton grabbed seven rebounds.
Trinity (13-6) improved to 3-1 in 4A Area 5 play, trailing Catholic (5-0) and ahead of Booker T. Washington (2-3), Tallassee (1-2) and LAMP 0-4).
The Wildcats travel to LAMP on Tuesday and to Montgomery Academy on Thursday to play in the annual Coaches vs. Cancer game.
Hooper Academy 43, Trinity Christian 15
HOPE HULL -- Hooper extended a 10-point lead in the first quarter by outscoring Trinity Christian 11-1 in the second quarter on the way to a 43-15 win in Class A Region 1 Area 2 play at Darrell Self Gym.
Jenna Conway scored seven of her 13 points in the fourth quarter to seal the win, while Katie Robinson scored seven of her 11 points in the first quarter and Marilyn Fleming scored seven of her 11 points in the second quarter.
Emma Miller led Trinity Christian with seven points.
Hooper Academy (12-6) improved to 3-0 in area play and will play host to Edgewood on Thursday for the area championship.
Prattville Christian 37, Bibb County 33
PRATTVILLE -- Baylee Rogers had 13 points, nine rebounds and four assists to help the Panthers remain unbeaten in 4A Area 6 play with a 37-33 win over Bibb County on Friday in the PCA gym.
Laney Little added 10 points and nine rebounds, followed by Reagan Houston with seven points and five rebounds, Leah Cate Wilson with four points and 11 rebounds and Avery Mann with three points. PCA (10-11) improved to 5-0 in area play and can win the area next week with road games at West Blocton on Tuesday and Bibb County on Friday.
St. James 79, Dallas County 14
St. James placed three players in double figures in a win over Dallas County on Friday.
Kaitlin Mitchell (14), Lily Stanford (11), Natalie Barton 10 and Kaden Fair 10 each scored in double figures. Morgan Lilly added eight points while Elliette Barton, Londyn Swain and Sydney Johnston each had six points.
St. James (20-3) will face River Ridge High School (GA) on Monday.