AISA GIRLS QUARTERS: Southern drops Macon East; Lowndes Academy advances
By TIM GAYLE
Macon East Academy coach Wendell Barr had a message for his reserve players after watching his team struggle to find any offense in the first half of Friday’s state tournament game with Southern Academy.
“I pointed at each sub and said, ‘It’s your fault,’” Barr said, drawing a surprised reaction from his players. “You didn’t make them (the starters) work hard enough in practice.”
Macon East got some early baskets from Georgia Blaze to stay in the game before the quicker, more aggressive Southern Academy girls took command and routed the Knights 51-17 in the Alabama Independent School Association Class AA girls Elite Eight at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl on Friday afternoon.
Southern put pressure on Macon East from the opening tip to the final whistle, making every trip down the court a challenge. Turnover after turnover resulted in easy layups for the Cougars, who outscored Macon East 12-3 in the second quarter and 18-5 in the third to trigger a running clock in the final period.
“Our guards didn’t handle it very well,” Barr said. “The game was too fast for us. The first time down the floor, the girl hit the baseline guy. We worked on that the last two days in practice. ‘You’ve got to watch No. 11 coming up behind you.’ First time, bam, layup. Then bam, layup. And they (Southern) play like that in practice every day. We’ve got to get to that stage.”
Macon East was coming off an impressive two weeks of playing that included some standout offensive performances, but offense was nonexistent on Friday. Blaze led the Knights with six points, scoring all of those in the first quarter. Kathryn Barker was next with five. The team’s leading scorer, Maddie Ross, managed only a free throw in the second quarter.
“I never thought we’d only score 17 points,” Barr said. “I really didn’t think, down deep, we could beat them because they’re so much faster and quicker. But I really thought if we could rebound with them and hold them down a little bit, we’d have a chance.”
That chance dissipated early in the second quarter as the swarming Cougars got to every loose ball, aggressively rebounded the ball on both ends of the floor and pressured the Knights on every possession. Barr called his team “a great group of girls” and said he “enjoyed working with them” this season, but hoped Friday’s experience was a learning moment for the returning players.
“If we don’t get in the same range as them -- people like Sparta and Chambers play the same way -- until we learn to play like that, we’re not going to advance any farther,” Barr said. “It’s a different culture. It’s another step.”
Augusta Arnold led Southern with 17 points, including six in the second and nine in the third as the Cougars took control of the game. Kailyn McCrory and Magan Chapman each added nine as Southern advanced to the semifinals next Thursday against Sparta Academy at 2 p.m.
Lowndes Academy 46, Chambers Academy 34
Faith Lane scored 13 points, including eight in the fourth quarter, as the Rebels pulled away for a convincing 46-34 win over Chambers in the Alabama Independent School Association Class AA girls state tournament at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl on Friday afternoon.
Lowndes will play South Choctaw in the semifinals on Thursday at 9 a.m., with the winner advancing to the AA championship game on Feb. 16.
Lowndes trailed at the end of the first quarter and held a one-point lead at the half, but scored 14 points in the third quarter and 16 in the fourth to pull away. Mollie Powell added 12 points for the Rebels, followed by Haley Briggs with 11, including seven in the third quarter.
Claire Allen and Natalie Lovelace each had seven points to lead Chambers.
South Choctaw 35, Autauga Academy 30
The Generals scored the first six points in the second half to tie the game at 20-20, but could never grab the lead as South Choctaw held off Autauga at the free-throw line to secure a 35-30 win in the Class AA Elite Eight at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl on Friday afternoon.
South Choctaw advanced to the semifinals against Lowndes on Thursday at 9 a.m., with the winner advancing to the AA championship game on Feb. 16.
Emma Kate Williams led South Choctaw with 24 points, scoring eight in the first quarter to put her team out front, then eight more in the third after Autauga had tied the game.
Chloe Reed scored seven points, all at the free-throw line, to lead Autauga, followed by Haley Gantt with six.
Sparta Academy 58, Lakeside School 39
McKenzie Deason scored 20 points and Jamie Ellissa Deason added 18 as Sparta rolled to an easy win over Lakeside in the AISA Class AA Elite Eight at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl on Friday morning.
Sparta will play Southern in the semifinals on Thursday at 2 p.m., with the winner advancing to the AA championship game on Feb. 16.
Eliza Eriksen led Lakeside with 14 points, followed by Emily Nix with 12 and Sarah Murph with nine.