AISA ROUNDUP: Ft. Dale falls to Northside; Tuscaloosa Academy, Bessemer Academy advance
Fort Dale Academy’s Cahley Acreman drives to the basket in AISA action on Wednesday. (By Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
For a few fleeting moments, Fort Dale Academy flirted with a trip to the final four of the Alabama Independent School Association state basketball tournament.
Then it was gone, wiped out in a flurry of fourth-quarter miscues and overtime free throws by Northside Methodist that left the Eagles on the short end of a 52-44 score on Wednesday afternoon in the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl.
Northside Methodist will advance to the Class AAA semifinals with the win, facing Lee-Scott Academy on Friday at 1 p.m.
Fort Dale fought back from a first-half deficit and took an eight-point lead with a little more than six minutes left with near flawless shooting. E Hartley scored a pair of baskets, H Sells added a 3-pointer and the Eagles were 5 of 5 from the free-throw line.
But Northside rallied as Lucy Griffin scored six of her 13 points in the final quarter to tie the game at 40-40 in the final seconds. Fort Dale freshman Lily Van Dyke was fouled with 1.8 seconds left, but missed both free-throw attempts and the game went into overtime.
From there, it was all Northside Methodist. Van Dyke scored on a free throw, but Northside pulled away at the free-throw line, hitting 8 of 9 attempts to earn the trip to the semifinals.
Cahley Acreman led Fort Dale with 19 points, followed by Jamie Pickens with eight.
Ashley Simpson and Griffin each had 13 for Northside, with Simpson scoring seven of her points in overtime.
GIRLS
Lee-Scott Academy 62, Bessemer Academy 29
Mary Prewitt hit five 3-pointers to finish with 15 points and Mary Baxley Smith scored a game-high 19 points as Lee-Scott rolled to an easy 33-point victory on Wednesday in the AAA quarterfinals.
Lee-Scott will face Northside on Friday at 1 p.m. in the semifinals.
Emma Francis Zellner added 10 points for Lee-Scott, which held Bessemer scoreless in the first quarter in rolling up a 19-0 lead.
Keeley Jones led Bessemer with 14 points, followed by Hailey Hamrick with 13.
Glenwood School 44, Tuscaloosa Academy 41
The Gators took a comfortable lead into the fourth quarter, then withstood an incredible comeback by the Knights that fell just short in the AAA quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Glenwood owned a 32-15 lead entering the fourth quarter, but Tuscaloosa scored an incredible 26 points in the fourth quarter to pull within three. Amith White hit a pair of 3-pointers for Tuscaloosa in the fourth quarter and Willesha Lang scored nine of her 13 points in the final eight minutes. Lauren Richmond added nine points, including seven in the fourth quarter.
Katie Suarez led Glenwood with 20 points, hitting 9 of 14 free throws in the fourth quarter to hold off the Knights. Mya Brooks added 11 for the Gators, who face Pike Liberal Arts on Friday at 10 a.m. in the semifinals.
Pike Liberal Arts 40, Morgan Academy 26
Shelby Renfroe scored 14 points and Lakin Harrell added 11 as the Patriots outscored Morgan 11-1 in the second quarter to build a cushion and grab a 40-26 win over Morgan in the AAA quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Pike Liberal will face Glenwood in the AAA semifinals on Friday at 10 a.m.
Bailey Brown led Morgan with 10 points, followed by KaLee Jones with eight.
BOYS
Tuscaloosa Academy 52, Lee-Scott Academy 47
Phil McDuff scored all 16 of his points in the second half, rallying the Knights to a 52-47 win over Lee-Scott in the AAA quarterfinals on Wednesday at the Multiplex.
McDuff had seven points in the third quarter and nine in the fourth after Tuscaloosa fell behind 36-33 at the end of the third quarter. Sam Rowley added five of his 14 points in the fourth quarter to aid the rally. Mason Mulanix added 10 points for the Knights, who face Macon East Academy on Friday at 11:30 a.m. in the semifinals.
Carson Alexander led Lee-Scott with 21 points, including 16 in the first half. Eli Arwood added 11.
Bessemer Academy 65, Glenwood School 55
Christopher Workman scored 23 points, including four crucial free throws on a pair of technical fouls in the final two minutes, to help Bessemer hold off Glenwood in the AAA quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Workman was 8 of 8 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, hitting all four free throws with 62 seconds remaining after Glenwood’s Kody Bence was hit with a technical foul, followed by another against his coach, Dusty Perdue, after his protest of the call.
Josh McMillon added 19 and Samad Muhammad followed with 11 for Bessemer, who will face Pike Liberal Arts on Friday at 2:30 p.m. in the AAA semifinals.
Bryce Rosier and Landis Boyd each had 14 points for the Gators, followed by Justin Jackson with 11.