CLASS 3A AREA 5 GIRLS: MA tops ACA to reach finals; STJ advances
MA’s Caroline Waller drives passed ACA ‘s Sam Burgess in Saturday’s Class 3A Area 5 tourney. MA advanced to the tourney finals with the win. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
Olivia Smith celebrated her birthday on Saturday.
“This is the best birthday present I could ask for,” said the Montgomery Academy senior.
Smith, a power forward more noted for her rebounding than her scoring, secured her first double double of the season with 12 points, 13 rebounds and four steals to lead the Eagles to a 55-42 win over Alabama Christian in the Class 3A Area 5 Tournament at St. James on Saturday afternoon.
With the win, Montgomery Academy (11-16) won for the eighth time in the last 14 games and earned a playoff berth for the first time since 2021, advancing to the area tournament finals against St. James on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
“We told them before the game, we said it all week, they’ve put themselves in this position,” Montgomery Academy coach Wright Ward said. “It shouldn’t surprise them. We knew at the start of the season we would have the opportunity. We kept on it, kept on it, kept on it, and here we are. They’ve earned the right to punch their ticket to the postseason and we’re proud of them.”
Win or lose on Tuesday, the Eagles will advance to the sub-regional round on Friday for the first time since 2021. Montgomery Academy made 17 consecutive postseason trips before the streak was broken in 2022 with an area tournament semifinal loss, something Smith and every other player on the team has experienced in each of the last three years before finally being rewarded on Saturday.
“That feels really good,” Smith said. “Coach Ward has really helped us believe in ourselves. He’s done a lot for this program and we’re really thankful for him and what he’s done for us.”
The defensive strategy for Montgomery Academy was similar to past games but the offense was turned on its head as post players Smith and Caroline Waller were firing up 3-pointers and leading scorer Sophia Cho fouled out in the third quarter.
Both teams nearly went the entire first quarter without a field goal as the two teams battled the win-or-go-home pressure of an area tournament semifinal.
“We really wanted this game,” Smith said. “Everyone was nervous in the locker room in the beginning. It took a minute to get our jitters out but then we got into the flow and hitting our shots.”
It was Montgomery Academy eighth grader Garland Thomas who scored the only field goal in the first quarter, a 3-pointer that put MA in front 10-4. Smith was next, shaking off a trio of outside misses with her first 3-pointer in the game early in the second quarter.
“Toward the end of the season, I’ve been shooting more 3s, feeling more confident,” Smith said. “This game, I started off slow but my coach and my teammates really helped me get myself back into the game, more confident with my shooting.”
In the third quarter, she added two more, scoring all of her points either at the free-throw line or behind the 3-point arc.
“She can shoot the basketball,” Ward said. “It’s more getting her to believe in herself as much as we believe that she can knock it down. We told her before the game started they’re going to sink (back on defense), you’re going to have to be willing to shoot the basketball. It took her a little bit. She missed the first few and we just refused to say, ‘Don’t shoot.’ We just kept telling her to shoot. We’re grateful she did. As soon as she started hitting a few, (No.) 23 (Jaide Newkirk), 24 (Evelyn Tankersley) had to step out of the paint. Now we’re starting to get in the middle and do some stuff there.”
ACA’s Katelyn Sutton, who finished with a game-high 18 points, scored 13 points in the second quarter to put ACA on top 25-21, hitting four 3-pointers in the process. But the ACA sharpshooter wouldn’t score a field goal the rest of the game as Montgomery Academy went on a 21-6 run in the third quarter to take command.
“We haven’t shot the ball well since Christmas,” ACA coach Spenser Cantrell said. “We’re not moving well against the zone and he plays that 3-2, so we knew that and worked on it all week but still didn’t handle it well.”
And despite the loss of Cho, who fouled out with 2:51 left in the third quarter chasing a loose ball, Montgomery Academy continued to control the game with its defense, relying on a pair of eighth graders, Thomas and Bailey Davis, to pick up where Cho left off.
“We had two eighth graders step up in a crucial moment for a senior who has been doing it all year and did what they were supposed to do,” Ward said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Alabama Christian and what Spenser has done. They’ve had a fantastic year but, for me, in the second half our girls wanted the win. They scrapped, they clawed. That’s probably the most we’ve gotten on the floor for loose balls all season. Without Sophia being on the floor, you had the other seniors who wanted it.”
Waller led Montgomery Academy with 17 points -- hitting three 3-pointers of her own -- while adding three rebounds, five assists and three steals. Kaci Armistead added seven points, 11 rebounds, an assist, five steals and a blocked shot, while Thomas had eight points and Cho had six points, three rebounds, an assist and a pair of steals.
Evelyn Tankersley followed Sutton in scoring with 11 points, followed by Izzy Warrick with seven. For ACA (20-6), a remarkable season ended for the third consecutive year with a loss in the area tournament semifinals, one game short of the state playoffs.
“We’ve got five seniors, three that have been together since the sixth and seventh grade,” Cantrell said. “That’s been helpful because ACA has struggled the last few years when it comes to girls’ basketball. Our main thought is to get better every day, don’t leave the gym without getting better and that’s what our goal was this year.”
STJ earns sub-regional berth
St. James qualified for its fifth consecutive trip to the state playoffs and closed in on the school record for wins with an 84-26 win over Thorsby in the Class 3A Area 5 Tournament at St. James on Saturday afternoon.
The Trojans (29-2) advanced to the tournament championship game and will play Montgomery Academy on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The Trojans have defeated the Eagles by 48 and 34 points, respectively, in two previous meetings this season.
Natalie Barton recorded a triple double in the win with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists, along with five steals.
Morgan Lilly led in scoring with 18 points, two rebounds, a steal and two assists.
Kaitlin Mitchell finished with 14 points, three rebounds, a steal and an assist, followed by Jordyn McRae with 10 points, four rebounds, three steals and five assists and Kaden Fair with 10 points, a rebound, five steals and an assist.
In addition, Kendall Dunson had six points and Sydney Johnston had five points, a rebound and three assists.
St. James led 21-5 at the end of the first quarter and 51-14 at the half. A 72-22 lead at the end of the third quarter trriggered a running clock.
Ava Robinson led Thorsby with 10 points, followed by Allie Reeser and Brooklyn Reeser with five points each.
St. James recorded its 29th win for the second-most wins in school history. The 1998 team finished 31-3 after losing in the regional finals to Briarwood Christian.