For the second time this week the script read the same way for Alabama Christian and Autauga Academy. ACA handled the Generals easily in the JV boys and Varsity girls games, but the Varsity boys game was a thriller that gave the Eagle faithful palpitations. ACA trailed by one with 5.5 seconds left in the game and had to go the length of the court. The ball was inbound to Levi Summers who drove the floor, pulled up from three, and hit the winner as the buzzer sounded.
Boys
Both teams worked on defenses specifically designed to stop the two top scorers from Tuesday night’s game. Both teams planned worked and others were forced to step up and deliver offensively. Autauga Academy scored the first four points of the game but ACA (4-5) quickly tied it up and neither team led by more than three points for the rest of the first period. In the second quarter, an Ethan Capps basket gave the Eagles a 16-15 lead. However, the Generals scored the final six points of the quarter for their biggest lead of the half, 21-16.
The offense continued to sputter in the third which allowed Autauga to build a 10-point lead, 35-25, with just under three minutes left in the third. ACA closed the quarter with an 11-4 run to cut the lead to three points after three. Mason Henry connected on back to back shots for the first five points of the run while Noah Shack, Christian Snipes, and Ethan Capps scored the other points. The home team held ACA at arms length for most of the fourth quarter as they built a six-point lead on three different occasions. The last time with was with about three minutes left to play and the Generals decided to slow things down and run some clock. ACA took advantage when they did decide to shoot with timely rebounding. Capps scored to cut the lead to 43-47 and after another Generals missed shot Levi Summers hit a three from the top of the key to cut the margin to one point. As the clock ticked under a minute, AJ Shannon came up with a steal and found Summers for another three opportunity. Although the sophomore missed, Snipes was there for the put back to give Alabama Christian the lead, 48-47, with 50 seconds left to play. After missing yet again, the Generals had to foul to force free throws and finally sent ACA to the line with 14.6 seconds left. The Eagles missed both free throws and to make matters worse fouled Autauga’s best player with 5.5 seconds left to go. The senior guard made both to set up the heroics from Summers. He did not disappoint as he stunned a rowdy student section into silence with the dagger from deep and the 51-49 victory.
Christian Snipes led the team with 14 points along with nine rebounds. Levi Summers recorded a double-double with 13 points and 15 boards while Ethan Capps contributed 11 points and five rebounds.
Girls
The girls game on Friday night was not as pleasing to the eye as Tuesday’s contest, but the result was the same. The game was sloppy and riddled with turnovers. The score was still 4-2 more than halfway through the first quarter before the Generals finally melted under the defensive pressure of ACA. The Lady Eagles built a nine-point lead after a quarter and shut the home team out in the second for a 25-5 halftime lead. Like Tuesday, the backups logged important minutes in the second half. ACA continued to pull away as they led by thirty-five after three. The fourth quarter was over in a blink as the clock ran continuously even through free throws and timeouts. The final margin of victory was 50-12.
Campbell Hammett was the only Eagle in double figures as six other players scored between four and six points. The senior finished with 14 points with nine steals, seven rebounds, and three assists. Adalyn Newkirk had six points, four steals, and three rebounds. Addison Smith had five points with four steals while Sam Burgess also scored five points with ten steals and four rebounds.