By By Richard Dark/The Meridian Star
Dec. 8, 2000
HEIDELBERG The Newton County Academy Generals charged to a berth in the Heidelberg Academy Christmas Tournament by holding off the host Rebels 61-55, Thursday night.
NCA (6-4) got out to the early lead with crisp outside shooting and adept movement without the basketball.
Jason Frith was hot from beyond the arc, nailing four three-pointers, en route to a game-high 22 points.
The NCA guards were able to find their cutters and get high percentage shots to build a small 27-20 halftime lead.
NCA outscored the Rebels 16-7 in the third frame behind the offense of Frith to build a 13-point lead that got as large as 17 before HA (2-4) came storming back behind free-throw shooting and triples.
Blake Bass led the Rebels with 18 points and Lloyd Williams added 12. Jonathan Crawford chipped in with eight.
For the Generals, it was Daniel Champion with 10 points and five of the Generals 24 rebounds.
Kyle Chaney hit a pair of treys on the way to nine points.
NCA advances to face Kemper in the boys tourney final Sat. at 8:30 p.m.
Heidelberg Academy girls 38, Newton Academy girls 28: The Lady Rebels (5-5) advanced to their tourney final by virtue of an opening 11-2 burst that they made stick in the low-scoring, defensive affair.
Courtney Herrington hit three threes and Shana Thornton added a pair to lead the Lady Rebels with 11 and 10, respectively.
Mandy Wyatt paced NCA (6-7) with 15.
Kemper Academy 47, Sylva Bay Academy 27: The Rams advanced to the finals with a 20-point blowout of the Saints.
KA (7-1) got balanced scoring in the win, as Ty Harbour and Wade Whitaker pumped in 13 and eight, respectively. The Rams were fueled by hitting seven three-pointers.
Andre Norrell led Sylva with seven. The game was essentially decided with a 15-4 first quarter run that the Saints couldn't recover from. Justin Smith and Nathan Hayes each scored six for the Saints who will play the host Rebels in the loser's bracket tonight.
Sylva Bay girls 45, Kemper 40: The Lady Saints got just enough of a cushion in the first half of action to advance to the winner's bracket finals.
Katye Tubb paced SBA with 15 points and Lauren Husbands added nine as the Lady Saints produced a 29-19 lead at the break.
Megan Whitaker scored nine for the Lady Rams (3-8), who inched to within five points after three periods of action.
The Lady Rams will face Newton County Academy tonight at 7 p.m.
Other games in the loser's bracket today are Wayne Academy vs. Central at 5:30 p.m. and Wayne Academy girls will take on Central at 4 p.m.
Richard Dark is a sports writer for the Meridian Star. You can email him at rdark@themeridianstar.com.