Lady Crusaders Are Region Champs
The Robert Toombs Christian Academy Lady Crusaders brought home the Region Championship last week at home while the boys team finished as Region Runner-up. The Lady Crusaders had to play just one game in the Region Tournament as they were the #1 seed. They took on Twiggs Academy in the Region Championship game and cruised to an easy win. The boys defeated Memorial Day in the semifinals in overtime, but lost to First Presbyterian Christian Academy in the finals.
Girls vs. Twiggs
RTCA and Twiggs had played two times during the season, splitting those games. But on Friday night, the Lady Crusaders jumped out to a big lead and never looked back on the way to a 34 point win, and their eighth Region Championship in a row.
RTCA got on the board first and took a 5-2 lead. By the two minute mark of the first quarter, though, RTCA had built up a 18-2 lead over Twiggs. By the end of the first quarter, the Crusaders held a 20-4 lead over the Lady Trojans.
Early in the second quarter of the game, Bree Wimberly hit a milestone for RTCA as she scored her 2,000th point of her career. She came into the game needing just 12 points, and continued from page
she easily managed that as she scored 36 on the night.
Wimberly kept up the pressure in the second as RTCA continued to pull away from Twiggs. With just over a minute to go in the first half, RTCA led the game 3410 after two baskets by Meredith Durden. At halftime the score was 34-13 with RTCA well out in front.
With 5:43 left in the third quarter, RTCA was up 40-16. Ansley Akins hit a basket and then she added two free throws to make it 52-20 with a couple of minutes to go in the third. Kailen Brantley and Wimberly pushed the lead to 56-20 by the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth, Wimberly added two more for a 60-20 lead. With 30 seconds to play, Hannah Williams hit a threepointer to make it 65-29, and RTCA took the win 65-31.
RTCA was led by Wimberly with 36 points, Duden scored 12, and Akins added 9 in the win.
Boys vs. Memorial
On Thursday night, the boys took on the Matadors of Memorial Day. Memorial had won the two previous meetings during the regular season, but on Thursday it was the Crusader's turn.
It was a slow start for both teams. Memorial held a 7-4 early, RTCA came back and tied it at 7-7, but then both teams went on a cold streak. With just over a minute to play in the first quarter, the score was still tied at 7-7. Memorial added a three to take a 10-7 lead with 1:10 on the clock, and at the end of the first quarter, the score was 12-7 with Memorial in front. Jayden Toole hit a three for the Crusaders and then Drew Vaughn added a basket to close the lead to 14-13. RTCA went on top, 16-14, with six minutes on the clock, and by the end of the first half, the score was 26-22 with RTCA out in front.
In the third quarter, the Crusaders pushed their lead to eight points, but the Matadors closed it back to two with a pair of three-pointers. Memorial went back on top 3130. The lead bounced back and forth over the next few minutes. RTCA was up 36-33 with 1:20 left in the third. The score was 38-35 with RTCA on top at the end of the third quarter.
Vaughn pushed it to 40-35, but Memorial went on a run and took the lead, 44-43, with three minutes left in the game. With 30 seconds to play, the score was 4845 with Memorial on top. Tripp Durden made it 48-47 with 16 seconds to play, but a basket by Memorial with just 7 seconds to play gave the Matadors a 50-47 lead.
Justin Powell was fouled shooting a threepointer with .2 seconds to go in the game, sending him to the line with a chance to tie the game and force overtime. Powell stepped up and drilled all three free throws to tie the game at 50-50 and send it to overtime.
With 1:48 left in overtime, RTCA was up 52-50, and with 45 seconds to play in the overtime period, the score was tied at 54-54. RTCA missed four free throws in the final minute of the game, but RTCA was fouled again with just one second on the clock. That sent Hayden Kight to the line to shoot two free throws. He missed the first one, but the second one fell to give RTCA the win, 55-54.
The win sent RTCA into the Championship Game. RTCA was led by Vaughn with 28 points, Durden added 8 in the win.
Boys vs. FPCA
FPCA jumped out to an 8-3 lead. Durden got a shot to go and made a free throw to close the lead to 8-6, but a three from the Highlanders, then with 2:50 left in the first, it was 13-9 with FPCA in front. At the end of the first quarter, the score was 16-13 with FPCA on top.
Toole made it 18-15, and Durden closed it to 18-17. With five minutes left in the half, RTCA tailed 26-19, but Vaughn made it 26-21. With 3:23 it was 29-27 after baskets by Vaughn and Powell. FPCA went on a run as the first half was closing down, and at the buzzer it was 35-29 with the Highlanders out in front.
The score was 45-35 halfway through the third quarter. RTCA added a couple of baskets, but it was, 56-44, FPCA, at the end of the third quarter.
With five minutes to play, the score was 64-49, and FPCA went on to win the contest 77-55.
This Wednesday the RTCA boys will host Fullington Academy at 6:30 p.m. The Lady Crusaders will play on Friday against a yet to be determined opponent. The game will take place at Tattnall Square Academy in Macon at 1:30 p.m.
