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November 30, 2016
Phone: 770-867-6397
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Section B
★★★★
High School Basketball Bethlehem Christian Academy
BCA splits with Lightning
BATTLING IT OUT
Bethlehem Christian Academy and Lanier Christian Academy
girls basketball players battle for a loose ball during Monday’s
game. The Lady Knights won, 42-30, picking up their first
victory of the year and avenging a season-opening loss to
the Lady Lightning. Meanwhile, the BCA boys team fell 65-50
to Lanier Christian. The teams both lost to George Walton
Academy on Tuesday to drop to 1-4 on the year. For more
photos of Monday night’s action against Lanier Christian,
see page 8B. Photos by Scott Thompson
Lady Knights pick up first win; boys fall to Lanier Christian
By Scott Thompson
Sports Editor
After three straight loss
es — all of which came
in one week — to start
the season, the Bethlehem
Christian Academy girls
basketball team had to wait
a week to get back on the
floor.
After Monday night, a
weight was seemingly lift
ed off its back.
Senior point guard Bai
ley Brown scored 14 points
and the Lady Knights
turned in a strong defen
sive performance en route
to a 42-30 home win over
Lanier Christian Academy
to pick up their first victory
of the season.
BCA improved to 1-3
on the year and avenged a
40-30 season-opening loss
to the Lady Lightning, of
the Georgia Independent
Christian Athletic Associ
ation. in the process.
The Lady Knights lost
Tuesday night to George
Walton Academy, 41-15.
Rebekah Doolittle added
9 points for the Lady
Knights as she and Brown
proved to be an effective
duo in keeping Lanier on
its heels defensively.
“Those two girls are
extremely fast and able
to make things happen on
breakaways,” BCA coach
Karen Parker said after
the win. “They’re able to
play up, go get the ball
and make things happen.
They’re so quick, they’re
very difficult to stop when
they get going.”
The Lady Knights trailed
11-10 after the opening
quarter, but clamped down
defensively on Lanier
from there, allowing just 4
points in the second quar
ter and taking a 19-15 lead
at halftime, sparked by 8
points from Brown and 4
from Doolittle.
BCA began to steadily
pull away in the third quar
ter and led by as many as
16 points late in the game.
After missing all three of
it their free throw attempts
in the first half, the Lady
Knights were more pro
ductive after the break —
going ll-of-21 from the
line.
“We changed our strate
gy a little bit from the last
time out (against Lanier
Christian), and overall, we
played much more aggres
sively,” Parker said. “I
think having the full week
of games under our belt
helped us, and I was very
pleased with the fact that
we had seven girls score
points. That’s what we
need.”
KNIGHTS FALL 65-50
Meanwhile, BCA’s boys
weren’t so fortunate.
Lanier Christian used
a 13-0 run in the second
quarter to break open a
close game and never
looked back, rolling to
a 65-50 victory over the
Knights who dropped to
1-3 and lost its second
game of the season to the
Lightning.
Lanier Christian previ
ously topped the Knights
66-55 on Nov. 14.
BCA didn’t manage to
score in the second quarter
until Adam Gano’s basket
with 3:48 left.
Lanier Christian, a
GICAA powerhouse, led
by as many as 21 at one
point and hit seven 3-point
ers on the night. Jayvion
Rocker led the way with 23
points while Will Owens
chipped in with 12 to pace
the Lightning.
“They’ve been an
extremely successful team
for a while now and they
play with a winner’s men
tality,” BCA coach Mike
Elmankabady said after his
team’s loss. “That’s some
thing we’re striving to be
here. Our guys haven’t
See BCA on Page 8B
GETTING TO THE BASKET
BCA’s Michael Tuscano goes for a lay-up as Lanier Christian’s Will
Owens tries to defend during Monday’s game. The Lightning won 65-50.
f urns
f \ 21
ON THE MOVE
BCA’s Catherine Doolittle dribbles the ball against Lanier on Monday.
AHS,
WBHS
teams
swept
The Apalachee High
School basketball team
was hot and cold Tuesday
night.
Unfortunately for the
Wildcats, the inconsistency
proved to be their undo
ing against Loganville in
a 69-53 loss on the road to
the Red Devils.
Apalachee (3-1) fell
behind 13-5 after a quarter
but quickly rallied to take a
20-16 lead.
The Red Devils, though,
came roaring back with
a 9-0 run and then hit a
3-pointer just before the
halftime buzzer to take a
28-22 lead at the break.
Ethan Morris led the
Wildcats in scoring with 12
points. Derek Miller added
9 points and 9 rebounds,
while Ohmer Ahmed
chipped in with 7 points.
The Wildcats also got
some production from their
bench as Jaden Haeper fin
ished with 6 points on a
pair of threes and Brandon
Bannis added 5 assists.
Freshman Jamonte Wal
lace also gave the Wildcats
a spark, finishing with 4
points and a pair of steals.
The Apalachee girls
didn’t fare much better
Tuesday as the Lady Wild
cats also dropped their first
game of the season, 49-26
to high-powered Logan
ville.
Apalachee (3-1) was led
by Shania Thomas with 17
points.
The Apalachee teams
return to action on Dec. 6
at Hebron Christian Acad
emy, a team the boys beat
last week at home. 70-62.
The girls game will tip
off at 6 p.m. followed by
the boys at 7:30 p.m.
FLOWERY
BRANCH SWEEPS
WINDER-BARROW
The Winder-Barrow girls
basketball team is dealing
with some adversity in the
early going this season.
The highly-touted Lady
Bulldoggs lost their third
straight game Tuesday
night, falling on the road
to perennial power and
former region foe Flowery
Branch, 50-43.
It was the second time
this season Flowery Branch
has beaten the Lady Bull
doggs and the fifth time
dating back to last year,
when they were region
rivals..
Winder-Barrow (1-3)
carried a lead into the
final period, but had some
untimely turnovers, coach
Brandon Thomas said
Tuesday night.
The Lady Falcons gained
the lead and were able to
pull away late by forcing
the Lady Bulldoggs to foul.
In the boys game, the
Bulldoggs let a close game
early get away from them
in a 69-33 loss.
The Bulldoggs (2-2)
were down just 31-27
before Flowery Branch
closed out the first half on
a 7-0 run.
“In order for us to have
a successful season, we
See Hoops on Page 5B