Eagles cap strong week with BA Classic crown
LowcoSports.com
Beaufort Academy’s boys basketball team has been enjoying a balanced diet. Sure, the Eagles have feasted on a few cupcakes, but they’ve had plenty of servings of meat and potatoes, too.
BA picked up four wins in five games last week, including a 57-39 home win over Class 4A Bluffton to complete a home-and-home sweep and a romp through the third annual BA Classic, beating Charleston Collegiate 77-48 in the first round and hammering the Coastal Hurricanes homeschool program 71-29 in the finals.
All-tournament team honorees Braydon Dineen and Sully Gay each scored 14 points and tournament MVP Amarion Wilson added 12 for the Eagles, who blitzed the Hurricanes 25-3 in the first quarter and led 42-14 at halftime.
BA continued its stifling play at the defensive end, racking up 36 steals and scoring 49 points off turnovers. Dineen led the charge with 10 steals to complete a double-double and added four assists and four deflections to go with his 14 points. Gay also had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, and he was active on defense with five steals and three deflections.
Wilson had five boards and four steals to go with his 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting, while point guard Zeke Gonzalez collected 10 points, five boards, four assists, six steals, and four deflections in a typically workmanlike effort. Gavin Midyette also scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds.
Wilson continued his breakout season with a career-high 22 points in the first round win over Charleston Collegiate. The freshman pheonom played in just three quarters, but he caught fire quickly at forward before running the point for several possessions and showing off his dynamic skill set by nailing a 3-pointer. Gay recorded 13 points, and Dineen tacked on nine for BA.
BA suffered a tough 72-63 home loss to Hilton Head High, last year’s Class 4A runner-up, on Tuesday, but they bounced back a night later to beat Bluffton as Dineen and Gay each scored 11 points in strong all-around performances, and Wilson continued his strong start.
The Bobcats scored the game’s first four points, and the lead changed hands a couple of times before the teams were even at 10. BA rattled off 14 straight points spanning the end of the first and start of the second quarter, and the Eagles rolled from there, leading 30- 20 at halftime before extending the margin to 20 entering the fourth quarter.
Dineen got hot early, splashing a trio of 3-pointers in the first half, then turned his attention to the defensive end, finishing with 11 points, seven rebounds, two steals, and six deflections. Gay added 11 points and four boards, including an impressive and-1 finish at the rim to help BA pull away in the third quarter, and Wilson contributed nine points and three boards inside while also coming up with two steals and four deflections.
BA’s reserves held the line in the fourth quarter, and eighth-grader Devin Fripp showed why the Eagles are excited about his future in 10 productive minutes off the bench.
BA (11-3) plays in the Colleton County Pre-Christmas Tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Eagles hand Mighty Lions first loss, claim tourney title
Beaufort Academy girls basketball breezed to the BA Classic title at home Saturday, handing crosstown foe Holy Trinity its first loss with a 44-27 triumph in the championship game.
Mike’Ala Washington scored 15 points in the finale after putting up 29 in the first round to earn tournament MVP honors, while Mary Hanna Hiers scored 10 points to join Washington on the all-tournament team alongside teammate Ari Gonzalez.
Washington exploded for 29 points Friday, powering Beaufort Academy’s girls past Charleston Collegiate 56-35 to advance to the championship game.
With Kamirah Freeman out of the lineup and Tahleea Heyward in for limited minutes, Washington took charge to lead the Eagles, draining four 3-pointers to highlight her 29-point effort. Mary Hanna Hiers scored 12 points, and Brycen Ambrose added seven for BA
