Crusaders Back Into Final 4
The Crusaders basketball team of Robert Toombs Christian Academy took part in the GISA State Playoff last week. The Lady Crusaders got a win over Edmund Burke Academy on Tuesday, but then fell in the next round to the #1 team in the State Westwood Academy. The boys won both of their games over Briarwood and Brentwood to move into the Final 4 this week.
Girls vs. EBA
Shots from Bree Wimberly and Ansley Akins helped put RTCA up 6-1 early in the game. Meredith Durden got one to fall, and by the end of the first quarter RTCA was on top 12-4.
A three-pointer from Wimberly made it 18-8. EBA closed it to 18-12, but it was 22-14 with RTCA in the lead at the end of the first half.
In the third EBA went on a small run to close the lead to 22-19. Wimberly got a shot to fall, but with just over a minute to go in the third EBA tied the game at 24-24. They took a 26-24 lead over RTCA, but Wimberly put RTCA back on top with a three-pointer. It was tied back up at 29-29 heading to the fourth quarter.
Ellie Graham and Madison Williams hit shots for RTCA early in the fourth, and with 3:26 left the score was 31-29. Over the last few minutes of the game the RTCA defense kept them off the board as RTCA won the game 35-29.
RTCA was led by Wimberly with 21 points.
Boys vs. Briarwood
RTCA led this game 6-0 after a basket by Tyler Buggs. But by the end of the very low scoring first quarter, Briarwood had taken the lead, 8-6. continued from page
Jashaun Powell, Drew Vaughn, and MK McBride all hit shots early in the second as RTCA went back on top 13-8. Powell pushed the lead to 16-8, and Buggs made it 18-10 with 4:25 left in the half. Vaughn put RTCA up 25-11, and with 2:22 it was 27-11. By the end of the first half RTCA had pulled ahead to a 35-11 lead.
By the end of the third quarter the score was 55-19 with RTCA cruising. RTCA went on to win the game 72-21. RTCA was led by Powell with 15 points, Vaughn posted 13, Jackson Newton scored 12, and Buggs put 10 on the board.
Girls vs. Westwood
By the 1:30 mark of the first quarter RTCA was down 12-6. Durden got a runner in the lane to fall to close it to 12-8, but at the end of the first the score was 14-9. Durden and Wimberly hit early shots in the second to make it 14-12. RTCA tied the game at 14-14, but it was 20-17 with 1:20 left in the first half. RTCA held on to trail by that scored at the half.
Early in the third Akins made it 21-19. With just 1:07 left in the third it was 28-24. They added a basket, and led 30-24 at the end of the third quarter.
Westwood went on a run in the fourth as they pulled away from RTCA. It was 37-26 halfway through the period, but with 1:54 to play it was 44-31. Westwood took the win, 45-31. RTCA was led by Durden and Wimberly who scored 11 points earch.
Boys vs. Brentwood
In the second round RTCA took on Brentwood Academy at Tattnall Square in Macon on Saturday. Powell put RTCA up with a three, but they came back to take the lead 5-3. Vaughn dropped two three-pointers for a 11-5 lead and Aaron Hankerson made it 13-7. By the end of the first period Brentwood had come back to tie the game at 13-13.
Brentwood led early in the second, but RTCA went ahead on a shot by McBride, and extended that to 23-16 with a basket from Vaughn. Brentwood tied the game at 23-23 with 2:45 on the clock, and at the end of the first half, the score was 26-25 with the War Eagles of Brentwood in the lead.
RTCA took the lead in the third quarter at 29-28. The score went back and forth over the third period, but RTCA was up 39-32 after baskets by Mc-Bride, Vaughn, and Newton. At the end of the third it was a 39-35 lead for the Crusaders. Clayton Meadows hit a three early in the fourth, and it was 44-35 with 6:30 left to play. It was 49-39 with 3:43 to play, but Brentwood came back to close it to 49-42. RTCA was solid at the free throw line down the stretch as they took the win 54-42.
Vaughn led RTCA with 18 points, Powell added 17, and McBride posted 11 in the win. This week RTCA will play at Georgia Southwestern in Americus on Thursday in the Final 4 against Terrell Academy. Tip off will be at 2:00 p.m. If RTCA wins that game, they will play back in Americus on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. against the winner of the Furtah Prep and Solid Rock Christian game.
