MA girls, boys fall to 6A, 5A schools

Sparkman's Amani Keyser blocks out Madison Academy's Lydia McGee.

The Madison Academy girls’ and boys’ basketball teams each led in the second half Tuesday Dec. 7 against teams in higher classifications, but those second half leads wouldn’t last as the Class 6A Sparkman Senators outlasted the Lady Mustangs, 63-60, in overtime, while the boys lost to Class 5A Columbia, 63-52.

Madison Academy’s KeKe Fletcher nailed a three with 11 seconds remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime, but Fletcher’s three that would have once again tied the game in overtime hit the front of the rim as the Senators sealed the win.

After falling behind 6-0 early in the game, the Mustangs finally found their groove and took a 19-17 lead in the first quarter.

The Mustangs led 28-25 at the half, and increased that lead to 40-35 before the Senators cam storming back.

“That’s a good team we played and we did a good job of controlling them for four quarters,” said Madison Academy head coach Brian Privett. “We’re no stranger to being in games with top teams in the state. We’ve just got to be able to finish the game.”

The Senators had four players in double-digits, led by Alexis Jennings with 16 points, followed by Alexis Butler and Sharia Rivers with 14 points apiece and Dominique Henley with 10 points.

For the Mustangs, Fletcher had a game-high 23 points, followed by Nyla Johnson with 20 points.

BOYS

MADISON ACADEMY 63

COLUMBIA 52

The Class 5A Columbia Eagles closed out the third quarter on a 10-0 run and used that advantage to cruise to a 63-52 victory Tuesday over the Madison Academy Mustangs.

The Mustangs fell behind 12-11 in the first quarter, and then Columbia extended the lead to seven in the second quarter before Kerryon Johnson led the Mustangs storming back.

Johnson went coast-to-coast and made an acrobatic lay-up before draining a three to tie the game 27-27 late in the second quarter, and then Spencer Palmer nailed a three to give the Mustangs a 30-29 halftime lead.

But following the Eagles’ 10-0 run to end the third quarter, Columbia extended the lead to 10 in the final quarter before the Mustangs cut the lead to four

That would be as close as Madison Academy would get as the Eagles took advantage of free throws to take the victory.

Derek Kelley led the Eagles with 15 points, followed by Denzel Harrison with 14 points.

For the Mustangs, Palmer finished with a double-double 20 points and 10 rebounds, followed by Johnson with 16 points.