South Florence, SC – It what may go down as the biggest weekend in the short history of Atlantic Collegiate Academy athletics, the Armada boys' basketball team handed previously unbeaten Crestwood a 68-61 defeat on Sunday in the championship game of the 38^th Pepsi Carolina Classic Christmas Tournament at South Florence High.
 
The Armada (8-2) advanced to the title game with wins over Quality Education Academy on Friday and the host team from South Florence on Saturday before topping the Knights (11-1) to capture the championship.
 
"Our guys are just so resilient because this kind of tournament demands a lot," ACA coach Tanner Massey said. "For us to accomplish this, you have to credit our guys because they had to grind. They are in great shape, and this shows all the hard work we have done is paying off."
 
The Armada was pushed throughout the game by Crestwood, but never allowed the Knights to overtake them on the scoreboard.
 
"You have to give Atlantic Collegiate a lot of credit," Crestwood coach Aric Samuel said. "They played very well and shot the ball well from the free throw line. It was a good game and, if we are going to lose a game like this, I would much rather have it come now than later in the season."
 
ACA freshman guard Anton Daniels led all scorers in the game with 15 points while senior guard Jaylen Bellamy added 14 points and six rebounds. Senior Justin Bellamy chipped in with 12 points and five boards while senior forward Jamie Brooks had a double-double with 11 points and 15 rebounds.
 
"I remember playing in this tournament when I was in high school 20 years ago," Massey said. "It is a very prestigious tournament, and this championship game was a grown man's game. It was a gritty, not pretty, type of game between two terrific teams. Credit Crestwood for making us earn everything we got. They are well-coached and an extremely talented team."
 
Atlantic got out in front early and led by five, 20-15 at the end of a fast-paced opening quarter. The tempo slowed some in the second quarter, but the Armada continued to build its advantage, leading 34-27 at halftime. The two teams played even throughout the second half with ACA maintaining its seven-point advantage through the end of the third quarter, 50-43, and at the end.
 

Brooks was selected as the tournament MVP while Daniels was named to the All-Tournament team.
 
To get to the championship game the Armada had to survive a challenging second round game against the host Bruins of South Florence (6-5). ACA led by just three points at the end of the first (20-17) and second (31-28) quarters, but came out hot after halftime, stretching the advantage to 10 (46-36) before taking a 63-53 victory.
 
Senior forward C.J. Hemingway led the way for Atlantic, pouring in a game-high 21 points while grabbing 12 rebounds. Hemingway hit three of his four attempts from outside the three-point arc and was 6-of-8 from the paint. Jaylen Bellamy chipped in with 16 points while Daniels had 10 points and 10 assists.
 
"South Florence is a talented and well-coached team," Massey said. "We had our hands full in that game, but there was a lot that went into the preparation and our guys listened. It translated into our performance."
 
ACA opened the tournament with a convincing 77-45 victory over Quality Education Academy (6-6) from Winston-Salem, NC, but the Fighting Pharaohs gave the Armada all they wanted early. The game got off to a slow and physical start and was tied at 15 after one quarter.
 
The Armada started to get things going in the second quarter, outscoring QEA 20-6 for a 35-21 lead at halftime. ACA continued to push their advantage in the second half, holding a 53-36 lead at the end of the third quarter before the final 32-point margin of victory.
 
"Our guys played a tremendous game," Massey said. "I was proud of our efforts against a tough, physical team."
 
Brooks led the way for ACA, scoring 19 points while Justin Bellamy and Daniels followed up with 11 points each.
 
The Armada now gets a break before getting back into action in the new year. The games take on more importance, however, because most will be in region play. ACA hosts Lake City on January 7 before going on the road to face Manning on January 10.
 
"It is nice to get a little break heading into region play," Massey said. "Lake City is a tough opponent and that will be a great challenge."
 
About Atlantic Collegiate Academy: Atlantic Collegiate Academy (ACA), located in Myrtle Beach, S.C., serves high school students in a safe, small and family-centered setting. Our students seek the opportunity and challenge of rigorous curriculum, high academic standards and elite athletics while also earning up to two years of college credit. ACA serves students in grades 9-12 using an honors curriculum in 9th and 10 grades with a dual enrollment curriculum in 11th and 12th grades. Learn more about ACA by visiting our website at AtlanticCollegiate.Academy and by following us on social media on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.