Conway, SC – It may have been the historic first playoff appearance for the Atlantic Collegiate Academy boys' basketball team, but the Armada played like veterans at the post-season game with a dominant performance in downing Cheraw High 89-47 on Tuesday night.
The Armada (20-3) built a nine-point lead during the opening quarter of play and then turned on the jets in the second quarter, outscoring the Warriors (9-15) 27-2 to build an insurmountable lead by halftime.
"We came out a little slow, which hasn't been us over the last few weeks, but we got it together," ACA coach
Tanner Massey said.
The scoring for the Armada was spread all up and down the roster, especially in that dominating second quarter when ACA got scoring from eight different players. Overall, 11 of the 13 ACA players who saw action in the game tallied at least one basket.
"Everyone contributed toward the outcome of tonight's game," Massey said.
Senior forward
Jamie Brooks led the Armada with 14 points while also grabbing six rebounds. He scored eight of his points in the opening quarter. Sophomore guard
RJ Vereen finished with 12 points in the game, with six each in the second and fourth quarters. Senior guard
Jaylen Bellamy chipped in with 11 points and grabbed five rebounds.
Sophomore
Seeger Medalie hit a trio of three-pointers in the game to finish with nine points, matching the total posted by sophomore
Brandon Johnson.
Justin Bellamy had eight points and six boards on the night.
Cheraw senior guard TJ Ford finished his high school playing career with a 19-point performance to lead the Warriors while classmate De'Shaun Drake closed out his prep career with 16 points.
The Armada will be back in action in the second round of the playoffs on Friday night when they host Bridges Preparatory School from Beaufort. The Buccaneers (18-7) advanced with a 51-41 victory over Timberland on Tuesday.
Bridges Prep is led by 6-foot-6 senior forward Amarion Wilson who is averaging 19.8 points and 16.4 rebounds per game this season while also averaging 6.6 blocked shots per game. In addition to his success around the basket, he is shooting 63 percent from three-point range, having connected on 26-of-41 attempts.
"We will dive in on Bridges Prep film and get a good look at them," Massey said. "I am excited about the opportunity to compete again with our group."
The Armada will tip off against the Buccaneers at 6 p.m. on Friday night.
About Atlantic Collegiate Academy: Atlantic Collegiate Academy (ACA), located in Conway, 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 X.
