Florence, SC – The one thing Atlantic Collegiate Academy boys' basketball coach Tanner Massey didn't want to see on Tuesday afternoon was for his Armada to get off to a slow start in their Lower State title game tilt against Andrew Jackson.
 
But a slow start is what the Armada had to overcome, which they did, downing the Volunteers 45-40 to advance to Saturday's Class AA state title game against High Point Academy, a 62-44 winner over Liberty High in the Upper State championship game.
 
Tipoff for the state title game will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
 
Fortunately for ACA on Tuesday, the Volunteers didn't burn the nets down in the opening quarter either, so both teams had a chance to relax and breath with AJHS leading 7-4 after eight minutes of play.
 
The pace of play picked up in the second quarter, and the Armada spread the scoring duties around to take a 21-18 lead into halftime. The game remained close in the second half, with neither team able to build enough momentum to pull away. Atlantic continued to carry its three-point advantage to the fourth quarter, leading 35-32.
 
Senior guard Jaylen Bellamy brough the win home for the Armada down the stretch, scoring six of his game-high 17 points in the final period.
 
"We found a way to win, plain and simple," Massey said. "We had three of our starters go out of the game at different times with injuries, but other guys just stepped up and made plays at crucial points in the game. We have continued to find ways to respond when things haven't gone out way and I am proud of the resilience our group has."
 
Despite cramping up late in the game, Bellamy made a pair of free throws in the final minute to help seal the ACA victory. Sophomore Majeah Lee followed up with two more free throws after the Vols turned the ball over.
 
"I knew I was going to knock them down," Bellamy told members of the media after the game. "We practice shooting every day. There wasn't any pressure."
 
ACA connected on 8-of-11 free throws in the game while the Vols hit just 11 of their 20 attempts from the line.
 
Besides Bellamy, the Armada got 10 points in the game from senior Jamie Brooks, who had just a single made three-point basket to go with a trio of free throws in the first half.
 
Junior forward Zeke Clyburn led the Volunteers with 14 points in the game.
 
ACA improved to 23-3 on the season with its 14^th consecutive victory. Andrew Jackson saw its 18-game win streak come to an end as the Vols finished the year 20-6.
 
The Armada now looks ahead to face a High Point Academy team that stands at 27-3 on the year with its only losses this year coming to Westside High (46-42) and Boiling Springs High (62-51) in November and an upset loss at Chesnee (72-65) in early February.
 
"High Point is the only other team in the state to be ranked No. 1 this year besides us," Massey said. "They are the highest quality of team, and they have some dynamic player. We will watch film to get a better feel for their style of play as we prepare."
 
The Grizzlies are led by sophomore guard J'Sean Sanders with 15.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, but they get significant contributions from 10 players who average 2.0 points per game or better while they score 74.5 per game as a team. They also like to fire from the perimeter, having connected on 175 three-pointers while shooting 38 percent from long range.
 
Fans planning to make the trip to Florence for the title game on Saturday should make sure to purchase their tickets in advance from ACA at the school's front desk. A portion of the proceeds from those advance ticket sales will go back to the school.

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.