Terrell Academy boys basketball team advances to GISA Final Four

MACON — It wasn’t pretty, but there is another mark in the win column for the Terrell Academy Eagles, and they are headed to the GISA Final Four later this week at Georgia Southwestern University in Americus.

The Eagles (23-1) have now won 17 boys basketball games in a row after taking a 55-49 win over Piedmont Academy in the Elite Eight held at Tattnall Square Academy in Macon.

Piedmont hit two 3-pointers early in the game and built a 9-2 lead before the Eagles got things going. When they did get going, both the offense and defense started clicking. Quen Mitchell took a rebound off the glass and found Nick Chambliss heading toward the basket. Mitchell hit Chambliss with a long pass down the court and Chambliss put in two points to tie the score at 11-11 at the end of the first quarter.

By midway of the second quarter, the Eagles looked totally in control when they led 23-13 after going on a 21-4 run. Terrell led 24-17 at the half, but in the third quarter, Piedmont eight-grader Bobby Buggs found holes in the Eagle defense and put in 10 points as the Cougars worked to come back.

With less than four minutes to play, Buggs hit another shot that closed Terrell’s lead to just four at 47-43 and Eagles’ coach Robert Bryant called time to talk to his team. The teams exchanged baskets, but the Eagles held their own and earned that bid to the Final Four.

Chambliss led the Eagles with 19 points, Mitchell scored 18 and Matthew Todd scored eight, including six of eight fourth-quarter free throws. Buggs, an eighth-grader, led Piedmont with 23.

The Eagles will face Robert Toombs Christian Academy (20-2) on Thursday at 2 p.m. in Americus. Robert Toombs beat Brentwood 54-42 in its quarterfinal.

Joe Whitfield