SPORTS BRIEFS: Terrell Academy boys advance in GISA state tournament

Terrell Academy boys advance

At Gatewood Academy in Eatonton, Terrell Academy won its first-round matchup against Pinewood Christian 70-60 Thursday night in the GISA Class AAA state tournament.

Terrell coach Robert Bryant said his team had to shake off some rustiness. The Eagles last played in the final of the Region 3-AAA Tournament last Saturday night.

“I thought we played good enough to win after we’ve been sitting out for almost a week,” Bryant said. “We missed a lot of easy shots.”

Raleigh Carlson led the Eagles with 25 points, while Conor Walsh hit 17 and Gable Freeman added 12 as Terrell Academy advances to play host Gatewood Saturday night in the state quarterfinals at 6 p.m. The winner advances to the state semifinals next week at Mercer University’s Hawkins Arena.

Bryant said he is glad to be moving on.

“Oh yeah, an ugly win is better than a pretty loss,” he said. “There are no pretty losses this time of the year.”

Holston named to SIAC women’s team

For the second consecutive season, Albany State forward Artisha Holston has been named to the SIAC all-conference women’s basketball team. The team was generated by the votes of the SIAC Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and was released Thursday by the league office.

Holston, a 6-foot-1 sophomore from Butler, averaged 12.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks in 25 games this season. She also recorded 13 double-doubles and pulled down a career-high 20 rebounds in a 64-43 win over Claflin. Holston’s rebounding average ranks 13th in the NCAA.

Holston was the 2014 Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year last season.

Albany State women earn No. 2 seed in SIAC Tournament

The Albany State Lady Rams will compete in the tournament as the No. 2 seed from the East Division. The SIAC tournament will be held March 2-7 at Bill Harris Arena in Birmingham, Ala.

ASU earned a bye to the quarterfinal round. Albany State will play the winner of the Stillman College (No. 3 seed-West Division)-Clark Atlanta (No. 6 seed-East Division) on March 5.

Rams will compete as East Division No. 6 seed in SIAC Tournament

The Albany State Rams will compete in the tournament as the No. 6 seed from the East Division and play Tuskegee in the first round of the SIAC Tournament on March 3 at 7:45 p.m. The SIAC tournament will be held March 2-7 at the Bill Harris Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

During the regular season, Albany State lost to the Tigers 81-58 on January 10.

The winner will move on to face the Morehouse Maroon Tigers in the quarterfinal round on March 5 at 7:45 p.m.

Albany State finished the regular season 9-17 overall and 5-13 in the SIAC.

Darton basketball honored

Three Darton State Lady Cavaliers took All Region 17 Team awards, Shanea Armbrister became the 2015 Player of the Year and Lea Henry became the 2015 Coach of the Year, the GCAA announced earlier this week.

For Armbrister, a sophomore guard who recently signed with the University of Georgia, she sees the award as a product of her environment at Darton.

“It’s the people I’m surrounded by,” she said. “The success is due to my teammates and my coaches, who believe in us.”

Armbrister leads the conference in points per game, field goals per game, 3-pointers per game, free-throw percentage, and points – with 789 and counting, she’s scored well over 300 more points than anyone in the GCAA.

“She’s a special player,” Henry said. “You don’t get to experience coaching a player of her caliber and character very often.”

Armbrister added that her team is strong because everyone accepts their roles as part of a unit, and they’re working toward a common goal. Her teammates — B’Kiya Webb and Tyneshia Smith — also earned All-Region Second and Third team honors, respectively. Armbrister was named to the First Team.

Henry’s recognition as Region 17 Coach of the Year is her second in four seasons as head of the Darton program.

“You have to say ‘Staff of the Year’ really,” Henry said. “It’s not a one-person job.”

The Lady Cavs brought Henry her 100th Darton career win this season.

Darton is now two games away from winning the 2015 Region 17 Championship title. The Lady Cavs host Georgia Highlands in the semifinals at 5:30 p.m. today in the Cavalier Arena.

The tournament final is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. also in the Cavalier Arena.