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Alcovy Tigers begin Billy Wade Classic with wins
AHS Billy Wade
Janae Hutcherson (left) and Andre Jernigan (right) were key players on offense for Alcovy in its games against Clarke Central on Monday. - photo by Garrett Pitts

ATHENS, Ga. — On the opening night of the Billy Wade Classic, Alcovy’s girls and boys basketball teams came away with a sweep of Clarke Central in the classic city.

The Tigers teams came away with wins, and the games could not have been more different from each other.

Alcovy Lady Tigers

The Alcovy Lady Tigers came away with a last second win against the Lady Gladiators Monday night.

Trailing by one point late, Shamariah Gibbs grabbed the offensive rebound before putting it back in to give Alcovy the 41-40 lead with seconds left.

On Clarke Central’s next possession, the missed shot ended up back in the hands of Alcovy that ran the clock out for the win.

The win moved the Lady Tigers to 2-1 on the season.

Early on, the size difference in the paint was a cause of concern for head coach Justin Hunter.

“Their [Clarke Central] bigs played very effectively tonight for them,” Hunter said. “They utilized the size advantage they had, but we were able to overcome that by locking down with our defense tonight.”

Despite the size mismatch, the Lady Tigers continued to keep the game close with their defensive pressure and ability to create shot opportunities.

Early on, those opportunities fell into the hands of Abigail Pollett, who scored eight points in the opening frame with a pair of three pointers.

However, as the game progressed it was Kendall Banks who kept the Lady Tigers in the game with her shooting.

Banks’ 17 points led Alcovy in its win over Clarke Central.

Down late in the fourth quarter, the Lady Tigers’ began to apply pressure to the Lady Gladiators on defense and on the inbound pass.

After multiple Clarke Central turnovers due to the pressure, Alcovy pulled to within one before taking the lead on Gibbs' put back score.

Following the game, Hunter brought up the pressure they applied late in the game and how it led to the team’s 41-40 victory.

“Being down several points, it was crucial that we made those stops,” Hunter said. “We just asked our kids to dig deep and play their man [defense] principle the way it is supposed to be played and create turnovers. They were able to do that, they created several turnovers.”

Alcovy Tigers

From the opening tipoff onward, Andre Jernigan and Nick Durham put on a show in Athens on Monday night.

Jernigan’s 32 points were the catalyst for Alcovy’s 83-65 win over Clarke Central. Following the sophomore was Durham with 29 points.

Following the game, head coach Taylor Jackson was glowing with his assessment of Jernigan through three games of the season.

“Hey, it is just giving him the ball and letting him get into space and let him do his thing,” Jackson said. “He is only in 10th grade, he has two more years of growth physically. If he keeps shooting up vertically and filling out, he is a problem for the state of Georgia.”

After ending the first quarter with a tight lead, Jernigan and Durham combined for 18 points in the second quarter to give the Tigers a sizable 39-25 lead going into the intermission.

Even though he did not torch the Gladiators offensively, Alcovy’s big man Tim Griffin provided the defense and rebounding inside for the Tigers.

The rebounding on the offensive end allowed for Jernigan to turn up the heat in the fourth quarter as every shot made the Clarke Central student section become smaller.

Despite a strong final quarter from the Gladiators, the Tigers closed the game out in the final minutes with back-to-back threes from Jernigan to seal the 83-65 win.

Now at 3-0, Jackson wants his players to stick with their goals and mindset in order to keep their winning ways going forward.

“It is about the message we preach every day,” Jackson said. “The physical talent is there, the skills are there. It is about what you do up there [mentally]. This was a great test for us on the road. They had a great student section and early it was sluggish, they [Clarke Central] came out with good energy.”