COVINGTON, Ga. – Dec. 9, 2025 was the last time the Alcovy Lady Tigers won a basketball game. After starting 7-1, the Lady Tigers lost 11 consecutive games.

But the stars finally aligned on Friday night.

The Lady Tigers finally got back in the win column with a 40-32 win over the Apalachee Lady Wildcats on senior night.

“It feels great,” said head coach Justin Hunter after the game. “Nobody knows what we’ve been through. We’ve been fighting through injuries this entire season… When one goes down, it hurts the entire team.”

The boys team, however, couldn’t get over the hump despite a strong performance from seniors Kellin Hendrix and Jakori Pinelle. The Tigers lost 51-57 to drop their tenth straight game.

Lady Tigers break through on senior night

As Hunter noted, injuries have been a big factor this season. Friday night was no different as the Lady Tigers were without sophomore Simaria Wilburn.

Wilburn’s absence had an effect in the early going, as the Lady Tigers struggled to settle in with just two points scored in the opening seven minutes. But buckets from Milani Baughns and Addison Way gave the Lady Tigers a much-needed dose of momentum to end the quarter.

Alcovy got right back on the attack to start the second quarter, coming back from an 11-2 deficit to take the lead at 12-11 early in the frame. Following two buckets from the Lady Wildcats, it was all Alcovy. Led by Baughns’ seven points, the Lady Tigers took a 21-14 lead into the halftime break.

The competition was far more balanced in the third quarter, with each team trading successful possessions. But turnovers and unforced errors by Apalachee gave the Lady Tigers the edge. This was capitalized by Minah Little, whose seven points in the third quarter elevated the Lady Tigers to a 34-28 lead to end the quarter.

While Alcovy’s offense teetered off in the fourth quarter, the defense remained strong with over a dozen takeaways. After a field goal from Kendalyn Tolbert, the Lady Tigers enjoyed a nine-point lead with limited time remaining.

Apalachee, however, wouldn’t go away quietly. Tay Johnson and Sophie Beaty kept the Lady Wildcats within striking range late. But not before the clock hit zero, giving the Lady Tigers a long-awaited victory.

Little led the Lady Tigers with 12 points, while Baughns added 11 points.

With the win, the Lady Tigers improve to 1-9 in region play and 8-12 overall. Any hopes of the postseason will be nothing short of an uphill battle, but Hunter isn’t ready to give up yet.

“Play hard[and] compete hard,” Hunter said. “Sometimes in life, a win or loss doesn’t define you. It’s the effort that you give in those contests.”

Tigers come up short on senior night

Like the girls game before it, the boys contest started on the sloppier side. After the opening minute jitters were out of the way, Hendrix and Pinelle got things going for the Tigers to keep the contest within two points.

An Apalachee scoring run extended the lead, seemingly giving the Wildcats some momentum early on. But that was outdone by a near-impossible buzzer-beater by Pinelle to close Apalachee’s lead within three.

While Pinelle’s shot sent a wave of energy throughout the gym, the Tigers could not capitalize on it. Apalachee outscored the Tigers 13-6 in the second quarter to give the Wildcats a 31-21 lead.

Hendrix, Pinelle and sophomore Kris Able spearheaded the Tigers’ offensive effort throughout the third quarter. But Pinelle’s fourth foul midway through the frame sidelined him for a considerable amount of time.

As Pinelle was dealing with foul trouble, it was junior Antione Graves who picked up the slack. Graves ended the third quarter with a three-point play to bring the Tigers within five.

The junior’s momentum carried into the fourth quarter, adding four more points and blocking Apalachee's 6-foot-10 big man Javier Salazar. 

Alcovy’s Immanuel Humphrey got the lead within two after a jump shot. But the guard play by Apalachee proved to be too strong, as they extended the lead back up to eight.

Hendrix gave the Tigers one last run to keep things interesting. An ill-fated foul would end his night at five fouls and Alcovy never recovered.

Despite the loss, Hendrix shined with 17 points. Pinelle also got over the double-digit mark with 11 points.

“The boys played hard,” said head coach Darrell Johnson. “Tonight was a tough one.”

With the loss, the Tigers sit at 1-9 in region play and 6-17 overall. They have not won in 2026.

Even though the Tigers are in the midst of a 10-game losing streak, Johnson still hopes to finish the season strong.

“Don’t quit,” Johnson said. “Don’t quit. Keep playing. The fight is not over.”