COVINGTON, Ga. — With both Alcovy basketball teams looking to improve upon its 1-3 Region 3-AAAAAA records, Tuesday’s matchup with Grovetown didn’t end in Alcovy’s favor. 

The Lady Tigers lost 62-34 and the Tigers dropped their contest 85-51. 

Lady Warriors 62, Lady Tigers 34

Coming out of the gate hot, the Lady Warriors’ strong opening quarter set the tone all game. 

After opening the game with a 3-2 lead, the Lady Tigers struggled to get back into the score column for the rest of the quarter as the Lady Warriors controlled both sides of the ball.

Grovetown’s Keona Curtis led the charge for the Lady Warriors as the senior-dominated inside of the paint, both scoring and rebounding.

The Lady Warriors' 30-point run going into the second quarter set Alcovy back as it struggled to climb back the rest of the game.

At halftime, the Lady Tigers faced a 40-12 deficit. 

Defensively, though, Alcovy came out of the break with a different mindset holding Grovetown to only 23 points for the final two quarters.

But, according to head coach Justin Hunter, the early hole was too steep to dig out of. 

“[The 23] unanswered points [in the first quarter] demonstrate how lethal they can be as a team, but a lot of it was self-inflicted,” Hunter said. “We lost track of one of their primary offensive players and they made us pay for it.”

Despite the better defensive play, the Lady Tigers still could not overcome the Grovetown lead from earlier in the game.

A late scoring barrage from Curtis propelled the Lady Warriors ahead to put the game out of reach for Alcovy. 

Curtis led the Lady Warriors with 21 points in a strong showing on both sides of the ball. 

Alcovy freshman Kendall Banks led the scoring for the Lady Tigers with 11 points.

The loss moves the Lady Tigers to 5-11 on the year, with a 1-4 region record. Alcovy has four region games left on the schedule with the next one being on Friday, Jan. 28 at Rockdale County. 

“We definitely want to see some more wins,” Hunter said. “For [us to get those wins], we need to cut down the missed layups.”

Warriors 85, Tigers 51

Heading into Tuesday’s game, the Tigers knew they had their work cut out for them as the Warriors entered undefeated in Region 3-AAAAAA. 

For the majority of the first quarter, Alcovy kept it close with Grovetown. Then, the Warriors connected on multiple 3-pointers to give them a 23-12 lead heading into the second frame of action. 

The shots from the perimeter continued to fall for the Warriors as their lead grew while the Tigers struggled to gain momentum offensively.

Despite Alcovy’s success getting to the free-throw line, the Tigers faced a 46-21 deficit going into halftime, as Grovetown’s adjustments from their previous matchup allowed them to grab the big lead over the Tigers.

Head coach Mack Hardwick pointed out the difference in this game compared to the last time these two teams met. 

“[Grovetown] struggled from the perimeter last time we played them,” Hardwick said. “At the end of the day, [Grovetown head coach Darren Douglas] made a great adjustment and made sure his guys made the shots.”

The third frame was the most productive quarter for the Tigers, as multiple players got involved to cut the lead down. The Warriors answered with their best offensive quarter as well, with Grovetown junior Frankquon Sherman posting 11 points during the frame.

The Tigers outscored the Warriors in the final quarter, but it would not be enough to overcome Grovetown’s strong offensive start. 

Multiple Alcovy players were involved offensively, with senior Bobby Smith and junior Ben Hodges leading with 11 points each. Senior Jalen Davis followed behind with 10 points.

Grovetown junior Vashon Ferguson led the scoring for the Warriors with 17 points, while Sherman finished with 15. 

After the region loss, the Tigers fell to 4-12 on the year, with a 1-4 region record. 

The Tigers will be back on the court tomorrow at home as they take on the Lakeside Panthers in a region matchup Wednesday, January 26.