COVINGTON, Ga. – In what has been their strongest season since 2019, the Covington Academy Bulldogs picked up another win over the Peachtree Academy Panthers on Tuesday.
After a close matchup between the two last week, both teams were expected to match each other's intensity once more. Even without team leader Liam Abraham, both Julian Baluta and Josh Rodriguez notched performances over the 20-point mark for the Panthers.
But the balanced attack from the Bulldogs allowed the home squad to notch the 65-51 victory.
Game Action
Following a thrilling end to the middle school game just minutes before, the energy was high leading into the main contest.
Despite Abraham’s absence, the Panthers got solid production from Rodriguez, who knocked down three three-pointers in the first quarter. The balanced attack from four Covington Academy scorers, however, was what elevated the Bulldogs to a 14-11 lead to end the first quarter.
The momentum carried over to the second quarter, as Covington Academy’s Kamrin Williams nailed a four-point play in the opening minute. But Peachtree Academy flipped the script, going on a 7-0 run to bring the lead within four points midway through the quarter.
But just as it seemed Peachtree Academy was breaking through, the Bulldogs had an answer. Several successful offensive possessions resulted in the Bulldogs carrying a 32-22 lead into the break.
After scoring six points in the first half, Baluta began to heat up, knocking down six points within three minutes. The long-haired senior ended the quarter with an impressive 12 points.
But defensively, the Panthers had no answer for both Kamrin and Cayden Williams. The pair led the Bulldogs on another run, extending the lead to 53-34 to end the third quarter.
Despite being down by 21 points, the Panthers did not give up. Baluta added 10 more points in the fourth quarter, including three three-pointers, while Rodriguez scored seven.
Even with the valiant effort, the Bulldogs’ lead was too much for Peachtree Academy to overcome, as they closed the game out with a 65-51 victory.
Kamrin Williams led the Bulldogs with 21 points and four converted three-pointers, while Cayden Williams added 12 points.
Baluta led all scorers with 28 points, while Rodriguez also scored 21 points.
What’s next
For Covington Academy, things are looking up. The Bulldogs are now 8-2 with the victory on Tuesday as well as defeating HALO on Thursday,
The Bulldogs play again on Jan. 20 against Killian Hill Christian (3-8) at home.
For Peachtree Academy, it’s been an underwhelming year. While they dropped Tuesday’s contest against Covington Academy, they did defeat Trinity Prep on Thursday to improve to 4-8.
The Panthers play again on Friday on the road against Killian Hill Christian. Those results were not available as of press time
