Basketball Roundup: Auburn girls pull away from Central

After defeating rivals Opelika and Central en route to winning the girls' 7A Area 4 tournament, Auburn's varsity girls basketball team is bound for the AHSAA regional semifinals.

In last Friday’s game at Central, the Tigers rode a 26-3 run to erase an eight-point deficit and defeat the Red Devils 56-41.

There are few teams entering the state tournament hotter than Auburn (16-5), who are riding a 10-game winning streak and winners of 12 of their last 14 games.

While Auburn is led by team captain and star junior forward Syriah Daniels, a current Auburn University commit, the Tigers enjoy depth across the court with sophomore guard Brooke Hallman and senior guard Catherine Pearson both earning area all-tournament honors along with Daniels.

The Tigers will now face Daphne (16-12) in a neutral site game on Thursday, Feb. 16. The Trojans are representing Area 2 as the No. 2 seed after falling 61-45 at Foley.

Auburn boys' seek redemption in state tournament

The area tournament didn’t finish the way Auburn had hoped, as they dropped the title game to Central and finished 1-1 overall in tournament play. Their lone victory in the tournament came against Smiths Station, with the Tigers overwhelming the Panthers 81-45.

Although the Tigers (24-4) beat Central twice during this year’s regular season, this isn’t unprecedented for Coach Chris Brandt. He faced a similar script in 2017 and still made it to the state final.

“Last time we lost to Central was in 2017 with Garrison (Brooks) and Christian Brandt and that group there,” Brandt said. “We still made it to the state finals, and we had to meet them again. And sometimes, in a way, it is extremely hard to beat a team three times.”

It’s a bitter loss for Auburn, but the Tigers will look to bounce back quickly as the playoffs grow closer. The Tigers will be back in action to play 25-2 Fairhope in Birmingham on Feb. 15.

Young Opelika girls' team looks toward future

The Opelika girls’ varsity basketball team concluded their season on Feb. 7 following a 68-52 loss to Auburn in the Girls 7A Area 4 semifinal round.

Despite the season-ending loss, second-year head coach Blake Smalley emphasized the growth of the team and the potential they hold going into next season.

“Moving forward into next year, with that being my third season, the majority of the team, for the first time, the majority of the team will have played under me rather than kind of half and half this year and the majority last year playing under the previous coaches,” Smalley said.

With only three seniors and two juniors on a team of 13, much of this young squad will be returning.

However, they will be losing senior Cherdi Daniels, a 5-foot-6-inch guard.

Daniels served as the team's vocal leader and was the leading scorer for the Bulldogs (10-15). She has received an offer from Coastal Alabama but has not yet decided if she will accept.

Opelika boys fall in 7A area tournament

Opelika wrapped up its season after a 72-65 loss to Central/Phenix City this past Thursday in the 7A area tournament.

In the last year, the Bulldogs (9-11) jumped from 6A to 7A, joining the likes of rival Auburn, Central/Phenix City and Smiths Station.

Seniors Mekhiron Brock (6’3”) and Isaiah Knight (6’4”) were two of the lead scorers this season. Knight currently holds two offers from Vermilion College (Minn.) and Webster University (Mo.).

This season marks Wesley Button’s second full year as head coach. Previously, Button served as the assistant varsity coach from 2015-2021 and coached the ninth grade basketball team from 2018-2020. Thus far his overall record as head coach is 15-27.

Joiner honored as Lee-Scott girls fall in Final Four

Lee-Scott Academy faced Springwood in the first round of the regional tournament and beat Springwood by double-digits, 56-44. The Warriors fell in the Regional Final against Glenwood but were the Region Runner-Ups and clinched a spot in the playoffs.

Also hosting the Elite Eight and facing Monroe, the Warriors edged out Monroe 57-44 to reach the Final Four. Like the boys team, the girls team (16-8) suffered a close 58-51 loss in the Final Four against Clarke Prep to end the season.

The team’s lone senior, Lindsey Joiner, was selected to play in the AISA’s annual All-Star game and head coach Corye Harrison coached the East team on Monday night.

Lee-Scott boys suffer heartbreaking defeat

Lee-Scott Academy tipped off its quest for a regional title against Springwood and waltzed its way to a 76-37 win. Following Lee-Scott’s dominant win over Springwood, the Warriors faced Macon East for the Region Championship and brought home the title with a 52-40 win.

Fresh off a regional title, Lee-Scott hosted the 2023 AISA 3A State Tournament’s Elite Eight and cruised to a 64-44 win against Monroe.

The Warriors then traveled to Montgomery, Ala., to face Glenwood in the Final Four. Despite beating the Gators twice in the regular season, Lee-Scott suffered a heartbreaking 39-38 loss to conclude the season with a 27-2 record.

Alex Cash, Hutch Sprayberry and Joseph Horne were named to the 2023 AISA All-Star basketball game, and head coach William Johnson was named one of the two coaches of the East boys’ team.

— Reports compiled by Henry Patton, Jacob Waters, and Mikayla Kelly