Sophomores Emma Belford and Kiersten Thomassey swarm on defense. Sarah Neltner/Media staff

Coming off a successful stretch of home match-ups, the Academy girls basketball squad hit the road to take on New Hope Christian Academy and London, games originally scheduled to be played in January but cancelled due to the bad weather. With the regular season finished and the tournament on the horizon, the Vikes continue to show major signs of improvement.

Academy entered its match-up against New Hope Christian Academy on Tuesday, February 13, with an impressive 3-game win streak and did not step off the gas. The Vikings came out in an aggressive 2-3 zone, which made for a frantic pace and lots of fast break opportunities. CA led by 8 at the half and pulled away in the final two quarters. The Vikes dominated the Warriors on both ends, outscoring them 26-9 in the second half. Academy won by a final score of 48-23, with an array of scoring contributions, led by senior Lexis Hughes and junior Shelemiah Crockett, who had 12 points apiece. 

CA then traveled to London on Thursday, February 15, to challenge the thriving Red Raiders. Although the scoreboard did not show a competitive contest, the Vikings showed their incredible improvement since the teams’ first meeting. Academy scored 24 more points this time around, thus, creating a notably closer matchup. Although this loss marked the end of a the winning streak, the girls played a hard first-class squad experience that they will need as they prepare for heightened competition in the tournament.

The #18 seed Vikes will open up tournament play on Thursday, February 22, as they travel to #16 seed Mount Gilead for the sectional semifinals. Academy finished their regular season 10-12, with nine of the wins coming in its last 14 games.