Lexis Hughes Races Past Defenders. Inji Kang ’19/Media

Coming into this week with a 4-3 record for January, the Academy girls basketball team challenged Harvest Prep and Grandview Heights on Tuesday and Friday nights, respectively.

The excitement kicked off  onTuesday, January 30, as the Vikings took on the Warriors of Harvest Prep. This home matchup was a must-win for Academy, and they tackled the first half with energy to show for it. CA led by double-digits heading into the second half and maintained its lead through strong man-to-man defense. In the end, Academy came out on top in a closely contested finish, winning 43-42 and improving its record to 6-11. 

The action continued Friday night as the Vikings opened up their February campaign against Grandview Heights. Here they faced a on a strong 12-6 squad. The Bobcats came into this matchup with four wins in their last five games, and this day also marked Senior Night celebrations for their squad. The Vikings were challenged from start to finish as expected, however, they showed no lack of effort or signs of defeat.

Leading the Vikes in scoring were senior Lexis Hughes, juniors Shelemiah Crockett and Aiyana Taylor, sophomores Mackenzie Smith and Emma Belford, and freshman Charlotte Adams.

As the tournament inches closer, there continues to be increasing signs of hope for this team, especially considering the improvement that has occurred since this time last year. Nonetheless, this is a young squad that will continue to improve not only for the remaining weeks of this season, but for the years to come.