Coach JR Hammonds 5th seeded Alice Lloyd College Eagles traveled to Berea to face the 4th seeded Berea College Mountaineers in the opening round of the KIAC Championship Tuesday night. The Eagles gave a spirited effort, but were defeated in the end 83-70.
In the first half, Berea gained the early lead. Sparked by guard Rudy Evans, the Mountaineers went into the locker room with a 41-33 advantage.
In the second half, the Eagles fought to stay in contention, and they continued to battle until the end. Unfortunately, the hosts were able to maintain their lead the rest of the game, as they managed to advance to the semi-final round.
For ALCs, who finish their season 8-22, they were led in scoring by junior Brandon Hayes (Jackson) with 17 points. Joining him in double figures were seniors Daniel Combs (Viper) and Will Jones (Manchester) with 15 and 11 points apiece. Combs also added a game high 8 assists. Junior Zack Hurt (Cordia) added 10 points to round out the double figure scorers.
For the Mountaineers (9-19), Evans led all scorers with 33.
The game also marked the end of the careers for Alice Lloyd seniors Combs, Jones, and Charles O’Steen.