Thursday, April 18, 2024

THE WEST ALABAMA WATCHMAN

Keeping Watch On Our Community

Sports 

Lady Longhorns honor seniors, trample Tuscaloosa

Jeremy D. Smith , , , , , , , ,
Brooke Smyly gets the rebound as the Lady Longhorns add another victory to their perfect record as the beat Tuscaloosa Academy.
Brooke Smyly gets the rebound as the Lady Longhorns add another victory to their perfect record as the beat Tuscaloosa Academy.

LINDEN — Marengo Academy (22-0) capped the first undefeated regular season in program history Monday with a 55-24 trouncing of Tuscaloosa Academy.

The Lady Longhorns outpaced Tuscaloosa 13-9 in the first quarter and opened the lead to double digits with a 16-7 run in the second.

The Lady Longhorns used a 12-8 third quarter to add to the advantage before ceremonially pulling seniors Chandler Stenz, Brooke Smyly and Conner Etheridge from the game to a round of applause early in the fourth quarter.

The contest was the last home game for the Lady Longhorn senior trio. Despite their absence from the floor in the game’s final minutes, MA held Tuscaloosa Academy scoreless in the fourth quarter while hanging 14 points of its own to ice the 31-point win.

Stenz led the way for Marengo with 17 points, five assist and three steals. Smyly had 10 points, 16 rebounds, four blocks and three assists. Etheridge had five points, five rebounds and two assists.

Andrea Edmonds chipped in nine points, seven rebounds and four steals for the Lady Longhorns. Anna Michael Crocker finished with eight points and five steals. Victoria Belcher and Hannah Freeman scored three apiece off the bench for MA.

MacKenzie Smelley led Tuscaloosa Academy with eight points and five rebounds.

MA honored its senior trio as well as injured senior Carolyne Baker before the game. Stenz currently sits at 1,604 points in her varsity career. Smyly has 1,341 points. Etheridge has 683.

The Lady Longhorns have already clenched a berth in next week’s state tournament at Huntingdon College. They are scheduled to play again Friday at 2 p.m. in the second round of the AISA 1A Region 2 Tournament on the campus of the University of West Alabama.