This year, the JV Boys and Varsity Girls basketball teams have had epic seasons in their own aspects. The JV Boys have had the goal of continuing their history of strong seasons while the Varsity Girls have made a huge effort to turn around from their last season’s record. Eagles Basketball is known for being strong, but the teamwork shown by both of these teams has truly exceeded expectations and allowed for both teams to advance in the CIC Conference Tournament of 2019! Check out the article below to see both teams’ stats, scores, and summaries of pivotal games in the tournament!

The Varsity Girls team saw major improvements from last year! With the leadership of Coach Johnston, the girls came together as a more cohesive team, greatly improving their record from winning only three games last year to having an overall winning record this season! The girls were looking at fifth seed in the conference until January 25th. This night, our Lady Eagles came back for a huge 72-47 victory over Faith Christian. The game was clean and polished, and the girls played their hearts out. Deborah Kitchin was the top scorer for the whole game with 27 points. Isabel Smith made an impact with her 15 points, and Barrett Eidson scored 10. Haley McCall, Ada Everette, Claire Brittle, Madie Jenkins, and Law Kitchin all added several points a piece from down low. Combined with their powerful defense, the RMA Girls were able to shut down the Lady Patriots, securing a tie for the 4th seed in the conference.

The girls ended up facing Faith Christian in the first round of the tournament at home as the higher seed. The game was much closer this time, but the Eagles availed. Deborah Kitchin was again the top scorer with 14 points! Barrett Eidson and Haley McCall followed with 10 each. Eighth-grader Mackenzie Davis added 8. With other baskets from Madie Jenkins, Claire Brittle, Lillie Daughtridge, and Ada Everette, and Lady Eagles were able to swoop in on another victory! The girls traveled to Halifax Academy for the semifinals of the tournament. Our girls fought hard; it was the best game against Halifax the girls have played in years. Deborah Kitchin and Isabel Smith both scored 10 points, mostly from 3-point shots. The girls all played to their best abilities and were able to challenge Halifax’s offense with their strong defense, but Halifax left with the victory at the end of the fourth quarter. The Varsity Girls had an amazing season that proves that teamwork is what is all about. Deborah Kitchin and Barrett Eidson were awarded All-Conference, and Isabel Smith was selected for the All-Tournament team. Good luck as the ladies head to states on Tuesday!

The JV Boys’ season was a whole other ball game! The boys fought hard this year with the hopes of a repeat of last year’s success. The team boasts an undefeated conference record. The boys entered the tournament as the first seed. They had a fairly easy victory against the Epiphany School and won by a large margin, despite the fact that the team only had seven members that night due to a conference. The Kerr Vance Academy boys, ranked third seed, defeated the second-seeded Faith Christian Patriots later that night. The last time the JV Boys faced Kerr Vance Academy, they barely secured the victory with a buzzer-beater lay-up by Jack Pittman with an assist by Marshall Dunn. The boys did not allow their past game against Kerr Vance to shake their confidence. The boys had a strong game and won by a score of 51-46. Graham Turnage, winner of All-Tournament MVP, led in scoring with a whopping 28 points. Isaiah Smith and Marshall Dunn both added 7 with additional baskets by Reynolds Cobb, Chris May, and Jack Pittman. The boys’ defense was fast-paced and hard to beat.

RMA is incredibly proud of our teams that advanced in the CIC Conference Tournament. Players on both teams earned Conference and Tournament honors, and the sportsmanship and poise showed by both teams was a highlight, as well. Congratulations to both teams for achieving amazing goals this season!