The Escambia Academy basketball squad’s dream of an AISA Class AA state championship ended Monday (February 5) in Montgomery, when top-ranked Macon East won its second straight title with a 67-42 decision over the foul-plagued Cougars.
Fouls restricted the aggressiveness of All-Tournament Team selection Neikel Robinson, who fouled out, and MJ Jones, who picked up four infractions before the fourth period began, and the Cougars could never get on track.
Macon East scored the game’s first five points, but EA rebounded to make it 5-4. That was as close as the Cougars would come, though, as the defending state champs jumped out to a 17-10 lead at the end of the first period and held a 14-point advantage (46-32) when the final quarter started.
Fred Flavors led EA with 13 points in the title game; Tiquale Taylor, who was also named to the All-Tournament team, chipped in nine.
The Cougars finished the season with a 14-4 record.