Evangel Christian celebrates AISA State JV victory

Story by Griffin  | Publisher

Photos courtesy Evangel Christian

CENTRAL ALABAMA SCOREBOARD OFFICE – Oh they might be tiny, but they are fierce. The Evangel Christian (Montgomery) Lions brought their fight to the Class A JV State Tournament over the weekend and left with a championship trophy in tow.

“I am extremely proud of these young ladies,” said Haley Rosa, Lions coach. “We have grown so much this year from start to finish. Last year we did not win a single game and they continued to work through. Evangel Christian knocked off Meadowview Christian 36-13 and was led by Morgan Thompson’s 10-point outing. Lindsey Murphy added eight. The Lions were still roaring going into round two, where they bounced Pickens 27-17. The moved ECA into a championship matchup against Jackson. ECA won the game and the championship by a score of 22-16. L’Oreal Lewis sealed the Lions win, draining two free throws with 1.1 left in the game.

Rosa: “Both our games against Pickens and Jackson were very competitive. I felt we match up well based both our size and personnel. Jackson gave us a few more issues with their trap defense and outside shooting. But we were able to capitalize by keeping our poise and finding the open player.

So how does this set up the Evangel basketball program?

Rosa: “I think this really sets a standard for these young ladies that they are capable of competing for championships each year. Now that they have had the taste of success, they will set the bar even higher. I think this has opened their eyes to a new level of basketball that they didn’t even know they could achieve. I am just excited to be a part of this process.”