TSSAA DII-A 1st Round: 3 keys to Davidson Academy’s win over FACS
Davidson Academy (23-8) eliminated last season’s champion First Assembly Christian School, 58-56, in the first round of the TSSAA Division II-A Boys’ State Tournament. Here are 3 keys to the Bears’ win over the Crusaders: Pure effort Davidson Academy, clearly,…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingDavidson Academy (23-8) eliminated last season’s champion First Assembly Christian School, 58-56, in the first round of the TSSAA Division II-A Boys’ State Tournament.
Here are 3 keys to the Bears’ win over the Crusaders:
Pure effort
Davidson Academy, clearly, won the rebounding battle Wednesday evening against the smaller FACS team. The Crusaders had a hard time keeping seniors AJ McGehee (16 points) and Lorenzo McMillion off the glass. The Bears were able to get a lot of opportunities at second chance points, thanks to those two. Davidson Academy gathered a lot of the 50-50 balls. The Bears moved the ball well. There was great spacing amongst the five players on the floor.
It was evident out of the gate that Davidson Academy wanted to continue its season more than the young, talented FACS team.
Alertness at the end
Lorenzo McMillion was in the right place at the right time in the waning seconds of the ball game. With the game clock winding down, one of the Bears’ guards missed a corner jump shot, but McMillion was there for the tip-in as time expired. It was a contest in which McMillion did a lot of great things to help his team win a road playoff game. He penetrated to the basket on multiple possessions and found senior guard Courtland Simmons (15 points) for easy scores. Senior guard Jamison Moore was found throughout the game as well for nice looks from the perimeter.
Add in McGehee whenever the team was in pick-and-roll situations. He did a great job of rolling to the basket and finishing through contact.
McMillion and his teammates did a great job of moving without the basketball and communicating on the floor.
“We just kept playing,” said McMillion, who finished the night with 13 points. “We found a way to make plays, which obviously, led to that last shot. We just went to the glass, and I made the layup.”
The Bears were up 42-34 late in the third quarter before the Crusaders rallied to grab a 54-50 lead. FACS could have put the game away from the free throw line, but key misses from freshman point guard Cello Jackson Cello Jackson 6'4" | PG FACS | 2026 State TN , who went 7 for 17 from the charity stripe and finished with 21 points, gave Davidson Academy life.
Free throw shooting
Davidson Academy only had a total of eight free throw attempts compared to the Crusaders’ 19. But the Bears made seven of them.
Looking forward to next season
FACS will be bringing back a lot of talent next season. Freshmen guards Cello Jackson and MJ Hayes showed a lot of promise this season in leading a program to a deep postseason run. Jackson is a great passer and finisher at the rim. Hayes is a dependable 3-point specialist and has the ability to take his defender off the dribble. Sophomore guard Jacob Walker and sophomore wing Kris Carroll should grow from this season’s experience. Walker is a crafty guard that can easily get past a lot of defenders. Carroll has deep range from 3.
In Wednesday’s loss, Walker had his way with Jamison Moore in iso situations. Carroll helped the Crusaders erase their eight-point deficit early in the fourth quarter and take a small lead before the final dagger.
With all four back next season, FACS should be one of the best teams in Division II-A, as long as each prospect improves.
Updated bracket
No. 1 West Lausanne vs. No. 2 Middle Webb School
No. 4 Middle Davidson Academy vs. No. 2 East Notre Dame
No. 3 West Sacred Heart vs. No. 1 Middle Clarksville Academy
No. 3 Middle Goodpasture vs. No. 1 East King’s Academy