ABAC returns to the basketball court with a win
Published 12:46 pm Sunday, October 20, 2024
By Becky Taylor
becky.taylor@gaflnews.com
TIFTON — Basketball made a triumphant return Saturday afternoon at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Sixteen years after the Stallions played their last game, head coach Calvin Sinkfield’s team won their debut against New Rock Prep Academy, 92-74.
Sinkfield was happy not only to get the victory, but to get on the court against another team.
“We needed to see somebody else,” he said after the game. “We’ve been beating up on each other the past two months.”
Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette ABAC’s Tommie Hall ducks under a New Rock Prep defender under the basket.
The final score reads like a blowout. The first few minutes were anything but. ABAC was down 15 points in the first eight minutes of the game. Any fears of an opening night loss were momentary, however, as the Stallions outscored the Wolverines 38-14 over the last 12 minutes of the first half.
They are still learning to play together, Sinkfield said. He’s had a few months to build the team and get them on campus. “That’s still not enough time,” he said.
“It’s going to be a journey,” Sinkfield said.
ABAC’s run began with a pair of free throws by Mike Williamson and Matas Aidietis. Nate Mobley then took over, scoring ABAC’s next 10 points to pull to a 27-22 deficit.
The Stallions were now cooking. Mobley game them a 28-27 lead on free throws at 6:27. Xavier Boyd came up with a steal and layup 20 seconds later. On the other end, Boyd delivered a massive block when the Wolverines thought they were in the clear.
Antwann Brown made it an 11-point lead on a three-pointer, courtesy of a Matthew Mairena assist. The first half advantage peaked at 12 points on T.J. Smith’s drive to the hoop with 42 seconds left before New Rock Prep had a shot to close the gap to nine, 48-39.
Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette
Matas Aidietis dishes to Nate Mobley in the paint in the second half.
The Stallions scored 20 of the first 23 points of the second half, capped by a dunk by Aidietis to make it 68-45. The teams played more evenly after, with the biggest lead being 24 (87-63) on a Brown shot at 4:39.
Sinkfield wanted to reach 100, but ABAC only had three points in the final four minutes of the second half. He admitted he wasn’t pleased with some of the play in the second half, but was able to get several players playing time.
Mobley led ABAC with 18 points, all in the first half. Hall scored 16, Brown had 14, Boyd netted 13 and Aidietis had 11.
There were several firsts for the revived Stallions.
Mobley had the first points, a basket at 19:27 for a 2-0 Stallions lead. Chris Foster made the first free throw. Mobley had the first dunk, one of two for ABAC in their debut. The first three-pointer was by Boyd.
ABAC will be back in action next Saturday, Oct. 26. The Fillies will debut in the doubleheader with both teams facing Community Christian College.
