TA Knights Advance to AHSAA 2A Final Four

MONTGOMERY, Ala.— The Tuscaloosa Academy Knights defeated the Lafayette Bulldogs (Lafayette, AL) 62-52 Monday to win the Central Regional and progress to the AHSAA Final Four.

Tuscaloosa Academy was led by Knights Senior forward Danilo Stojackovic, who was named Tournament MVP and scored 31 points in TA's Elite Eight victory over the Bulldogs, with assistance from Knights Senior guard Ellis Hamiter, who had eight points, and Sophomore guard Matthew Atkins, who contributed 10 points to Monday's win, both of whom were named to the All-Region team.

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The Knights are coached by head coach Luke Hutchenson, who is in his second season at Tuscaloosa Academy after the Knights' previous coach, Barry Sanderson, left for Northridge in 2023.

Hutchenson had his team performing at their best today, with the Knights leading the game from start to finish. Stojakovic scored 19 points in the first half, helping Tuscaloosa Academy secure a 13-point lead at halftime with a score of 34-21. The second half mirrored the first, as Stojakovic and the Knights continued to dominate on both ends of the court, ultimately securing a 10-point victory.

Tuscaloosa Academy will compete for its first AHSAA Basketball state championship in next week's tournament at Birmingham's BJCC Arena. The Knights will face the winner of Pigsah vs Section on February 25th in Birmingham, with the State championship game scheduled for February 28th.
The Knights have had remarkable success in their three competition games, winning by double digits in two of them. They defeated Central-Hayneville with a commanding score of 100-61 in the Sub-Regional stage and secured a ten-point victory on Monday. In the first round of the Regional tournament, Tuscaloosa Academy emerged victorious against Central-Coosa with a score of 62-57.

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