PURVIS -- It wasn’t without a fight, but the Columbia Academy Cougars claimed the Class 3A south state championship Saturday night with a 59-44 over Clinton Christian at Lamar Christian.
In a physical contest in which the refs swallowed their whistles a ton, CA actually trailed by two points at the half and went into the fourth quarter up just four.
Tate Duncan controlled the paint and led the Cougars with 20 points. Ethan Stringer, who knocked down four 3-pointers, followed with 19 points. Cody Fortenberry added 10 points, and Ras Pace contributed nine. All four players were named to the all-tournament team.
Columbia Academy will now set its sights on a state championship. The Cougars will be the No. 1 seed in the Class 3A state tournament at Canton Academy, which begins Tuesday.
