After getting blown out by 27 points to Escambia Academy earlier in the season, Morgan Academy showed how far it has come by keeping victory within reach until the final minute.

Woodham Kemmer led his team with 20 points as the Morgan Senators (8-10) fell at home to the Escambia Cougars 55-52 Thursday. Both Kemmer and Jackson Henderson, who added 12 points, did about all they could to will their team to victory, but the Senators fell shy of pulling off a second consecutive win in the waning seconds at home.

“I’m disappointed for them because they worked so hard and they wanted that game so bad,” Tate said.

Tate said he was proud of his team for playing strong on the defensive end of the floor, a performance he said was much improved from the first meeting Dec. 3 when Morgan allowed the Cougars to score 70 points.

“That was the best defensive game Morgan Academy has played this year because that is a good team right there,” Tate said. “They score points and our guys really stayed in front of them.”

Kemmer scored the first four points for the Senators. Two of those came from the free throw line, where Kemmer was 10 of 11 on the night. After Escambia tied the score 7-7, John Ross Bone knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Senators a 10-7 lead with just under two minutes left in the first quarter.

The Cougars caught back up and led 15-12 at the end of the first period.

Harrison Adams put the Senators back ahead in the second quarter with two free throws, and Henderson capped off a 7-0 Morgan run with a driving two-point jumper. Morgan led 23-21 at halftime.

After falling behind early in the third quarter, Kemmer scored on a reverse layup to put the Senators back on top 25-24. Bone followed with a corner 3-point shot to give the Senators a four-point lead.

Escambia regained the lead once again late in the quarter, but Terrence Wilson put the Senators in front 31-30 with a two-point shot. On the next Morgan possession, Kemmer converted a 3-point play to extend the Senators lead to 34-30.

“It was just another Woodham Kemmer game for him,” Tate said. “He always plays with everything he’s got.”

Escambia hit a buzzer-beating two-point shot to tie the game 38-38 at the end of the third quarter.

Morgan fell behind early in the fourth quarter.

Jay Creech, Henderson and Wilson each made shots down the stretch to bring Morgan within 50-48 with a little over three minutes to play.

With 2:21 remaining, Kemmer passed to Henderson down low for a layup to tie the game 50-50. After the Cougars scored on the other end, Kemmer took it in himself for a layup to knot the score 52-52 with two minutes left.

Escambia answered by scoring on a three-point play, and Morgan couldn’t respond.

“They just gave it everything,” Tate said. “I wished they would have won.”

 

Escambia 47, Morgan 26 (girls)

Morgan did enough to hold off Escambia in the first half, but appeared completely outmatched in the second half.

The Morgan Academy Senators (6-11) fell behind in the second half and could never recover, as they lost 47-26 to the Escambia Cougars Thursday at Morgan. Emily Sherrer and Anna Gayle Hubbard each led the Senators with six points.

After getting out to a 9-8 lead at the end of the first quarter, Sherrer and Hubbard each scored four second-quarter points to give Morgan a 20-17 halftime lead.

The second half didn’t run nearly as smoothly for the Senators.

“Momentum is a funny thing in basketball,” said Morgan head coach Lee Tate. “They got on a run and it was a good one.”

The Cougars started the second half on a 12-2 run to take a 29-22 after trailing by three points at the half. Mary Stewart scored the lone basket for the Senators in the third quarter.

Natalie Henry knocked down a two-point shot with 7:30 left in the fourth quarter to cut Escambia’s lead to 29-24, but the Cougars scored the next five points. Hubbard made a two-point shot with six minutes remaining to reduce the Escambia lead to eight points.

After a strong first half, Morgan couldn’t find the offense it needed in the second half to help.

Tate said after the game that he takes responsibility for the loss.

“They did everything they were coached to do,” Tate said. “I lost it for them.”

Morgan’s girls’ and boys’ teams host Fort Dale Academy Saturday. Games start at 4 p.m.