Morgan Academy is headed back to the AISA State Basketball Tournament.

The Senators punched their ticket with a 68-49 rout over Kingwood Christian in the first round of the AISA playoffs on Thursday at Morgan Academy Gymnasium.

Morgan Academy will face Pike Liberal Arts in the Elite Eight on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Sportsplex behind the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery.

The Senators were led by Gunnar Henderson, an Auburn University baseball signee who had a game-high 21 points. Henderson said the pre-game preparation and his teammates played a big role in the easy victory.

“We practiced hard all week,” Henderson said. “I felt that I’ve been shooting well in practice all week. My teammates encouraged me to shoot the ball and they ran the lanes in the game to get me the ball.”

The Senators jumped out to a 24-17 first quarter lead as Henderson scored 12 points. Morgan Academy outscored Kingwood Christian 17-6 in the second quarter to lead 41-23 at halftime. Henderson had 16 points at intermission.

Morgan Academy coach Mark Knight said Henderson’s hot shooting set the tone for the Senators.

“Gunnar shot the ball really well early on,” Knight said. “But the key to the game was our defense. We held them to six points in the second quarter and shut down their top two players, Miles Clay and Devin Ervin.”

Morgan Academy continued to pull away in the third quarter, taking a 57-40 lead into the game’s final minutes. The Senators played reserves late in the game.

Dione Allen also had a strong performance, scoring 12 points. Allen, a member of The Selma Times-Journal’s All Dallas County football team, said getting to the tournament isn’t enough.

“We went to the Final Four last year,” Allen said. “We’re glad to be going back, but we’re never satisfied. We want to set an example for the younger players.”

Tyler West led Kingwood Christian with 11 points, Clay added 10. Ervin scored nine.

It was the final home game for seniors Henderson, Allen, Ed Williams, Hayden Bruner, Brayton Brown and Mason Perkins.

Knight praised the seniors for their leadership and dedication.

“It’s a great group of seniors, I don’t know what I’ll do without them next year,” Knight said.

Morgan Academy will join the Lady Senators in the AISA State Tournament. The Lady Senators beat Russell Christian Academy 45-21 on Tuesday night as Abigail Lane scored 18 points.

The Lady Senators will face Northside Methodist at 6 p.m. before the boys play their quarterfinal contest.