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GREENWOOD — Even though Adams County Christian School’s varsity boys’ team had three players score in double figures, it was not quite enough against a good Simpson Academy team as the Cougars held on for a 70-59 win over the Rebels in the boys’ quarterfinals of the 2023 MAIS Class 5A State Tournament at Pillow Academy.

Simpson Academy entered the state tournament as the North No. 1 seed while the ACCS Rebels came into this tournament as the South No. 4 seed and on a two-game losing streak. Even though each team were going in opposite directions, the Rebels gave the Cougars all they could handle after a rough start.

“They jumped out 11-0 on us. We were able to come back and take the lead (later on in the first half), but they increased their lead to 24,” Rebels head coach Matthew Freeman said. “We were able to cut back and get the lead back within six points.”

The trio of Trenton Davis, Landon McGuire, and E’Darius Green did their best to keep ACCS in the game. Davis led the Rebels in scoring with 27 points, while McGuire poured in 18 points and Green added 11 points.

But Simpson Academy went on yet another run and just like that they were ahead by, as Freeman put it, 20-something points. However, ACCS would not let the Cougars put the game away.

“And then we were able to cut it back to five in the fourth quarter. And then they were able to win it by 11,” Freeman said. “I think they thought they were going to put us away and we kept coming back. I was extremely proud of their effort.”

Freeman added that the difference in the outcome of the game was that Simpson Academy (23-7) was just a better team than ACCS was.

“I know all their guys play basketball year-round and that makes a difference come tournament time,” Freeman noted.

While the Cougars advanced to the boys’ semifinals to take on South No. 2 seed St. Joseph Catholic School of Madison at 6 p.m. Friday with both a spot in the championship game and a berth in next week’s Overall Tournament at stake, the Rebels saw its season come to an end with an overall record of 23-10.