St. Andrew’s could not have scripted a better opening five minutes.
Senior Amari Cook buried a three-pointer on the game’s first possession, Chase Brown followed with one of his own, and Cook added five more points including his second three of the night as St. Andrew’s surged to an early 11–2 lead.
For a moment, it looked like the Lions were poised to carry the momentum of their previous two state tournament games into another championship performance.
Brookwood answered.
The Warriors settled in with an 8–2 run to cut the margin to 13–10 early in the second quarter, but Brown connected on his second three-pointer to push the lead back to six. St. Andrew’s maintained control through the remainder of the half, defending with discipline and sharing the ball offensively to take a 27–22 lead into the break.
After trailing at halftime in each of their previous two tournament games, the Lions felt confident entering the locker room with the advantage.
The third quarter flipped everything.
Brookwood outscored St. Andrew’s 20–7 in the period, turning a five-point deficit into a 42–34 lead heading into the fourth. The Warriors began finding seams in the defense, attacking off the dribble, and forcing rotations that had not been there in the first half. As the quarter progressed, those gaps widened.
Defensively, Brookwood made a concerted effort to limit Ja’Cari Glover, one of the anchors of St. Andrew’s offense. Frequent double teams on the interior made entry passes difficult and disrupted the flow of the offense. Glover finished with six points and 10 rebounds, a sharp contrast from his dominant semifinal performance.
The perimeter rhythm cooled as well. After knocking down six three-pointers in the first half, St. Andrew’s managed just two in the second. The offensive efficiency that fueled the early lead never returned.
Cook finished with 14 points and five assists to lead St. Andrew’s, while Brown and Page Getter each added 12. But the sustained surge that had defined earlier tournament games did not materialize this time.
Brookwood, which fell to St. Andrew’s in last season’s championship, remained composed after the early deficit and executed with balance throughout the second half. The Warriors’ collective effort and defensive adjustments ultimately proved decisive.
The loss closes another deep postseason run for St. Andrew’s, which has now won three state championships in the past five seasons and fallen only to the eventual champion in the other two. If anything, the past five years have reinforced a familiar truth: the road to the state title continues to run through St. Andrew’s.
With a strong core returning next season, the Lions will absorb the lessons of this night and prepare for another run.
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BROOKWOOD ACADEMY 61, ST. ANDREW’S 46 |
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| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final | |
| SA | 11 | 16 | 7 | 12 | 46 | |
| BA | 7 | 15 | 20 | 19 | 61 | |
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St. Andrew’s scorers — Amari Cook 14, Chase Brown 12, Page Getter 12, Glover 6, Copic 2 |
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Records — Brookwood 28–3, St. Andrew’s 20–8. |
Photo credit: Courtesy of St. Andrews School boy's basketball program
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Team physicians include Dr. Don Aaron (Bryan County), Dr. David Sedory (Benedictine, Bradwell Institute, Liberty County), Dr. David Palmer (Calvary Day, Richmond Hill, South Effingham), and Dr. Thomas Alexander (Savannah Country Day, St. Vincent’s Academy).
