CLINTON, La. — A standing-room-only crowd watched theBrookhaven Academy Cougars successfully defend their District 4-AATournament championship Saturday night, beating Columbia Academy63-50. Brookhaven was powered by senior center Seth Davis with 20points and senior guard Jeremy Winborne with 17.

In the preliminary girls consolation game Saturday, BowlingGreen beat the BA girls 31-24, paced by Jessica Crowe’s 13points.

Both Brookhaven Academy teams advance to the South State AATournament which begins Tuesday at Columbia Academy. The BA girlsplay District 3-AA champion Adams County Christian School and theBA boys play 3-AA No. 4 Central Hinds in the opening round

Columbia Academy’s girls took the district championship with a53-42 win over Natchez Trinity.

In the consolation boys game, Trinity beat Centreville51-47.

The BA Cougars (28-1) were led on thebackboards by Davis with 10 rebounds. Winborne and T-Boy Lynch eachhad 5 steals in the victory. Winborne handed out 6 assists and AlanGray 5.

Coach Dale Watts watched his boys take a 10-point, 31-21 leadover Columbia at halftime. It was their third win over Columbiathis season.

“We didn’t play well but Brookhaven’s defense was the cause ofthat,” said Columbia coach Reid McCay. “Brookhaven’s guards arejust so quick that it’s hard to do anything against them.”

Directing Columbia were Warren Lott with 18 points and ReganDagg with 10.

The Lady Cougars (23-12) were led on thebackboards by Kellie Brady’s 4 rebounds. Holly Case had 2 assists.Betsy Lynch scored a team-high 7 points.

It was the first time in Coach Barry Gray’s tenure at BA thathis girls went scoreless in a quarter. With the loss, Gray’s teamfaces the No. 1 seed out of District 3-AA in the South StateTournament at Columbia Academy.