the king's academy Archives

Lady Lions suffer difficult loss to Grace Christian in district semis

BY BRIAN HAMILTON KNOXVILLE – The King’s Academy swept Grace Christian in both regular season meetings and throughout most of the game, it looked as if the Lady Lions were going to take a third game from the Lady Rams, but Grace Christian hit big shots in the fourth quarter, while TKA went cold for much of the period, falling in the district semifinals by a score of 54-51. “We just had some mental letdowns and they hit some big threes and we’ve got to respond,” TKA head coach Dante Turnipseed said after the game. “We say that basketball is …

TKA thrashes Polk County 72-28 on senior night

BY BRIAN HAMILTON SEYMOUR – The King’s Academy put its four seniors on display Tuesday night when very few local teams suited up to play due to the inclement weather. Seniors Kyle Young, Adit Kuol, Emily Atchley, and Matazja Goins started and made a profound impression on the game early on, as the Lady Lions went on to a convincing 72-28 win over Polk County on senior night. “I told them I wasn’t going to make it all sad, so we wouldn’t cry, because I believe we should get some more home games, but they’ve been a blessing and you’ve …

Smoky Mountain Sports Girls Basketball Top 10 Rankings (2/1/26)

Cocke County (24-3, 9-0 Class 3A District 3) Bearden (21-3, 9-0 Class 4A District 4) The King’s Academy (20-6, 10-2 Division II, Class A East Region District 1) Alcoa (17-6, 6-0 Class 3A District 5) Northview Academy (17-3, 5-2 Class 3A District 3) Gatlinburg-Pittman (18-3, 5-0 Class 2A District 2) Morristown East (18-5, 4-1 Class 4A District 1) Sevier County (13-5, 3-0 Class 4A District 2) Heritage (19-5, 4-2 Class 3A District 5) Farragut (16-8, 9-1 Class 4A District 4)

Lady Lions fall at CAK to finish 2nd in district

BY BRIAN HAMILTON KNOXVILLE – The King’s Academy came into Friday’s road contest needed to beat CAK by at least 16 points to win the district, or a win by 15 or less and a CAK loss to Grace Christian next week to take the district. The former never really looked possible, but the latter did, as the Lady Lions led in the fourth quarter, but TKA ultimately fell 55-48 to take second place in the district. “We can score the ball, but we’ve got to get stops, and that’s what killed us,” TKA head coach Dante Turnipseed said after …

Lady Lions pick up series sweep of Grace Christian after honoring Turnipseed’s 100th win

BY BRIAN HAMILTON SEYMOUR – The King’s Academy honored head coach Dante Turnipseed for winning his 100th game in a 63-26 win at Concord Christian on Tuesday, January 20 before Friday’s winter homecoming game. While Turnipseed was elated by the honor, the fifth-year Lady Lions coach knew he had to keep his focus on the task at hand, a home tilt against district foe Grace Christian. TKA defeated Grace 44-33 on the road January 6 and a win would all but wrap up at least a 2-seed in February’s district tournament. Turnipseed said after the game that the surprise celebration …

Lady Lions defeat Silverdale Academy 77-52 for series sweep

BY BRIAN HAMILTON SEYMOUR – The King’s Academy traveled to Chattanooga on December 13 and came away with a hard fought 46-38 win over Silverdale Academy. Many expected a similar game on Saturday afternoon, but unlike the matchup in December, the Lady Lions shot much better and coasted to an easy 25-point win over its East Region foe. “We shot a lot better than we did down there and we kind of picked up the intensity a lot,” TKA head coach Dante Turnipseed said after the game. “They put a great third quarter together and we were able to withstand …

Lady Lions outlast Maryville in overtime to pick up season sweep over Maryville

BY BRIAN HAMILTON SEYMOUR – The King’s Academy saw a late seven-point cushion evaporate, as Maryville’s Jada Edwards nailed a game-tying three with 20 seconds remaining in regulation, but the Lady Lions were able to outscore the Lady Rebels 9-3 in the overtime period to come away with a 54-48 win on Friday night. “I thought that fighting back as much as we did, we were definitely missing legs (in the overtime period),” Maryville coach Taylor Clark said. “They did a good job of getting it inside and I think we were a little bit timid in there, more timid …

Back in the saddle again: Lady Lions outlast Providence Christian to earn Final Four berth

BY BRIAN HAMILTON SEYMOUR – They were partying like it was 2020 in Tibbets Gymnasium on Friday night, as the TKA girl’s basketball team earned its first trip to the Final Four since 2020. TKA defeated Providence Christian 71-62 on Friday night, in a neck-and-neck game that was much closer than the final score indicated. Seniors Juleigh Anne Tucker and Leah Thornton were freshmen on the 2020 team and the only two players on the roster who have experience playing in a state tournament, as reserves. This time, Tucker played a much bigger role than 2020, as her 28 points and six …