SALEM, S.C. — The Bulloch Academy boys notched a 45-37 victory over Liberty High Tuesday to advance to the championship game of the Tamassee-Salem Christmas Classic.
    The Gators (7-2) were led by Jarius Mikell's 16 points. And while no other Bulloch players reached double-digit scoring, Don Aaron (9 points), Brian Harrison (8) and Lanier Olliff all did plenty in the winning effort.
    In Charleston, the Lady Gators lost 56-53 Tuesday morning to the John Carroll School from Baltimore, Maryland in the Carolina Invitational Girls’ Holiday tournament.
    “It went back and forth all game,” said BA head coach Paul Webb. “We were up by a bucket (21-18) at halftime.”
    Mikay Sands led the Bulloch girls (10-3) with 24 points. Lacy Robins added 14 and Abby Newton had eight. It was the second consecutive year that the Lady Gators participated in the super-charged tournament.
    “This year,” said Webb, “there were 89 teams which were divided into 10 divisions. The team we lost to Monday played for the championship of our division. The level of competition is very strong here. It only serves to make us better.”
    Following Tuesday's game, Sands was named to the Patriot Division All-Tournament team.
    On Jan. 4, Bulloch will welcome players and parents from Australia as the Gator middle school, junior varsity and varsity teams square off against teams from Camden Valley School in Camden, New South Wales, Australia. Games start at 3 p.m.
    “We’ve played teams out of our local area, our region, our state and now international,” joked Webb.