‘House Divided’ Game Delivers Drama, Dominance, and a Dinner Win for Columbia Academy’s Brandon Tinnon
On a night that had all the makings of a family feud - with a scoreboard - Columbia Academy’s girls basketball team delivered a statement win and a bit of bragging rights in a unique matchup that pitted husband against wife on the sidelines.
With a 62-41 road victory over Grace Christian, first-year Lady Bulldogs head coach Brandon Tinnon earned more than just his second district win - he also earned dinner, courtesy of his coaching counterpart and wife, Crystal Tinnon, who’s in her second season leading the Lady Lions.
What made the night even more memorable? The Tinnon family showed up in full force, many wearing “House Divided” T-shirts, fully leaning into the rare husband-vs-wife coaching showdown. But once the ball tipped, the jokes and family ties gave way to a competitive, emotional game that had real implications in Division II-A District 3 - and Columbia Academy came ready.
The Lady Bulldogs broke open a tight contest with a dominant fourth-quarter surge, opening the final frame on a 17-1 run that was capped by one of Maya Keeton’s three 3-pointers on the night. In total, CA knocked down eight shots from beyond the arc - a key difference-maker in a game that was close until it wasn’t.
“We’ve been talking about this game all week,” said senior guard Reese Shirley, who poured in a game-high 21 points. “There were a lot of jokes, but we also knew this was a rivalry game.
We needed a win. We were frustrated, and it felt good to finally put it all together.”
And they did just that in the fourth quarter. CA moved the ball with a rhythm and confidence that had been missing in earlier games, and the shots followed.
Shirley led the charge, but she had plenty of help. Keeton finished with 12 points, Haley Collins added 10, and Addie Slaughter chipped in eight - including a pair of triples.
Brandon Tinnon, who spent seven seasons as a boys assistant at Grace Christian before moving to Lipscomb Academy, downplayed the personal stakes, keeping the focus on the players and the moment.
“It’s not about us,” he said. “It’s about the kids, these communities. We’re just using basketball as a platform to connect and show who these kids are.”
Crystal echoed that sentiment - to a point.
“We still talk about basketball,” she said with a smile. “But we stopped talking specifics about our teams over the summer. I wanted them to play well for his sake… but I wanted us to win.”
Grace Christian (4-5, 2-3) was led by Alexa Perez and Hayes Henderson, who each scored 15. But the Lady Lions struggled to keep pace late, particularly as fatigue set in.
“We just lost our legs,” Crystal said. “We’ve got girls who need more experience at this level.
We competed, but we’re learning how to play against good teams. When you’ve got young players, they’re going to do young-player things.”
With the win, Columbia Academy improves to 4-6 overall and 2-1 in district play - and Brandon Tinnon heads home with a W and, presumably, a well-earned dinner.
Late Rally Falls Short as Columbia Academy Boys Drop Nail-Biter to Grace Christian
The Columbia Academy boys nearly pulled off a gritty comeback on the road Friday night, erasing a nine-point second-half deficit to take a late lead - but couldn’t hold on in a 55-53 loss to Grace Christian.
It was a game that showed flashes of growth for a young Bulldogs squad, but also underscored the kind of growing pains that come with inexperience.
“We played a tough, physical bunch,” said CA head coach Jarrett Jones. “We just didn’t play well enough to win. We didn’t do the things - mentally or physically - that we needed to do.”
Trailing 39-30 late in the third quarter, Columbia Academy (3-6, 0-3) found its spark from deep. Zephyn Williams knocked down a pair of fourth-quarter 3s, and Myers Malone added another - his with just over a minute left to tie the game at 48.
On the next possession, Alex Heffington scored at the rim to give the Bulldogs a two-point lead. But Grace Christian (4-4, 1-1) had an answer. Jackson Holwerda buried a clutch 3-pointer to flip the lead back, and after a Columbia Academy turnover, Luke Lohrding iced the game with four straight free throws in the final 21 seconds.
DeCari Parks hit a triple at the buzzer to close the gap, but the rally came up just short.
“We’re learning a lot,” Jones said. “These guys are working hard every day.
It’s just growing pains. We’re inexperienced, but the inconsistency in our habits - rebounding, communication - those are things that don’t take experience.
We’ve got to clean that up.”
Cooper Estep led Columbia Academy with 16 points, while Parks added 13 and Malone 10. Williams’ two 3s were part of his six-point outing, and Heffington finished with four.
Grace Christian was paced by Sam Lohrding’s 14 points, with Holwerda adding 13 and Luke Lohrding 11. The Lions hit three 3-pointers on the night, including Holwerda’s go-ahead shot in the final minute.
Box Scores
Girls: Columbia Academy 62, Grace Christian 41
CA (4-6, 2-1) - Addie Slaughter 8, Margaret Lehner 1, Reese Shirley 21, Maya Keeton 12, Evie Pulley 2, Haley Collins 10, Lillie Gentry 8
GCA (4-5, 2-3) - Bri Hastings 1, Ellie Harris 8, Kensley Elam 2, Alexa Perez 15, Hayes Henderson 15
3-pointers - CA 8 (Slaughter 2, Shirley 3, Keeton 3); GCA 6 (Harris, Perez 3, Henderson 2)
Boys: Grace Christian 55, Columbia Academy 53
CA (3-6, 0-3) - Griffin George 2, Cooper Estep 16, DeCari Parks 13, Myers Malone 10, Alex Heffington 4, Kemani McGowan 2, Zephyn Williams 6
GCA (4-4, 1-1) - Luke Lohrding 11, Mac Larkin 4, Jude Mayfield 2, Sam Lohrding 14, Jackson Holwerda 13, Wyatt Lee 4, Maddox DeLeon 1, Chase Benham 6
3-pointers - CA 5 (Parks, Malone 2, Williams 2); GCA 3 (S.
Lohrding, Holwerda, Benham)
Up Next: Columbia Academy will look to build on the girls’ momentum and regroup on the boys’ side as both squads continue their district campaigns. For the Tinnon household, the scoreboard may be settled - for now - but the basketball conversations are probably just getting started.