Birmingham Falls Short Against Cornerstone Christian in Division III State Boys’ Basketball Championship

SACRAMENTO — In a heartfelt moment following the state Division III championship game, Nick Halic shared words of encouragement with senior player Charles Eleri as his son, Kingston, provided comfort. Despite the Birmingham High Patriots’ 74-64 loss to Antioch Cornerstone Christian at the Golden 1 Center on Friday night, the atmosphere was one of resilience and hope for the future.

Halic, a veteran coach and 2001 Birmingham alumnus, expressed pride in his team’s journey. “I’m really proud of this group,” he stated. “This is the furthest any group from Birmingham has gone, boys or girls. Sometimes it takes steps to get where you’re going.”

The Patriots, who finished the season with a record of 22-8, surprised many by advancing to the state championship after facing an early exit in the City Section playoffs. They regrouped for a strong showing in the Division III regional finals and demonstrated tenacity against Cornerstone Christian, overcoming a 21-point deficit in the third quarter to close the gap to seven points with just over four minutes remaining.

Cornerstone Christian, boasting a record of 29-8, relied on impressive performances from its guards, including Benjamin Lukacs, who scored 26 points with an 11-for-14 shooting record. Amari Woodard’s four three-pointers contributed to his total of 12 points, while James Perry added 16 points and eight rebounds to the team’s effort.

For Birmingham, junior Tekeio Phillips led the scoring with 17 points, supported by junior X’Zavion McKay, who recorded 16 points and nine rebounds.

Reflecting on the season, Halic voiced his commitment to the returning players, saying, “We can learn from this. We can be either defeated or motivated. I’m going to be motivated to do more. This is a great experience for us. I can’t say enough how proud I am. We’ll be back for sure.”