Chargers crash Charger Christmas Classic final
By Tom Ham
Christmas season has arrived and Christmas spirit is definitely swirling around the Wilson Christian Academy campus.
Traditionally tipping off the holiday season is the Charger Christmas Classic tournament at Wilson Christian.
In Friday night’s opening session, fifth-year head coach Kevin Zander and his hungry Wilson Christian boys basketball team eagerly unwrapped a long-awaited present with a convincing 67-35 conquest of long-time rival Wilmington Christian, the champion in 2020 and 2021.
For the first time in Zander’s tenure, the Chargers will play for the championship in the event against Alamance Christian at 2 p.m. Saturday. Alamance clipped Faith Christian of Rocky Mount, 66-33, in the opening semifinal.
“I am definitely elated,” said Zander,wearing his colorful Pacman Christmas jacket. “(Winning the championship) is something of a goal of mine and one of the team goals. And another goal is to win our division in the conference.”
The conference to which Zander was referring is the North Carolina Christian School Association 2-A ranks and the division is the East Region. The game counted as the first 2022-23 region test for both teams.
“And we are 1-0 in the region,” exclaimed Zander, who watched the Chargers’ record improve to 2-4.
The Chargers handled Wilmington’s best shot (16-14 lead) in the first quarter and then outscored the Patriots 53-19 the rest of the way in registering arguably WCA’s most decisive outcome in a rivalry that Zander describes as “brutally back and forth.”
Junior Briceson Martin spearheaded WCA with a game-high 16 points, seven rebounds, six steals and two assists. Also in double figures was senior Zay Joyner with 12 points. Eleven Chargers scored. Martin was accurate on all four of his attempts from 3-point range.
“Briceson really set the tone,” Zander praised. “The defense (man-to-man and full-court trap) certainly led to offense. The defense was solid and stayed that way with the substitutes in there the last quarter. We were patient on offense in waiting for a better shot, and that’s something I was very pleased with.”
Wilson Christian shot 11 for 20 from beyond the arc for a sparkling 55% accuray and connected on 14-of-35 attempts from 2-point range for 40%. The Chargers limited their turnovers to 14 and flustered Patriots’ ball-handlers with 12 steals.
“We were more patient and moved the ball,” noted Martin, a first-year varsity player. “We drove and kicked the ball out (for 3-point shots) and we kept moving. We played really good. We shot the ball well and played good defense.”
Patriots’ defenders began paying more attention to Martin after he dropped in three bombs from long range in the opening quarter.
“I started getting my teammates open,” he said. “No. 3 (Joyner) started hitting shots.”
Despite Martin’s efforts, Wilmington, down 10-4, rallied to a 16-14 first-quarter lead behind seniors Trey Pierce and Tirunch Giammarino.
But from an 18-18 tie, the Chargers stormed out front for keeps with a 12-0 run that featured Martin, senior Turner Provo, Joyner and junior Titus Batts. A field goal from senior Will Clark staked WCA to a 33-20 halftime cushion.
The Patriots were limited to five points in the third quarter and the Chargers’ lead doubled at 50-25. The biggest advantage was 34 points. Zander emptied his bench in the fourth quarter, and reserves, directed by Batts, played the Patriots on even terms.
“Our defense frustrated them,” Zander declared.
Giammarino finished with a team-high 12 points for Wilmington, while Pierce added nine.
“We played well for 1 ½ quarters,” Wilmington head coach Chris Staton reviewed. “Our defense became like cones.”
“This is the first time in three years here we haven’t won the first game here. They shot the lights out. Every shot they made was pretty much a kick-out 3. They’re a lot easier to make than one pass and then the 3. That means they were getting in the paint on us. I was disappointed in our heart; we didn’t get the effort we know we can get.”
The Chargers, on Saturday, attempt to end the title drought against an Alamance team of which Zander said: “We are familiar.”
Added Martin: “We will have to step up (the defense( against the 3; they can shoot. We have to get into transition.”This feels good. We are ready to win (Saturday).”
Zander also assured: “Pacman will return (Saturday).”
WILMINGTON CHRISTIAN (35)
Perez 5, Giammariono 12, Carroll, Ekhardt 1, Pierce 9, Harmon, Donaldson 4, Upchurch 4.
WILSON CHRISTIAN (67)
Evans 4, Trull, Z. Joyner 12, Provo 6, Batts 6, Se. Quinn 5, Si. Quinn 7, B. Joyner 2, Martin 16, Zander 2, Clark 5, Ricks 2.
Score by quarters:
Wilmington Chr. 16 4 5 10 — 35
Wilson Chr. 14 19 24 10 — 67
Charger Christmas Classic Glance
By Tom Ham
Christmas season has arrived and Christmas spirit is definitely swirling around the Wilson Christian Academy campus.
Traditionally tipping off the holiday season is the Charger Christmas Classic tournament at Wilson Christian.
In Friday night’s opening session, fifth-year head coach Kevin Zander and his hungry Wilson Christian boys basketball team eagerly unwrapped a long-awaited present with a convincing 67-35 conquest of long-time rival Wilmington Christian, the champion in 2020 and 2021.
For the first time in Zander’s tenure, the Chargers will play for the championship in the event against Alamance Christian at 2 p.m. Saturday. Alamance clipped Faith Christian of Rocky Mount, 66-33, in the opening semifinal.
“I am definitely elated,” said Zander,wearing his colorful Pacman Christmas jacket. “(Winning the championship) is something of a goal of mine and one of the team goals. And another goal is to win our division in the conference.”
The conference to which Zander was referring is the North Carolina Christian School Association 2-A ranks and the division is the East Region. The game counted as the first 2022-23 region test for both teams.
“And we are 1-0 in the region,” exclaimed Zander, who watched the Chargers’ record improve to 2-4.
The Chargers handled Wilmington’s best shot (16-14 lead) in the first quarter and then outscored the Patriots 53-19 the rest of the way in registering arguably WCA’s most decisive outcome in a rivalry that Zander describes as “brutally back and forth.”
Junior Briceson Martin spearheaded WCA with a game-high 16 points, seven rebounds, six steals and two assists. Also in double figures was senior Zay Joyner with 12 points. Eleven Chargers scored. Martin was accurate on all four of his attempts from 3-point range.
“Briceson really set the tone,” Zander praised. “The defense (man-to-man and full-court trap) certainly led to offense. The defense was solid and stayed that way with the substitutes in there the last quarter. We were patient on offense in waiting for a better shot, and that’s something I was very pleased with.”
Wilson Christian shot 11 for 20 from beyond the arc for a sparkling 55% accuray and connected on 14-of-35 attempts from 2-point range for 40%. The Chargers limited their turnovers to 14 and flustered Patriots’ ball-handlers with 12 steals.
“We were more patient and moved the ball,” noted Martin, a first-year varsity player. “We drove and kicked the ball out (for 3-point shots) and we kept moving. We played really good. We shot the ball well and played good defense.”
Patriots’ defenders began paying more attention to Martin after he dropped in three bombs from long range in the opening quarter.
“I started getting my teammates open,” he said. “No. 3 (Joyner) started hitting shots.”
Despite Martin’s efforts, Wilmington, down 10-4, rallied to a 16-14 first-quarter lead behind seniors Trey Pierce and Tirunch Giammarino.
But from an 18-18 tie, the Chargers stormed out front for keeps with a 12-0 run that featured Martin, senior Turner Provo, Joyner and junior Titus Batts. A field goal from senior Will Clark staked WCA to a 33-20 halftime cushion.
The Patriots were limited to five points in the third quarter and the Chargers’ lead doubled at 50-25. The biggest advantage was 34 points. Zander emptied his bench in the fourth quarter, and reserves, directed by Batts, played the Patriots on even terms.
“Our defense frustrated them,” Zander declared.
Giammarino finished with a team-high 12 points for Wilmington, while Pierce added nine.
“We played well for 1 ½ quarters,” Wilmington head coach Chris Staton reviewed. “Our defense became like cones.”
“This is the first time in three years here we haven’t won the first game here. They shot the lights out. Every shot they made was pretty much a kick-out 3. They’re a lot easier to make than one pass and then the 3. That means they were getting in the paint on us. I was disappointed in our heart; we didn’t get the effort we know we can get.”
The Chargers, on Saturday, attempt to end the title drought against an Alamance team of which Zander said: “We are familiar.”
Added Martin: “We will have to step up (the defense( against the 3; they can shoot. We have to get into transition.”This feels good. We are ready to win (Saturday).”
Zander also assured: “Pacman will return (Saturday).”
WILMINGTON CHRISTIAN (35)
Perez 5, Giammariono 12, Carroll, Ekhardt 1, Pierce 9, Harmon, Donaldson 4, Upchurch 4.
WILSON CHRISTIAN (67)
Evans 4, Trull, Z. Joyner 12, Provo 6, Batts 6, Se. Quinn 5, Si. Quinn 7, B. Joyner 2, Martin 16, Zander 2, Clark 5, Ricks 2.
Score by quarters:
Wilmington Chr. 16 4 5 10 — 35
Wilson Chr. 14 19 24 10 — 67
Charger Christmas Classic Glance
