NCISAA BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS
Trinity Christian sweeps into semifinals
By Jaclyn Shambaugh FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER
Staff writer
Trinity Christian’s boys’ and girls’ basketball teams earned easy wins in their first NCISAA 2-A state playoff games of the postseason Saturday.
In a doubleheader at Fuller Rec Center, the boys topped Cape Fear Christian 77-48, and the girls followed with a 67-44 ouster of Wayne Country Day.
The second-seeded Crusader boys (20-9) outpaced the Eagles early, contending inside with Cape Fear Christian’s sizable frontcourt despite the absence of highly recruited forward Joey Baker,Instead, sophomore guard Talton Jones set the pace for offensive production, leading all scorers with 27 points.
“We had to be physical with them (Cape Fear Christian),” Jones said. “There’s no lacking with them. You’ve got to be with them everywhere.”
In what coach Heath Vandevender called a “team effort” to overcome the hole left by Baker, forward Greg Gantt scored 21 points and guard Josh Nickelberry added 19.
“We just talked about being physical and not getting bullied at the post,” Vandevender said. “Joey can stretch those guys (in Cape Fear Christian’s frontcourt) because he can shoot the 3 well. I thought it was a very good team effort, and I thought everyone responded.”
The Eagles (19-15), the No. 7 seed, struggled offensively throughout the night, including a six-minute stretch without a basket from the floor to start the third quarter.
Guard Isaiah Tatum, one of just four Cape Fear Christian players to score, led the team with 19 points.
Vandevender said Baker, who was on the bench in street clothes during the game, is expected back for the team’s next game, a semifinal matchup against No. 3 seed Greenfield School (23-10) on Friday.
The teams will face off at semifinal host Covenant Day at 8:30 p.m.
“He didn’t practice this week,” the coach said. “And our rule is if you don’t practice, you don’t play.”
Vandevender coached despite facing charges of embezzling nearly $400,000 from employee withholding money that was supposed to go to the N.C. Department of Revenue. Vandevender is vice president of Truth Outreach Center Inc., the parent organization of Trinity Christian School and Trinity Community Services.
He was arrested Monday and is out on $50,000 bail. Vandevender said shortly after his release that he would continue in his duties as boys’ basketball coach and school athletic director. His next court appearance is March 7.
He declined to address the legal issues in his postgame interview but did say that he didn’t consider not coaching due to the charges.
“These are my boys, and this is my job, and I’m looking forward to this week,” Vandevender said.
Trinity Christian has just under a week to prepare for Greenfield, a team the Crusaders knocked out of the 2016 playoffs en route to the 2-A state title.
The Crusaders and the Knights (23-10) split this year’s regular-season meetings, with Trinity taking the most recent win 76-73 on Jan. 26.
Trinity Christian sweeps into semifinals
By Jaclyn Shambaugh FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER
Staff writer
Trinity Christian’s boys’ and girls’ basketball teams earned easy wins in their first NCISAA 2-A state playoff games of the postseason Saturday.
In a doubleheader at Fuller Rec Center, the boys topped Cape Fear Christian 77-48, and the girls followed with a 67-44 ouster of Wayne Country Day.
The second-seeded Crusader boys (20-9) outpaced the Eagles early, contending inside with Cape Fear Christian’s sizable frontcourt despite the absence of highly recruited forward Joey Baker,Instead, sophomore guard Talton Jones set the pace for offensive production, leading all scorers with 27 points.
“We had to be physical with them (Cape Fear Christian),” Jones said. “There’s no lacking with them. You’ve got to be with them everywhere.”
In what coach Heath Vandevender called a “team effort” to overcome the hole left by Baker, forward Greg Gantt scored 21 points and guard Josh Nickelberry added 19.
“We just talked about being physical and not getting bullied at the post,” Vandevender said. “Joey can stretch those guys (in Cape Fear Christian’s frontcourt) because he can shoot the 3 well. I thought it was a very good team effort, and I thought everyone responded.”
The Eagles (19-15), the No. 7 seed, struggled offensively throughout the night, including a six-minute stretch without a basket from the floor to start the third quarter.
Guard Isaiah Tatum, one of just four Cape Fear Christian players to score, led the team with 19 points.
Vandevender said Baker, who was on the bench in street clothes during the game, is expected back for the team’s next game, a semifinal matchup against No. 3 seed Greenfield School (23-10) on Friday.
The teams will face off at semifinal host Covenant Day at 8:30 p.m.
“He didn’t practice this week,” the coach said. “And our rule is if you don’t practice, you don’t play.”
Vandevender coached despite facing charges of embezzling nearly $400,000 from employee withholding money that was supposed to go to the N.C. Department of Revenue. Vandevender is vice president of Truth Outreach Center Inc., the parent organization of Trinity Christian School and Trinity Community Services.
He was arrested Monday and is out on $50,000 bail. Vandevender said shortly after his release that he would continue in his duties as boys’ basketball coach and school athletic director. His next court appearance is March 7.
He declined to address the legal issues in his postgame interview but did say that he didn’t consider not coaching due to the charges.
“These are my boys, and this is my job, and I’m looking forward to this week,” Vandevender said.
Trinity Christian has just under a week to prepare for Greenfield, a team the Crusaders knocked out of the 2016 playoffs en route to the 2-A state title.
The Crusaders and the Knights (23-10) split this year’s regular-season meetings, with Trinity taking the most recent win 76-73 on Jan. 26.
