Village Christian ousts No. 1 seed
• The Knights secure a state championship berth as the Spartans go cold in the waning seconds.
By Richard Walker
Gaston Gazette
GASTONIA — Defending North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 2-A champion Village Christian knew it would take a strong effort to beat topseeded Gaston Day on the Spartans’ home court in a state semifinal game Friday night.
And it did right down to the final seconds as Gaston Day missed five shots and two free throws, including two shots from close range in the final 15 seconds, of Village Christian Academy’s 82-80 victory.
“We came in trying to go back-to-back,” said Knights coach Kurtis Darden. His team will play Matthews Carmel Christian, a 79-76 winner over Concord First Assembly, today at 8 p.m. at Charlotte Latin for the 2017 state title. “That was the expectation from the get-go this season and we’re one win away from accomplishing it.”
Village Christian (28-5) got a fast start and a fast finish against the top-seeded Spartans (23-4).
Junior guard Dakari Johnson scored 18 of his team-high 26 points in the first quarter as the Knights built a 30-19 lead.
But Gaston Day rallied behind Nate Hinton (28 points), Quan McCluney (25 points) and M.J. Armstrong (17 points) in the second quarter. And Hinton’s steal and driving layup just before the halftime buzzer gave the Spartans their first lead of 43-42 at the break.
“Basketball is a game of runs,” said Darden, whose fifth-seeded team had won at Carolina Day School six days earlier to advance to the semifinals. “We knew they were playing in their gym and we knew they were going to play hard too.”
Gaston Day built three leads of five points in the third quarter before the Knights took control in the fourth quarter.
Village Christian Academy led 76-70 with 3:31 to play behind Omari Watson, who scored nine of his 15 points in the final period. And the Knights were ahead 82-77 after Johnson’s driving layup with 50 seconds to play. But the Spartans made a furious rally before being undone by missed opportunities.
For the game, Gaston Day went 18 of 32 from the free throw line, but the Spartans were only seven of 15 in the final quarter.
From the field, it wasn’t any better, as Gaston Day made 28 of 61 shots overall and missed 11 of 14 tries in the fourth quarter.
“It’s a long game,” Gaston Day coach Trent McCallister said. “You can look at the fourth quarter and the last few minutes and talk about the missed opportunities we may have had. But give Village Christian credit. They were the better team than us for 32 minutes.”
In addition to Johnson and Wilson, Jordan Ratliffe had 24 points, Josh Haymer 10 and Nassyr Daniels seven for Village Christian Academy.
Gaston Day, which was in its eighth NCISAA Final Four in 17 seasons, will likely enter next season as one of the state’s favorites to get this far or even farther. The Spartans lose only one senior in Brandon Reeves and will return juniors Hinton, McCluney and Armstrong and sophomore starters John Crump and Demilade Adelekun.
“The message I just told the guys was that we did everything right,” said McCal-lister, whose team earlier this year won its sixth conference regular season title and sixth conference tournament title. “We left everything out there but we came up two points short to a really good team.
“That happens in life sometimes. So I’m disappointed but I’m very proud.”
Village Christian 82, Gaston Day 80
Village Christian 30 12 20 20—82 Gaston Day 19 24 23 14—80 VILLAGE CHRISTIAN — Dakari Johnson 26, Jordan Ratliffe 24, Omari Wilson 15, Josh Haymer 10, Nassyr Daniel 7
GASTON DAY — Nate Hinton 28, Quan McCluney 25, M.J. Armstrong 17, Demilade Adelekun 7, Brandon Reeves 3
• Records: Village Christian 28-5, Gaston Day 23-4
• The Knights secure a state championship berth as the Spartans go cold in the waning seconds.
By Richard Walker
Gaston Gazette
GASTONIA — Defending North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 2-A champion Village Christian knew it would take a strong effort to beat topseeded Gaston Day on the Spartans’ home court in a state semifinal game Friday night.
And it did right down to the final seconds as Gaston Day missed five shots and two free throws, including two shots from close range in the final 15 seconds, of Village Christian Academy’s 82-80 victory.
“We came in trying to go back-to-back,” said Knights coach Kurtis Darden. His team will play Matthews Carmel Christian, a 79-76 winner over Concord First Assembly, today at 8 p.m. at Charlotte Latin for the 2017 state title. “That was the expectation from the get-go this season and we’re one win away from accomplishing it.”
Village Christian (28-5) got a fast start and a fast finish against the top-seeded Spartans (23-4).
Junior guard Dakari Johnson scored 18 of his team-high 26 points in the first quarter as the Knights built a 30-19 lead.
But Gaston Day rallied behind Nate Hinton (28 points), Quan McCluney (25 points) and M.J. Armstrong (17 points) in the second quarter. And Hinton’s steal and driving layup just before the halftime buzzer gave the Spartans their first lead of 43-42 at the break.
“Basketball is a game of runs,” said Darden, whose fifth-seeded team had won at Carolina Day School six days earlier to advance to the semifinals. “We knew they were playing in their gym and we knew they were going to play hard too.”
Gaston Day built three leads of five points in the third quarter before the Knights took control in the fourth quarter.
Village Christian Academy led 76-70 with 3:31 to play behind Omari Watson, who scored nine of his 15 points in the final period. And the Knights were ahead 82-77 after Johnson’s driving layup with 50 seconds to play. But the Spartans made a furious rally before being undone by missed opportunities.
For the game, Gaston Day went 18 of 32 from the free throw line, but the Spartans were only seven of 15 in the final quarter.
From the field, it wasn’t any better, as Gaston Day made 28 of 61 shots overall and missed 11 of 14 tries in the fourth quarter.
“It’s a long game,” Gaston Day coach Trent McCallister said. “You can look at the fourth quarter and the last few minutes and talk about the missed opportunities we may have had. But give Village Christian credit. They were the better team than us for 32 minutes.”
In addition to Johnson and Wilson, Jordan Ratliffe had 24 points, Josh Haymer 10 and Nassyr Daniels seven for Village Christian Academy.
Gaston Day, which was in its eighth NCISAA Final Four in 17 seasons, will likely enter next season as one of the state’s favorites to get this far or even farther. The Spartans lose only one senior in Brandon Reeves and will return juniors Hinton, McCluney and Armstrong and sophomore starters John Crump and Demilade Adelekun.
“The message I just told the guys was that we did everything right,” said McCal-lister, whose team earlier this year won its sixth conference regular season title and sixth conference tournament title. “We left everything out there but we came up two points short to a really good team.
“That happens in life sometimes. So I’m disappointed but I’m very proud.”
Village Christian 82, Gaston Day 80
Village Christian 30 12 20 20—82 Gaston Day 19 24 23 14—80 VILLAGE CHRISTIAN — Dakari Johnson 26, Jordan Ratliffe 24, Omari Wilson 15, Josh Haymer 10, Nassyr Daniel 7
GASTON DAY — Nate Hinton 28, Quan McCluney 25, M.J. Armstrong 17, Demilade Adelekun 7, Brandon Reeves 3
• Records: Village Christian 28-5, Gaston Day 23-4
