Charlotte Christian routs Charlotte Country Day
BY STEVE LYTTLE AND LANGSTON WERTZ JR. JANUARY 21, 2022 10:57 PM
Charlotte Christian shot 31 percent from the floor Tuesday night in a loss to Charlotte Latin. Then the Knights turned around Friday night and made 46 percent of their shots against Charlotte Country Day.
Guess which of those games the Knights won? “When you commit to guarding on defense and rebounding, it opens things up offensively in transition,” said Charlotte Christian coach Shonn Brown, after his team pummeled the host Buccaneers 81-54 in a CISAA game.
“We made 11-of-35 from the floor the other night,” Brown said, referring to his team’s 59-38 loss to Charlotte Latin.
“Coach Berger does a fine job with that team, and they played really well,” Brown said of Latin coach Chris Berger.
“But we contributed to that by not playing like we should have.
“Tonight, we put a solid game together.”
The CISAA has the look of a league that won’t be decided until the final week of the season. Charlotte Christian entered Friday’s game as part of a four-way tie for first place. The Knights (12-9, 3-1) took the league lead temporarily, as the other two games were postponed.
But Brown says he knows it will be tough the rest of the way. “Every night, it’s a battle,” he said. “Every game is a competitive contest. Each team in this league is well-coached.”
Friday’s game was tightly played for much of the first half. The Buccaneers (13-9, 0-3) hung with the Knights and trailed only 22-20 after Fletcher Bigham’s basket with 4:20 left in the half.
But Charlotte Christian’s defense changed the momentum. The Knights forced five Bucs turnovers in the next three minutes and converted each into a basket. Charlotte Christian outscored the Bucs 17-6 over the remainder of the quarter, led 39-26 at the half, and were never threatened after that.
“We set up some traps, and they helped us get some turnovers and score some points in transition,” Brown said. He said he’s emphasized to his team that good defense isn’t always defined by the number of steals.
“Good defense is about putting the other team in positions it doesn’t want to be in,” he said.
THREE WHO MATTERED
Cade Nicholson, Charlotte Christian: A 6-4 junior wing, Nicholson scored 21 points, shooting 6-of-10 from the floor and making four 3-pointers.
John Lash, Charlotte Christian: Lash is a 6-6 freshman, and he is a big part of the Knights’ future. Friday night, he scored 15 points and pulled down 16 rebounds. He also had three blocked shots.
Dallas Gardner, Charlotte Country Day: Gardner, a 6-3 junior guard, scored a game-high 22 points. WORTH MENTIONING ▪
Charlotte Christian overwhelmed the Buccaneers on the boards, piling up a 41-22 rebounding margin. John Lash had 16 rebounds, and Cade Preston added 10.
▪ A couple signs of Charlotte Christian’s tough defense and rebounding: The Knights had 26 more field-goal attempts than Charlotte Country Day, and they held the Bucs to 40 percent shooting from the floor. ▪ Charlotte Country Day had the game’s most spectacular play, however. As the clock wound down at the end of the first quarter, the Bucs’ Amare Bethel dribbled the ball across the time line and fired up a 35-foot shot. It bounced off the backboard and through the basket.
WHAT’S NEXT Each team resumes CISAA play on the road Tuesday. Charlotte Christian visits Providence Day, and Charlotte Country Day is at Cannon School.
BY STEVE LYTTLE AND LANGSTON WERTZ JR. JANUARY 21, 2022 10:57 PM
Charlotte Christian shot 31 percent from the floor Tuesday night in a loss to Charlotte Latin. Then the Knights turned around Friday night and made 46 percent of their shots against Charlotte Country Day.
Guess which of those games the Knights won? “When you commit to guarding on defense and rebounding, it opens things up offensively in transition,” said Charlotte Christian coach Shonn Brown, after his team pummeled the host Buccaneers 81-54 in a CISAA game.
“We made 11-of-35 from the floor the other night,” Brown said, referring to his team’s 59-38 loss to Charlotte Latin.
“Coach Berger does a fine job with that team, and they played really well,” Brown said of Latin coach Chris Berger.
“But we contributed to that by not playing like we should have.
“Tonight, we put a solid game together.”
The CISAA has the look of a league that won’t be decided until the final week of the season. Charlotte Christian entered Friday’s game as part of a four-way tie for first place. The Knights (12-9, 3-1) took the league lead temporarily, as the other two games were postponed.
But Brown says he knows it will be tough the rest of the way. “Every night, it’s a battle,” he said. “Every game is a competitive contest. Each team in this league is well-coached.”
Friday’s game was tightly played for much of the first half. The Buccaneers (13-9, 0-3) hung with the Knights and trailed only 22-20 after Fletcher Bigham’s basket with 4:20 left in the half.
But Charlotte Christian’s defense changed the momentum. The Knights forced five Bucs turnovers in the next three minutes and converted each into a basket. Charlotte Christian outscored the Bucs 17-6 over the remainder of the quarter, led 39-26 at the half, and were never threatened after that.
“We set up some traps, and they helped us get some turnovers and score some points in transition,” Brown said. He said he’s emphasized to his team that good defense isn’t always defined by the number of steals.
“Good defense is about putting the other team in positions it doesn’t want to be in,” he said.
THREE WHO MATTERED
Cade Nicholson, Charlotte Christian: A 6-4 junior wing, Nicholson scored 21 points, shooting 6-of-10 from the floor and making four 3-pointers.
John Lash, Charlotte Christian: Lash is a 6-6 freshman, and he is a big part of the Knights’ future. Friday night, he scored 15 points and pulled down 16 rebounds. He also had three blocked shots.
Dallas Gardner, Charlotte Country Day: Gardner, a 6-3 junior guard, scored a game-high 22 points. WORTH MENTIONING ▪
Charlotte Christian overwhelmed the Buccaneers on the boards, piling up a 41-22 rebounding margin. John Lash had 16 rebounds, and Cade Preston added 10.
▪ A couple signs of Charlotte Christian’s tough defense and rebounding: The Knights had 26 more field-goal attempts than Charlotte Country Day, and they held the Bucs to 40 percent shooting from the floor. ▪ Charlotte Country Day had the game’s most spectacular play, however. As the clock wound down at the end of the first quarter, the Bucs’ Amare Bethel dribbled the ball across the time line and fired up a 35-foot shot. It bounced off the backboard and through the basket.
WHAT’S NEXT Each team resumes CISAA play on the road Tuesday. Charlotte Christian visits Providence Day, and Charlotte Country Day is at Cannon School.
