MLK Dream Jam brings teams together
By Rodd Baxley
Staff writer FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER
For one day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, public and private schools in Cumberland County will come together on the basketball court.
Today's MLK Dream Jam at Terry Sanford High School, which was spearheaded by Bulldogs coach Karl Molnar, will feature a mix of Cumberland County Schools and local private schools in a six-game schedule.
The action starts at 11:30 a.m. with the Terry Sanford girls facing Freedom Christian and ends at 7 p.m. with Terry Sanford’s boys facing Village Christian. Five of the six boys’ teams in the field have a winning record, while only two girls’ squads boast a winning record Admission is $10.
Trinity Christian’s squads enter the event with a combined record of 29-3. The once-beaten Trinity Christian boys (17-1), who have won 13 games in a row, have three players averaging double figures and will face Pine Forest (9-6) in the 5:30 game.
Trinity Christian’s girls (12-2) will face Cape Fear at 2:30 p.m. in the final girls’ game.
Village Christian’s boys (15-4), who handed Trinity its lone loss of the season, faces host Terry Sanford (10-4) in a marquee matchup to cap the day. Village Christian’s girls (7-7) face Richmond Senior (11-5) in what appears to be the best girls’ matchup of the day.
Here’s a look at some of the top players to watch at the event.
GIRLS
DaiJa Turner, Village Christian
The triple-double machine took her game to the next level on Friday with a quadruple- double performance against Fayetteville Christian. The 6-foot-3 junior finished with 17 points, 24 rebounds, 14 blocks and 10 steals for the
Knights.
Lavariah Armstead, Trinity Christian
The engine that makes the Crusaders go, Armstead is averaging 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.3 steals and 2.9 assists in her junior season. She has scored 20 or more points in four games, including a 32-point performance in a win against Village Christian earlier this season.
Desiree Smith, Trinity Christian
The second key cog in the Crusaders’ machine is Smith, who is averaging a team-high 11.4 rebounds per game. The junior has six double-double performances this season, including a 19-point, 19-rebound effort against Mount Zion Christian Academy.
Hannah Lewis, Terry Sanford
The Bulldogs have struggled this season with only one win through 14 games, but Lewis has been sensational as a sophomore. The 5-foot-11 wing is averaging a team-best 11.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. She scored a seasonhigh 20 points against Gray’s Creek in late December.
Keionna Love, Richmond Senior
A senior leader for the Raiders, Love is averaging 12.5 points per game and has reached double figures in seven consecutive games. The guard scored a season-best 21 points in a win against Hoke County on Jan. 7 and is coming off a 19-point performance against rival Scotland.
BOYS
Zavian McLean, Village Christian
A senior for the Knights, McLean closed 2019 with a 44-point performance to tie a program record. The Columbia signee has carried that momentum into the new year and is coming off a 31-point performance against Fayetteville Academy.
Marquis Eskew, Pine Forest
A senior for the balanced Trojans, Eskew leads the team with 14.7 points per game. The 6-foot-1 guard has reached double figures in seven straight games, including a season-best 23-point performance against Terry Sanford last week.
Davis Molnar, Terry Sanford
A sophomore stud for a balanced bunch of Bulldogs, Molnar is averaging 13.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 6.5 assists through 14 games. The 6-foot-7 wing has scored double figures in 10 consecutive games, including six double-double performances.
Todd Burt Jr., Trinity Christian
A senior leader on a squad full of talented youngsters, Burt continues to lead the hottest team in the county with an average of 13.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. He has four double-double performances this season.
Manny Alvarado, Freedom Christian
The Patriots’ senior floor general is averaging 13.9 points and a team-high 6.2 assists through 18 games this season. Alvarado has five games with 20 or more points and three with double-digit assists. Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver. com or 910-486-3519.
By Rodd Baxley
Staff writer FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER
For one day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, public and private schools in Cumberland County will come together on the basketball court.
Today's MLK Dream Jam at Terry Sanford High School, which was spearheaded by Bulldogs coach Karl Molnar, will feature a mix of Cumberland County Schools and local private schools in a six-game schedule.
The action starts at 11:30 a.m. with the Terry Sanford girls facing Freedom Christian and ends at 7 p.m. with Terry Sanford’s boys facing Village Christian. Five of the six boys’ teams in the field have a winning record, while only two girls’ squads boast a winning record Admission is $10.
Trinity Christian’s squads enter the event with a combined record of 29-3. The once-beaten Trinity Christian boys (17-1), who have won 13 games in a row, have three players averaging double figures and will face Pine Forest (9-6) in the 5:30 game.
Trinity Christian’s girls (12-2) will face Cape Fear at 2:30 p.m. in the final girls’ game.
Village Christian’s boys (15-4), who handed Trinity its lone loss of the season, faces host Terry Sanford (10-4) in a marquee matchup to cap the day. Village Christian’s girls (7-7) face Richmond Senior (11-5) in what appears to be the best girls’ matchup of the day.
Here’s a look at some of the top players to watch at the event.
GIRLS
DaiJa Turner, Village Christian
The triple-double machine took her game to the next level on Friday with a quadruple- double performance against Fayetteville Christian. The 6-foot-3 junior finished with 17 points, 24 rebounds, 14 blocks and 10 steals for the
Knights.
Lavariah Armstead, Trinity Christian
The engine that makes the Crusaders go, Armstead is averaging 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.3 steals and 2.9 assists in her junior season. She has scored 20 or more points in four games, including a 32-point performance in a win against Village Christian earlier this season.
Desiree Smith, Trinity Christian
The second key cog in the Crusaders’ machine is Smith, who is averaging a team-high 11.4 rebounds per game. The junior has six double-double performances this season, including a 19-point, 19-rebound effort against Mount Zion Christian Academy.
Hannah Lewis, Terry Sanford
The Bulldogs have struggled this season with only one win through 14 games, but Lewis has been sensational as a sophomore. The 5-foot-11 wing is averaging a team-best 11.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. She scored a seasonhigh 20 points against Gray’s Creek in late December.
Keionna Love, Richmond Senior
A senior leader for the Raiders, Love is averaging 12.5 points per game and has reached double figures in seven consecutive games. The guard scored a season-best 21 points in a win against Hoke County on Jan. 7 and is coming off a 19-point performance against rival Scotland.
BOYS
Zavian McLean, Village Christian
A senior for the Knights, McLean closed 2019 with a 44-point performance to tie a program record. The Columbia signee has carried that momentum into the new year and is coming off a 31-point performance against Fayetteville Academy.
Marquis Eskew, Pine Forest
A senior for the balanced Trojans, Eskew leads the team with 14.7 points per game. The 6-foot-1 guard has reached double figures in seven straight games, including a season-best 23-point performance against Terry Sanford last week.
Davis Molnar, Terry Sanford
A sophomore stud for a balanced bunch of Bulldogs, Molnar is averaging 13.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 6.5 assists through 14 games. The 6-foot-7 wing has scored double figures in 10 consecutive games, including six double-double performances.
Todd Burt Jr., Trinity Christian
A senior leader on a squad full of talented youngsters, Burt continues to lead the hottest team in the county with an average of 13.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. He has four double-double performances this season.
Manny Alvarado, Freedom Christian
The Patriots’ senior floor general is averaging 13.9 points and a team-high 6.2 assists through 18 games this season. Alvarado has five games with 20 or more points and three with double-digit assists. Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver. com or 910-486-3519.
