Tyler McKinney leads ACA in win over Christ School
SWANNANOA -- In a matchup pitting Asheville Christian’s deep rotation of talented guards against the impressive front court of Christ School, the host Lions leaned on 34 points from senior Tyler McKinney to secure a 71-58 conference win.
Christ School began the game alternating between a 2-3 zone and a man-to-man defense. The Lions used quick ball movement and hot shooting to bust the zone. Junior Collin Mills hit three triples in the opening quarter to propel Asheville Christian to a 23-10 lead at the end of the first and effectively force Christ School into a man-to-man for the rest of the night.
“The game plan on the offensive end was to take care of the ball and get good shots,” Asheville Christian Head Coach Andy Ray said. “The guys executed well with that. On the defensive end we wanted to limit the touches for Justice (Ajogbar) and (De’Ante) Green in the paint, and overall we did a pretty good job of that.”
While Green finished with 18 points and Ajogbar with 11, it wasn’t enough to counterbalance McKinney’s big night. The Asheville Christian senior scored 19 of his game-high 34 points in the second half, including two critical baskets to put the game out of reach after Christ School cut the deficit to 55-51 in the fourth quarter.
“Tyler was steady all night long,” Ray said. “He scored at three levels: the basket, midrange, and the three. Defensively he guarded the bigs and guarded on the perimeter. He had poise when they made their run and helped handle the ball. That’s what you need out of a senior.”
McKinney said the respect his teammates command from defenders as three-point shooters helped him create shots.
“Our team has guards that can space the floor, which provides room to drive and create off the dribble,” said McKinney. “We were moving a lot, we weren’t stagnant on offense. We were getting to our spots all game long.”
The loss drops Christ School to 3-8 on the season, while Asheville Christian jumps to 4-3.
“Their defensive game plan really frustrated us,” Christ School coach Matt Cioce said. “They moved the ball really well offensively, which tired us out. They just played their brand of basketball and we didn’t play ours at all. We’ve just got to get back to work and try to get some things fixed.”
The two teams will meet again on January 28 at Christ School, a pivotal rematch in terms of conference standings.
“They are always a good team, they are always a good program, and we knew that coming in,” said McKinney. “It’s our biggest conference game, so we just try to prepare for it to be ready for whatever they throw at us.”
SWANNANOA -- In a matchup pitting Asheville Christian’s deep rotation of talented guards against the impressive front court of Christ School, the host Lions leaned on 34 points from senior Tyler McKinney to secure a 71-58 conference win.
Christ School began the game alternating between a 2-3 zone and a man-to-man defense. The Lions used quick ball movement and hot shooting to bust the zone. Junior Collin Mills hit three triples in the opening quarter to propel Asheville Christian to a 23-10 lead at the end of the first and effectively force Christ School into a man-to-man for the rest of the night.
“The game plan on the offensive end was to take care of the ball and get good shots,” Asheville Christian Head Coach Andy Ray said. “The guys executed well with that. On the defensive end we wanted to limit the touches for Justice (Ajogbar) and (De’Ante) Green in the paint, and overall we did a pretty good job of that.”
While Green finished with 18 points and Ajogbar with 11, it wasn’t enough to counterbalance McKinney’s big night. The Asheville Christian senior scored 19 of his game-high 34 points in the second half, including two critical baskets to put the game out of reach after Christ School cut the deficit to 55-51 in the fourth quarter.
“Tyler was steady all night long,” Ray said. “He scored at three levels: the basket, midrange, and the three. Defensively he guarded the bigs and guarded on the perimeter. He had poise when they made their run and helped handle the ball. That’s what you need out of a senior.”
McKinney said the respect his teammates command from defenders as three-point shooters helped him create shots.
“Our team has guards that can space the floor, which provides room to drive and create off the dribble,” said McKinney. “We were moving a lot, we weren’t stagnant on offense. We were getting to our spots all game long.”
The loss drops Christ School to 3-8 on the season, while Asheville Christian jumps to 4-3.
“Their defensive game plan really frustrated us,” Christ School coach Matt Cioce said. “They moved the ball really well offensively, which tired us out. They just played their brand of basketball and we didn’t play ours at all. We’ve just got to get back to work and try to get some things fixed.”
The two teams will meet again on January 28 at Christ School, a pivotal rematch in terms of conference standings.
“They are always a good team, they are always a good program, and we knew that coming in,” said McKinney. “It’s our biggest conference game, so we just try to prepare for it to be ready for whatever they throw at us.”
