CONCORD, N.C. – The cfa Academy boys basketball team has earned some major victories in recent years, including last year’s N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 2A championship – the first in program history.
Friday night, the Eagles took their milestone wins to a national level, as they defeated Virginia’s highly regarded Mountain Mission School, 57-41, before a partisan crowd on the cfa campus.
Mountain Mission, which features multiple Division I college recruits, including 6-foot-11 Maciej Bender (West Virginia commit) and 6-10 Jethro Tshisumpa (Arizona State commit), plays a rigorous national schedule and has earned wins over some high-achieving teams, including Charlotte Providence Day.
“This is probably the most talented team cfa has ever had in our gym,” Eagles coach Frank Cantadore said, “so to be able to get the win is a testament of how hard these kids work, and I hope it's something that we can really build on.”
Serbian exchange student Nenad Milenkovic finished with a game-best 28 points for the Eagles. Senior forward Nico Payne stood out on both ends of the floor for cfa Academy, totaling 12 points and 10 rebounds while also holding Bender scoreless.
Tshisumpa finished with 12 points, but they proved to be inconsequential. The Eagles took control from the start, holding a 19-9 lead at the end of the first quarter and tactically limiting the Challengers the rest of the game.
The Eagles are now 13-4 on the season, while Mountain Mission is 16-6.
“We knew we needed to defend the post and limit them to one shot per possession because of their size,” Cantadore said. “I thought our guys did an excellent job of both. Mike Featherston and Nico Payne did a great job denying (Bender and Jethro Tshisumpa) the ball, which was huge.”
SCORING SUMMARY
Mountain Mission 9 12 10 10 -- 41
cfa Academy 19 11 8 19 -- 57
MOUNTAIN MISSION -- Harold Baruti 12, Walczak 4, Bikem Biyombo 6, Nathan Mepondy 2, Diogo Brito 5, Jethro Tshusumpa 12
CFA ACADEMY -- Julius Felder 4, Marquise Beasley 6, Weston Edwards 2, Michael Featherston 4, Nico Payne 12, DeAndre Thomas 1, Nenad Milenkovic 28
Friday night, the Eagles took their milestone wins to a national level, as they defeated Virginia’s highly regarded Mountain Mission School, 57-41, before a partisan crowd on the cfa campus.
Mountain Mission, which features multiple Division I college recruits, including 6-foot-11 Maciej Bender (West Virginia commit) and 6-10 Jethro Tshisumpa (Arizona State commit), plays a rigorous national schedule and has earned wins over some high-achieving teams, including Charlotte Providence Day.
“This is probably the most talented team cfa has ever had in our gym,” Eagles coach Frank Cantadore said, “so to be able to get the win is a testament of how hard these kids work, and I hope it's something that we can really build on.”
Serbian exchange student Nenad Milenkovic finished with a game-best 28 points for the Eagles. Senior forward Nico Payne stood out on both ends of the floor for cfa Academy, totaling 12 points and 10 rebounds while also holding Bender scoreless.
Tshisumpa finished with 12 points, but they proved to be inconsequential. The Eagles took control from the start, holding a 19-9 lead at the end of the first quarter and tactically limiting the Challengers the rest of the game.
The Eagles are now 13-4 on the season, while Mountain Mission is 16-6.
“We knew we needed to defend the post and limit them to one shot per possession because of their size,” Cantadore said. “I thought our guys did an excellent job of both. Mike Featherston and Nico Payne did a great job denying (Bender and Jethro Tshisumpa) the ball, which was huge.”
SCORING SUMMARY
Mountain Mission 9 12 10 10 -- 41
cfa Academy 19 11 8 19 -- 57
MOUNTAIN MISSION -- Harold Baruti 12, Walczak 4, Bikem Biyombo 6, Nathan Mepondy 2, Diogo Brito 5, Jethro Tshusumpa 12
CFA ACADEMY -- Julius Felder 4, Marquise Beasley 6, Weston Edwards 2, Michael Featherston 4, Nico Payne 12, DeAndre Thomas 1, Nenad Milenkovic 28
