Facing the giants, Covenant Day’s growth process continues
MATTHEWS
The growth process for a basketball program is not a straight line, Covenant Day boys’ head coach Marty Parrish said.
“It’s a learning process,” he said Friday night, after his team fell 75-63 to The Burlington School, ranked eighth in North Carolina in the Charlotte Observer/News & Observer statewide ranking. “We make progress, but there is always something to learn
“We look at the tape, and we grow from it.”
A few years ago, Covenant Day struggled to win more than two or three games in a season. Parrish arrived four years ago, and the Lions’ program has improved steadily. Last year, Covenant Day finished third in the tough CISAA conference, one of the toughest, public or private, in North Carolina. In two of the past three seasons -- Providence Day in 2018 and Cannon School in 2020 -- the CISAA has produced the large division state champion.
Now the Lions, looking to join that elite list, are taking on some of the state’s elite teams, as was the case Friday night.
And Parrish’s players gave a good accounting of themselves early in the contest. They built a 20-15 lead with 6:18 left in the first half.
But they made only 1-of-8 shots from the floor for the rest of the half, and the visiting Spartans (7-2), a perennial state private school power, knew how to take advantage of that. The Burlington School outscored Covenant Day 21-6 for the rest of the quarter, taking a 36-26 halftime lead, then started the second half with another 19-9 surge. With 2:37 left in the third quarter, the Spartans led 55-35.
“That’s part of the growth process,” said Parrish, whose team slipped to 2-2 on the season. “What we learned tonight is that we need to do a better job of protecting leads. Those are things we’ll look at on the tape.”
Spartans’ head coach Ryan Bernardi said his team also has improved since the start of the season.
“We’re a lot different from the team that started the season,” he said. “We’re learning every game how to work together a little better.”
Zion Walker, The Burlington School: A 6-2 freshman guard, Walker was spectacular in the second half, connecting on 6-of-7 shots from the floor, including a pair of 3-pointers. He finished with 18 points.
Aden Holloway, Covenant Day: The Lions’ gifted 5-11 sophomore guard scored a game-high 21 points, making all seven of his field-goal attempts in the second half.
Kuluel Mading, The Burlington School: Mading, a 6-10 senior, scored 15 points, grabbed a game-high six rebounds, and blocked three shots.
WORTH MENTIONING
▪ Covenant Day played once again without standout 6-5 junior forward Daniel Nelson, who is recovering from a concussion. “He makes a big difference on this team,” Parrish said.
▪ The Lions trailed by 20 early in the second half but clawed their way back to a 10-point deficit (55-45) with 6:57 left. Then they went 0-for-6 from the floor, and The Burlington School went on a 7-0 run. “If we could have gotten within 10 points, it could have changed the momentum,” Parrish said. “That’s another of the things we need to learn.”
▪ The Burlington School shot 55 percent from the floor (29-of-53), to 49 percent (19-of-39) for Covenant Day.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Burlington School hosts Vision Prep, out of New York City, on Tuesday night. Covenant Day returns to action next Friday, visiting Concord Academy.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
MATTHEWS
The growth process for a basketball program is not a straight line, Covenant Day boys’ head coach Marty Parrish said.
“It’s a learning process,” he said Friday night, after his team fell 75-63 to The Burlington School, ranked eighth in North Carolina in the Charlotte Observer/News & Observer statewide ranking. “We make progress, but there is always something to learn
“We look at the tape, and we grow from it.”
A few years ago, Covenant Day struggled to win more than two or three games in a season. Parrish arrived four years ago, and the Lions’ program has improved steadily. Last year, Covenant Day finished third in the tough CISAA conference, one of the toughest, public or private, in North Carolina. In two of the past three seasons -- Providence Day in 2018 and Cannon School in 2020 -- the CISAA has produced the large division state champion.
Now the Lions, looking to join that elite list, are taking on some of the state’s elite teams, as was the case Friday night.
And Parrish’s players gave a good accounting of themselves early in the contest. They built a 20-15 lead with 6:18 left in the first half.
But they made only 1-of-8 shots from the floor for the rest of the half, and the visiting Spartans (7-2), a perennial state private school power, knew how to take advantage of that. The Burlington School outscored Covenant Day 21-6 for the rest of the quarter, taking a 36-26 halftime lead, then started the second half with another 19-9 surge. With 2:37 left in the third quarter, the Spartans led 55-35.
“That’s part of the growth process,” said Parrish, whose team slipped to 2-2 on the season. “What we learned tonight is that we need to do a better job of protecting leads. Those are things we’ll look at on the tape.”
Spartans’ head coach Ryan Bernardi said his team also has improved since the start of the season.
“We’re a lot different from the team that started the season,” he said. “We’re learning every game how to work together a little better.”
Zion Walker, The Burlington School: A 6-2 freshman guard, Walker was spectacular in the second half, connecting on 6-of-7 shots from the floor, including a pair of 3-pointers. He finished with 18 points.
Aden Holloway, Covenant Day: The Lions’ gifted 5-11 sophomore guard scored a game-high 21 points, making all seven of his field-goal attempts in the second half.
Kuluel Mading, The Burlington School: Mading, a 6-10 senior, scored 15 points, grabbed a game-high six rebounds, and blocked three shots.
WORTH MENTIONING
▪ Covenant Day played once again without standout 6-5 junior forward Daniel Nelson, who is recovering from a concussion. “He makes a big difference on this team,” Parrish said.
▪ The Lions trailed by 20 early in the second half but clawed their way back to a 10-point deficit (55-45) with 6:57 left. Then they went 0-for-6 from the floor, and The Burlington School went on a 7-0 run. “If we could have gotten within 10 points, it could have changed the momentum,” Parrish said. “That’s another of the things we need to learn.”
▪ The Burlington School shot 55 percent from the floor (29-of-53), to 49 percent (19-of-39) for Covenant Day.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Burlington School hosts Vision Prep, out of New York City, on Tuesday night. Covenant Day returns to action next Friday, visiting Concord Academy.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
