Colts emerge victorious in slugfest with Grace Christian
By Brandon White
bwhite@hendersondispatch.com; 252-436-2840
Jan 07, 2020 9:42 PM
SANFORD — After splitting the four games played between them in the 2018-19 season, the Crossroads Christian Colts and Grace Christian Crusaders took part in their first of two regular season matchups Tuesday.
Each program was determined to secure a victory over the other, but the Colts came out on top with an 84-78 win after withstanding numerous swings in momentum and a late-game charge from their rival.
“This is a great win for us,” Colts head coach Scottie Richardson said. “They’re the 10th ranked team in the state, and they are very well coached, so we’re happy to get this win tonight.”
Both the Colts and Crusaders started the game on even footing, with each side taking turns at holding the lead until the latter took a 20-16 lead at the end of the first quarter after establishing consistency with perimeter shooting.
The Colts opened the second half by scoring 10 unanswered points, but the back-and-forth nature of the contest continued after the Crusaders responded with a 10-0 run of their own.
The Colts’ offense began to sputter during the closing minutes of the first half, opening the door for the Crusaders to drive the ball underneath the rim and build a small 38-32 halftime advantage over their opponent, which left Richardson frustrated at his players for allowing a six-point deficit.
“I wasn’t very nice to them,” Richardson said. “I let them have it a little bit at halftime, but I wanted them to focus more on the defensive end. I told them that this game would come down to one or two stops and we’ve practiced hard on those kinds of situations, but I’m really happy with the effort we displayed tonight.”
Momentum swings continued to be an overarching theme at the start of the third quarter, with the Colts outscoring the Crusaders 9-2 to retake the lead before the Crusaders shook off the rust to trade blows with the Colts once again.
After both programs hit a wide assortment of jump shots and three-pointers to close out the third quarter, the Colts found themselves on top by a score of 60-58, all while the Crusaders lurked closely behind them.
With a victory in the balance, the Colts began to rely on their two dynamic playmakers in seniors Taylor Bell and Zach Murphy, who repeatedly gashed the Crusaders in the paint to help the Colts stay one step in front of them through most of the fourth quarter.
The Crusaders made one last charge at the win with a handful of three-pointers, but the Colts would knock down several clutch free-throws and jump shots to hold on for their ninth victory of the season.
Richardson praised Bell and Murphy for their efforts on offense in the closing minutes of the game, but he affirmed that the team’s ability to disrupt the Crusaders top scorers in Phillip Martin, Allan Taylor and Jonah Murr ultimately decided which team would prevail in the closely contested event.
“I can’t say enough good things about Taylor and Zach,” Richardson said. “The focus was on the defense, and I thought Zach in particular did really good on guarding [Jonah] Murr. We put a lot of different guys on Murr, but Zach’s height advantage over him really worked out for us in the fourth quarter.”
The Colts will travel to Charlotte on Friday evening to face off against the United Faith Christian Academy Falcons at 7 p.m., who are also fresh off a 71-55 victory against the Crusaders on Saturday.
By Brandon White
bwhite@hendersondispatch.com; 252-436-2840
Jan 07, 2020 9:42 PM
SANFORD — After splitting the four games played between them in the 2018-19 season, the Crossroads Christian Colts and Grace Christian Crusaders took part in their first of two regular season matchups Tuesday.
Each program was determined to secure a victory over the other, but the Colts came out on top with an 84-78 win after withstanding numerous swings in momentum and a late-game charge from their rival.
“This is a great win for us,” Colts head coach Scottie Richardson said. “They’re the 10th ranked team in the state, and they are very well coached, so we’re happy to get this win tonight.”
Both the Colts and Crusaders started the game on even footing, with each side taking turns at holding the lead until the latter took a 20-16 lead at the end of the first quarter after establishing consistency with perimeter shooting.
The Colts opened the second half by scoring 10 unanswered points, but the back-and-forth nature of the contest continued after the Crusaders responded with a 10-0 run of their own.
The Colts’ offense began to sputter during the closing minutes of the first half, opening the door for the Crusaders to drive the ball underneath the rim and build a small 38-32 halftime advantage over their opponent, which left Richardson frustrated at his players for allowing a six-point deficit.
“I wasn’t very nice to them,” Richardson said. “I let them have it a little bit at halftime, but I wanted them to focus more on the defensive end. I told them that this game would come down to one or two stops and we’ve practiced hard on those kinds of situations, but I’m really happy with the effort we displayed tonight.”
Momentum swings continued to be an overarching theme at the start of the third quarter, with the Colts outscoring the Crusaders 9-2 to retake the lead before the Crusaders shook off the rust to trade blows with the Colts once again.
After both programs hit a wide assortment of jump shots and three-pointers to close out the third quarter, the Colts found themselves on top by a score of 60-58, all while the Crusaders lurked closely behind them.
With a victory in the balance, the Colts began to rely on their two dynamic playmakers in seniors Taylor Bell and Zach Murphy, who repeatedly gashed the Crusaders in the paint to help the Colts stay one step in front of them through most of the fourth quarter.
The Crusaders made one last charge at the win with a handful of three-pointers, but the Colts would knock down several clutch free-throws and jump shots to hold on for their ninth victory of the season.
Richardson praised Bell and Murphy for their efforts on offense in the closing minutes of the game, but he affirmed that the team’s ability to disrupt the Crusaders top scorers in Phillip Martin, Allan Taylor and Jonah Murr ultimately decided which team would prevail in the closely contested event.
“I can’t say enough good things about Taylor and Zach,” Richardson said. “The focus was on the defense, and I thought Zach in particular did really good on guarding [Jonah] Murr. We put a lot of different guys on Murr, but Zach’s height advantage over him really worked out for us in the fourth quarter.”
The Colts will travel to Charlotte on Friday evening to face off against the United Faith Christian Academy Falcons at 7 p.m., who are also fresh off a 71-55 victory against the Crusaders on Saturday.
