HPCA wins in state quarterfinals
HIGH POINT — High Point Christian had plenty of time to prepare for the playoffs. And it showed in how it started.
The fourth-seeded Cougars raced to a 20-point lead in the first quarter and cruised the rest of the way in beating Calvary Day 93-63 on Saturday at HPCA in the quarterfinals of the NCISAA 3A boys basketball playoffs.
In the girls game, second-seeded HPCA broke away over the final 21/2 quarters to defeat Hickory Grove 75-34.
“It always helps when you shoot the ball well,” Cougars boys coach Joseph Cooper said with a smile. “We were unconscious in the first half. I don’t know what our 3-point percentage was — I don’t know if I want to look. Just hopefully we can carry it over to the next one.”
Isaiah Sanders scored 22 points to lead HPCA (21-7), which made 12 shots from 3-point range for the game — including seven in the first quarter. Ethan Smith added 22 points, making six 3s, while Darius Kane followed with 15 points.
“I think we got out to a really good start,” said Smith, who recently eclipsed 1,300 points for his career. “That set the tone for the rest of the game. We had a week to prepare, and we had a really good week of practice. We were really locked in, we came out that way and it helped.”
The Cougars, who never trailed, quickly led by double digits within the opening four minutes. They made a trio of 3s on their first three shots, sank 11 of their first 14 shots and led by 24 inside the final minute of the quarter.
HPCA — which honored Smith and Thomas McIntosh, who recently surpassed 1,500 points for his career, prior to the game — later closed the second on a 13-4 run to lead 58-30 into halftime.
“For me, it’s just repetition,” Smith said of his outside shooting. “It doesn’t matter if I miss or make three, four, five in a row — I’m going to keep shooting. I’m going to let it go and it’s unconscious. You just let the ball go and don’t think about it. It doesn’t matter if it goes in or out.”
The Cougars maintained a substantial lead throughout the second half that reached 35 in the fourth quarter. Jaydin Spillman scored 14 points to lead Calvary (11-20), which lost twice to HPCA during PTAC play.
With top-seeded Asheville School’s loss, the Cougars — who return to the semifinals after also reaching last year — will next host eighth-seeded Cary Christian on Tuesday.
GIRLS GAME
Nadiya Hairston scored 16 points to lead HPCA (19-9), which scored the first 11 points of the game but led by just one a minute into the second. Angel Walker and Kennedy Powell each added 13, followed by Sarah Utley with 11.
“I thought we played well as a team,” Cougars coach Brittany Drew said. “Our key players stepped up. Nadiya, Angel, Kennedy — they did what they do best, and then it was contagious to everyone else.
“I saw some senior leadership on and off the court, and it just led to everyone being confident. That was a big thing going into playoffs — can all my 16 girls be confident? We shot the ball well, shared the ball well and we defended well.”
HPCA, which had 10 players score in a well-balanced effort, closed the second on a 17-6 run to lead 36-24 into halftime. It then scored the first nine points of the third to lead by 21.
The Cougars outscored the Lions (10-11), who were led by Taylor Parker with 13 points, by a 29-7 margin in the quarter to lead by 34 heading to the fourth. HPCA, playing a number of reserves late, was in full control the rest of the way.
“It was a very good win for us,” Walker said. “We needed it, and I feel like this helped us play more as a team and be collected. Everybody got to play and everybody got to contribute. So, it was great.”
Winning its 12th game in a row, HPCA, which also reached last year’s semifinals, will host third-seeded Forsyth Country Day on Tuesday. The Cougars won both hard-fought games against the Furies during PTAC play.
“This was a huge statement,” Drew said. “It was a big statement because it’s our first game for the playoffs and it was at home. We had a week off and we were ready for this game. Too long,” she said with a laugh.
mlindsay@hpenews.com | 336-888-3526 | @HPEmichael
HIGH POINT — High Point Christian had plenty of time to prepare for the playoffs. And it showed in how it started.
The fourth-seeded Cougars raced to a 20-point lead in the first quarter and cruised the rest of the way in beating Calvary Day 93-63 on Saturday at HPCA in the quarterfinals of the NCISAA 3A boys basketball playoffs.
In the girls game, second-seeded HPCA broke away over the final 21/2 quarters to defeat Hickory Grove 75-34.
“It always helps when you shoot the ball well,” Cougars boys coach Joseph Cooper said with a smile. “We were unconscious in the first half. I don’t know what our 3-point percentage was — I don’t know if I want to look. Just hopefully we can carry it over to the next one.”
Isaiah Sanders scored 22 points to lead HPCA (21-7), which made 12 shots from 3-point range for the game — including seven in the first quarter. Ethan Smith added 22 points, making six 3s, while Darius Kane followed with 15 points.
“I think we got out to a really good start,” said Smith, who recently eclipsed 1,300 points for his career. “That set the tone for the rest of the game. We had a week to prepare, and we had a really good week of practice. We were really locked in, we came out that way and it helped.”
The Cougars, who never trailed, quickly led by double digits within the opening four minutes. They made a trio of 3s on their first three shots, sank 11 of their first 14 shots and led by 24 inside the final minute of the quarter.
HPCA — which honored Smith and Thomas McIntosh, who recently surpassed 1,500 points for his career, prior to the game — later closed the second on a 13-4 run to lead 58-30 into halftime.
“For me, it’s just repetition,” Smith said of his outside shooting. “It doesn’t matter if I miss or make three, four, five in a row — I’m going to keep shooting. I’m going to let it go and it’s unconscious. You just let the ball go and don’t think about it. It doesn’t matter if it goes in or out.”
The Cougars maintained a substantial lead throughout the second half that reached 35 in the fourth quarter. Jaydin Spillman scored 14 points to lead Calvary (11-20), which lost twice to HPCA during PTAC play.
With top-seeded Asheville School’s loss, the Cougars — who return to the semifinals after also reaching last year — will next host eighth-seeded Cary Christian on Tuesday.
GIRLS GAME
Nadiya Hairston scored 16 points to lead HPCA (19-9), which scored the first 11 points of the game but led by just one a minute into the second. Angel Walker and Kennedy Powell each added 13, followed by Sarah Utley with 11.
“I thought we played well as a team,” Cougars coach Brittany Drew said. “Our key players stepped up. Nadiya, Angel, Kennedy — they did what they do best, and then it was contagious to everyone else.
“I saw some senior leadership on and off the court, and it just led to everyone being confident. That was a big thing going into playoffs — can all my 16 girls be confident? We shot the ball well, shared the ball well and we defended well.”
HPCA, which had 10 players score in a well-balanced effort, closed the second on a 17-6 run to lead 36-24 into halftime. It then scored the first nine points of the third to lead by 21.
The Cougars outscored the Lions (10-11), who were led by Taylor Parker with 13 points, by a 29-7 margin in the quarter to lead by 34 heading to the fourth. HPCA, playing a number of reserves late, was in full control the rest of the way.
“It was a very good win for us,” Walker said. “We needed it, and I feel like this helped us play more as a team and be collected. Everybody got to play and everybody got to contribute. So, it was great.”
Winning its 12th game in a row, HPCA, which also reached last year’s semifinals, will host third-seeded Forsyth Country Day on Tuesday. The Cougars won both hard-fought games against the Furies during PTAC play.
“This was a huge statement,” Drew said. “It was a big statement because it’s our first game for the playoffs and it was at home. We had a week off and we were ready for this game. Too long,” she said with a laugh.
mlindsay@hpenews.com | 336-888-3526 | @HPEmichael
