Garrett, High Point Christian use big second half in 71-52 victory over Wesleyan Christian
By Zack Adams, HighSchoolOT reporter
HIGH POINT, N.C. — High Point Christian Academy answered emphatically from its rocky start on Friday night and beat Wesleyan Christian Academy in a huge rivalry game.
The Cougars, who are seen as the 13th best boys basketball team in the HighSchoolOT Top 25 poll, wound up cruising to their 71-52 home win over local rival Wesleyan Christian Academy. The visitors are ranked ninth in that same poll, but are now struggling a bit.
Senior point guard KJ Garrett put the team on his back in the final three stanzas en route to having 25 total points (22 in the second through fourth quarters). He also grabbed seven rebounds and handed out five assists.
High Point Christian was cold on its first couple possessions until sophomore guard Isaiah Sanders broke through with a deep three-pointer. The Cougars made four shots from beyond the arc during the first quarter. Junior forward Thomas McIntosh converted on two-straight jumpers from long range and helped boost an early momentum swing to the hosts.
Senior Isaiah Ray was missing from Wesleyan’s lineup against HPCA. The 6-foot-6 guard had a walking boot on his left leg. He was responsible for 19 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals on Dec. 11 at Forsyth Country Day School (68-61 win).
Without Ray, the Trojans had some trouble finding their groove on offense. The officials allowed for both teams to take a 30-second break with the current mask protocol in place throughout basketball games. HPCA was already up 14-7 and the stoppage came with 2:31 to play in the period. Junior wing Alex McGee had five points for Wesleyan.
HPCA found itself ahead by six (16-10) at the end of the first quarter. Wesleyan freshman wing James Swindell III (aka “J3”) knocked down the visitor’s second three-point basket of the ballgame to make that previous note the new mark.
Wesleyan Christian Academy kicked off the second frame with a long run. The Trojans were presented good looks and forced HPCA into tough situations at the beginning. 24-16 was Wesleyan’s lead before Garrett nailed a three-pointer from the far-right wing with under six minutes remaining before halftime.
The visiting Trojans were up 27-21 when the refs decided on another stoppage for face coverings (3:44 to go 2Q). High Point Christian Academy capped the first half with eight straight points. 6-foot-7 junior Ethan Smith was missing most of his looks up until making a three by WCA’s bench in the last minute.
HPCA held onto a minimal 29-27 lead when the teams walked to the locker rooms inside Refuge Gym. The Cougars were paced by eight points from Garrett in the second stanza.
In the third quarter, High Point Christian put its foot on the gas and raced away with Friday’s rivalry bout. The Cougars had 27 points immediately after halftime, which includes 10 from Isaiah Sanders (sophomore) and six more from Garrett. HPCA saw tons of “good” things from its starting backcourt, but the final numbers likely to go unnoticed are combining for six triples and 10 assists.
Wesleyan had constant defensive miscues and were settling for low percentage jump shots in those eight minutes right after intermission. The Trojans had just 13 points in the frame, but six were via J3 Swindell. Senior guard and known three-point threat Kade Darr only hit two shots from behind the line versus HPCA. One came during the third quarter in the near-corner by Wesleyan’s socially distanced bench area.
High Point Christian had a comfortable 56-40 edge after three quarters. The Cougars’ head coach Joseph Cooper seemed to be pleased with the team, despite calling two timeouts in the third period after HPCA scored buckets.
The Cougars outscored Wesleyan by three points (15-12) during the fourth quarter. KJ Garrett kept making plays for HPCA to round out his near 30-point performance. A few different Wesleyan Christian players had points in the final frame, but Swindell and starting forward Luke Grace had four each.
High Point Christian exited the gymnasium victorious, 71-52. The Cougars are 3-7 in their last 10 head-to-head tests against Wesleyan Christian and that dates back to Jan. 2016.
KJ Garrett took over the game and did not consider looking back — 25 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Isaiah Sanders, a sophomore, contributed 13 points and five dimes in the backcourt as well. Junior forward Ethan Smith is a long-range shooter that transferred in from Southwestern Randolph High School. He scored 12 points and had five rebounds in his first matchup with WCA.
J3 Swindell, a freshman wing, was the Trojans’ leading scorer with 22 points. He nearly had a double-double, but settles for nine rebounds against High Point Christian. Junior Luke Grace was the only other double-figure scorer for head boys basketball coach C.J. Lee by notching 12 points and 10 boards. The 6-foot-9 forward had 22 points and 11 rebounds versus Forsyth Country Day last week.
Before the night cap, High Point Christian won the varsity girls game over Wesleyan Christian by a 52-46 final margin. Junior Tiir Nyok had 13 points to lead the No. 2 Cougars to their 10th win in 2020-21.
First Quarter: High Point Christian Academy 16, Wesleyan Christian Academy 10
Halftime: High Point Christian Academy 29, Wesleyan Christian Academy 27
Third Quarter: High Point Christian Academy 56, Wesleyan Christian Academy 40
Final: High Point Christian Academy 71, Wesleyan Christian Academy 52
No. 13 High Point Christian Academy (9-1) hopes to continue picking up wins prior to Piedmont Triad Athletic Conference (PTAC) competition. The Cougars head to No. 15 Cape Fear Christian Academy on Monday, Dec. 21.
Wesleyan Christian Academy (3-5) has dropped four of its last five outings after losing by 19 points on Friday. The Trojans are back in action Monday evening at home against Covenant Day, who currently sits at 2-2 overall.
By Zack Adams, HighSchoolOT reporter
HIGH POINT, N.C. — High Point Christian Academy answered emphatically from its rocky start on Friday night and beat Wesleyan Christian Academy in a huge rivalry game.
The Cougars, who are seen as the 13th best boys basketball team in the HighSchoolOT Top 25 poll, wound up cruising to their 71-52 home win over local rival Wesleyan Christian Academy. The visitors are ranked ninth in that same poll, but are now struggling a bit.
Senior point guard KJ Garrett put the team on his back in the final three stanzas en route to having 25 total points (22 in the second through fourth quarters). He also grabbed seven rebounds and handed out five assists.
High Point Christian was cold on its first couple possessions until sophomore guard Isaiah Sanders broke through with a deep three-pointer. The Cougars made four shots from beyond the arc during the first quarter. Junior forward Thomas McIntosh converted on two-straight jumpers from long range and helped boost an early momentum swing to the hosts.
Senior Isaiah Ray was missing from Wesleyan’s lineup against HPCA. The 6-foot-6 guard had a walking boot on his left leg. He was responsible for 19 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals on Dec. 11 at Forsyth Country Day School (68-61 win).
Without Ray, the Trojans had some trouble finding their groove on offense. The officials allowed for both teams to take a 30-second break with the current mask protocol in place throughout basketball games. HPCA was already up 14-7 and the stoppage came with 2:31 to play in the period. Junior wing Alex McGee had five points for Wesleyan.
HPCA found itself ahead by six (16-10) at the end of the first quarter. Wesleyan freshman wing James Swindell III (aka “J3”) knocked down the visitor’s second three-point basket of the ballgame to make that previous note the new mark.
Wesleyan Christian Academy kicked off the second frame with a long run. The Trojans were presented good looks and forced HPCA into tough situations at the beginning. 24-16 was Wesleyan’s lead before Garrett nailed a three-pointer from the far-right wing with under six minutes remaining before halftime.
The visiting Trojans were up 27-21 when the refs decided on another stoppage for face coverings (3:44 to go 2Q). High Point Christian Academy capped the first half with eight straight points. 6-foot-7 junior Ethan Smith was missing most of his looks up until making a three by WCA’s bench in the last minute.
HPCA held onto a minimal 29-27 lead when the teams walked to the locker rooms inside Refuge Gym. The Cougars were paced by eight points from Garrett in the second stanza.
In the third quarter, High Point Christian put its foot on the gas and raced away with Friday’s rivalry bout. The Cougars had 27 points immediately after halftime, which includes 10 from Isaiah Sanders (sophomore) and six more from Garrett. HPCA saw tons of “good” things from its starting backcourt, but the final numbers likely to go unnoticed are combining for six triples and 10 assists.
Wesleyan had constant defensive miscues and were settling for low percentage jump shots in those eight minutes right after intermission. The Trojans had just 13 points in the frame, but six were via J3 Swindell. Senior guard and known three-point threat Kade Darr only hit two shots from behind the line versus HPCA. One came during the third quarter in the near-corner by Wesleyan’s socially distanced bench area.
High Point Christian had a comfortable 56-40 edge after three quarters. The Cougars’ head coach Joseph Cooper seemed to be pleased with the team, despite calling two timeouts in the third period after HPCA scored buckets.
The Cougars outscored Wesleyan by three points (15-12) during the fourth quarter. KJ Garrett kept making plays for HPCA to round out his near 30-point performance. A few different Wesleyan Christian players had points in the final frame, but Swindell and starting forward Luke Grace had four each.
High Point Christian exited the gymnasium victorious, 71-52. The Cougars are 3-7 in their last 10 head-to-head tests against Wesleyan Christian and that dates back to Jan. 2016.
KJ Garrett took over the game and did not consider looking back — 25 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Isaiah Sanders, a sophomore, contributed 13 points and five dimes in the backcourt as well. Junior forward Ethan Smith is a long-range shooter that transferred in from Southwestern Randolph High School. He scored 12 points and had five rebounds in his first matchup with WCA.
J3 Swindell, a freshman wing, was the Trojans’ leading scorer with 22 points. He nearly had a double-double, but settles for nine rebounds against High Point Christian. Junior Luke Grace was the only other double-figure scorer for head boys basketball coach C.J. Lee by notching 12 points and 10 boards. The 6-foot-9 forward had 22 points and 11 rebounds versus Forsyth Country Day last week.
Before the night cap, High Point Christian won the varsity girls game over Wesleyan Christian by a 52-46 final margin. Junior Tiir Nyok had 13 points to lead the No. 2 Cougars to their 10th win in 2020-21.
First Quarter: High Point Christian Academy 16, Wesleyan Christian Academy 10
Halftime: High Point Christian Academy 29, Wesleyan Christian Academy 27
Third Quarter: High Point Christian Academy 56, Wesleyan Christian Academy 40
Final: High Point Christian Academy 71, Wesleyan Christian Academy 52
No. 13 High Point Christian Academy (9-1) hopes to continue picking up wins prior to Piedmont Triad Athletic Conference (PTAC) competition. The Cougars head to No. 15 Cape Fear Christian Academy on Monday, Dec. 21.
Wesleyan Christian Academy (3-5) has dropped four of its last five outings after losing by 19 points on Friday. The Trojans are back in action Monday evening at home against Covenant Day, who currently sits at 2-2 overall.
