HPCA basketball sweeps rival Westchester
• Michael Lindsay | Enterprise Sports Writer
HIGH POINT — Westchester Country Day did a lot of good things early. But High Point Christian put a stop to that in a big way.
The Cougars used a 35-5 run midway through the game to pull from a deficit late in the second quarter and led big in the second half in beating crosstown rival Westchester 86-47 in PTAC boys basketball Friday at HPCA.
In the girls game, HPCA had 12 players score in a well-rounded 68-30 win.
“It was really the tale of two halves,” Cougars boys coach Joseph Cooper said. “The first half we really struggled defensively. They were hitting everything they were putting up — which kudos to them. But second half we made a concerted effort to take a little more pride in what we’re doing defensively.
“We were moving our feet better, we were talking a lot better, our hands were up and we rebounded. Then, once we did, we were pushing the ball and getting stuff in transition. That was really the story of the game.”
Ethan Smith and Isaiah Sanders each scored 22 points to lead HPCA (16-5 overall, 3-1 conference), ranked No. 34 in the state overall and No. 2 among NCISAA 3A teams. Darius Caldwell followed with 18 while Darius Kane had 14.
“We’ve been competing really hard the last couple days in practice,” said Smith, a 6-foot-7 senior wing. “We’ve really focused on competition drills and things like that to get after each other and switching teams up. We came out slow in the first half and Coach told us, ‘Make it like practice and go at each other.’ “We picked it up and showed what we should’ve done the whole game.”
The Cougars, who were without starting forward Thomas McIntosh due to an eye injury, trailed by six with 3:06 left in the second quarter after the Wildcats hit a flurry of shots after trailing by 10 midway through the first.
But HPCA answered with scores on 16 of its next 19 possessions — including five straight to close the half ahead 38-34 — to lead 63-39 with 1:03 left in the third. It scored on 21 of 30 possessions in the second half.
The Cougars pushed their lead to 40 with two minutes left in the game.
“Coach called a timeout and he told us that we have to get it in gear,” Smith said. “We have to show that when we get these state rankings for the playoffs we have to make a statement every game from here on out. We took that personally, and that’s what we wanted to go do.”
MJ Edwards scored 18 points — hitting five 3-pointers — to lead Westchester (5-6, 1-2), coming off a pair of close games earlier in the week following two full weeks without a game. Griffin Powell added 10 points.
“I thought we played really well in the first half,” Wildcats coach Brook Patterson said.
“Obviously we got down 10, fought back and eventually got the lead. They made a run at the end of the half — but that (first half) is what we have to focus on. I told my guys to forget about the second half. We have three games next week, and we have to turn the page and be ready to go.”
Westchester, which next plays Tuesday at Calvary Day, outscored HPCA 29-13 in pulling from a 10-point hole midway through the first to building a six-point lead midway through the second.
“Without giving away my secrets,” Patterson said with a laugh, “we’re really trying to be patient on offense. That’s key for how we’re successful. They went on a run in the third, we lost our patience and everything got really fast. That’s what we’re focusing on — just offensive patience.
And, defensively, obviously they’re a great team — really big. But we’re just trying to play hard defensively.”
• Michael Lindsay | Enterprise Sports Writer
HIGH POINT — Westchester Country Day did a lot of good things early. But High Point Christian put a stop to that in a big way.
The Cougars used a 35-5 run midway through the game to pull from a deficit late in the second quarter and led big in the second half in beating crosstown rival Westchester 86-47 in PTAC boys basketball Friday at HPCA.
In the girls game, HPCA had 12 players score in a well-rounded 68-30 win.
“It was really the tale of two halves,” Cougars boys coach Joseph Cooper said. “The first half we really struggled defensively. They were hitting everything they were putting up — which kudos to them. But second half we made a concerted effort to take a little more pride in what we’re doing defensively.
“We were moving our feet better, we were talking a lot better, our hands were up and we rebounded. Then, once we did, we were pushing the ball and getting stuff in transition. That was really the story of the game.”
Ethan Smith and Isaiah Sanders each scored 22 points to lead HPCA (16-5 overall, 3-1 conference), ranked No. 34 in the state overall and No. 2 among NCISAA 3A teams. Darius Caldwell followed with 18 while Darius Kane had 14.
“We’ve been competing really hard the last couple days in practice,” said Smith, a 6-foot-7 senior wing. “We’ve really focused on competition drills and things like that to get after each other and switching teams up. We came out slow in the first half and Coach told us, ‘Make it like practice and go at each other.’ “We picked it up and showed what we should’ve done the whole game.”
The Cougars, who were without starting forward Thomas McIntosh due to an eye injury, trailed by six with 3:06 left in the second quarter after the Wildcats hit a flurry of shots after trailing by 10 midway through the first.
But HPCA answered with scores on 16 of its next 19 possessions — including five straight to close the half ahead 38-34 — to lead 63-39 with 1:03 left in the third. It scored on 21 of 30 possessions in the second half.
The Cougars pushed their lead to 40 with two minutes left in the game.
“Coach called a timeout and he told us that we have to get it in gear,” Smith said. “We have to show that when we get these state rankings for the playoffs we have to make a statement every game from here on out. We took that personally, and that’s what we wanted to go do.”
MJ Edwards scored 18 points — hitting five 3-pointers — to lead Westchester (5-6, 1-2), coming off a pair of close games earlier in the week following two full weeks without a game. Griffin Powell added 10 points.
“I thought we played really well in the first half,” Wildcats coach Brook Patterson said.
“Obviously we got down 10, fought back and eventually got the lead. They made a run at the end of the half — but that (first half) is what we have to focus on. I told my guys to forget about the second half. We have three games next week, and we have to turn the page and be ready to go.”
Westchester, which next plays Tuesday at Calvary Day, outscored HPCA 29-13 in pulling from a 10-point hole midway through the first to building a six-point lead midway through the second.
“Without giving away my secrets,” Patterson said with a laugh, “we’re really trying to be patient on offense. That’s key for how we’re successful. They went on a run in the third, we lost our patience and everything got really fast. That’s what we’re focusing on — just offensive patience.
And, defensively, obviously they’re a great team — really big. But we’re just trying to play hard defensively.”
