HPCA boys beat Grace, will face GCS in quarterfinals
Michael Lindsay | Enterprise Sports Writer Feb 16, 2023 Updated 7 hrs ago
HIGH POINT – High Point Christian didn’t execute as well as it would’ve liked. But it got the job done to move on in the playoffs.
The seventh-seeded Cougars kept building leads then falling back even until finally breaking free late to beat Grace Christian-Raleigh 57-48 on Thursday at HPCA in the second round of the NCISAA 3A boys basketball playoffs.
HPCA advanced to face second-seeded Greensboro Day in the quarterfinals Saturday at 3 p.m. in Greensboro.
“We’d get up four, five points and I felt like we took our foot off the gas for some reason,” Cougars coach Joseph Cooper said. “That happened a lot tonight. I don’t know if that’s having a lot of young guys or just being in the playoffs and having some extra nerves.
“But we know we’re going to have to be better Saturday against GDS. We can’t play like that. We’ve got to be more locked-in. We’ve got to be more engaged leading up to the game. We’ve got to put 32 minutes together. We finally made some layups and hit some free throws down the stretch.”
Isaiah Sanders scored 17 points – including a run of nine straight for his team in the fourth – to lead HPCA (19-13), last year’s state runner-up. Taft Johnson added 12 points while Toot Clay and Adam Grier each had nine points.
“For my last home game, I’m just happy to get a win,” said Johnson, a 6-foot-5 senior guard. “I felt like we barely escaped, but having two games before going to GDS on Saturday is probably going to be helpful.”
The Cougars – who never trailed – led by eight in the first, six in the second and four in the third. But the Eagles (21-14) tied it four times, stayed within 30-27 at halftime and remained within three with 4:56 left in the game.
Both teams shot under 40% from the field for the game – HPCA shot 38%, missing a number of shots near the basket, while Grace shot 33%. And the Eagles struggled with 18 turnovers but were still within reach late.
But finally the Cougars made a crucial 8-2 run – sparked by a couple layups by Sanders – to lead by nine with 52 seconds left. HPCA, which made 17 of 27 free throws, made six straight from the line to help pull away.
“I think we were lacking focus most of the game,” Johnson said. “And then we got our confidence up at the end. We were like, ‘Hey, it’s time to pull away.’ So we finally focused up, even though it took three quarters to do so.”
Julien King scored 24 points to lead Grace.
Next the Cougars, who won 80-30 against Thales-Rolesville in the first round Tuesday, will take on familiar foe Greensboro Day. The Bengals won both meetings in PTAC play – but by just three in Dillard Gym and by five at HPCA.
“If you can’t get up for this game Saturday, then I don’t know what you’re doing,” Cooper said. “Playing GDS with a chance to move on to the final four of the state tournament – this is all you can ask for. We’ll have our work cut out for us.”
mlindsay@hpenews.com | @HPEmichael
Michael Lindsay | Enterprise Sports Writer Feb 16, 2023 Updated 7 hrs ago
HIGH POINT – High Point Christian didn’t execute as well as it would’ve liked. But it got the job done to move on in the playoffs.
The seventh-seeded Cougars kept building leads then falling back even until finally breaking free late to beat Grace Christian-Raleigh 57-48 on Thursday at HPCA in the second round of the NCISAA 3A boys basketball playoffs.
HPCA advanced to face second-seeded Greensboro Day in the quarterfinals Saturday at 3 p.m. in Greensboro.
“We’d get up four, five points and I felt like we took our foot off the gas for some reason,” Cougars coach Joseph Cooper said. “That happened a lot tonight. I don’t know if that’s having a lot of young guys or just being in the playoffs and having some extra nerves.
“But we know we’re going to have to be better Saturday against GDS. We can’t play like that. We’ve got to be more locked-in. We’ve got to be more engaged leading up to the game. We’ve got to put 32 minutes together. We finally made some layups and hit some free throws down the stretch.”
Isaiah Sanders scored 17 points – including a run of nine straight for his team in the fourth – to lead HPCA (19-13), last year’s state runner-up. Taft Johnson added 12 points while Toot Clay and Adam Grier each had nine points.
“For my last home game, I’m just happy to get a win,” said Johnson, a 6-foot-5 senior guard. “I felt like we barely escaped, but having two games before going to GDS on Saturday is probably going to be helpful.”
The Cougars – who never trailed – led by eight in the first, six in the second and four in the third. But the Eagles (21-14) tied it four times, stayed within 30-27 at halftime and remained within three with 4:56 left in the game.
Both teams shot under 40% from the field for the game – HPCA shot 38%, missing a number of shots near the basket, while Grace shot 33%. And the Eagles struggled with 18 turnovers but were still within reach late.
But finally the Cougars made a crucial 8-2 run – sparked by a couple layups by Sanders – to lead by nine with 52 seconds left. HPCA, which made 17 of 27 free throws, made six straight from the line to help pull away.
“I think we were lacking focus most of the game,” Johnson said. “And then we got our confidence up at the end. We were like, ‘Hey, it’s time to pull away.’ So we finally focused up, even though it took three quarters to do so.”
Julien King scored 24 points to lead Grace.
Next the Cougars, who won 80-30 against Thales-Rolesville in the first round Tuesday, will take on familiar foe Greensboro Day. The Bengals won both meetings in PTAC play – but by just three in Dillard Gym and by five at HPCA.
“If you can’t get up for this game Saturday, then I don’t know what you’re doing,” Cooper said. “Playing GDS with a chance to move on to the final four of the state tournament – this is all you can ask for. We’ll have our work cut out for us.”
mlindsay@hpenews.com | @HPEmichael
