HPCA boys crown Knights
BY MICHAEL LINDSAY
ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
HIGH POINT — HighPoint Christian’s boysfinally broke free down the stretch.The Cougars used a 13-2 run to pull away late and beat North Davidson 74-66 in the first round of the Sheetz Holiday Christmas Classic on Thursday at Southwest Guilford. In the featured girlsgame, High Point Central— keyed by stifling defense and relentless offense throughout the lineup — overwhelmedHigh Point Christian en route to a 63-14 victory.
“It’s always nice to get that first game of the season out of the way and then that first game coming back from the Christmas break, because there is an adjustment,” HPCA boys coach Joseph Cooper
said. “I think we put together three or four five-point runs but weren’t able to get defensive rebounds. We got the initial stops —but credit them, they were relentless on the glass. “But ever y time we needed to get a rebound, we couldn’t quite get one. We’d put together another run and then it was even again — that was the storyof the fourth quarter.”
Landon Sutton scored 31 points to lead HPCA (10-4), which trailed by five late in the second quarter then led by five three times in the third. Zach Shumate followed with 22 points, including 10 in the fourth, while Carter Bass added seven points, including five in the fourth.
The Black Knights surged ahead 59-57 with 3:32 left in the game. But the Cougars answered with scores on five of their next six possessions — including a four-point possession, thanks to a technical foul on North with 1:14 left — to lead 70-61 with 33.7 seconds left in the game.
“There for a little while, we struggled. But we fought together and won the game, “ said Shumate, a 6-foot-7 junior forward. “Over the final stretch, we found our heart and started playing with intensity and just out-played them.”
Themus Fulks scored 31 points to lead the Black Knights (3-1), who led 34-31 at halftime. RJ Yokley added 13 points while Jamarien Dalton followed with eight points as North turned key offensive rebounds into second chance points to stay with HPCA late into the game.
“Any win this time is year is good,” Cooper said.“That was our 10th win onthe season. It’s important, now that we’re gettingdeeper into conference play once we get back and really looking forward tothe 3A state playoffs, to be playing our best ball now.”
The Cougars will face Southwest Guilford tonight at 7:30, while High Point Central will take on Southern Guilford in the other semifinal game at 4:30
BY MICHAEL LINDSAY
ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
HIGH POINT — HighPoint Christian’s boysfinally broke free down the stretch.The Cougars used a 13-2 run to pull away late and beat North Davidson 74-66 in the first round of the Sheetz Holiday Christmas Classic on Thursday at Southwest Guilford. In the featured girlsgame, High Point Central— keyed by stifling defense and relentless offense throughout the lineup — overwhelmedHigh Point Christian en route to a 63-14 victory.
“It’s always nice to get that first game of the season out of the way and then that first game coming back from the Christmas break, because there is an adjustment,” HPCA boys coach Joseph Cooper
said. “I think we put together three or four five-point runs but weren’t able to get defensive rebounds. We got the initial stops —but credit them, they were relentless on the glass. “But ever y time we needed to get a rebound, we couldn’t quite get one. We’d put together another run and then it was even again — that was the storyof the fourth quarter.”
Landon Sutton scored 31 points to lead HPCA (10-4), which trailed by five late in the second quarter then led by five three times in the third. Zach Shumate followed with 22 points, including 10 in the fourth, while Carter Bass added seven points, including five in the fourth.
The Black Knights surged ahead 59-57 with 3:32 left in the game. But the Cougars answered with scores on five of their next six possessions — including a four-point possession, thanks to a technical foul on North with 1:14 left — to lead 70-61 with 33.7 seconds left in the game.
“There for a little while, we struggled. But we fought together and won the game, “ said Shumate, a 6-foot-7 junior forward. “Over the final stretch, we found our heart and started playing with intensity and just out-played them.”
Themus Fulks scored 31 points to lead the Black Knights (3-1), who led 34-31 at halftime. RJ Yokley added 13 points while Jamarien Dalton followed with eight points as North turned key offensive rebounds into second chance points to stay with HPCA late into the game.
“Any win this time is year is good,” Cooper said.“That was our 10th win onthe season. It’s important, now that we’re gettingdeeper into conference play once we get back and really looking forward tothe 3A state playoffs, to be playing our best ball now.”
The Cougars will face Southwest Guilford tonight at 7:30, while High Point Central will take on Southern Guilford in the other semifinal game at 4:30
