Cougars outlast Caldwell
Michael Lindsay | Enterprise Sports Writer Jan 17, 2023 Updated 2 hrs ago
HIGH POINT – High Point Christian surged ahead, then held on for dear life.
The Cougars built an 18-point lead in the third quarter before watching it dwindle to five midway through the fourth. But they regrouped down the stretch and defeated Caldwell 61-56 in PTAC boys basketball Tuesday at HPCA.
In the girls game, HPCA – scoring the first 24 points of the game – cruised to a 65-20 victory.
“Hard fought – those are the words,” Cougars boys coach Joseph Cooper said. “Nothing was easy. They gave us everything and more, and it took a lot of guts from our guys in the fourth quarter when we went through that dry spell.
“We missed some layups, missed some open shots. And, of course, they’re not going to stop coming. They’re well-coached, good players. To rebound there and continue to gut it out – this time of year, you’ve got to win any way you can.”
Isaiah Sanders scored 20 points to lead HPCA (12-10 overall, 1-2 conference), which outscored the Eagles 22-8 in the third to build on its 28-24 halftime lead. Adam Grier added 14 points while Elijah Cathcart had 11 points.
“I thought we played well – played as a team,” said Sanders, a junior guard. “We’ve got some young guys and we had to fight back. They made a little run, so it was mostly just staying composed and keeping our heads.”
The Cougars – who shot 47% for the game, including 56% in the third – quickly pulled away when Sanders scored nine straight points to lead 39-28 midway through the third.
HPCA, which forced Caldwell into four turnovers in the third, added nine straight points to close the quarter – sparked by a pair of layups and a banked-in 3-pointer at the buzzer by Grier – to lead 50-32 heading to the fourth.
“We had to make a little run,” Sanders said. “Coming out in the third quarter, we’ve always been slow and every team always comes back and punches us. So we just had to punch first this time.”
Caldwell (12-7, 1-2), which is coached by former Cougars coach Brandon Clifford, answered with a strong fourth quarter. It shot 63% in the quarter while the Cougars struggled at 22%.
The Eagles, led by J3 Swindell with 18 points, pulled within five with 4:02 left in the game. But HPCA, highlighted by a key offensive rebound and later a runner by Taft Johnson, stretched its lead back to 10 with 46 seconds left.
It scored on six of its final seven possessions to hold Caldwell at bay.
“I think it’s huge for our confidence,” Cooper said. “We’re such a young group. To get a close one like this in a conference game against a good team, hopefully we can carry it over to Thursday.”
Michael Lindsay | Enterprise Sports Writer Jan 17, 2023 Updated 2 hrs ago
HIGH POINT – High Point Christian surged ahead, then held on for dear life.
The Cougars built an 18-point lead in the third quarter before watching it dwindle to five midway through the fourth. But they regrouped down the stretch and defeated Caldwell 61-56 in PTAC boys basketball Tuesday at HPCA.
In the girls game, HPCA – scoring the first 24 points of the game – cruised to a 65-20 victory.
“Hard fought – those are the words,” Cougars boys coach Joseph Cooper said. “Nothing was easy. They gave us everything and more, and it took a lot of guts from our guys in the fourth quarter when we went through that dry spell.
“We missed some layups, missed some open shots. And, of course, they’re not going to stop coming. They’re well-coached, good players. To rebound there and continue to gut it out – this time of year, you’ve got to win any way you can.”
Isaiah Sanders scored 20 points to lead HPCA (12-10 overall, 1-2 conference), which outscored the Eagles 22-8 in the third to build on its 28-24 halftime lead. Adam Grier added 14 points while Elijah Cathcart had 11 points.
“I thought we played well – played as a team,” said Sanders, a junior guard. “We’ve got some young guys and we had to fight back. They made a little run, so it was mostly just staying composed and keeping our heads.”
The Cougars – who shot 47% for the game, including 56% in the third – quickly pulled away when Sanders scored nine straight points to lead 39-28 midway through the third.
HPCA, which forced Caldwell into four turnovers in the third, added nine straight points to close the quarter – sparked by a pair of layups and a banked-in 3-pointer at the buzzer by Grier – to lead 50-32 heading to the fourth.
“We had to make a little run,” Sanders said. “Coming out in the third quarter, we’ve always been slow and every team always comes back and punches us. So we just had to punch first this time.”
Caldwell (12-7, 1-2), which is coached by former Cougars coach Brandon Clifford, answered with a strong fourth quarter. It shot 63% in the quarter while the Cougars struggled at 22%.
The Eagles, led by J3 Swindell with 18 points, pulled within five with 4:02 left in the game. But HPCA, highlighted by a key offensive rebound and later a runner by Taft Johnson, stretched its lead back to 10 with 46 seconds left.
It scored on six of its final seven possessions to hold Caldwell at bay.
“I think it’s huge for our confidence,” Cooper said. “We’re such a young group. To get a close one like this in a conference game against a good team, hopefully we can carry it over to Thursday.”