Taking the court for the first time since a runner-up finish in the 2nd Region All “A” Classic, the Heritage Christian Academy boys’ basketball cruised past visiting Bethel Christian Academy on Friday to complete a season sweep of the Blue Flames.
The Warriors were 22-point winners in the teams’ first meeting in the KCAA Tip-Off Tournament earlier this season, and they improved to 10-2 against KCAA teams with a 57-41 victory on Friday.
The teams battled back and forth through much of the first quarter before Carlos Robles bookended an 8-0 run for a 14-7 Warrior lead.
A three-pointer by Samuel Clemons and a bucket in the paint by Malaki Cooney cut the Warrior lead to two, but HCA answered with a 10-0 run to close the half. Landen Wells scored the final four points on a basket down low and a pair of free throws for a 24-14 advantage.
Jason Leek’s layup capped a 6-0 spurt to start the third, and the Warriors raced out to a 17-point lead after the last of Trentin Fowler’s four three-pointers. Wells scored in the lane with three seconds left, and the margin was 20 with a quarter to play.
8th-grader Haylon Dean did his best to lead a Bethel comeback with two three-pointers and 12 points in the fourth, but the Blue Flames could only get as close as 15.
HCA put ten players in the scorebook, led by 12 each for Robles and Fowler. Dean finished with a game-high 18 for Bethel.
The Warriors improved to 14-12 overall and will host Logan County on Monday before opening play in the KCAC state tournament with a matchup against Oneida Baptist Institute on January 27.
Bethel Christian 7 7 8 19 — 41
Heritage Christian 14 10 18 15 — 57
Bethel Christian (10-6) — Dean 18, Cooney 9, Clemons 7, Poteet 5, Caldwell 2
Heritage Christian (14-12) — Trentin Fowler 12, Robles 12, Leek 8, Wells 8, Diaz 5, Boyd 3, Tra Fowler 3, Porter 3, Gibson 2, Kirkman 1
