It didn’t come easy, but the Heritage Christian Academy Warriors advanced to the championship game of the KCAA Super Regional Saturday afternoon. The Warriors got big games from Jason Leek and Carlos Robles as they held off the host Oak Ridge Christian Academy Warriors 58-50.
Oak Ridge scored the first four points of the game, but that would be all of the time that they would spend in the lead.
Heritage led by the play of Leek and Robles came right back and took the lead and never let it go again. HCA led 16-9 as the first quarter came to an end.
Robles not only had a big day on offense for the Warriors, but his defensive efforts provided an important spark from beginning to end. In fact, the HCA defense in the second quarter limited Oak Ridge to just seven points as the Warriors were able to move the lead out to 25-16 at the half.
The two teams played fairly even over the third quarter but even was not what Oak Ridge needed. Heading into the final quarter, HCA was up by double digits at 43-33.
The margin might have been even bigger if not for the play of Oak Ridge’s Jake Meredith. The big man almost by himself kept Oak Ridge in the game in the second half with his scoring and his rebounding, giving HCA issues down in the paint.
The Warriors would then turn back any comeback efforts from Oak Ridge in the final eight minutes and pick up the eight-point win. Things could have been a little more comfortable for HCA coming down to the end had they hit their free throws. Heritage was 7 of 14 at the line in the fourth quarter.
Jason Leek finished the game with 28 points. Carlos Robles added 16 for HCA.
Eli Oaks was the leading scorer for Oak Ridge with 17 points. Jake Meredith finished with 13.
The HCA Warriors had advanced to the semifinals with a big win over Micah Christian on Friday night. The Warriors limited Micah to just seven points in picking up that win.
HCA – 16 09 18 15 — 58
ORCA – 09 07 17 17 — 50
Heritage Christian – Leek 28, Robles 16, Fowler 7, Diaz 3, Gibson 2, Higgins 2
Oak Ridge – Oaks 17, J. Meredith 13, Hampton 11, Mason 6, Clark 2, E.Meredith 1
