The Heritage Christian Academy boys’ basketball team started slowly but steadily gained steam on Thursday, pulling away from visiting Stewart County, TN 63-44 behind a 32-point performance from Jason Leek.
The Warriors won for the third time in four outings to improve to 12-11 while handing Stewart County its fourth-straight defeat to leave the Rebels at 3-18.
HCA found itself trailing 7-0 and in need of a timeout with three and a half minutes played. Leek got the Warriors on the board with a three-point play and then cut the margin to a point with a step-back three-pointer with 2:48 left in the first quarter. He scored four straight to close the frame, with a steal and layup followed by a jumper trimming the Rebels’ advantage to 13-12.
Leek opened the second with a bucket before Stewart County answered with four straight points. Cash Bolinger responded for the Warriors with a personal 8-0 run that included a pair of makes from behind the arc, and they never trailed again.
Layton Giltner scored in the lane off a pass from Landon Wells for a 24-17 lead to force a Stewart County timeout. With :20 left in the half, Leek’s steal and layup gave HCA its largest edge so far at 29-21.
Leek scored seven points in a row for a 42-25 advantage and a Rebel timeout with 2:57 left in the third. Stewart County posted six straight points to close the quarter, including four of Hayden Wallace’s eight points in the frame.
A three-point play by Wallace pulled Stewart County to within ten at 46-36 with 5:28 to play in the game, before Bolinger connected on his third triple to jumpstart an 11-2 spurt that sealed the win for the Warriors. Leek’s and-1 made it 57-38, part of his 11-point fourth quarter.
Bolinger joined Leek in double figures for HCA with 13 points. Giltner finished with seven points and ten rebounds, and Higgins scored six and collected six boards. The Warriors finished 9/9 from the free-throw line, including five makes for Leek.
Heritage will be on the road on Friday to face Portland Christian in the first-ever meeting between the programs.
Stewart County 13 8 10 13 — 44
Heritage Christian 12 17 13 21 — 63
Stewart County (3-18) — H. Wallace 23, Hendricks 6, Morgan 5, K. Wallace 5
Heritage Christian (12-11) — Leek 32, Bolinger 13, Giltner 7, Higgins 6, Wells 3, Westerfield 2
