By halftime, the host Community Christian School varsity boys basketball team had seen enough of being matched basket-for-basket by the guest Bethel Christian of Kinston in Eastern N.C. School for the Deaf’s Barney Williamson Gym on Thursday night.
Triggered by 6-foot-7 senior Seth Huston, the Cyclones of the North Carolina Christian Athletic Association 2-A division turned up the intensity in the second half and pulled away to a 67-50 non-conference win. Huston supplied 21 points and 15 rebounds.
The Cyclones head coach Derrick Atkinson posted their 12th win against 3 losses and return to NCCAA 2-A action on Monday at New Bern Christian Academy.
“We realized we were slacking a little bit,” Huston explained, “and we had to step up our game. We underestimated them. They came out strong and we knew we had to come back stronger.”
Leading 30-25 at halftime, CCS constructed a 41-31 working margin in the third quarter on successive field goals from Huston, 6-0 junior Tavares Williams and 6-1 senior Ayden Smith. A 3-pointer from sophomore Jared Kovach propelled the Cyclones to a 50-41 margin after three quarters.
The Trojans (5-13) of the North Carolina Christian Schools Association 2-A ranks drew no closer than seven points in the fourth quarter, despite the efforts of senior Josh Holmes.
Another bucket from Kovach staked CCS to a 56-43 margin, and the 13-point bulge would be again matched before a Huston-led tear in the closing minutes – when the Cyclones were conscious of the clock and slowed the pace.
“The intensity was high and I was happy with the performance,” Atkinson said. “We had to step up the intensity and limit the turnovers. We picked up on defense and started making cuts on offense. We started getting easier baskets.”
CCS’s size advantage troubled the Trojans.
“We quit moving the basketball,” commented 24th-year Bethel head coach Bert Potter. “We tried to press to turn up the tempo, but they threw over the press and got 3-on-2 and 2-on-1 matchups.
“They went to the offensive glass really strong and got a bunch of second-chance points. They’re a nice team.”
Holmes’ 18 points led the Trojans, while senior Tyler Anderson canned 16 and junior Alex Hill 10.
Huston’s performance drew praise from his coach.
“Seth played really well,” Atkinson remarked. “He always gives us good minutes, but he played to a different level tonight. He got a little meaner and a little tougher.”
Smith and Williams each tossed in 12 points for CCS, and Williams wound up with a double-double by virtue of pulling down 10 rebounds. The Cyclones ruled the backboards 41–22.
“We were a little bit bigger, and I felt like we could wear them down,” Atkinson said.
BETHEL CHRISTIAN (50)
Hill 10, Overman, Strickland, Wade 3, Spellman, Holmes 18, Banks, Gurley 3, Sanderson 16.
COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN (67)
Pittman 7, Smith 12, Gay 4, Harris, Pierce 3, Huston 21, Williams 12, Kovach 8.
Score by quarters:
BCA 18 7 16 9 — 50
CCS 19 11 20 17 — 67