Thursday night’s renamed North Carolina Christian Athletic Association 2-A North-South war provided a Senior Night to cherish for the five senior members of the Community Christian School varsity boys basketball team.
The seniors – 6-foot-7 Seth Huston, Rylan Gay, Bryce Pittman, Ayden Smith and Noah Pierce – combined for 72 points as the Cyclones of the North region won the war with a 75-53 triumph against New Bern Christian Academy of the South region inside Eastern N.C. School for the Deaf’s Barney Williamson gym. The Cyclones avenged a 14-point loss nine days earlier at New Bern.
The rematch did not count in the region standings for either team. But should a tiebreaker surface between the teams in the postseason, CCS gets the nod.
The Cyclones of head coach Derrick Atkinson took over the North lead at 5-2 and hiked their overall record to 14-5. New Bern emerged tied for the South top spot at 6-1 and possesses a 17-7 overall mark.
“This was the most complete game we have played,” assessed Atkinson. “We wanted to start out fast and stay that way. We wanted to pressure them and keep the pressure on.”
Setting a scorching pace for CCS was Huston with a career-high 35 points and 18 rebounds. Huston had missed the previous two games because of an injury.
Pittman, who ignited the blistering start, drilled in 17 points and claimed seven rebounds. Gay, a prominent playmaker in working the ball to Huston, tossed in 11 points, Smith six and Pierce a pair.
As Huston began to assert his presence, Gay, Pittman and Smith committed themselves to get the basketball in Huston’s hands.
“He was out the last two games,” Atkinson noted of Huston, “and we wanted to get him back in the groove so we could go inside-out.”
Huston finished on at least a half-dozen putbacks and feasted inside on cutters. His excitement got the best of him in the fourth quarter – when he was whistled for a technical for taunting following an accurate mid-range jumper.
“He doesn’t usually do something like that,” Atkinson noted, “but he was so excited.”
Commented Huston: “I wasn’t thinking much about (Senior Night) until the guys started telling me how many points I had. To do well on Senior Night is definitely something to be proud of.
“I was trying to get as open as possible because they couldn’t stop me. I am glad (teammates) trusted me and know I can get it done. That goes a long way.”
Of dominating the backboards, Huston, the tallest player on the court, remarked: “I can read the ball and tell where it’s going.”
The Mustangs owned a 3-0 beginning before Pittman jump-started CCS. The Cyclones responded with seven unanswered points and Huston led the Cyclones to a 17-7 first-quarter cushion.
CCS played at a frenzied pace in the second quarter, stretching the lead to 25-9 as Gay buried a pair of 3-point shots. Huston was still dealing and making frequent trips to the foul line as the margin expanded to 33-12.
“No. 2 (Pittman) has been shooting the ball really good the last three games,” Atkinson said. “No. 12 (Huston) has been big all year long.”
The Mustangs showed life in the third quarter, cutting the 15-point halftime deficit to 10 behind senior Levi Romero and 5-foot-3 senior Micah Coghill, the son of head coach Scott Coghill, who swished four shots from 3-point land.”
Coach Coghill revealed the Mustangs were missing their starting center and said: “”We didn’t have our composure and lacked the discipline necessary. But (CCS) played well.
“Our goal was to get their lead down to 10 points. We did that, but then had a turnover and started to foul. Their lead was back to 15 pretty quick.”
Also, leading scorer K.C. Peter, a sophomore, fouled out in the third quarter.
“We knew he was in foul trouble,” Atkinson acknowledged of Peter. “We knew they were coming, but we spread the offense out. We wanted to play smart defense so we could keep an eye on (Peter).”
CCS fans among the live-wire onlookers roared when Peter fouled out.
Romero’s 13 points paced the Mustangs. Micah Coghill scored 12, while senior Geo Smith and Peter netted 11 each.
The proceedings were frequently chippy.
“They are new to our conference,” Coach Coghill explained. “Everybody comes after New Bern – and that’s good.”
NEW BERN CHRISTIAN (53)
Smith 11, Puchalslic 3, Romero 13, Coghill 12, Peter 11, Cahoon 3.
COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN (75)
Gay 11, Smith 6, Pittman 17, Pierce 2, Williams 2, Pittman 2, Huston 35.
Score by quarters:
NBC 7 15 12 19 — 53
CCS 17 20 14 24 — 75