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Crusaders end January with a bang

john cate, the sanford herald, n.c.
·5 min read

Feb. 1—Many private schools throughout the state are wrapping up their regular seasons this week. As an independent without a conference tournament, Grace Christian's will go on a while longer. But the Crusaders' teams are already rounding into form for the postseason.

Grace hosted a doubleheader Tuesday night with the women and men playing different opponents. With Lee Christian the only other local team playing at home, the Crusaders drew a big crowd to Torgerson Gym and everyone went home happy. The top-ranked Lady Crusaders squared off with Concord Academy, the fourth-ranked NCISAA 3A team, and routed them 71-27 in front of an audience that included University of Oregon women's basketball lead recruiter Jackie Nared-Hairston, in town to see Sarah Strong play. She had no reason to be disappointed, as Strong, who has made an official visit to the Ducks, put on a show with 15 points, 22 rebounds and six assists.

Following that game, the Grace men took to the floor to play the South Wake Sabres, state champions of the NC Home Educators Athletic Conference twice in the past four seasons and setting the pace in the state's homeschool league again this season. The Crusaders scored their fifth win in a row, outlasting the Sabres in a hard-fought 75-67 victory.

Both Grace teams will host Mount Zion Christian on Friday night.

Grace 71, Concord Academy 67

The MaxPreps state rankings for NCISAA teams have pretty much become a who's who of teams that have lost to the Lady Crusaders. As Grace goes for its third straight NCISAA title, the team has scheduled as many of the other NCISAA powerhouses as it can get. As a 3A team, Concord is a team the Lady Crusaders may see again later this month.

The Eagles (18-3) are running off with the NCISAA Metrolina Conference title, and their only losses this season before Grace had been to Quality Education Academy and Morganton Freedom, both during the week of Christmas, and both very strong opponents. But Grace, ranked No. 1 in North Carolina and No. 21 nationally by ESPN, was on a whole other level.

The Lady Crusaders (24-0) never trailed in the game and led from the point when Miyah Campbell hit a 3-pointer at the 4:51 mark of the opening quarter for a 5-2 lead. Grace went on a run that forced Concord to call a time-out, but the home team led 18-7 after one quarter of play.

A second Eagle time-out followed after the second quarter began with a 7-0 run that featured Strong with a rebound and long pass to Icyss Storm for a layup, a driving layup from Strong herself, and then a 3-pointer from Isa Roman. It didn't do them any good, as Strong hit a three 21 seconds later and Grace kept coming after Concord with stifling defense. Grace matched its biggest lead to that point at 39-13 going into the half.

The third quarter turned into a long-range shooting drill for Grace, as Reagan Lindholm dialed long distance twice, and Roman and Serenity McNair hit one each. The period ended with Grace flirting with the mercy rule, up 56-20. They got there 35 seconds lnto the fourth, when a 3-pointer from Roman was followed by a steal and dash to the other end by Dazaria Smith. Smith, a talented 5'10" freshman who has had trouble getting minutes on a loaded Lady Crusader team, was impressive playing the final quarter and getting six points.

Grace now owns wins over four of the other top six NCISAA 3A teams, having defeated No. 3 Greensboro Day, No. 4 Concord, No. 5 John Paul II Catholic and No. 6 St. David's.

Roman matched Strong with 15 points. McNair added 11, Storm eight, Halisi Whitley seven, and Lindholm and Smith six each.

Grace 75, South Wake 67

This was a chance to the Grace men to improve their standing in the MaxPreps power ratings, which largely determine how teams are seeded in the state playoffs. The Storm (16-9) came in rated higher than the Crusaders.

However, Grace seems to be peaking at the right time. The Sabres came in with a lot of size, including two 6'6" players and one who stands 6'9", giving them a considerable edge on the Crusaders, whose tallest player is 6'6" guard Ma'kyi Butler. However, it was Grace who took the fight right to the Sabres, leading 7-2 after 90 seconds thanks to a 3-pointer from Butler and Jimmy Zimmerman taking a charge at the other end from one of the South Wake post players.

The Sabres righted their ship and went on a 9-0 run to take the lead, and then the teams traded scores before Zimmerman, playing one of his best games ever as a Crusader, drove the baseline and hit a pull-up jumper while being hacked with 15 seconds left in the first quarter. He made the bonus free throw to put the home team back within a point, at 17-16.

The first quarter of the game set the tone on a night when the lead changed hands a half-dozen times, but Grace (16-11) held the lead for most of the final three quarters even though it could not put the Sabres away until late. The Crusaders were able to keep the focus on the backcourt, where South Wake's Jacob Webb led his team with 20 points, and battled Sabres big men 6'7" Ira Wilson (8 points, 10 rebounds) to a draw on the inside.

Butler, who led Grace with 22 points, and Zimmerman led the attack, but Grant Jacques added 13 points and Jones 10 to bolster the offense. Matt Foster scored seven points and Caleb Ellis four.

Grace has three games left in the regular season and the next two come with a chance to avenge a loss. Grace lost at Mount Zion back in December without Butler, and return there Friday night, with him. On Feb. 8, they travel to Eastern Randolph.