Varsity Men and Women Cruise Past Coastal Christian

The Varsity Men's basketball team continued to dominate in conference play by defeating Coastal Christian 68-54 on Wednesday, January 21. The Crusaders entered the game without their starting point guard Tyshii Scarborough who was absent due to sickness. Scarborough averages 6.6 points per game and an astonishing 6.2 assists per game. The Crusaders did not let the absence of Scarborough affect them, however.

The Crusaders jumped out to an early lead and headed into the second quarter with a 29-14 lead. HCA made an effort to feed, sharpshooter, CJ Kirchoff the ball which resulted in 15 early points for the Crusaders heading into the half. Quate Mckinzie also tallied 10 points in contribution to a 40-26 Crusader lead at the half.

The Crusaders continued to put their foot on the gas and extended their lead to 28 at one point in the second half. After an exhilarating first half Cj Kirchoff cooled off and did not find the basket in the second half which allowed the Centurions to battle back and eventually cut the lead to 14. Coastal Christian's counter attack however was not enough which led to a 68-54 Crusader victory over the Centurions. With the Crusaders 14 point victory they improve to 11-3 (5-0) on the season. Quate Mckinzie led the Crusaders on the stat sheet in multiple categories where he recorded 19 points and 16 rebounds. The junior big man shot 89% from the field by only missing one shot throughout the entire game. CJ Kirchoff also recorded 15 points after a great shooting performance in the first half. Marcus Scarborough filled the shoes of his sick brother, Tyshii, by dropping 9 points as well as dishing out 9 assists. Spencer Cooke was one point shy of a double double by recording 9 points and 10 rebounds. The Crusaders will be back in action on Friday, January 23 as they travel to Wilmington to take on Cape Fear Academy. The Varsity Men defeated the Hurricanes 65-48 earlier in the season.

The Varsity Women continued to claim their stake as one of the top teams in the conference with a 49-39 victory over Coastal Christian on Wednesday, January 21. HCA Varsity Women's basketball head coach, Wayne Cannady preached to his team before the game to be aware of Coastal Christian having a strong start. The coaches' prediction was right on target as the Centurions jumped out to an early lead and found themselves leading by 10 points in the second quarter. The Crusaders however, battled back with multiple stops and three point shots to tie the game at 21 heading into the half.

The Crusaders built on their late momentum from the first half to extend their lead to 39-28 at the end the third quarter. The Centurions could not find a way to bounce back in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter which led to a 49-39 victory for the Lady Crusaders. HCA improves to 11-2 (4-1) on the season with their convincing victory over Coastal Christian. The Lady Crusaders will be back in action on Friday, January 23 as they hit the road to take on Cape Fear Academy. The Crusaders edged a narrow 47-46 victory over the Hurricanes in their last matchup as the two teams battled back and forth throughout the entire game.

Varsity Men Cruise by Fayetteville Christian, Varsity Women Come Up Short in Closing Seconds

Junior center, Quate Mckinzie rises above
the rim for a slam

The Harrells Christian Academy Varsity men's basketball team traveled to Fayetteville on Friday, January 16 to take on Fayetteville Christian School. The Crusaders did not disappoint against arguably, the best competition in their conference. HCA jumped out to an early 18-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. Star center Quate Mckinzie, who averages 17 points per game for the
Crusaders, found himself in early foul trouble forcing the Crusaders to look for other scoring options. Junior forward, CJ Kirchoff stepped up in the midst of the second quarter and drained multiple three pointers and headed into the half with 15 points in contribution to a 43-31 Crusader lead.

The Warriors could not halt a scoring run by the Crusaders with allowed the Crusaders to extend their lead to 20 points. Quate Mckinzie made his presence felt in the second half and finished with 15 points in route to a 72-52 victory over Fayetteville Christian. CJ Kirchoff led the Crusaders in scoring with 21 points. Marcus Scarborough quickly followed with 17 points. Scarborough made all 10 of his free throws throughout the course of the game. Sophomore Tyshii Scarborough dished out 10 assists to go along with scoring 8 points. HCA was active on the defensive end forcing 27 turnovers and 18 steals. The Crusaders improve to 10-3 (4-0) on the season with their statement 20 point victory over the Warriors. The Varsity Men will be back in action on Wednesday, January 21 at home against Coastal Christian High School and on Friday, January 23 at Cape Fear Academy.

The Varsity Women battled back and fourth the entire game with the Lady Warriors. Fayetteville Christian jumped out to an early start against the Lady Crusaders and edged a 13-6 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Crusaders battled back in the second quarter led by a balance scoring attack and headed into half trailing by only 3 points, 23-20.

The Crusaders continued to fight and gained their first lead of the game, 33-32, with 2:17 left to play in the third quarter. The Lady Crusaders were not able to keep their lead for long as the Warriors answered right back and headed into the fourth quarter with a 35-33 lead. The Warriors maintained their lead for a majority of the fourth quarter. HCA guard, Margaret Clark, drained a three pointer with 12 seconds left to play to cut the Warrior lead to 45-42 however, the Crusaders could not execute in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter. The Crusaders found themselves in foul trouble the entire game. Fayetteville Christian shot 43 free throws compared to only 10 attempts by the Crusaders. The lack of attempts at the free throw line will often lead to a loss, as illustrated in the Lady Crusaders' second loss of the season against the Warriors. HCA falls to 10-2 (3-1) on the season with their narrow loss against Fayetteville Christian. The Lady Crusaders will be back in action on Wednesday, January 21 at home against Coastal Christian and on Friday, January January 23 at Cape Fear Academy.

Varsity Men Leisurely Win Two, While Varsity Women Grind Out Tough Games to Improve to 10-1

Quate Mckinzie prepares to throw down a one handed slam

The Varsity Men heated up conference play on Thursday, January 8 as they took the court at the Foundation Center on the campus of Harrells Christian Academy against long time conference foe Cape Fear Academy. The Crusaders jumped right out the gate from the beginning where they found themselves leading 16-2 at the end of the first quarter. The Crusaders did not slow down their attack and headed into the half with a 31-15 lead under the leadership of Marcus Scarborough and CJ Kirchoff who led the Crusaders with 8 points a piece. HCA continued to cruise through the second half and closed out the game with a 65-48 victory. All of the Crusader players earned substantial playing time allowing the entire team to grow and develop their skills. Quate Mckinzie led the Crusaders with 17 points and was quickly followed by CJ Kirchoff who registered 16 points. Marcus Scarborough also made a major contribution to the Crusader scoring attack with 14 points.

Spencer Cooke boxes out his man in an effort to
get a rebound

The Crusaders continued to build on their success in their next game on Tuesday, January 13 at home against Parrott Academy. The Crusaders leaped out to a quick start once again and led 20-10 at the end of the first quarter. The Crusaders put their foot on the accelerator in the second quarter and extended their lead to 18 heading into the half with a 41-23. The balanced Crusader scoring attack was led by Donta Chavious who dropped 9 points in the first half. The Crusaders continued to add on to their lead in the second half thanks to the unselfish play of point guard Tyshii Scarborough who found multiple Crusader scorers. Quate Mckinzie threw down multiple dunks and recorded nearly 10 blocked shots in the Crusaders 75-50 victory over conference opponent Parrott Academy. The Crusaders finished the game with 4 players scoring in double figures. Quate Mckinzie registered his usual 17 points followed by senior Spencer Cooke who finished with 15 points. Donta Chavious, who has played his way into the starting lineup, finished with 13 points. CJ Kirchoff was on fire from beyond the arc where he registered all 12 of his points. The Crusaders look to improve on their 9-3 (3-0) record on Friday, January 16 as they travel to Fayetteville to take on Fayetteville Christian School.

HCA players celebrate after a narrow 47-46 victory over Cape Fear Academy

The Varsity Women entered their second game of conference play with a lot of confidence and energy. The Lady Crusaders faced off against talented opponent, Cape Fear Academy. The two top teams in the conference battled back and forth throughout the entire game. The Hurricanes edged a narrow 9-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Crusaders produced a second quarter surge and headed into the half with a 22-17 lead. Battling back and forth throughout the second half, the Crusaders found themselves trailing by 8 points in the early stages of the fourth quarter. The Crusaders fought back and cut the Hurricane lead to five with under a minute to play. Senior, Margaret Clark drained back to back three pointers to give HCA a narrow one point lead. Cape Fear came down the court and scored a quick basket to regain a one point lead. Mikaela Stroud was then fouled and swished two free throws to give the lead back to the Crusaders. The Lady Crusaders stellar did not allow a last second shot to secure a 47-46 victory over Cape Fear Academy.



The Lady Crusaders next matchup against Parrott Academy did not serve as much of a test for the Crusaders as in their previous game. HCA's focus on defense throughout the first half led to easy scoring opportunities on the other end of the floor. The Lady Crusaders headed into the half with a 19-5 lead. The Crusaders did not slow down in the second half and continued their success. The balanced attack by the Crusaders allowed them to cruise to a 39-16 victory over Parrott Academy. The Lady Crusaders improved to 10-1 (3-0) on the season with their convincing win over the Patriots. The Varsity women will be back in action on Friday, January 16 as they hit the road to take on Fayetteville Christian School.

Varsity Men and Women Cruise Past Grace Christian

CJ Kirchoff rises towards the rim on a fast break

The Varsity Men's and Women's basketball teams did not have any trouble against Grace Christian in Friday night's matchup.

The Varsity men did not take long to get their motor running by starting out to to a quick 24-6 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Crusaders did not let up in the second quarter and lengthened their lead to 46-17 at the half.  HCA spread the ball around and continued their success in the third quarter.  Quate Mckinzie made a statement with two emphatic one hand slams to cap off multiple fast breaks for the Crusaders. The Crusaders then slowed down and spread the ball around to their reserves who continued to easily execute on offense. The Crusaders eventually went on to win 80-62. The Crusaders improve their overall season record to 5-2 (1-0) with their convincing win over the Eagles. Senior Spencer Cooke led the way for the Crusaders totaling 17 points and 5 steals. Marcus Scarborough was not far behind him with 16 points. CJ Kirchoff showed off his scoring abilities all over the court and finished with 12 points. Junior big man Quate Mckinzie also recorded 11 points and 5 rebounds for the Crusaders. The fluidity of the Crusader offense can be mainly attributed to the play of sophomore Tyshii Scarborough who tallied 5 points and 10 assist. The Crusaders will be back in action at home on Tuesday, December 16 against Prominence Academy. This game will serve as the last matchup before the Crusaders head into Christmas break.

Marissa Parks searches for an open teammate

The Varsity Women did not have any trouble against the Eagles. The Lady Crusaders moved the ball around and forced multiple turnovers that resulted in easy fast break points. HCA was led by Emily Benton who totaled 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Crusaders. The Varsity Women improve to 5-1 (1-0) on the season with their victory over the Eagles. The Crusaders 53-42 win closes out the team's slate of games heading into Christmas break. The Lady Crusaders will be back in action in the Cape Fear Academy Christmas Tournament on December 31- January 3. 

Harrells Christian Academy Weekly Basketball Round Up

The Crusaders high scoring offense can be attributed to the unselfish
play of sophomore point guard Tyshii Scarborough

The Varsity Men's basketball finished the past week 2-2 contributing to their overall record of 4-2. The Crusaders started the stretch off on the right note by cruising to a 59-26 victory over the Epiphany School.The Crusaders started out hot by outscoring the Falcons 24-8 in the first quarter. The Crusaders continued their offensive success in the second quarter and headed into the half with a 38-14 lead. The Crusaders did not let up in the second half and cruised to victory over the Falcons. Quate Mckinzie led the Crusaders in scoring with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. Mckinzie was quickly followed by CJ Kirchoff who totaled 12 points and 5 rebounds. The Varsity Men turned right around and faced Cary Christian the next night where they came up short in a close 57-55 loss. The Crusaders were led by junior forward CJ Kirchoff who totaled 18 points and 5 steals for the Crusaders. Also contributing to the Crusaders close loss to the Knights were Spencer Cooke with 13 points and Quate Mckinzie with 10 points and 12 rebounds. After the weekend the Crusaders traveled to Parrott Academy where they pulled away from the Patriots in a back in forth game. The Crusaders outlasted Parrott 60-54. HCA provided a balanced offensive attack finishing with 4 players in double figures. Quate Mckinzie led the way in front of East Carolina University scout Mike Netti with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Other players in double figures included Donta Chavious with 14, CJ Kirchoff with 12, and Marcus Scarborough with 11. The Crusaders then traveled back home to take on Freedom Christian the next day. The Patriots pulled out a victory in a tightly contested 70-64 game. The Crusaders were carried by their 6-7 junior power forward Quate Mckinzie the entire game. Mckinzie finished with a career high 30 points. He also pulled in 11 rebounds to record his fourth double- double of the year. Spencer Cooke also scored in double figures with 11 points. Cooke missed part of the game after he was hit in the nose. The Crusaders look to finish out a two game home stand strong before heading into Christmas break. HCA takes on Grace Christian (1-7) on Friday, December 12 and Prominence Academy (6-2) on Tuesday, December 16.

The Lady Crusaders have been able to force turnovers and convert
on fast breaks due the the play of senior guards Natalie Hardin
and Margaret Clark

The Varsity Lady Crusaders closed out their stretch of games with a record 3-1 boosting their overall record to 4-1. The Crusaders cruised to victory over the Epiphany School. Emily Benton finished the game with 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assist and 1 block for the Crusaders. Mikaela Stroud contributed to the Crusaders scoring attack with 14 points. Marissa Parks also scored 11 points for the Crusaders. The Lady Crusaders turned around and played Cary Christian the next day where they fell short in a 50-46 overtime loss to the Knights. Emily Benton led the Crusaders with 16 points. She was accompanied by Mikaela Stroud with 12 points and Margaret Clark with 10. The Crusaders then traveled to Parrott Academy on Monday where they cruised to a 40-21 victory over the Patriots. Emily Benton finished the game with a double-double where she tallied 18 points and 12 rebounds. HCA then traveled back home to face Freedom Christian where they held off the Patriots in a 42-36 victory. The Crusaders were again led by Emily Benton who scored 18 points and pulled in 7 rebounds for the Crusaders. The Lady Crusaders will be back in action on Friday, December 12 against Grace Christian. This is the last game for the Varsity Women's team before they head into Christmas break.

Varsity Men's and Women's Basketball Teams Cruise Past The Epiphany School

The Men's and Women's Varsity Basketball teams both breezed past the Epiphany School Eagles in their matchup on Thursday, December 4.

The Varsity Men dominated throughout the entire game and moved the ball around the Falcon's zone with ease. The Crusaders unselfishness propelled them to a 52-26 win. The Crusaders started out hot by outscoring the Falcons 24-8 in the first quarter. The Crusaders continued their offensive success in the second quarter and headed into the half with a 38-14 lead. The Crusaders were led in scoring at the half by Quate Mckinzie and CJ Kirchoff who both tallied 9 points.

The Crusaders did not let up in the second half and cruised to victory over the Falcons. Quate Mckinzie led the Crusaders in scoring with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. Mckinzie was quickly followed by CJ Kirchoff who totaled 12 points and 5 rebounds. The Crusaders improves to 3-0 on the season with their win over the Epiphany School. The Crusaders will be back in action tomorrow night at home against Cary Christian who enter the matchup with an 0-4 record.

The Varsity Women completely dominated the Lady Falcons in their matchup. The Crusaders speed and talent was to much for the Epiphany School which allowed them to easily win 55-14. Emily Benton finished the game with 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assist and 1 block for the Crusaders. Mikaela Stroud contributed to the Crusaders scoring attack with 14 points. Marissa Parks also scored 11 points for the Crusaders. HCA improves to 2-0 on the season with their win over the Falcons. The Lady Crusaders will be back in action tomorrow night against Cary Academy.

HCA vs Rocky Mount Academy Basketball Round-up

All four Crusader basketball teams faced off against Rocky Mount Academy at home on Tuesday night. The matchup against the Eagles served as the season opener for the JV Girls, JV Boys, and Varsity Women teams. The Varsity Men came into the game with a 1-0 record after their season opening victory over Carolina Friends on Saturday, November 22.

The Varsity Men dominated in their second game of the season by defeating the Eagles 67-55. The Crusaders controlled the ball the whole game and never found themselves trailing. The Crusaders got out to a quick 23-12 start at the end of the first quarter. The Crusaders moved the ball around the Eagles' 2-3 zone and punished them with the three point shot. Marcus Scarborough was lethal against the zone with his three point shooting abilities and headed into the half with 11 points. The Crusaders found themselves leading 33-24 at the half.

The Crusaders' continual ball movement and unselfish play propelled them to a 54-35 lead heading into the fourth quarter. HCA let their foot off the gas a little in the fourth quarter which allowed the Eagles to trim the Crusader lead to 12. The Crusaders however were too explosive for the Eagles and went on to win 67-55 and improve to 2-0 on the season. Quate Mckinzie led the Crusaders with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Marcus Scarborough, CJ Kirchoff, and Spencer Cooke all finished the game with 14 points. Cooke also recorded 7 rebounds for the Crusaders. The Varsity Men will be back in action at home on Thursday, December 4 against the Epiphany School followed by a game on Friday against Cary Christian at home.

The Varsity Women started their season with a 38-27 win over Rocky Mount. The Lady Crusaders found their offensive groove in the early going by extending their lead to 9-1 at the end of the first quarter. The Crusaders continued their success and cruised to victory over the Eagles. HCA was led by sophomore Emily Benton who totaled 12 points for the Crusaders. Benton was quickly followed by senior Margaret Clark who tallied 11 points. The Lady Crusaders will be back in action on Thursday, December 4 against the Epiphany School followed by a game on Friday against Cary Christian at home.

The Junior Varsity Boy's came up short against the Eagles in their opening game of the season. The Crusaders trailed the majority of the game and at one point found themselves down by nearly 20 points in the third quarter. The gritty Crusaders however battled back in the fourth quarter and cut the Eagle lead to 7 points. The winded Crusaders were outmatched in the end falling to the Eagles 60-51. HCA sophomore Will Huff finished the game with 25 points. Grey Fussell finished the game with 8 points and multiple assist in the Crusaders loss to Rocky Mount. The JV Boys will be back in action on Friday, December 5 against Cary Christian.

The Junior Varsity Girls recorded their first win of the season with a 34-11 victory over Rocky Mount. The Lady Crusaders dominated the glass and in the paint allowing them to cruise to victory. The Crusaders were led by Ashlynn Hardison who recorded 11 points and 6 rebounds. The second leading scorer for HCA was Tyler Evans who totaled 8 points and 6 rebounds. The JV Girls will be back in action on Friday, December 5 against Cary Christian.