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.