Both Varsity Basketball Teams Claim Regular Season Conference Title with Win over Fayetteville Christian

Varsity Men

The Varsity Men's Basketball team clinched the Cape Fear Rivers Conference Regular Season Title

on Friday, January 30 with a 74-49 victory over Fayetteville Christian. In front of a huge crowd at the Foundation Center on the campus of Harrells Christian Academy the Crusaders continued their dominance in conference play on their way to their first regular season conference title in years.

The two teams scrummed back and fourth in the early stages of the game which led to a slight 21-15 lead for the Crusaders at the end of the first quarter. The Crusaders stepped up their play in the second quarter which led to a 24-11 run by the Crusaders. After a strong scoring performance in the second quarter the Crusaders headed into the half with a 45-26 lead over the Warriors. Quate Mckinzie led the Crusaders in scoring in the first half with 12 points.

Fayetteville Christian tried to edge back into the game in the third quarter but the Crusaders halted the Warriors' run and cruised into the fourth quarter with a 56-42 lead. HCA continued to extend their lead in the fourth quarter and gained their largest lead of 28 points at the 3:28 mark in the fourth. The Crusaders went on to claim a 74-49 victory over the Warriors. The Crusaders balanced scoring attack featured 4 players scoring in double figures. Quate Mckinzie finished the game with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Mckinzie was quickly followed by Tyshii Scarborough who recorded 17 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. Marcus Scarborough added 15 points to the Crusader scoring attack along with CJ Kirchoff who contributed 12 points and 8 rebounds. With the Crusaders 25 point victory they were named outright regular season conference champions. The Crusaders improved to 14-3 (8-0) with their victory in front of a packed house for HCA's 7th annual Pink Out Game. The Crusaders will be back in action on Tuesday, February 3 as they travel to Coastal Christian. HCA blew by the Centurions in their last matchup.

Varsity Women

The Varsity Lady Crusaders sought out revenge on the Warriors in their rematch. Fayetteville Christian squeaked by the Lady Crusaders in their last matchup but HCA got the best of the Warriors in their 44-39 victory on Friday, January 30. The two teams battled on the defensive end in a low scoring first quarter. The Lady Crusaders found a 8-4 lead heading into the second. HCA jumped out to a quick start in the second quarter. They gained a 20-12 lead before a timeout by the Warriors with 1:51 left before the half. The Lady Warriors fought back and cut the HCA lead to 22-17 heading into the half. Margaret Clark led the Crusaders in scoring at the half with 14 points.

The two teams struggled in the third quarter which led to a slight 28-25 Crusaders lead heading into the final quarter of play.  The Lady Crusaders found themselves leading 41-37 with 39 seconds to play after a pair of made free throws by Natalie Hardin. The Warriors then came down and forced a foul which resulted in two made free throws to cut the HCA lead to 41-39 with 34 seconds left to play. The Crusaders then missed the front end of a one and one but grabbed the rebound which led to two more free throws made by Natalie Hardin to extend the Crusader lead to 42-39 with 22.7 seconds left in the fourth. The Crusaders forced another turnover which led to two made free throws by Emily Benton to seal the 44-39 victory over the Warriors. Senior, Margaret Clark and sophomore, Emily Benton both finished the game with 16 points. Natalie Hardin also contributed 10 points to the Crusader scoring attack.  With the Lady Crusaders win they improved to 14-2 (7-1) on the season and claim a share of the regular season conference title. The Lady Crusaders hit the road on Tuesday, February 3 to take on Coastal Christian. HCA cruised by the Centurions in their last meeting.

Varsity Men Dominate, While Varsity Women Pull Out Triple Overtime Victory Over Fayetteville Academy

Varsity Men

The Varsity Men's basketball team traveled to Fayetteville on Tuesday, January 27 where they grabbed their 7th conference victory of the season with an easy 66-43 win over Fayetteville Academy. The two teams edged back and forth in the early stages of the game which led to an 18-15 lead for the Crusaders at the end of the first quarter. HCA began to implement pull court pressure which allowed the Crusaders to go on an 11-0 scoring run. The Eagles called a timeout with 3:54 left in the second quarter but they could only score two more points before the half. After the Crusaders' 20-2 run throughout the entirety of the second quarter HCA headed into the half with a 38-17 lead. Quate Mckinzie and Spencer Cooke both scored 10 points for the Crusaders in the first half which allowed the Crusaders to extend their lead in the second quarter.

The Crusaders continued to roll in the second half and led 57-31 at the end of the third quarter. HCA extended their lead to 30 points in the early stages of the fourth quarter but the Eagles fought back late in the game which led to a 66-43 victory for the Crusaders. Quate Mckinzie led the Crusaders in scoring with 20 points. Spencer Cooke contributed 10 points along with Marcus Scarborough with 8 points. HCA's 23 point victory improved the Crusaders to 13-3 (7-0) on the year. The Varsity Men will be back in action on Friday, January 30 in the Annual Pink Out Game at home against Fayetteville Christian School. If the Crusaders can come out with a victory they will claim the conference regular season title. The Crusaders defeated the Warriors 72-52 earlier in the season.

Varsity Women

The Varsity Women found themselves in a back and forth affair throughout the entire game. The two teams struggled to find the basket in the first quarter and found themselves in a 5-5 deadlock at the end of the first quarter. The two teams began to crank it up at the offensive end in the second quarter. After 8 points by Emily Benton and 7 points by Margaret Clark the Crusaders headed into the half with a 15-12 lead.

The Crusaders maintained their three point lead throughout the third quarter and headed into the fourth with a 24-21 advantage. The Lady Crusaders made another bucket to extend their lead to 26-21 with 4:42 left to play in regulation. The Eagles edged back into the game and cut the HCA lead to 26 -25 which led to a timeout by the Crusaders with 1:53 left in the fourth quarter. The Eagles then made a free throw to tie the game at 26. Neither team could convert in the final seconds of the fourth quarter forcing overtime.

In overtime the Eagles hit a three pointer to extend their lead to 29-26 with 1:29 left to play. The Lady Crusaders came down on the next possession and scored a quick bucket to cut the Eagle lead to 29-28. HCA then came up with a steal which led to a foul that sent Natalie Hardin to the free throw line. Hardin made one of two free throws to tie the game at 29 with 37 seconds left in overtime. The Eagles could not get a shot off in the final seconds overtime which led to the game's second overtime.

Heading into double overtime the Eagles made an early basket to extend their lead to 31-29. The Eagles then sank two free throws to extend their lead to 4 points, 33-29. Mikaela Stroud was then fouled for the Crusaders which sent her to the line for two shots. Stroud made both free throws to cut the Eagle lead to 33-31 with 15 seconds left to play. On the next Eagle possession, Rylie Evans stole the ball and rushed down the court to make a layup which sent the game into triple overtime.

Heading into triple overtime with the game tied at 33, the two teams continued to battle back and fourth. Marissa Parks made a layup for the Crusaders that was quickly followed by a Fayetteville Academy basket which tied the game at 35 with 3:00 minutes left to play in triple overtime. Marissa Parks then came up with another basket for the Crusaders to extend the Crusader lead to 37-35 with 1:40 left to play. After three made free throws for the Lady Crusaders, which extended their lead to 40-35, the Eagles answered with a basket to cut the lead back to 40-37 with 42.8 seconds left to play. The Eagles forced a Crusader turnover but could not make a three point shot to tie the game. Emily Benton then made one free throw at the line to seal a 41-37 triple overtime victory over the Fayetteville Academy Lady Eagles. HCA's long, fought out victory improved the Lady Crusaders to 13-2 (6-1) on the season. The Lady Crusaders will vie for the regular season conference championship on Friday, January 30 as they take on Fayetteville Christian at home in the Crusaders' Annual Pink Out Game. HCA came up short against the Warriors in their last meeting where they lost 46-42.

Varsity Men and Women Blow Past Hurricanes

The Varsity Men's basketball team traveled to Wilmington on Friday, January 23 to take on Cape Fear
Academy. In front of a full house for the Hurricanes' homecoming night the Crusaders remained undefeated in conference play. The Canes did not let HCA run them out of the gym like their last 65-48 loss to the Crusaders. The two teams fought back and forth in the opening minutes of the game which led to a 10-7 Crusader lead at the end of the first quarter. The Crusaders tried to pull away multiple times in the second quarter but were halted to an 8 point 28-20 lead at the half. Tyshii Scarborough, who missed Wednesday night's game against Coastal Christian due to flu like symptoms, provided a scoring spark for the Crusaders in the first half with 10 points.

The two teams continued to fight back and fourth throughout the third quarter. The Hurricanes were on fire from three point range by answering the Crusaders every time they tried to make a run. HCA however, maintained an 8 point, 36-28 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Hurricanes created a run of their own late in the fourth quarter. Cape Fear nailed a three pointer to cut the Crusader lead to   44-39 with under two minutes to play. The Crusaders then forced a turnover which led to a pair of made free throws by HCA junior Quate Mckinzie to extend the Crusader lead to 46-39 with 56.8 seconds left to play. HCA then came up with yet another steal which would eventually lead to a 48-41 victory over the Hurricanes after two late free throws by the Scarborough brothers. The Crusaders season low 48 points was 17 points under their season points per game average. Despite the scoring struggles the Crusaders created a low scoring balanced attack which resulted in three players scoring in double figures. Quate Mckinzie finished the game with 13 points and 7 rebounds. Mckinzie was quickly followed by Tyshii Scarborough who registered 11 points for the Crusaders. Tyshii's brother Marcus made his mark on the game as well with 10 points and 9 rebounds.  A major setback for the Crusaders was their second leading scorer on the season, CJ Kirchoff finished the game with only 1 point. The Varsity Men hope to continue their undefeated conference on Tuesday, January 27 as they travel to Fayetteville to take on conference opponent Fayetteville Academy.

The Varsity Lady Crusaders took down the Hurricanes 50-36 in a physical battle on the court. HCA jumped out to a quick start and headed into the second quarter with a 19-8 lead. The Hurricanes created a counter attack and cut the Crusader lead to 21-18 with under a minute to play in the second quarter. Margaret Clark however, answered with a half court buzzer beater to extend the Crusader lead to 24-18 heading into the half.

Edging back and fourth in the third quarter, the Crusaders continued to push and maintained a 36-30 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Led by strength at the defensive end of the court, the Crusaders were able to extend their lead and close out a 50-36 victory over Cape Fear Academy. The Lady Crusaders were led by Margaret Clark who recorded a double double with 15 points and 10 steals. With the Crusaders 14 point victory over the Hurricanes, HCA improves to 12-2 (5-1) on the season. The Lady Crusaders will be back in action on Tuesday, January 27 as they hit the road to take on conference opponent Fayetteville Academy.

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.