Published: 12:00 AM, Wed Feb 22, 2012
Clean sweep for Fayetteville Christian basketball teams
The Fayetteville Christian girls and boys advanced in the NCISAA 2-A state playoffs with wins at home Tuesday night against lower-seeded teams.
The Lady Warriors (23-5), seeded third topped Harrells Christian 39-28 on the strength of a solid opening quarter.
The sixth-seeded boys (19-11) followed suit, beating Carolina Friends School, 81-71.
Both teams will travel to St. David's School in Raleigh, the site for the next three rounds of the 2-A tournament, to face their next opponents.
Girls cruise
The Lady Warriors opened their game with a solid defensive effort that held the No. 14 seed Crusaders (11-10) to just three points in the first quarter.
"The key was defense," coach Don Gardner said. "The defense was able to generate turnovers and execute on the other end with transition baskets."
Antonelle Spicer posted seven of her 14 points in the first quarter to help her team to an early lead.
The Warriors spread a 12-2 run over the first four minutes of the game.
Guard Jayla Bryant capped the run with a 3-pointer from the wing just as the clock rolled under four minutes.
Bryant had a hot hand from beyond the arc, sinking four 3s en route to a game-high 16 points.
Holding a 14-3 lead at the end of the first quarter, Fayetteville Christian cruised through the remainder of the game, holding Harrells to single digits in each of the first three frames.
The Lady Warriors will next face No. 6 seed First Assembly at St. David's on Thursday at 4 p.m.
Boys fight off Quakers
Like their female counterparts, the Warrior boys also took an early lead, but had to fend off the surging Quakers (21-9) at the end of the third quarter to hold on for the win.
Guard T.J. Robinson led all scorers with 37 points - including 16 from the foul line and five 3-pointers - and center Rashad Parker added 20 to lead the Warrior offense.
Fayetteville Christian led by as many as 10 points in the first half, using a full-court press to wear down Carolina Friends and force turnovers.
But in the third quarter, the Quakers outscored the Warriors 23-18, aided by a 10-point quarter by forward Jake Hilkely. Hilkely led Carolina Friends with 25 points.
"I think our guys started to relax a little when they got that 10 point lead, and Carolina Friends made some adjustments," Warriors coach Thurston Robinson said.
With five seconds left in the third, Hilkely made a layup to cut the Warriors' lead to 52-50, but Robinson was fouled trying to hurl a buzzer-beating 3.
Robinson made all three free throws to buoy the Warriors' lead back to five points at the start of the fourth quarter.
Robinson made a 3-pointer and Parker added a pair of free throws before Carolina Friends could score in the fourth, and the Warriors never let the lead dwindle again.
Fayetteville Christian will face the winner of No. 7 seed First Assembly and No. 10 seed Cape Fear Academy on Thursday.
Girls: Fayetteville Christian 39, Harrells Christian 28
HARRELLS CHRISTIAN- Devane 2, C. Campbell 3, Phoebe Campbell 13, Verrilli 4, Clapp 6
FAYETTEVILLE CHRISTIAN- Wilbon 4, Antonelle Spicer 14, Battle 5, Jayla Bryant 16
Fouled out: none
Technical fouls: none
3-point goals: FC - Spicer, Bryant 4
Records: Harrells Christian 11-10, Fayetteville Christian 23-5
Boys: Fayetteville Christian 81, Carolina Friends School 71
CAROLINA FRIENDS- Gouchoe-Hanes 3, Asante Monadjemi 10, Milo Kim Mayer 17, Berry 9, Jake Hilkely 25, Boone 7
FAYETTEVILLE CHRISTIAN- Bobby Duncan 10, Rashad Parker 20, Avery 5, Udok 5, Giles 2, T.J. Robinson 37
Fouled out: CF - Mayer
Technical fouls: FC - Parker
3-point goals: CF - Gouchoe-Hanes, Mayer 3, Berry 3, Hilkely, Boone; FC - Parker, Avery, Robinson 5
Records: Carolina Friends 21-9, Fayetteville Christian 19-11