Christian Fellowship’s Eagles were off to a 3-3 start this season coming into the CCA Christmas Tournament and opened the season with a 78-70 loss to Community Christian, a team they met again in Monday’s Consolation Bracket after losing their tournament opener to Galatia, Ill. 70-64.
The Eagles took the win this time around by a final score of 67-64. They were led in scoring by sophomore Elijah Grigg with 26 points and sophomore Daxton Kite with 19.
“Thrilled with the guys”, first year head coach Rodney Kite said following the win. “It got close there at the end, they hung in and hung tough and gritted it out.”
CFS led by two points at 16-14 at the end of the first quarter. Kite scored 10 points for the Eagles in the quarter, including two 3-pointers.
CCA grabbed the lead to open the back and forth second quarter but a 3-pointer from Kite put CFS back on top. Despite five 3-pointers by the Warriors in the quarter, two each from Cooper Reed and Jonah Anderson, the Eagles maintained a slim 36-35 lead at halftime.
Elijah Grigg had 12 third quarter points and sophomore Nate Perez dropped in two threes to keep the Eagles up by three at 56-53 heading into the final quarter.
CCA’s Ahmed Dee scored the final basket of the third quarter and first one of the fourth to draw the Warriors to within one point. Perez hit his third three of the game to put CFS back up by four. Holding a three-point lead with under two minutes to go, CFS converted four of six free throws to pull out the 67-64 win.
Three’s reigned supreme with the two teams combining for twenty. Reed hit six of the 13 by the Warriors. CFS will play their final game of the tournament today at 1:00 against Dresden, Tenn.
“I hope we had maybe one more win”, Coach Kite said of the start to the season. “I thought we could have won our first game against CCA. But we’re learning, we’re learning every day. Getting a little better with boxing out, rebounds and playing good defense.”
CFS 16 20 20 11 – 67
CCA 14 21 18 11 – 64
CFS (4-4): Elijah Grigg 26, Daxton Kite 19, Samuel Grigg 11, Nate Perez 9, Nate Potter 2
CCA (1-8): Cooper Reed 25, Jonah Anderson 16, Ahmed Dee 15, Branden DeJarnatt 6, Miles Jendro 2
