BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Hope Christian Academy earned a rematch with Ocala’s First Assembly Christian, but still couldn’t get past the Eagles, losing 60-36 in the championship game of the Southeastern Christian Conference Championship boys basketball tournament, which was held Feb. 15-17 at Starke’s Northside Christian Academy.
Marcus Chever averaged 18 points in four games in helping the Lions (21-5) earn the runner-up trophy.
Hope, which was the number-one seed in the West, had a first-round bye before playing its first tournament game on Feb. 16. The Lions had three players score in double figures in a 40-25 win over Brunswick Christian, which was the second seed in the East.
It was a 4-4 game going into the second quarter, but Hope began pulling away with an 8-0 run. After a free throw by Zach Hansen, Chever rebounded a Brunswick miss and went the length of the court for a basket. Chever then got the assist on an Aiden Wilson three-pointer before later going to the foul line and making two free throws.
The Lions had another 8-0 run to start the second half. Tavian Frazier and Wilson had back-to-back three pointers, while Chever scored off a Wilson assist, making the score 24-8.
Frazier and Wilson each had two three-pointers in the quarter to help Hope build a 30-18 lead.
Brunswick was able to but Hope’s lead to eight, but Chever and Frazier each had two baskets as the Lions scored eight of the game’s final nine points.
Chever finished with 14 points, while Frazier and Wilson each had 12. Hansen and Jude Hanson each added one point.
Hanson grabbed seven rebounds, while Chever and Frazier each had five.
That set up the first matchup between Hope and First Assembly, which was the second seed in the West. It was a closer game than the one played in the championship round, but in the end, the Lions lost 51-45 on Feb. 16.
Two free throws by Frazier gave Hope an early 5-4 lead, but it would be the Lions’ only lead.
Chever and Wilson combined to score nine points in the first quarter to help send Hope into the second quarter trailing by just two, 13-11.
First Assembly went on a 10-1 run, which was capped by a Ta’Bryant Wooden three-pointer, which put the Eagles up 23-12.
Hope’s Dalton Thomas gave Hope its first field goal of the second quarter off a Chever assist, but most of the quarter was a struggle, with the Lions making just 2 of 14 field-goal attempts.
The Lions were able to cut their deficit to four in the third quarter. Hope got a basket from Walker Munroe and a free throw by Hansen to make it a seven-point game. After First Assembly’s B.J. Paige made two free throws, Frazier sank a three-point shot. Chever then grabbed a defensive rebound and went the length of the court for a basket to make it a 28-24 game.
First Assembly scored consecutive baskets before the Lions got a three-pointer from Hanson, which sent Hope into the fourth quarter trailing 32-27.
The Eagles were able to double their lead until Hope’s Thomas scored off an offensive rebound, making it a 42-35 game with 2:30 to play. Danny Pascuma made a three-pointer for First Assembly, but Hope got consecutive baskets from Chever and Frazier to make it a six-point game with 1:05 remaining.
Hope, however, couldn’t overtake the Eagles.
Chever, who hit a three-pointer before the final buzzer, finished with 19 points, while Frazier had 11. The Lions also got five points from Wilson, four from Thomas, three from Hanson, two from Munroe and one from Hansen.
Hope’s rebound leaders were Chever with seven and Hanson with six.
Lions rebound with win over Brunswick
Hope played Brunswick again on Feb. 17, with a 7-0 fourth-quarter run helping the Lions win 48-40.
The Lions fell behind 10-8 in the second quarter before scoring six straight points. Chever had two consecutive baskets during that span, while Frazier made two free throws.
It was a three-point game when Frazier was fouled as time expired in the first half. He made two free throws to put Hope up 18-13.
Hope was leading by three in the third quarter when it got two straight baskets from Chever. Another basket off a baseline drive by Hanson put the Lions ahead 26-19.
Brunswick made it a three-point game again, but Wilson hit a three-point shot to send Hope into the fourth quarter ahead 29-23.
A three-pointer by Brunswick’s Pierce Saunders cut the Lions’ lead to three. After Frazier went 1 of 2 from the foul line, the Eagles got a basket from Chase Kalani, which left Brunswick trailing 36-34.
Hope missed its next three field-goal attempts before Frazier scored off an offensive rebound. Chever then scored following a turnover, drawing a foul in the process. He made the awarded free throw with 1:46 remaining to put the Lions up 41-34.
Frazier went to the foul line with 50 seconds to play, making both free-throw attempts and giving Hope a nine-point cushion.
Chever, who scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, led the Lions with 21 points. Hope also got 15 from Frazier, eight from Wilson and two each from Hansen and Hanson.
Hansen also had six rebounds, while Hanson had four steals.
Brunswick Christian ended its season with a 14-5 record.
Hope can’t keep pace in title game
First Assembly’s Danny Pascuma and Garrett Rey combined to score 27 first-half points as the Eagles handed Hope a 60-36 loss in the Feb. 17 championship game.
Pascuma made three three-pointers in the first quarter as First Assembly built a 20-6 lead.
Rey scored 11 second-quarter points, with seven occurring during an 11-1 to close out the half and give the Eagles a 40-15 lead.
The Lions outscored First Assembly 8-2 to start the second half. Chever scored the first two baskets of the third quarter and later made a three-pointer. Hansen added a free throw to get the margin to 19, but that’s as close as Hope would get as the Eagles increased their lead again and went into the fourth quarter leading 49-25.
Chever had 13 points in the second half and finished with 17. Hanson and Frazier scored seven and five points, with Frazier also grabbing 12 rebounds.
The Lions also got three points from Wilson and two each from Hanson and Wyatt Gauthier.
First Assembly finished its season with a 22-4 record.
