BY CLIFF SMELLEY
It was an eight-point differential when the two teams met on Dec. 19, but the Hope Christian Academy boys basketball team recorded a bigger win in the second meeting on Feb. 5, defeating visiting Westwood Christian (Live Oak) 65-44.
A three-point basket by Aiden Wilson and a two-point field goal by Julio Casielles late in the second quarter helped send the Lions (17-3) into the half leading 43-25.
The Lions’ defensive pressure was heavy to start the third quarter, forcing the Warriors into three early turnovers. A Wilson steal led to a basket by Marcus Chever to put Hope up by 20 points.
Hope also came up big in rebounding. Frazier and Jude Hanson rebounded two early missed shots by Westwood. Frazier scored off an offensive rebound to make it a 47-27 game. Chever then grabbed a rebound on the defensive end and dribbled the length of the court for a basket and a 22-point lead.
Frazier had a basket following a defensive rebound by Hanson, while Wilson rebounded a Warriors miss and, like Chever earlier, drove all the way to the other end of the court for a basket, putting Hope ahead 53-27.
Dalton Thomas’ offensive rebound and score helped send the Lions into the final quarter with a 56-35 lead.
The fourth quarter began with a rebound putback by Noah Gaffney, while the game ended on a steal and score by Walker Munroe.
Wyatt Gauthier had two defensive rebounds in the final quarter, while Gaffney, Munroe, Thomas, Wilson and Griffin McCloud each had one.
Hope had a 12-0 record on the season before losing 56-51 on the road against Jacksonville’s First Coast Christian on Jan. 19.
The Lions bounced back with two straight wins on the road, defeating Ocala’s First Assembly Christian 53-45 on Jan. 23 and Trenton’s Riverside Christian 67-44 on Jan. 25.
First Coast Christian defeated the Lions again, this time winning 72-65 in overtime on Hope’s home court.
After a 64-30 road win over Gainesville Christian Community on Jan. 29, Hope lost 65-61 to host Old Plank Christian on Jan. 30 in Jacksonville.
The Lions entered the Feb. 5 Westwood game off a 65-59 road win over Valdosta, Georgia’s Open Bible Christian on Feb. 2.
Hope hosts High Springs’ First Christian on Thursday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. and then hosts Brunswick Christian on Monday, Feb. 12, at 5:30 p.m.
