Cougars defeat Highland Christian 69-26 after General defeat and pickup massive region victory

Published 4:01 pm Thursday, January 23, 2025

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Inside Perry Memorial Gymnasium Thursday night, the energy was depleted in the last 16 minutes of action. The Grace Christian Cougars finished with a sour 54-47 defeat to the Georgia Christian Generals in non-region play. GCA held a one-point lead 27-26 against Georgia Christian at the break behind quick ball movement, full-court ball pressure defense, and a streaky shooting performance out of the gates.

The Cougars (6-11, 2-2) had three players in double-figures and were led by No. 2 Luke Boyett with 16 points, No. 10 Keith Eidson scoring 15 points behind a 60 percent field goal percentage, and No. 20 Dawson Worsley with 11 points well shooting three-for-five behind the arc. 

The Cougars have lost by an average of eight points in their three losses since coming back from break. It’s the minute details that have determined the outcome of games that haven’t gone in the favor of this fierce Grace Christian boys basketball team. 

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“We have to learn how to close in the fourth quarter,” Grace Christian boys basketball coach Chris Williams said. “we’re right there every time.”

The difference Coach Williams envisions his Cougars swinging the crucial final five minutes of games is communicating on defense, and not worrying about the other stats. 

“You can’t win unless you communicate,” coach Williams said. “Because you have to work as hard in those aspects of calling out screens, and getting better reads.” 

The Cougars hosted Highland Christian last Friday at 7:30 p.m. Winning 69-26 and improving GCA to 2-2 in GIAA A Region 3 play putting them in a prime position to control their destiny. 

Grace Christian dictated the tempo of the game and generated 20 steals, a recipe for winning success this season under Coach Williams. 

Eidson led Grace Christian with 14 points and another stellar 67 percent field-goal shooting percentage. He was a plus-41 during the game. 

Worsley finished in double-figures with 13 points and added five assists to show off his vision on the court. 

Boyett ended with a near double-double, nine points and ten rebounds. 

No. 5 Cade Wells put together an eight-point and seven-rebound performance against Highland Christian with a gaudy +37. Both No. 22 Jacob Elkins and No. 13 freshman Henry Lee scored six points in the victory. Senior guard Owen Earnest had a glaring +42 plus/minus showcasing the Cougars’ success with No. 12 on the floor. 

The Cougars Senior Night against (9-8) the Southwest Georgia Academy Warriors in non-region was canceled due to inclement weather in the area and will be rescheduled for Monday, January 27. The Cougars have a critical region rematch against Fullington Academy that was also rescheduled due to the snow and icy conditions. With a win and a split against the Trojans, GCA would be tied for second place in Region Three play.

The Grace Christian Academy Cougars had a huge triumph on January 24th, with their game against Fullington Academy being rescheduled from February 6th to January 24th at 6 p.m. The Cougars capitalized on the opportunity, securing a potential season-defining victory of the regular season by defeating Fullington Academy 60-41.