Junior Carter Warstler slashes to the rim. (Inji Kang’19/Media editor)
The CA boys basketball team stayed hot with a narrow victory over Whitehall, but its 7-game winning streak was soon halted as Worthington Christian completed a season sweep of the Vikings two days later.
On Wednesday, January 23, Academy took a trip to Whitehall: a team that has had its way with the Vikes in recent years. That was not the case on this night, as CA edged the defending MSL champs, 42-40.
The squads traded buckets to begin the game, and the Rams held a slim advantage after one.
Whitehall opened up an 18-12 lead in the second period, but the Vikings recovered, chopping their deficit back down to 2 at halftime.
Academy continued to struggle against the Rams’ zone, but wouldn’t allow Whitehall to pull away at the other end. The low-scoring affair carried on, and the Rams took a 29-24 advantage into the fourth quarter.
With the Vikes in desperate need of an offensive spark, Carter Warstler answered the call. The junior scored 10 of his career-high 22 points in a 6-minute span to give CA a 40-39 lead with time winding down. Whitehall connected from the charity stripe to tie the game, but senior Dorrian Moultrie responded with two clutch free throws of his own to put the Vikings back on top. The Rams missed a game-tying midrange jumper in the final seconds, and Academy escaped with a win.
The Vikes then traveled to Worthington Christian on Friday, January 25, with revenge on their minds after suffering a loss in the teams’ previous meeting. Instead, CA fell short again, as the Warriors picked up a 54-48 victory.
Fueled by its raucous home crowd, WC busted out of the gates. The Warriors quickly built a cushion and seemed to be in control with a 16-10 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
The Vikings weren’t fazed. Academy chipped away at the deficit, pulling within 1 as the break approached. Junior Mitch Priest took over for the remainder of the half, scoring 8 of his 10 points to give the Vikes the lead heading into the locker rooms.
A defensive battle ensued, and senior Dalyn DeCree scored over half of CA’s points in the third period to keep the Vikings ahead. DeCree led Academy with 13 points on the night, as the Vikes clung to a 37-34 advantage with 8 minutes to play.
WC’s offense came to life again in the final quarter. After senior Chris Boyle drilled a long-distance bomb to tie the game at 44, the Warriors responded with two corner threes to put CA away. WC held on in the final stages, closing out an important league win.
The Vikings will look to return to their winning ways, as they travel to West Jefferson on Tuesday, January 29, before hosting archrival Bexley on Friday, February 1.
