Senior Dorrian Moultrie prepares to dust his defender with a spin move. (Inji Kang’19/Media editor)
Coming off its first loss in over a month, the CA basketball team returned to the win column, topping both West Jefferson and Bexley to grab a half-game lead in the MSL.
The Vikings took a trip to West Jefferson on Tuesday, January 29, and used a second-half surge to post a 63-46 victory.
Neither team could find a rhythm in the opening period, and a trio of layups from junior Carter Warstler was enough to give Academy a slight advantage after one. Warstler finished with a game-high 18 points.
The offense picked up in the second quarter. The Roughriders took the lead, and the Vikes watched as it ballooned to 25-17. Senior Dorrian Moultrie scored 5 unanswered points to end the half, but CA still trailed at the break. Moultrie had 15 for the Vikings.
Academy hit the gas in the third period. The Vikes heated up, outscoring West Jefferson 20-9, and took an 8-point advantage into the fourth quarter.
The Roughriders closed the gap, but CA was too much. Senior Hayden Compton fed classmate Chris Boyle for buckets on consecutive possessions to keep the Vikings in control, and West Jefferson had no answer for Warstler and company down the stretch. Academy closed the game on a 15-3 run to secure the road win.
A clash with archrival Bexley followed on Friday, February 1. After running the Lions out of their own gym in the first matchup, the Vikes played host in the rematch and completed the season sweep, 61-50.
Though both sides were backed by a rowdy student section, CA seemed to have all of the energy early, as the Vikings sprinted out to a 9-3 lead. Bexley didn’t panic, and cut their deficit to 2 at the end of the first period.
It was the Lions’ turn to snatch the momentum. Bexley immediately went on an 11-3 scoring stretch, and threatened to hold a commanding advantage heading into the locker rooms. But Academy calmly responded with a flurry of its own. Buckets from senior Dalyn DeCree and Warstler capped off the rally, putting the Vikes in front at the half, 25-24. DeCree and Warstler each finished with 10 points.
The squads passed the lead back and forth throughout the third quarter, and CA owned a 2-point advantage going into the final period.
After the Lions quickly tied the game on a layup, it was time for Boyle to take over, as he went on a personal 6-0 run to give the Vikings the lead for good. Boyle finished with 21 points to lead Academy.
Bexley tried to claw its way back, but the Vikes wouldn’t have it. Moultrie slashed to the paint for a score to keep the Lions at bay. He had 18 points on the night.
With Bexley clinging to a glimmer of hope, DeCree turned the lights out, ripping down an offensive board over the Lions’ Ryan Callahan and laying it in to seal the victory.
Academy will stay home to battle Bishop Ready on Tuesday, February 5, before traveling to Grandview Heights on Friday, February 8.
