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The Grace Christian Academy Cougars picked up their tenth win of the season in a nail-biting victory against Southwest Georgia Academy, as they defeated the Warriors 61-58. Not only did the Cougars improve their record to 10-5 overall, but the Cougars saw four players reach double figures in scoring. 

Corin McKay has been one of the most consistent scorers for the Cougars as he led the team with 13 points while also notching seven rebounds, four assists and four steals. Owen Earnest also had a great night as he chipped in 12 points, six rebounds and four assists. Keith Eidson was equally impressive in the win scoring 11 points, but also getting it done at the free throw line shooting a consistent 83% from the stripe. Ben Faircloth became the fourth Cougar to score double figures in the win as he notched 11 points while shooting an impressive 67% from three point land. 

This season the Cougars have had to deal with some injuries including their leading scorer Jafus Ferguson missing some time with injury. Despite losing their leading scorer, Coach Travis Harrison has been able to find guys who can step up and fill the offensive void. 

“When Jafus Ferguson got injured, he was our leading scorer as well as our leader in a few other key stats,” said Harrison. “Having guys like Kevin and Corin step up to fill the void is a big key to our current success. A couple buckets in a row from either one of those guys really seems to light a fire in our team. Seeing either one of them get hot is a great sign for our team. The other players know it and respond to it.”

For Coach Harrison, the success the Cougars have seen early this season has come from each player’s willingness to accept their role and play together as a team. Harrison has been able to get each player to devote themselves to the team and find production in ways besides scoring. 

“We have been able to play some strong team-first ball so far,” said Harrison. “Every player knows their role and commits to it. Players trust each other and rely on each other.”

In order to maintain the success they have seen early on this season, Coach Harrison wants to see more consistency on both ends of the court and wants to see his team remain hungry. When the Cougars can find a rhythm, they are a  difficult team to face.  

“Consistent excellence,” said Harrison. “We have had great games where we really displayed what we are capable of doing. We’ve survived some bad games by doing just enough. What we haven’t done yet is get into a rhythm and maintain it across multiple games. We currently have a couple of key members of the team going through injuries. Having them back is vital. We have to stay hungry. It’s easy for young players to experience early wins and think they’ve got it made. Realizing that every opponent is getting better everyday and you must too if you want to continue winning is a truth that has to be embraced.”