Grace Christian Cougars win at the buzzer vs Crisp
Published 9:32 am Wednesday, January 15, 2025
No. 10 senior Keith Eidson shoots a midrange free throw jumpshot early in the second-half.
Cougars look to get a big defensive stop during the possession.
No. 12 senior Owen Earnest drives the baseline into a floater over the out-reached hand of the defender.
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After losing to Fullington Academy 60-50, the Grace Christian Cougars’ goal to win their first region game was to create turnovers and push the tempo. There should be green checks for those objectives because GCA varsity men’s basketball coach Chris Williams’ group generated 21 steals in a thrilling 54-52 victory over Crisp Academy. To be quite frank, it was a relieving victory for Coach Williams.
The points were spread out in the win, with seniors No. 10 Keith Eidson and No. 12 Owen Earnest scoring 14 points, leading the Cougars. Earnest also tallied four steals, No. 2 Luke Boyett finished with eight points and a team-leading seven assists.
Both No. 5 Cade Wells and No. 20 Dawson Worley scored six points, and Wells had a team-leading seven steals on the night. Eidson led the Cougars (5-10, 1-1) with eight rebounds and five steals.
The Cougars extended their halftime lead well into the third quarter, leading 37-32, before Crisp came racing back to take a 43-39 lead late in the third quarter.
“I put the game in my point guard (Owen Earnest) hands and slowed the game down,” GCA varsity basketball coach Williams said. “And as a matter of fact, he called for one shot, and I told him to go for it. Tonight, he stepped up as a true leader.”
With the game tied at 52 apiece, the drive and kick generated such a good look for Eidson on the wing to knock down a nothing-but net shot that sent the gym into a frenzy.
“We had to tell them to stop shooting the three. The goal was to get inside the lane,” GCA assistant coach Deandre Smith said. “And find the kick, and we got that wide-open look.”
It wasn’t like the ball was falling for the Cougars either, as they shot 21-for-75 from the field and 2-for-26 from deep.
“Even though our shots weren’t falling, if you do everything right, the basketball gods will reward you at the end of the day,” Assistant Coach Smith said.
Next week, the Cougars are back to 0-0, taking it one week at a time. They’ll host a back-to-back against Georgia Southern and a region game against Highland. The Lady Cougars will tip off at 6 p.m., and the boys will have the primetime slot of 7:30 p.m.
