By Marty Kirkland
Christian Heritage’s senior basketball players took a moment in between Friday night’s games against Heirway Christian to entertain the crowd by dancing to The Temptations’ “My Girl.”
Along with their teammates, they pretty much danced up and down the floor in both of the GISA Region 4-2A contests, too.
Christian Heritage scored a pair of routs in its final home games for the season — the Lady Lions won 68-37, the Lions 77-30 — as eight seniors played for the last time in their gym.
“I wanted to go out with a bang,” said Lions senior Landon McClure, who led all scorers with 27 points. “I guess I did.”
In “guessing,” McClure was being just a bit modest.
He teamed up with fellow senior Will Clark for a fiery shooting performance from outside as they combined for nine 3-pointers, including eight in the first half.
McClure, who had five of the 3s, made one at the buzzer in the first and second quarters and converted a four-point play late in the first half. He also had five steals, while Clark added three steals and six assists.
Christian Heritage (13-8, 8-4 in Region 4-2A) also got an 11-point, five-rebound effort from Terrell Wilson, the team’s other senior.
“They’ve really carried us all season,” Lions coach Chad Woodson said. “Those two can shoot it and then if they miss, Terrell goes and cleans it up. Those three guys are our nucleus on offense and defense.”
For half of the first quarter, Heirway Christian (1-18, 0-13) controlled the ball and took its time setting up shots well enough to hold off the Lions. But Christian Heritage outscored the Eagles 28-5 in the second quarter to secure a 49-13 halftime lead and made the second half — the fourth quarter was cut to 6 minutes due to the Georgia Independent Schools Association’s mercy rule — a formality.
Billy Barnes’ nine-point effort led the Eagles.
Michael McKinney was the Lions’ rebound leader with 11.
In the girls game, Christian Heritage (20-3, 10-2) gave its five seniors — Kathryn Green, Kirsten Greene, Camden Hardaway, Caty Nagel and Bradley Townsend — plenty of time to enjoy their last go-round at home.
However, a happy side effect was that the depth of the Lady Lions’ roster was also on full display. Although sophomores Maggie Peeples (12 points) and Ann Marie Massengale (10) were the only Lady Lions who scored in double figures, 12 Christian Heritage players registered at least a point in the game, during which the Lady Lions used runs of 12-2 and 15-0 in the second quarter to build a 41-14 halftime lead.
As for the seniors, Lady Lions coach Heather Lowery is confident the contributions of what she called “a fun group” will be felt even beyond this season.
“We feel pretty confident over the next year or two we’re going to be as good a team if not even better than we are now,” Lowery said. “ ... Those seniors have really led so these kids can come in behind them. They’ve got something to do with our success over the next few years.”
Danielle Maffett doubled up with 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Lady Eagles (5-11, 4-9).
For Christian Heritage, Townsend had nine points and four assists and Meg Crawford seven points, four assists and three steals. Peeples grabbed three steals and Massengale five rebounds.
Nagel, who had a team-high nine rebounds to go with eight points, helped orchestrate the mini-performance to “My Girl” during the night’s ceremonies as a tribute to the seniors’ homeroom and English teacher, Bonnie McKinney, who also serves as a basketball statistician.
“That’s her favorite song,” Nagel said. “It has nothing to do with basketball, but we were like, ‘We should dance. It’s our last night.’ We just wanted to have some fun.”
Christian Heritage closes its regular season today with region games at Colonial Hills Christian in Lithia Springs.
