Photo: Nailah Herrera of Northpoint Christian goes up and under her ECS defender for two of her game-high 20 points in Monday’s contest. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN BOYS 63, NORTHPOINT 37
SOUTHAVEN, MS — In a display of clinical perimeter shooting and sustained defensive pressure, Evangelical Christian School (ECS) dismantled Northpoint Christian 63-37.
Within the first five minutes of play, ECS jumped to a 9-5 lead, with 100 percent of their early production coming via the long ball. While Northpoint’s Brennan Abernathy attempted to keep pace—connecting on two early triples of his own—the Trojans struggled to find an answer for the Eagles’ depth and ball movement.
By the end of the first quarter, a last-second layup gave the Trojans a glimmer of hope, trailing 17-11. However, that hope was short-lived.
Brennan Abernathy led Northpoint Christian in scoring with 16 points against ECS. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
The second and third quarters belonged to Ezra Caswell. After a quiet start, Caswell exploded for 17 points across the middle periods.
The Eagles’ lead swelled to 10 points midway through the second quarter and continued to expand. By the time the third-quarter buzzer sounded, ECS held a commanding 49-27 advantage, punctuated by a stifling defense that held Northpoint to just six points in the third frame.
Northpoint’s Aiden Becksfort and Joel Brown fought to find rhythm in the fourth, but the deficit proved insurmountable. Any momentum the Trojans gathered was quickly silenced by Ashton Carr, whose three-pointer with just over five minutes remaining pushed the lead to 20 points. Carr finished the evening with 12 points, joining Caswell as the only other Eagle in double figures.
While Abernathy finished with a team-high 16 points for Northpoint, the Trojans were unable to overcome an ECS roster that saw nine different players find the scoresheet. The Eagles maintained their composure through the final whistle, stretching the final margin to 26 points.
NORTHPOINT CHRISTIAN GIRLS 43, EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN 29
In a game defined by defensive grit rather than offensive fireworks, the Northpoint Christian Lady Trojans relied on a lockdown performance to secure a victory.
Behind a balanced scoring effort and a resilient defensive stand, Northpoint earned a 43-29 win over the Evangelical Christian School Eagles on Monday night.
The contest was a physical, low-scoring affair from the opening tip. While Northpoint struggled to find consistent rhythm from the perimeter, the defense remained constant, limiting ECS to single digits in multiple quarters and preventing any sustained runs from the visitors.
The Lady Trojans utilized their length to disrupt the Eagles’ passing lanes and dominate the defensive glass, which eliminated second-chance opportunities. By the fourth quarter, the defensive pressure had taken its toll, allowing Northpoint to pull away and secure the 14-point win.
Nailah Herrera led Northpoint in scoring with 20 points and was aided by Londyn Griffin with 11. ECS was led by Allie Madison with 12 points in the loss.
Bob Bakken provides content for DeSoto County News and its social media channels. He is an award-winning broadcaster, along with being a reporter and photographer, and has done sports media relations work with junior and minor league hockey teams. Along with his reports on this website, you will find this veteran media member providing sports updates on Rebel 95.3 FM Radio.
