Photo: Players battle for position on a missed free throw during Monday’s Northpoint-Tipton Rosemark boys’ basketball game at TRA. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
Northpoint Christian’s basketball teams returned to TSSAA Division II-A West Region action Monday with a pair of games at Tipton-Rosemark Academy. The Northpoint Lady Trojans left with a low-scoring 35-25 victory, but the Trojans saw a fourth-quarter collapse overshadow a solid three-quarter effort in a 59-41 loss to the Rebels.
Fourth-quarter collapse dooms Trojans in loss to Tipton-Rosemark
ROSEMARK, Tenn. – A dominant fourth-quarter surge by Tipton-Rosemark Academy (TRA) turned a tightly contested battle into a 59-41 victory over Northpoint Christian School on Monday night.
Northpoint held a 26-22 lead at halftime and maintained a 32-29 edge midway through the third quarter. Despite a back-and-forth frame that ended with TRA leading 39-37, the Trojans appeared poised for a finish down to the wire.
However, the final eight minutes proved disastrous for Northpoint. Tipton-Rosemark unleashed an aggressive full-court pressure that triggered a 20-4 scoring run. Kingston Woods fueled the TRA breakout, scoring eight of his 20 points in the final period, while Brennan Patel led all scorers with 21 points.
“The pressure got to us, and we lost the quarter 21 to four,” Northpoint head coach Luke Chapman said. “That’s something you can’t bounce back from.”
Aidan Becksfort led the Trojans with a double-double effort, finishing with 18 points and 14 rebounds. Brennon Abernathy added eight points in the loss. While Chapman praised his team’s poise through the first three quarters, Northpoint’s offense stalled late, managing only two field goals in the final frame.
The road ahead doesn’t get easier for Northpoint. The Trojans must quickly regroup as they continue a grueling three-game road stretch tomorrow night against ECS.
“We may be a little over matched, but they’re ready for the challenge,” Chapman said.
Northpoint girls outlast Tipton-Rosemark in gritty road victory
ROSEMARK, Tenn. – In a defensive battle defined by early-season rust and high intensity, Northpoint Christian School secured a 35-25 victory over Tipton-Rosemark Academy on Tuesday night.
The Lady Trojans relied on a dominant second-quarter surge and a stifling 1-3-1 zone defense to overcome a sluggish offensive start. Leading the charge was Nailah Herrera, who finished with a game-high 11 points and provided a spark during a decisive 14-5 run before halftime.
Northpoint head coach Barry Gray attributed the team’s uneven rhythm to a long layoff, noting the team hadn’t played a competitive game since Dec. 20.
“I thought we looked rusty,” Gray said. “But I thought our effort was really high. Our 1-3-1 defense is kind of our fail-safe, and that second quarter allowed us to separate.”
The Lady Rebels struggled to find an offensive rhythm against the Northpoint zone, though Zadie Reburn matched Herrera with 11 points to keep the game within reach. Tipton-Rosemark cut the lead to eight points with just over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Lady Trojans’ Bella Gagliano silenced the comeback attempt.
Gagliano finished with eight points, including a critical late-game three-pointer.
“Bella made some key shots at really key moments,” Gray said. “She made a big shot when they were making a run.”
Despite committing 24 turnovers, Northpoint’s defensive execution proved to be the difference. The Lady Trojans held the Lady Rebels to just 14 points through the first three quarters, coasting to a double-digit win in a hostile road environment.
Northpoint continues a busy week of games Tuesday night at Evangelical Christian School.
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.
