Trojans, Gryphons split weekend basketball doubleheader
Photo: Northpoint Christian’s Grayson Alford drives past St. George’s Silas Jones in Saturday’s 68-60 Trojans victory. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
Northpoint Christian School basketball teams took to the floor Saturday as part of Winter Homecoming activities celebrating the school’s 50th anniversary. The Trojans and Lady Trojans took on St. George’s of Collierville and came away with differing results, as St. George’s girls defeated the Lady Trojans 46-41 and the Trojans shot past the Gryphons 68-60.
The difference in the girls game was St. George’s Aaliyah Converse and her game-high 30 points that Northpoint was unable to stop.
Converse started out slowly, hitting just three free throws in the first quarter, but she warmed up significantly with a three-pointer and nine points in the quarter and 12 for the first half as St. George’s took a 22-14 halftime lead.
In the second half, Converse continued her offensive production with 18 second-half points that included three more from outside the three-point arc. She was the only St. George’s player to score in double figures.
On the Northpoint side, Nailah Herrera led the way with 20 points for the game and Lillie Milligan added 10 more. Herrera kept the Lady Trojans in the game with 14 second-half points on six field goals and two-for-three from the free throw line.
Milligan scored most of her points in the first half, including a three-pointer in the second quarter for a total of eight points in the opening 16 minutes of play.
In the boys’ game, Christian Gilliland of Northpoint continued his torrid scoring, finishing with a game-high 35 points in the Trojans victory over the Gryphons.
Gilliland had only 11 points at halftime and seven of those were from the free throw line. But the junior guard-forward attacked the St. George’s defense for nine field goals and was six-of-seven at the charity stripe after intermission to finish with 35 points. He was the only Northpoint scorer in double figures for the game.
Tristin Fleming paced St. George’s with 25 points for the game, 14 of which were in the first half as Northpoint took a 31-30 intermission lead. R.J. Sims added 10 points, all of which came in the second half.
During the evening, Northpoint took a moment to recognize the school’s back-to-back TSSAA Division II-A state girls basketball championship teams. Lindsey Whiteside, Jade Wells and Hannah Shafer from the championship teams of 2015-16 and 2016-17 were joined by coaches Ryan Richardson, Barry and Lindy Gray and the state championship trophies, the only state titles won by Northpoint/SBEC girls in the 50 year history of the school.
