Christian Heritage vs. OCA: Standout Performers

Tuesday night's matchup was arguably the best game of the week so far. Christian Heritage entered having won two of its last three, including victories over Webster (3A) and Bristow (4A). All of the Crusaders' losses this season have come against either ranked 3A opponents or schools from larger classifications. OCA, meanwhile, came in riding a four-game winning streak and had surged to the No. 4 spot in Class 2A. Not only did this game get tight late, it also featured a number of clutch performers for each squad. Look for both teams to continue to play well as they try to hit their stride heading into postseason play in a few weeks.   Final:   OCA 63, Christian Heritage 60   Oklahoma Christian Academy   This game went back and forth throughout the evening as neither team could manage to extend leads in this one. The Eagles showcased a balanced attack, including a strong showing from Braylon Whitmire. The guard knocked down two 3-pointers from well beyond the arc in key moments. The first was from the top of the key to end the first quarter and give his team a 17-13 lead. [player_tooltip player_id='2408566' first='Carter' last='Coleman'] surveyed the defense and kicked the ball out to Whitmire who showed his quick release. The other shot was just before the halftime buzzer to extend the lead to six, at 35-29.   As for Coleman, the sophomore had his fingerprint all over this game for his team. He was active on defense, blocking shots at the rim and finding teammates with great fastbreak passes. When he was not starting the fastbreak, Coleman was running hard to get to the rim. His biggest highlight was a one-handed rebound dunk in yet another fastbreak scenario. The effort and energy he brings each night, to match his length and skill makes this team very dangerous moving forward.   Two other players that performed well for the Eagles, were [player_tooltip player_id='2672356' first='Cane' last='Davidson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2292271' first='Matthew' last='Mason'], who was coming off a 32-point performance in the Mike Kerr Tournament Championship. The junior got hot early and showed his skill on both sides of the floor. Mason attacked in transition, forced multiple steals on defense and hit a perimeter 3-pointer. His athleticism continues to show up on a nightly basis as he compliments Coleman so well on the floor. Davidson proved to be another great floor spacer in this one. If the junior guard can continue to hit open shots from beyond the arc, this team will have several options to go to as defenses focus on Coleman.   Christian Heritage Academy   [player_tooltip player_id='2374600' first='Swift' last='Moore'] led the way for the Crusaders, scoring in many ways. The junior showed off a great spin move around defenders to convert an and-one early in the first quarter and then followed that up by attacking a close-out to pull up at the free throw line. Moore played under control and provided his squad with some great effort plays. His ability to finish with both hands was evident in this one. [player_tooltip player_id='2829537' first='Mekko' last='Bobo'] was another bright spot for his team, converting on a right corner 3-pointer to start the game, as well as a pull-up jump shot to help keep his team in reach in the first quarter. Moore continued to dominate in both the second and third quarters, converting another and-one in the paint, while forcing two more steals on defense.   [player_tooltip player_id='2418121' first='Adren' last='Borders'] provided a lift late in the third quarter, by hitting a left wing 3-pointer after the Eagles zone defense collapsed on the paint. The guard wasn't done, as he hit another long range shot against the zone in the fourth quarter as well. Moore and Borders helped to trim a 9-point deficit in the third quarter all the way down to three. However, the OCA defense proved to be too much, and they walked away with the victory. While the OCA zone was effective for stretches, the ability of the Christian Heritage guards to hit perimeter shots eventually made this game interesting late. Look for this team to continue to build off of the momentum they had to end the game.   Moving Forward:   Oklahoma Christian Academy:   Friday vs. Luther, 7:30 PM   Tuesday @ Southwest Covenant, 8:00 PM   Christian Heritage Academy:   Friday vs. Cheyenne/Reydon, 7:30 PM   Tuesday @ Crooked Oak, 1:00 PM

Tuesday night's matchup was arguably the best game of the week so far. Christian Heritage entered having won two of its last three, including victories over Webster (3A) and Bristow (4A). All of the Crusaders' losses this season have come against either ranked 3A opponents or schools from larger classifications. OCA, meanwhile, came in riding a four-game winning streak and had surged to the No. 4 spot in Class 2A. Not only did this game get tight late, it also featured a number of clutch performers for each squad. Look for both teams to continue to play well as they try to hit their stride heading into postseason play in a few weeks.