Carmel Christian boys’ basketball overcomes obstacles, upsets Gaston Christian
It’s kind of like one of those cross-country auto racing video games.
Tamar Slay is at the wheel of the Carmel Christian boys’ basketball program, and those nasty obstacles keep appearing from nowhere, trying to knock him off track.
Oops … there’s a short offseason, with not much time to get familiar with the program.
And whoa! It’s player injuries, reducing the roster and forcing Slay to use middle-school players in practices.
And another one jumps out! Illness, affecting several players on the team in the days leading up to the season opener.
“There have been some challenges, and it will be nice to put all this behind us,” Slay said Saturday night.
Fortunately for him and Carmel Christian fans, he made that comment shortly after the Cougars trounced Gaston Christian 61-43 in the nightcap of the Carmel Christian Tipoff Classic.
Gaston Christian was No. 8 in The Observer’s preseason Sweet 16. Carmel Christian was No. 10.
It was the first victory at the school for Slay, a former NBA and international shooting guard who spent time with the Charlotte Bobcats.
The Cougars had dropped their opener Friday night for Forsyth Country Day, and given the illness problems, Slay was happy to see his team bounce back 24 hours later.
“We haven’t had 10 guys at a practice yet, with the injuries and sickness,” said Slay, whose son, Bryce, finished with 14 points and three assists despite getting ill at halftime. “For us to be getting a win against a good Gaston Christian team is really nice.”
Slay, 43, took over the Carmel Christian program in August, replacing Joe Badgett, who had helped develop the program into a state power. Slay also coached a state champion, at United Faith Christian. But he didn’t have a lot of time to get things going at Carmel Christian.
“Coach really had to work hard, to make up for the late start,” said Cody Peck, a promising 6-9 sophomore was among the players stricken with the virus this week. “He’s worked hard, and I’m happy to see him get this victory.”
It came against a Gaston Christian team with a famous name — former Duke standout Chris Duhon — as head coach. The Eagles are loaded with young, talented players, such as 6-9 senior Makoi Mabor and sophomore point guard Cameron Newman.
And Duhon’s team put up a fight for about 2½ quarters Saturday.
Gaston Christian trailed only 28-24 at the half and surged to a 34-33 lead on a Newman basket with four minutes left in the third quarter. But the Cougars went on a 22-3 run that left them leading 55-37 midway in the fourth quarter.
“We’ll be getting better, as we learn the system and get used to one another,” Slay said. “We’ve got to play our style — share the ball, play hard on defense, run when we can. That’s what our fans can expect from us.”
Kam Taylor, a 6-7 senior, led the victors with 29 points and 10 rebounds. Cody Peck added seven points and 10 rebounds.
Makoi Mabor had 21 points and 10 rebounds for Gaston Christian (0-3), which has lost its opening games to three powerhouses — defending 4A private school state champ Christ School; Combine Academy; and Carmel Christian.
Earlier games
Carmel Tipoff games played earlier Saturday:
Grace Christian 49, Asheville School 44: Steven McLeod scored 17 points for Grace Christian.
Caldwell Academy 46, Berean Baptist 43: Jaylen Cross had 20 points in leading the victors.
The Burlington School 55, Concord Academy 49: The Burlington School took a big lead after three quarters and held off a Concord Academy comeback attempt. Sean Birmingham, a 6-8 senior, finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and three blocks for Concord Academy. Icare Bakadisula, a 6-7 junior, added 13 points. Zion Walker, a 6-2 senior, had 22 points for The Burlington School.
Moravian Prep 65, Northside Christian 61: Moravian Prep led 54-46 after three quarters, but Northside Christian rallied in the closing minutes. Two Northside players had 18 points — 6-0 senior Josh Bullock and 6-4 freshman Josiah Johnson-Freeman. Junior Abu Yarmah led Moravian Prep with 21.
Cannon School 79, Forsyth Country Day 77 (overtime): Cannon School bounced back from its Friday night loss to Davidson Day, jumping to a 14-0 lead and a 23-8 margin after the first quarter. The Cougars led by 22 points at one time, before Forsyth Country Day mounted a comeback.
Austin Swartz, Cannon School’s Florida State-bound senior, finished with 23 points and seven rebounds. Isaiah Henry, a 6-5 junior, totaled 22 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Senior Iverson King scored 22 for Forsyth Country Day.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
