GREENVILLE - On Feb. 16, Coastal Division No. 1 seed Emmanuel Christian School varsity boys’ basketball team won its home quarterfinal playoff game against the No. 2 seed the Northside (North Charleston) Eagles by a score of 48-43 that set the stage for a trip to the 2A final four tournament in Greenville.
The Northside game was a slower pace than the Crusaders are used to, Coach Jimmy Beck said.
“They really didn’t allow us to get out and run, but we did a good job adjusting to the different tempo,” Beck said. “Our defense was outstanding, and we did just enough to pull off the win in front of a very excited home crowd. It was great for our seniors to finish their home basketball careers with such an exciting win.”
The win marked Emmanuel’s second consecutive trip to a final four tournament after not having reached it since making an appearance in the 1A semifinals in 1996.
The Crusaders good fortune would fail them in the semifinal round of the competition however as Emmanuel fell to the eventual state championship winner, Hampton Park of Greenville, on Feb. 19.
The score was close throughout the first half, but the Panthers of Hampton Park took a commanding lead in the third quarter behind their All-State player Cody Lehman, who scored 24 points in the contest. Emmanuel’s high scorer was Tre’ Atkinson with 25.
To determine third place in the SCACS 2A competition, Emmanuel defeated Calvary Christian 73-56. Calvary had defeated the Crusaders twice in the regular season.
“You always want to finish the season playing your best basketball. We certainly did that,” Beck said. “We probably put together the best 32 minutes of basketball we have all season. Our defense was terrific against their much taller line-up. Offensively, we took good shots, protected the ball and made plays.”
Beck wanted to recognize seniors Tre’ Atkinson, Jon Byars and Bradley Gainey. Atkinson, who scored 28 points in the final matchup, was named All-Tournament as well.
“While we return a lot of players next year, this senior group has seen Crusader basketball go from being the worst in our conference to two-time conference champs and a legitimate state championship contender,” he said. “They’ve done an outstanding job.”
Other Emmanuel scorers against Calvary were Byars with 19 points, Jared Carmona with 18, Gainey with two, Zanie Phillips with two, Tyler Rogers with two and J.T. Lambert with two.
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