Bonding Lions return to sectional final

Mar. 6—GASTON — It was far from a perfect performance, but Liberty Christian coach Jason Chappell saw the kind of growth from his young team Friday night that can't be measured on the scoreboard.

The Lions got 36 points off the bench, had 13 assists from 10 different players and had six players score at least eight points during an 82-44 Class 1A sectional semifinal victory against cross-town rival Anderson Prep.

"APA did a nice job with their game plan," Chappell said. "Especially in the first quarter, they definitely made it difficult for us. But we were able to use a lot of guys. That's good for development. That's good for the team. Hopefully, it will create fresh legs for us tomorrow."

Chappell's praise is more than mere coach speak.

Jack Scott opened the game with a 3-pointer for the Jets, and Liberty Christian led just 18-13 at the end of the first quarter. And when Zayden Finley drained a 3-pointer 49 seconds into the second period, the Jets pulled within 20-18.

The Lions (16-8) answered with a game-defining run. The first six points came in a 15-second flurry on a putback by Adonis House, a steal and basket by Zakary Jeffers and a hoop for Christian Nunn off a steal and assist from Beckham Chappell.

The surge reached 19-0 before Scott stopped the bleeding on a basket with 2:25 remaining in the half. APA (3-18) never got the deficit under double-figures again.

House was 9-of-10 from the field and finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds for his second straight double-double to lead Liberty Christian. In two postseason games, the 6-foot-6 junior has 49 points and 34 boards.

"I think he's just getting himself locked in," Coach Chappell said. "Part of that is just growing up and getting more mature. He's grown up a lot in the last year. It's a good story, and he's a great kid. I'm very proud of what he's doing right now."

Jeffers added 13 points for the Lions on 6-of-12 shooting, and Kobe Watson nearly posted a double-double off the bench with 10 points and nine rebounds. Joshua Cabello and Cedric Anderson also scored nine points each off the bench, and top regular-season scorer Christian Nunn finished with eight points in 18 minutes.

Liberty Christian dominated the glass for the second straight night, outrebounding the Jets 51-26.

The primary blemish was turnovers. Liberty Christian finished with 18 and has 44 in its two tournament wins.

"There was (a lot of unselfish play on offense), and along with that unselfishness came a lot of bad passes," Coach Chappell said. "They're trying to do the right thing, but there were a lot of deflections. I am glad we're sharing the ball."

Chappell was also glad to see his starters cheering enthusiastically while the reserves were on the floor. That's not something that was present all season, but it's more evidence of a bond that has been growing recently.

"These guys know for them to be successful, it's gotta be everybody (contributing)," Chappell said. "It can't be just one guy or two guys. It has to be everyone."

Larry Rodriguez and Jack Scott led Anderson Prep with 13 points each. They're two of seven seniors who played their final high school game. The others are Derek Dailey, Alex Rosario, Hunter Blocher, Aidan Wilson and Dixon Minton.

With the outcome long-since determined, each senior got his own moment in the fourth quarter with coach Corey Scott pulling them out of the game one at a time.

The most poignant moment came when Jack Scott, a three-sport star for the Jets who also led the team with eight rebounds Friday, departed with 1:17 remaining. He was met with a huge embrace from his dad on the sideline, and the Lions called an additional timeout to allow the moment some breathing room.

The Chappell and Scott families have a long history together, and the moment was a reminder of the humanity that fuels all good competition.

"That's a father-son moment," Chappell said with his tears forming in his eyes. "I love Corey. Corey's a good friend of mine. We talk just about every day. Jack's an awesome kid, and he deserves that. ... He's one of my favorite kids. I'm a big fan of his."

The Lions will face either defending champion Cowan or Tri-Central in Saturday's championship game at 7 p.m. It's Liberty Christian second sectional final in the past three years, and the team seeks its first title since 2017.