The Heritage Christian Academy boys’ basketball team opened the KCAA Region 1 tournament by blasting visiting Bethel Christian Academy 67-24 Saturday morning. The Warriors will be back in action Saturday evening at 5:30 when they face Oak Ridge Christian Academy. Oak Ridge took both meetings with HCA during the regular season, winning 54-47 in Hopkinsville, and 55-53 on February 5 in Morgantown.
HCA jumped out to a 6-0 lead and got 9 points from Gavin Fowler to lead 24-7 after the first quarter. The Warriors held Bethel to a single basket in the second, while Fowler put up 9 more and Dakota Brake chipped in 7 for a 49-9 advantage at the half.
With the game decided, HCA coach Matt McGowan used the second half as a chance to get his bench some minutes, outscoring Bethel the rest of the way 18-15 for the final 33-point margin.
Fowler scored 18 of his game-high 21 in the first half, and was joined in double figures by Dalton Folz with 12. Rajah Mills scored all 7 of his points in the first quarter, and Brake finished with 7 as well.
Devin Buley led Bethel Christian with 8, followed by Matthew Rusciano with 7.