NORTHRIDGE — Heritage Christian’s gym had cleared out except for the boys basketball team, its coaches and its supporters on Tuesday night.
It was a big night for the basketball community at the school as the Warriors won the Olympic League title on senior night and earned coach Paul Tait his 200th career win. They celebrated the night’s 69-60 win over rival Village Christian with food and togetherness.
“When you’re at home and there’s so much on the line for the seniors and a league title, you just feel like it’s kind of going our way the whole night,” Tait said.
The rivalry lived up to its billing and the game was competitive throughout.
Heritage Christian’s Dillan Shaw (20 points) hit a jumper with 20 seconds left in a low-scoring first quarter, but Village Christian (19-8, 4-3) led 9-8 when the frame came to an end.
The Crusaders got right to work in the second quarter with Deion Lewis, who finished with 13 points, scoring on a jumper and Jaden Karuletwa (15 points) making a 3-pointer for a 14-11 advantage. Their shaky perimeter shooting appeared more steady as the game went on, but Heritage Christian was not-so-quietly getting into a rhythm, too.
“We just needed to connect,” Heritage Christian freshman Djordan Hall, who scored 17 points, said. “We came out there in the first half just thinking we could do it ourselves. But when we started connecting the second half as a team, we thrived together.”
The Warriors (20-8, 8-0) had formed chemistry early this season thanks to familiarity within the team. Hall and the team’s three other freshmen — Josiah Nance, Dominic Loehle and Max Hackney — had played for Heritage Christian’s middle school team and came up through the program together.
Tait said that 10 of his 12 players went to Heritage Christian’s middle school and that everyone on the team this season has been at the school for the last two years.
Moments like Tuesday’s postgame celebration in the gym helps build…
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