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Maranatha wins Santana Classic
- Updated: January 7, 2018
Santana New Year's Classic champion Maranatha Christian.
EAST COUNTY BOYS PREP BASKETBALL
By Adam Paul
EastCountySports.com
SANTANA NEW YEAR’S CLASSIC CHAMPIONSHIP
MARANATHA CHRISTIAN 71, GRANITE HILLS 40
SANTEE – What do you do when a team nails 12 3-pointers in a game? The answer is you pray that they go cold shooting wise at some time during the contest. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case in the Championship contest of the Santana New year’s Classic between the Granite Hills Eagles and the Maranatha Christian Eagles.
Granite Hills in the first quarter would quickly jump out to a 3-0 lead thanks to a three-pointer by McKay Roberts. However, that would be the only lead for Granite as Maranatha would score the next 7 points and never look back. Maranatha Christian would eventually go on to outscore Granite Hills in the final three minutes of the first quarter 17-4 to lead 25-9.
Granite Hills shoots a free throw on Saturday evening.
Things in the second quarter looked up for Granite Hills as they matched Maranatha basket for basket but it was the second chance baskets by Maranatha Christian that would allow them to increase their lead and also the multiple 3’s allowed them to lead 33-17 with 4:26.
Granite Hills despite trailing had some kick in them and were able to fight back a little bit as they pulled within ten points and outscore Maranatha Christian 17-15 in the quarter but would trail 40-26 at the break.
“When everything comes altogether the game is really fun. The strength tonight was being able to control the boards and that really helped to make sure everything clicked. Also, the second half is a brand new ballgame and we needed to continue our effort,” said Maranatha head coach Brooks Barnhard.
Indeed the Eagles of Maranatha Christian did continue their efforts in the second half as they rolled to a 59-35 lead at the end of the third quarter.
For Granite Hills, both Moses Smith and Ray Cuero scored 10 points while David Coffey contributed 7 points while Roberts buried a couple three balls for 6 points.
On the other side for Marantha Christian, Phillip Willis led all scorers on the evening as he went for 30 points which included 5 3-pointers and Micaiah Boettner scored 18 points, including 4 treys on the night.
The loss snaps the Eagles 5-game winning streak while Maranatha Christian has won 5 in a row. Next up for Granite Hills will be a tough non-league contest against fellow Division II foe and ranked No. 5 in the Division Westview at home on Tuesday, Jan. 9th at 7 pm.
