Imani Christian and Portersville Christian Win 2011 SWCAC Hoop Crowns

By: Bruce Markey
Saturday, February 26, 2011 | 12:00 AM

The 2011 South Western Christian Athletic Conference boys and girls basketball playoffs are in the books as top seeds Imani Christian for the boys and Portersville Christian for the girls have claimed championships. Here are recaps from the two title games heard here on MSA Sports, plus all of the scores from both the boys and girls 2011 SWCAC basketball playoffs.

2011 SWCAC Boys Championship: Imani Christian Saints 80 – Wilson Christian Wildcats 41
by Jonathan Whaley:

The Saints came marching in at Avonworth High School on Saturday afternoon as the top seeded Imani Christian Academy Saints won another South Western Christian Athletic Conference Title over the third seeded Wilson Christian Academy Wildcats. The game began rather ominously for the Wildcats as the Saints ripped down (9) offensive rebounds in the first two minutes of the first quarter. Imani Christian was just too quick, athletic, long and talented for the out-manned Wilson Christian Academy. The Saints led at the end of the first period,19-10, behind Eric Scott's (8) points including two buckets from beyond the arc. The Saints pressed the Wildcats from one end of the court to the other and that constant harassment created numerous turnovers and the Saints ferocious offensive rebounding prowess spelled doom for the Wildcats. Imani Christian outscored Wilson Christian 17-12, in the second frame to take a 36-22 lead to the locker room. One of the two Division 1 recruits on the Saints, 6'8", center, Alonzo Murphy, tallied (7) points in the first half (T.J. Jackson is the other). Wilson Christian was paced in scoring in the first half by George Saunders with (7) points. A 15-0 run by the Saints from the last minute of the second quarter and from the start of the third period pushed Imani Christian out in front 51-22 and effectively put the Saints in command of this contest. By the end of the third quarter, a period in which Imani Christian out-pointed Wilson Academy 28-7, the Saints had taken a 64-29 advantage and the rout was on. The Saints out scored the Wildcats in every period. However, to their credit the Wildcats never gave up and played their closest period of the game in the final stanza in being out scored by only four points, 16-12. The fourth quarter turned into a "dunkfest" for the Saints and they ended the game with an 80-41 victory. All ten players who played for the Saints entered the scoring parade and Imani Christian invoked the mercy rule on Wilson Christian Academy with just under 4 minutes remaining in the game. Four Saints players reached double digits in the game. Murphy had a team-high (15) points, Deon Baker had (14) points, Eric Scott contributed (12) markers and Chuck Tarrant added (10) points to the Saints cause. Only one Wilson Christian Academy player reached double figures and that was Saunders who finished with a game-high (22) points, ten of which came in the fourth quarter after the outcome had been decided and Imani Christian Academy head coach, Khayree Wilson had emptied his bench. The Saints improved their overall record to 21-7 and were unbeaten in SWCAC play at 13-0. Imani Christian Academy plays a schedule that includes games against some of the best high school basketball teams in the nation (this season they faced Oak Hill Academy and Life Center). They have one more season to compete in the SWCAC before joining the WPIAL for the 2012-13 season. With the outstanding talent that has been on and continues to play for the Saints, (a K-12 school located in Penn Hills) there will be some rather unhappy WPIAL head coaches when they find out that they will have to compete against Imani Christian Academy for a post-season berth. After watching their performance today against Wilson Christian Academy, whichever section that they are assigned to by the WPIAL, the teams in that section can expect to have one less playoff spot available.
Indeed, the Saints basketball program is that good.

2011 SWCAC Girls Championship: Portersville Christian Warriors 45 – Jefferson County Christian Royals 37
by Mike Azadian:

At Avonworth High School, the Portersville Christian School Lady Warriors win their second consecutive South West Christian Athletic Conference Girls championship beating the Jefferson County Christian Lady Royals 45-37. In the first quarter the Warriors jumped to an early 6-0 lead, led by Jr Mary McDonald who was a force on the boards and in the paint. But just as quickly the Royals came back with their own 6-0 run to tie it 6-6. This game looked like it would be a see saw affair, but the Warriors would then go on another 6-0 run to make it 12-6. The quarter would end at 14-7. Into the second stanza Jefferson would come back with strong guard play by Bethany Potvin and Mary Hitchcock and cut the lead to 21-17 with 1:44 left in the half. Portersville would keep that 4 point margin at the half and lead 23-19. In the 3rd quarter Portersville came out strong with another 6-0 run to go up 29-19, and keep the foot on the gas for a 10-2 early run. Leading 33-21 the Warriors started to slip as once again Jefferson the smaller team scrapped and came back cutting the lead to 43-37 but did not have enough to come back, losing 45-37. For the winning Portersville Christian school they improve to 16-0 and will move on to the national Christian tournament. They were led in scoring by McDonald with 21 points and Alex Hogan with 10. For Jefferson County Christian their season ends at 17-9. They were led in scoring by Potvin with 15 points and Hitchcock with 11.

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2011 SWCAC BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

Imani Christian 80 – Wilson Christian 41 (MSA)

SWCAC BOYS Semifinals:

Imani Christian 80 – Portersville Christian 40

Wilson Christian 43 – Cheswick Christian 40

SWCAC BOYS Quarterfinals:

Imani Christian – BYE

Portersville Christian 49 – Eden Christian 37

Cheswick Christian 60 – Jefferson County Christian 41

Wilson Christian 44 – American Spirit 32

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2011 SWCAC GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

Portersville Christian 45 – Jefferson County Christian 37 (MSA)

SWCAC GIRLS Semifinals:

Portersville Christian 51 – Cheswick Christian 11

Jefferson County Christian 52 – Eden Christian 27

SWCAC GIRLS Quarterfinals:

#1 Portersville Christian – BYE

Cheswick Christian 24 – Imani Christian 23 in Overtime

Jefferson County Christian 50 – Robinson Christian 24

Eden Christian 46 – Wilson Christian 39