On Thursday night, Phenom Hoops traveled to Hickory, NC to watch the Western Piedmont Conference semifinal matchup between Haywood Christian and Victory Christian Academy (Gastonia). Haywood Christian came into the game with a 14-6 record and feature North Carolina’s leading scorer in 2023 Caleb Senyo who is averaging 36.9 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 3.7 APG, and 5.5 SPG. Victory Christian came into the game with a 16-4 record and had won their previous matchup in mid-December against Haywood Christian.
Haywood Christian was able to take the early lead in the first half. Caleb Senyo came out of the gates firing on all cylinders, connecting on 5 of his first 6 shot attempts. Haywood Christian was able to take a 20-17 lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Haywood Christian was able to extend their lead. Senyo was on pace to score above his average with 21 points in the first half on an efficient 8 for 13 from the field. In addition, 6’6 senior Marcus Guimaraes provided an interior piece for Haywood Christian with his rebounding and ability to finish inside. However, Victory Christian kept the game within striking distance behind the play of sophomore Jordan Floyd and seventh grader Ethan Daniel, who scored 9 points and 7 points in the half respectively. Haywood Christian led 34-27 at the half.
Haywood Christian was able to maintain their seven-point led in the third quarter. However, the game wasn’t over. In the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, things got really excited. Victory Christian turned up the full court pressure and made their run. On back-to-back defensive possessions, Jordan Floyd forced two steals and found Ethan Daniel for back-to-back layups. Victory Christian had cut the deficit to 52-49 with 1:50 remaining.
Haywood Christian calls for a timeout. After the timeout, Haywood Christian’s Caleb Senyo is fouled on a drive to the basket. He connects on both free throws and the lead is back up to 54-49. But there was no quit in Victory Christian.
Victory Christian’s Jordan Floyd drove into the paint and finishing with a hanging scoop layup, and he drew the foul. He would miss at the line, but Victory Christian got the offensive rebound and again was fouled on the three-point shot attempt. Victory Christian went 1 for 3, and was able to cut the deficit now to 54-52.
Victory Christian again set up in their full court press. After another steal, Ethan Daniel was able to finish the layup to tie the game up at 54-54 with 1:15 remaining. In just under a minute, Victory Christian erased a seven-point deficit.
Victory Christian’s Jordan Floyd is fouled on a drive with 0:36 remaining, and is injured on the play. Phillip Williams check in and goes 1 for 2 at the foul line. Victory Christian now led 55-54, their first lead since early in the first quarter.
Victory Christian had fouls to give, so they could still pressure the ball but foul away from the basket if they were about to get beat off the bounce to prevent an easy basket. After being fouled twice and having to take the ball out on the side, Haywood Christian’s Caleb Senyo was then able to beat the defense and get into the paint. He is forced to take a tough shot, but can’t connect. However the ball goes out of bounds on Victory Christian. It appeared that Haywood Christian would have another attempt to win the game.
With less than 0:05 remaining and the ball to be inbounded underneath their own basket, Haywood Christian finds Senyo on the cut to the left block. He catches, pivots through the double team, goes up strong and finishes at the rim. Haywood Christian regained the lead at 56-55 with 2.9 seconds remaining.
Victory Christian inbounded to half court and immediately called timeout. With 2.2 seconds left, they drew up a sideline out of bounds play. They got a clean look from the top of the key and it just missed. Haywood Christian held on for the 56-55 victory and will play Christian Family Academy for the conference championship on Saturday.
Final Stats:
Haywood Christian 56
Caleb Senyo – 33 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists
Marcus Guimaraes – 10 points, 7 rebounds
Phillip Guimaraes – 6 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 1 steal
Cole Williams – 5 points, 5 rebounds
Tyler Redditt – 2 points, 1 assist, 5 steals
Victory Christian Academy 55
Jordan Floyd – 18 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals
Ethan Daniel – 16 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 1 steal
Parker Ladd – 10 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
#11 – 5 points, 2 rebounds
Phillip Williams – 4 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists
Lucas Huffman – 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Standouts:
Player of the Game: 6’2 2023 Caleb Senyo (Haywood Christian)
Caleb Senyo finished with a game-high 33 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Senyo is leading the state in scoring, and during this game, he showcased his ability to score the ball in a variety of ways. He uses his quickness and change of pace to get into the paint. What really stood out was his improved ability to finish at the end of drives. He is playing off two feet and finishing through contact. In addition, he drilled several midrange pull-up jumpers. He was getting to his spots in the midrange and consistently knocked them down. He was constantly facing double-teams, but continued to score the ball and make plays for others despite the constant attention he was drawing. More importantly, he stayed locked in on the defensive end. A lot of times, you’ll see players take the defensive end of the court off, especially if they’re facing constant pressure on the offensive side of the ball. This was not the case for Senyo. He moved his feet well and kept opposing ball handlers in front. He forced them to take tough shots over him. One time, he cut the ball handler off on the drive, and was able to draw the charge. Senyo continues to have a special junior season and this will carry over throughout the spring and summer.
2024 Jordan Floyd (Victory Christian)
Jordan Floyd was the difference maker for this Victory Christian squad. He finished with a team-high 18 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and a remarkable 5 steals. He played a consistent and balanced game in both halves, driving to the paint and making plays for himself and others. He did a nice job of creating and playing under control at the end of drives. More importantly, his defensive pressure was key in their fourth quarter comeback. He came up with 5 steals that led to baskets on the offensive end, and this doesn’t count the number of times he forced a turnover on the opposition.
2027 Ethan Daniel (Victory Christian)
Just a seventh grader, Ethan Daniel came up big in the final two minutes of the ball game, scoring 7 of his 16 points in their electric comeback. Daniel is an intriguing young prospect with good length and he showcased his ability to knock down the three-point shot, but also finish at the end of drives in traffic. On the defensive end, he used his length to block and altar shots. Daniel finished with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks and 1 steal.
6’6 2022 Marcus Guimaraes (Haywood Christian)
Senior forward Marcus Guimaraes made his presence felt on the interior on both ends throughout the entire game. On the defensive end, he was able to altar shots at the end of drives and clean up the glass for rebounds. On the offensive end, he finished strong through contact. In addition, he crashed the offensive glass, creating second chance opportunities for the Red Wolves. Guimaraes finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds.