Game 1 here in Morganton, as we had a very interesting matchup between Grace Christian and Asheville Christian. Both teams brought players that you will want to know more about and watch, and it was looking to be a fun game to watch. 2026 Ian Bailey came out hot for Asheville Christian to give his team an early lead but Grace Christian was able to use a balanced attack and strong guard play to eventually tie the game up in the second quarter. It was a tight game for much of the first half with Asheville Christian holding a narrow two-point lead at half, 25-23.
Second half though, Grace Christian started to get going especially from outside and they were led by 2026 Michael Phillips and the three ball. Shots started to fall consistently along with strong guard play, which allowed Grace Christian to create a big of separation, and they only built on that in the fourth quarter. Strong play from Oden and Phillips led the way for Grace Christian, securing the win 58-44.
Final: Grace Christian 58 – Asheville Christian 44
Stat:
GC: Quasim Oden 21pst, 5rebs, 3asts/ Michael Phillips 19pts, 7rebs, 4blks/ Malachi Tate 6pts
AC: Ian Bailey 19pts, 3rebs/ Gabe Erbeck 10pts