SALEM-WINSTON, NC- The Valley Forge Christian College men's basketball team competed in the first round of the Piedmont International Classic, Thursday, January 9. Matched up against Pensacola Christian College, three Patriots hit double-digits in an intense win over the Eagles, 62-56.
It was a game of fast breaks, turnovers and three-point shots. The teams went bucket for bucket, with the Patriots holding a slight lead, 14-9, five minutes in. The men pushed their pressure defense to force 11 turnovers against the Eagles in the first half. Shooting 40% from floor, the Patriots kept the opponent to just 38%, but it was the Eagles advantage at the free-throw line that kept them in the running. The team went 8-for-9, as opposed to the Patriots 2-for-2, which kept them right on the Patriots heels. Going into the break, VFCC held a six point lead, 31-25.
As the second half got underway, the Patriot's continued to dominate on the floor, taking shot after shot from behind the arc. At the 13:34 mark, the Eagles called a timeout to try and stop the damage of the Patriots, who were leading 47-28. After a quick regroup, the Eagles came out strong, starting to force turnovers and create open shots from beyond the arc for themselves. The Patriots saw their nearly 20-point lead diminish to eight. A timeout from the Patriots bench allowed the men to find their feet and rhythm again, extending their lead to 15 (55-40) with 6:52 left on the board. However, it seemed every time the Patriots started to get comfortable with their edge, the Eagles found a way to chip away at the score. Just under two minutes to go, VFCC held a single digit advantage that forced the Eagles to foul and bring the Patriots to the foul line. Despite several last minute shots to even the score, the Eagles couldn't overcome the score gap and fell in the final seconds.
"This was a good team win against a very good team. I was very pleased with our defensive pressure and rotations," stated Coach Jon Mack after the game. "I believe our defensive pressure was able to disrupt their shooters rhythm and force them off their sweet spots. Our 18 assists also complimented our defensive effort tonight, as we were able to get good shots and make each other better. When we went away from distributing the ball and force shots, we saw our 19 point lead cut to eight. It was a good win and a much improved effort on both ends. Hopefully, we can build on this and take it into our game tomorrow."
Lance Harris played exceptional, recording 18 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and two steals.
Kevin Mack followed with 14 points, five steals and four assists.
Jean LeBlanc notched 16 points, going 5-for-10 behind the three-point line.
The men return to the floor, tomorrow, January 10, for the second day of the Classic. The Patriots take on host school Piedmont International University at 7 pm.
Go Patriots!
