By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
The boys’ basketball team from Burlington Christian Academy picked a good time to make sure it was tough enough.
That’s what it took in the championship game of the Holiday Hoopla on Monday night.
The Royals turned back host Southeast Alamance for a 65-51 victory, securing a title in the tournament for the second year in a row.
BCA coach Nolan Myrick liked lots about what he saw from his team across three victories in the event. It might have begun with a heightened degree of toughness.
“Starting to show it,” Myrick said.
It helped that center Charles Chienggen Pur poured in 27 points in the title game.
Chienggen Pur was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Teammates Karon Watlington, who had 12 points vs. Southeast, and Manny Vanhook were all-tournament picks.
Playing in front of one of their biggest crowds of the season, the Royals (8-8) were up to the task.
“We had pretty good control of the first half,” Myrick said.
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Southeast (7-2) closed to within three points in the third quarter. Watlington’s work in transition helped the Royals close out the victory.
“All (tournament) I think our defensive intensity really amped up,” Myrick said. “We’re starting to play together better. We’re starting to take shape.”
The Royals reached the title game by defeating Carrboro 76-54 and Voyager Academy 70-54.
Chienggan Pur averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds across the first two games. Watlington was good for 16 points per game in the first round and semifinal, while Larry Blount had 10 points per outing in those games.
Southeast’s all-tournament selections were Bubba Sims and Donnie Fairley, who played in only two tournament games. Sims scored 20 points in the final.
Southeast junior guard Davian Edwards didn’t play in the tournament. He was expected to miss last week’s games because of a vacation, but then he wasn’t available Monday night because of an injured right wrist that might keep him out for a couple of weeks, coach Bo Williamson said.
Southeast was attempting to avenge last year’s 82-58 loss to BCA in the tournament final.
Southeast’s tournament opener resulted in a 74-65 victory with a depleted roster against East Chapel Hill on Friday night. Sims poured in 31 points and Brandon McAdoo had 15 points on five 3-pointers. Southeast was without Fairley, who served a one-game suspension.
Southeast topped Apex 70-53 in Saturday night’s semifinals. Sims had 20 points, Fairley posted 15 points and 15 rebounds, and James Kenan added 14 points against Apex.
Western Alamance (5-4) placed sixth with a 66-62 overtime loss to East Chapel Hill (3-8) in Monday’s fifth-place game.
The Warriors began with an 80-77 overtime setback to Voyager Academy. Western then won 74-70 against Carrboro in a consolation game. Western’s Jayden Jones and James Newton averaged 18 points in those first two games.
Third place went to Voyager Academy (9-6), which defeated Apex 68-61. Carrboro topped Cedar Ridge 61-53 in the seventh-place game. Apex slipped to 2-10, Carrboro is 2-8 and Cedar Ridge is 5-7.
Among the all-tournament choices were Western’s Jones, Voyager’s Manny Pulliam, Apex’s Zaelyn White, East Chapel Hill’s Makai Rhodes, Carrboro’s Joe Smith, and Cedar Ridge’s Jordan Jacobson.
