By Chuck Reherman, Sports Editor – Southwest Covenant was able to get two more days of practice in before playing their second game of the season.
Two more practices equaled a second win.
Southwest Covenant came out with the hot hand, rolling to a 13-point first quarter lead and on to a 60-40 win over Astec Charter School in the Patriots’ home opener.
SWCS head coach Kevin Cobbs has had his full team for only three practices, but again relied on a pair of sophomores to lead the team.
Will Haas and Cole Gatlin teamed up to score 29 points and lead the Patriots to the 20-point win.
Both teams came out shooting the long range shots. Haas hit a trey to open the game, but Astec’s Obed Oruelas countered with a trey. The game was tied at 8-8 after Gatlin hit a trey.
The Patriots then took control at that point. Haas hit a pair of treys, Gatlin added another one and Bryce Brown hit two shots in the lane to open a 23-11 lead.
Kennedy Lewis and Victor Bravo hit shots to cut the Patriot lead to eight, 23-15. A Kirk Cole trey pushed the lead to 26-15. SWCS, though had a cold spell and led only 30-22 before Haas hit his fourth trey of the game to open a 33-22 halftime lead. Haas finished the game hitting five treys.
The Patriots used that fifth Haas trey early in the third to open a 14-point lead, 36-22. Haas hit two more field goals and Kelly Young added a trey to open the lead to 45-29 with eight minutes left to play.
A Tyler Kelly trey to open the fourth quarter gave the Patriots a 48-29 lead. A Cole Shaw field goal and a Brown free throw pushed the lead to 53-33. Cole added a field goal and a Tim Kramer free throw made it a 56-35 game.
Haas led all scorers with 19 points, Gatlin chipped in 11, Brown, Young and Cole had five each and Grayson Wilbanks and Shaw had four.
The Patriots play today in the Jim Elliot Crusader Classic at Christian Heritage Academy.
The Patriots will host Crooked Oak on Thursday and Oklahoma Christian Academy on Friday. Both games are set for an 8 p.m. start.
