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Bailey Scores 1,000^th Career Point

        ATTLEBORO – The boys’ basketball team of Grace Baptist Christian Academy of Attleboro netted two more wins last week to improve its season record to 4-0 and a standout player achieved a personal milestone.

          After holding off Emmanuel Christian Academy of Newington, Conn., 59-58, in a thrilling non-league game at the Mansfield Sportsplex, the Centurions went on the road for the first time this year and handily disposed of Twin City Christian School of Lunenburg, 60-42, in their Massachusetts Association of Christian Schools opener. In that contest, senior Adam Bailey tallied the 1,000^th point of his scholastic hoop career, becoming the first-ever player in school annals to achieve this milestone.

          Bailey concluded with a season-low 11 points against Twin City, but helped his team’s cause in other ways, said Coach Jeff Nichols.

          “Twin City played a box-and-one defense on Adam from the start and made it very difficult for him to score,” said GBCA Coach Jeff Nichols. “Consequently, he was satisfied to dish the ball and we had big scoring nights from three other players.”

          Entering the game nine points shy of 1,000, Bailey reached the milestone with five minutes to play in the third quarter on a breakaway lay-in. The contest was immediately halted for a brief ceremony during which he was presented with a commemorative basketball.

          GBCA was in front all the way, producing leads of 17-6, 28-14 and 45-24 at the stops. Alex Reichert (17), Matt Dillon (15) and Mathias McGonigle (11) all finished in double digits for the winners.

          Against Emmanuel, Dillon tallied a game-high 23 points – including a tie-breaking free throw with 1.2 seconds remaining – to lift GBCA to its third straight non-league triumph. Bailey and Reichert tossed in 17 points apiece for the Centurions, who frittered away a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter, but rallied from behind in the final minute.

          With the score tied at 58-58, GBCA gained possession out-of-bounds under its basket with 3.5 seconds left after an Emmanuel turnover. Bailey fired a long pass to Dillon streaking to the ECA hoop and he was fouled as he attempted to shoot with 1.2 seconds to play.

          Dillon sank the first of two free throws, missed the second, but the rebound was still being contested as the final buzzer rang.

          Despite the exciting win, Coach Nichols said he was not pleased with his team’s late-game execution.

          “This was a game we should have won easily, but almost gave away at the end,” he said. “We still need to improve in so many areas.”

          GBCA’s girls’ basketball team dropped to 1-2 on the year after bowing to Emmanuel, 29-17. The Centurions were again victimized by cold shooting, although they stayed close to the Eagles until the final four minutes of play.

          “I thought we ran our offense well and got a lot of good shots, but we just couldn’t make many,” Coach Nichols said.

          Emily Wiegand topped GBCA with 13 points.