Behind Carter’s 35, Warriors romp
KNOXVILLE — It was the Luke Carter show Friday night, Dec. 10, at Christian Academy of Knoxville.
The junior guard poured in 35 points — scoring every way possible — as the Warriors defeated Lakeway Christian Academy 67-50. CAK improved to 6-4, 2-0 in District 1 East Region, Division II Class A.
“He’s a very, very talented guy,” Warriors head coach JD Johnson said of Carter. “We were super excited about him last year. To me, he’s one of the best-kept secrets in the whole state. He works very hard, plays on both ends of the floor.”
Carter’s long three at the first-quarter buzzer made it 13-6 Warriors after one period.
CAK played only six boys in the game — five of them scored in the second period. Senior guard Denzel Jackson led with five, as Warriors were on top 29-15 at intermission.
Nathan Benton’s three with 5:59 left in the third put the lead at 37-21, and the game seemed in hand. But LCA then scored eight straight to make it 37-29.
A pair of late lay-ups by Jackson gave the Warriors a 45-34 lead heading into the fourth.
In the final period, Carter was a one-man wrecking crew. Of CAK’s 22 points, the junior guard got 16, including seven in a 9-0, two-minute run that put the game away. Jackson finished with 13 while Benton added nine.
“We came out there and we did our job,” said Carter, who scored 41 against Powell. “They’re a really good team. This was a big win for us.”
“He scores in a variety of ways,” Johnson said of Carter. “He gets to the rim, he gets to the line, he hits the mid-range, he hits the threes. He can catch-and-shoot, he can do it all. He’s definitely a guy who’s gonna earn some interest at the next level.”
“Carter looked great tonight, and we had no answer for him,” Lions head coach Curtis Staples said.
Overall, “This is only our second game at home,” Johnson said. “... We’ve got our first two district wins. We’re off to a good start.”
Shajai Jackson led LCA with 18 points.
