Victory Christian wins in final seconds! Kings take epic title game at New Year’s Bash
The game was in the hands of Christian Petty, and the new Victory Christian boys’ basketball player delivered.
Petty, a senior who transferred to the private school in Charlotte this year, nailed a game-winning mid-range jumper as the clock ticked down in the Kings’ wild 57-56 win on Monday night in the championship game of the Phenom Hoops New Year’s Bash at Marvin Ridge High School.
Victory Christian, which trailed by double digits in the second half, held off a strong Queen’s Grant push during the game’s final minutes.
Standout junior Justyn Whitfield — who was voted the tournament MVP — knocked down a go-ahead 3-pointer inside of two minutes left in regulation. The Stallions got the ball back several times and capitalized, eventually converting a three-point play to go back in front late.
But Victory got another possession when it needed one, and the Kings got the ball to Petty.
“I sprained my wrist last game against Hickory Ridge,” Petty said. “Coach (Melvin Rendleman) wanted me to adjust on the back door. Because I didn’t have confidence in my wrist, I turned around, a little drive to the basket. A mid-range pull-up. I work on that all the time.
“My dad always tells me to go out there and leave it all on the court, no matter the circumstances. That’s what I had to do, and that’s what I did.”
How Victory Christian rallied to win New Year’s Bash championship
As Petty’s sprained wrist was diagnosed Sunday, this was the first time he suited up with a cast.
Whitfield led all scorers with 25 points in for Victory Christian’s (11-6) come-from-behind win. Petty had a 10-point night, while senior Abubakar Cham put up 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Queen’s Grant (12-5) opened a commanding lead following a big run during the second quarter, but Monday night’s game was close early. Both sides’ offenses had been particularly low-scoring — it was a 6-3 affair for much of the opening period.
Stallions senior guard Geronimo Clark, who put up eight of his 16 points in the first half, was moving well and had a strong presence down low. He threw down a strong two-handed slam — as did senior Ian Howard, who also finished with 16 points — and Queen’s Grant built a dominant advantage.
But Victory Christian wasn’t letting up. A 9-0 run at the back end of the third quarter made it a one-possession game again.
The Kings kept it close throughout the fourth quarter, but the Stallions were holding their own. Off an inbounds play, Smith tapped the ball back up toward the glass — where Clark leaped and put the rebound back into the basket to finish the jam.
Notable
▪ Petty previously played at South Point High School in Belmont, where he averaged roughly 10 points per game for the Red Raiders.
▪ Victory Christian Center School, winners of two of the past four NCISAA titles, won its sixth game in a row Monday.
▪ Queen’s Grant, which had won 10 of its past 11 games entering Monday, is led by Joe Badgett in the first season of the longtime head coach’s second stint at the Matthews school.
▪ The new-look Stallions have pulled in players from all over the Charlotte area, including senior Charles “Chucky” Smith, sophomore Preston Scott and freshman Chase Smith, who all came from Charlotte Country Day. Smith, a 6-foot-8 ninth grader, has been their best player throughout the tournament.
They said it
“Justyn Whitfield is a big-time player. I’m used to him making big shots, so I put the ball in his hands down the stretch at the end to make something happen. Sometimes, coaches have got to let players play. That’s what it was. It created that opportunity there, because they knew they were gonna deny him, but Christian (Petty) read it right and didn’t give it to them.
“(Petty) has the confidence, and it shows. He’s had the confidence since Day One. He’s coming from a school where he was that guy, that main guy, so that shot right there is probably something he’s been doing his whole career.” — Rendleman
Up next?
Monday night’s showdown was the final game of 2024 for both teams. Queen’s Grant will be back in action at 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, to host Burlington Christian Academy; while Victory Christian returns for a home game against Charlotte’s Elevation Prep Academy at 7 p.m. Saturday.
