Basketball Recap: Harding Academy Falls Short of Christian Academy of Knoxville in the Playoffs

Harding Academy and Christian Academy of Knoxville squared off in some playoff action on Tuesday, but Harding Academy had to settle for second. They were dealt a 76-34 defeat at the hands of the Christian Academy of Knoxville Warriors. While losing is never fun, the Lions can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Tennessee basketball rankings (they are ranked 142nd, while the Warriors are ranked 39th).

Harding Academy's loss came despite a true team effort with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Bella Rose Austin, who posted ten points.

Christian Academy of Knoxville's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Maddie Braden, who went 10-for-12 on her way to 23 points. What's more, Braden also posted an 83% shooting accuracy, which is the highest she's achieved since back in December of 2024. Another player making a difference was Colie Thompson, who shot 4-for-6 from downtown and almost dropped a double-double with 22 points and nine assists.

This is the second loss in a row for Harding Academy and nudges their season record down to 20-7. As for Christian Academy of Knoxville, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 26-8.

Harding Academy does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Christian Academy of Knoxville, they wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next contest, a 44-36 defeat against Providence Christian Academy on the 28th.