Basketball Recap: Bryce Slay Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Concord Academy

There's no place like home for Carmel Christian, who bounced back after a loss on the road back in December of 2024. They snuck past the Concord Academy Eagles with a 54-49 win on Thursday. The victory was all the more spectacular given the Cougars' disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 31st, while the Eagles are ranked fifth).

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Carmel Christian to victory, but perhaps none more so than Bryce Slay, who went 5 of 9 on his way to 19 points and eight rebounds. What's more, Slay also racked up two blocks, the most he's had since back in January of 2024. Miles Leaks was another key player, putting up 13 points and four steals.

Several Eagles players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Lincoln Raper, who posted 13 points. Raper is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Gray Madeira, who had eight points along with eight boards and four steals.

Carmel Christian pushed their record up to 12-5 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. As for Concord Academy, the loss snapped their winning streak at four games and leaves them with a 19-3 record.

Carmel Christian has already played their next contest, a 61-58 victory against Wesleyan Christian Academy on the 13th. As for Concord Academy, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next matchup, a 66-27 win against Metrolina Christian Academy on the 13th.