LAURINBURG —Jalen Gilmore scored 24 points to power the second-seeded Antioch Christian Academy boys basketball team to a 69-20 win over seventh-seeded Grace Christian School on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Carolinas Christian Athletic Association conference tournament at Scotland Christian Academy.

Tyler Armstrong added 16 points for the Gators. Matthew Hickman had nine points, and Jonathan Schmidt chipped in with seven points.

Antioch used tight defense and strong 3-point shooting to grab a 43-9 halftime lead. That provided them with more than enough cushion to hold off the Wildcats in the second half.

“Our defense is our best attribute,” Antioch coach Brian Evington said. “We don’t particularly shoot the ball well most games, but we get a lot of shots because of our defense.

“Our defense tonight was on point.”

Gilmore made half of Antioch’s six 3-pointers. Gilmore’s ability to distribute and shoot the ball has made him a valuable part of the Gators’ deep backcourt.

“We have good ballhandlers,” Evington said. “We have at least four guys who can handle the ball for us. They get us into our offense, and they get us into a good flow, a good tempo. It helps us limit turnovers.

Daniel Lambert led Grace Christian with 10 points.

The Gators will play in the semifinals at 6:30 p.m. on Friday night. They’ll play the winner of Friday morning’s game between No. 3 Liberty Christian and No. 6 Mintz Christian.

“We need to concentrate on making our shots,” Evington said. “I think we rushed a lot of shots today. I think most of the guys had nerves. Being in the tournament, they feel the nerves a little bit.

“This game will settle us down and get our nerves right.”

Brandon Tester | Laurinburg Exchange Antioch Christian guard Jalen Gilmore (2) makes a pass during the Gators’ CCAA tournament win over Grace Christian on Thursday.
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_IMG_8026.jpgBrandon Tester | Laurinburg Exchange Antioch Christian guard Jalen Gilmore (2) makes a pass during the Gators’ CCAA tournament win over Grace Christian on Thursday.
Gators advance to CCAA semis

Brandon Tester

Sports Editor