Boys’ basketball: Loss ends Concord Christian’s season, 20-game win streak in D-IV semifinals

Concord Christian Academy’s Jaden Young (14) dribbles around a pick set by teammate Logan Duffy (11) during the Division IV boys’ basketball semifinal at Laconia High School on Monday. No. 2 Concord Christian fell to No. 3 Littleton, 64-51, CCA’s first loss of the season.

Concord Christian Academy’s Jaden Young (14) dribbles around a pick set by teammate Logan Duffy (11) during the Division IV boys’ basketball semifinal at Laconia High School on Monday. No. 2 Concord Christian fell to No. 3 Littleton, 64-51, CCA’s first loss of the season. JOSHUA SPAULDING / Salmon Press

Concord Christian Academy’s Isaac Kirby (4) goes up for a shot as Littleton’s Ryan Mahy (24) attacks to block it during the Division IV boys’ basketball semifinal at Laconia High School on Monday. Kirby scored 10 points, but No. 2 Concord Christian fell to No. 3 Littleton, 64-51, CCA’s first loss of the season.

Concord Christian Academy’s Isaac Kirby (4) goes up for a shot as Littleton’s Ryan Mahy (24) attacks to block it during the Division IV boys’ basketball semifinal at Laconia High School on Monday. Kirby scored 10 points, but No. 2 Concord Christian fell to No. 3 Littleton, 64-51, CCA’s first loss of the season. JOSHUA SPAULDING / Salmon Press

Concord Christian Academy’s Jaden Young (14) takes a shot during the Division IV boys’ basketball semifinal at Laconia High School on Monday. No. 2 Concord Christian fell to No. 3 Littleton, 64-51, CCA’s first loss of the season. 

Concord Christian Academy’s Jaden Young (14) takes a shot during the Division IV boys’ basketball semifinal at Laconia High School on Monday. No. 2 Concord Christian fell to No. 3 Littleton, 64-51, CCA’s first loss of the season.  JOSHUA SPAULDING / Salmon Press

Concord Christian Academy’s Luke Farland (1) goes up for a layup during the Division IV boys’ basketball semifinal at Laconia High School on Monday. Farland scored 25 points, but No. 2 Concord Christian fell to No. 3 Littleton, 64-51, CCA's first loss of the season.

Concord Christian Academy’s Luke Farland (1) goes up for a layup during the Division IV boys’ basketball semifinal at Laconia High School on Monday. Farland scored 25 points, but No. 2 Concord Christian fell to No. 3 Littleton, 64-51, CCA's first loss of the season. JOSHUA SPAULDING / Salmon Press

By DAN ATTORRI

Monitor staff

Published: 03-04-2025 1:00 AM

LACONIA – They only lost one game all season, but it’s one that especially stings for the Kingsmen. 

The No. 2 Concord Christian Academy boys’ basketball team entered Monday night’s Division IV semifinal at Laconia High School with a 20-0 record and took an early lead, but ultimately fell to the No. 3 Littleton Crusaders, 64-51.

Sophomore guard Luke Farland (25 points, three steals) and senior forward Isaac Kirby (10 points, four rebounds, two steals, block) helped the Kingsmen take a 12-9 lead after one quarter.

But Littleton head coach Trevor Howard, a veteran and a staple of the Division IV final four, made some adjustments, the Crusaders (18-3) moved the ball well and didn’t make many mistakes, while making the Kingsmen pay for theirs. 

The Crusaders outscored Concord Christian, 20-6, in the second quarter to take a 29-18 halftime lead thanks to some clutch 3-pointers.

Senior guard Jaden Young (eight points, five rebounds) scored six points and grabbed a pair of key rebounds in the third quarter, cutting Littleton’s lead to 36-30 with about three minutes left in the frame, but the Crusaders made some baskets late to take a 42-32 lead into the third.

Farland put the Kingsmen on his back early in the fourth quarter, scoring nine points in less than five minutes, and Kirby had a bucket to trim Littleton’s lead to 50-43 with 1:52 to go, but CCA was forced to start fouling.

But the fundamentally sound Crusaders went 18-for-22 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter (and 27-for-32 in the game) to bring an end to Concord Christian’s season. 

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Junior guard Sam Reagey had 29 points and six rebounds, and went a near-perfect 17-for-19 from the foul line, to lead Littleton’s scoring.

Connor Roy (14 points, four steals) and Reece Cook (four rebounds, four steals, three points, three assists) also led the Crusaders.

Senior point guard Logan Duffy (five assists, four rebounds, three points) and junior forward Alex Xu (eight rebounds) also played well for Concord Christian.

While it’s not the ending that the Kingsmen were aiming for, they were successful in getting Concord Christian back on the map in D-IV basketball.

After reaching the championship game in 2022 (CCA lost to Woodsville) and going down in the semifinals in an epic double overtime showdown with Holy Family in 2023, the Kingsmen went 9-10 and lost in the prelims last season.

Concord Christian – led by seniors Duffy, Young, Kirby and TJ Charbono (three points) – responded to an off year with a perfect record in the regular season, outscoring opponents by an average of 24.38 points per game and scoring an average of 67.5 points per game.

The Kingsmen earned the No. 2 spot after top-seeded Woodsville also went 18-0, but won the tiebreaker due to strength of schedule. Woodsville will play Littleton in the championship game on Saturday at Colby Sawyer College.

Head coach Greg Farland declined to comment.