The O'Neal girls basketball team started fast and finished early Friday night.

The Falcons reeled off the game's first 19 points and scored 25 of the game's first 27 points en route ot a 61-25 win over Harrells Christian Academy.

Sophomore guard Jennie Joy sparked the Falcons (11-4) from the get-go. She scored nine first quarter points to stake the Falcons to a 19-0 lead with 1:59 left in the first quarter.

The lead bulged to 52-30 after three quarters thanks to Joy who scored the final seven points of an 11-0 run to end the third quarter.

Senior center Syd McIlwain turned in another consistent performance for the Falcons. She scored a game-high 17 points. Joy finished with 16. Kitan Akinosho added nine points and Ellen Cowherd scored eight.

Playing without three starters, The O'Neal boys basketball team put a scare in Harrells Christian Academy before falling, 39-33 Friday night.

The scrappy Falcons played a slow-down, style Friday night, executing their offense in an attempt to get quality shots while controlling the game's pace.

That style, along with the play of junior guard Chris Payton, who scored a team-high 12 points, helped put the Falcons (3-12) in a position to win the game.

The play of Harrell's Whit Solomon made sure the Falcons didn't win.

Solomon scored 16 points points, including several big second-half three-pointers to help the Crusaders (7-4) earn the win.

The teams battled back and forth much of the night, before the Crusaders wrestled the win away late.

The Falcons had serveral opportunities to tie the score after senior Michael McGowan's layup cut the lead to 33-31 with 4:22 to play, but the team had four straight scoreless possessions before the Crusaders responded with back-to-back baskets to push the margin to 37-31 with 37 second remaining.

Christian Bolduc scored eight points and McGowan had seven for the Falcons.

Stephen Clark, the Falcons' leading scorer, missed the game along with fellow starters Ben Jackson and Jide Lawal.

Contact Tom Embrey at 693-2477 or by e-mail at tembrey@thepilot.com.