AHOSKIE – Pungo Christian Academy moved up one spot.

The Raiders finished as runners-up in the 2010 Lt. Nick Brantley Scholarship Tournament. Friday, they claimed the school’s first championship in the event with a 29-13 win over host Ridgecroft School.

Hunter Sutton led the way for the Raiders with 14 points while Thomas Mann chipped in 13. Jonathan Langley added the other two.

Ridgecroft was paced by John Taylor’s eight points. Slade Cowan (3) and Boyd Tisdale (2) rounded out the scoring.

Both teams started slowly with only nine points being scored in the first quarter between them.

PCA got the first two hoops with Sutton and Mann scoring, but Taylor answered with a three-pointer to close within 4-3.

Mann scored the final bucket of the first period to give Pungo a 6-3 edge.

The second quarter saw Mann score again, but Taylor and Cowan hit back-to-back threes to push Ridgecroft ahead for the first time at 9-8.

Sutton, however, controlled the remainder of the first half as he hit the final three shots to send the Raiders into the locker room with a 14-9 advantage.

Taylor opened the third quarter with a hoop to close Ridgecroft within 14-11, but a Sutton free throw and a Mann field goal were the only other two scores of the quarter sending PCA to the final period with a six-point (17-11) lead.

The Raiders controlled the opening minutes of the fourth quarter as Sutton and Mann exchanged hoops before Sutton had an old-fashioned three-point play to give Pungo Christian a 25-11 advantage.

Tisdale stopped the spurt, but it was too late as Pungo went on to claim the victory.

The Raiders became the first of two teams to win Monday’s play-in games that went on to claim the championship on Friday night. The Ridgecroft varsity boys were the other team.