In a battle of Minnesota Christian Athletic Association opponents, Heritage Christian Academy hosted Spectrum in what turned out to be a one sided affair. From the opening tip, Heritage Christian, ranked No. 6 in Class 1A by Minnesota Basketball News, wanted to run, and run they did. The Eagles scored on the game's opening possession and never looked back, rolling to a 75-35 win on their home floor.

Heritage Christian (6-1, 1-0) head coach Tim Herman said that this team thrives on putting pressure on its opponents. “Our game plan is to put pressure on every possession, whether that is on offense or defense.” The Eagles' defensive intensity frustrated the Sting by allowing no easy baskets in the first half. “Our guys are gifted enough and athletic enough that they just made plays.” Herman said of the defensive pressure.

Senior guards C.J. Woda and Zach Johansen led Heritage Christian, both of whom came into the contest averaging over 21 points per game. Woda, a Gustavus College commit, owned the paint and got the rim at will, leading the eagles with a game-high 18 points. Johansen was not far behind, attacking the rim and knocking down perimeter shots as he added 17 points.

When asked about having two seniors with so much talent to lead the team, Herman simply said, “It's great,” before jokingly adding, “I'm trying to get them another year of eligibility.”

Woda and Johansen used their athletic ability and quickness to dominate the boards and push on offense, leading to numerous fast-break points for the Eagles. “The sooner we can get more baskets the better, getting the score up is a lot better than not.” Woda said about his team's frenetic pace. “In the beginning my shots weren’t really falling, so I then tried to really get to the basket.”

Johansen was the hot hand early, scoring nine quick points before the halfway point of the first half. Woda then found his groove as the two combined for 29 first half points.

“When we full court press, that is our goal, to really get steals and get up and down, make them tired.” Johansen said about his involvement in the pressure defense. “It allows all of our guards to get to the rim or kick it out, because a lot of our guys can shoot it.”

The inside outside combo of Johansen and Woda continued to fire on all cylinders, and Spectrum (5-4, 0-1) couldn't find two primary defenders that could stop the pair.

“It's a good threat to have, because some teams don't have two really good defenders. If one guy is feeling it, we will try to feed him, but we know that we have a lot of players that can score.” Johansen said about the luxury of having two strong scorers.

The second half turned into a bit of a cruise for Heritage Christian, as both teams emptied the benches and watched the clock tick down.

The Eagles' starters will certainly benefit from the extra rest since they travel to Providence Academy in just two days.

C.J. Woda led the way with 18 points as Heritage Christian Academy, ranked No. 6 in class 1A by Minnesota Basketball News, rolled over Spectrum 75-35 on Thursday night at Heritage Christian Academy.

Woda and the Eagles (6-1, 1-0) led right from the jump, as their fast-paced offense and suffocating defense proved to be to much for a young Sting team.

Along with Woda, fellow senior Zach Johansen scored 17, with the inside outside duo getting to the rim with ease.

Spectrum (5-4, 0-1) could not really get the offense going at any point during the game. The Eagles pressured the Sting as soon as they crossed the half court line. Spectrum's Max Lawrence provided 12 points, all in the first half, to try and keep the Sting in it.

In the end, however, Heritage Christian Academy cruised to its sixth win on the young season and looks good going into the rest of the conference schedule.