Heritage boys basketball has true test in upcoming Millbrook matchup

Heritage boys’ basketball has certainly made a statement this season.

The Huskies were undefeated entering their run in the South Granville Holiday Tournament, opening the year on a nine-game winning streak. They topped Leesville in a wild, triple-overtime game to open Cap-8 Conference action.

As it resumed league play at Wake Forest Tuesday night, Heritage was one of the two teams undefeated in Cap-8 games.

The other: Millbrook, which plays at Heritage Friday night.

The Wildcats, defending conference champions and the 2014-15 state runner-up, are used to being on top of the group and are usual Cap-8 title winners. They have six in the last eight years and four in a row.

Since the 2009-10 season, Millbrook leads the series against Heritage 10-0.

In the last five years, the teams’ conference win-loss ratio has been a stark contrast.

Millbrook is 58-8, finishing second only twice in the Cap-8 in those seasons. It was first in the others. Heritage, on the other hand, has posted a 19-48 through those years.

Now, both teams are 3-0 in the league, with Millbrook still being undefeated when it hosted three-win Wakefield Tuesday night. Millbrook won six games over the holiday break in the Shootout by the Sea in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and in the Queen City Holiday Classic. The Wildcats played teams from Alabama, South Carolina and Washington, D.C.

Heritage players understand hosting Millbrook will be their true challenge.

The Huskies have played just two teams with winning records at this point of the season (Durham Jordan, 11-3 and Sanderson, 8-4) and one that sits at .500 (Leesville Road, 6-6).

Millbrook has played six teams with winning records (Knightdale, 11-3; Apex, 9-4; Dutch Fork, S.C., 7-3; Flora, S.C., 11-2; Ridge View, S.C., 7-1 and Christ School, 9-6) and one at .500 in Wake Forest (6-6).

The teams Millbrook has played against have a combined record of 84-66. Heritage’s previous opponents are 54-67.

Two of the Cap-8’s leading scorers play for the respective teams.

Heritage sophomore Jayden Gardner leads with 23.2 points, while Millbrook senior Faison Brock scores 15.3 points a game but leads the conference with 9.8 boards.

Gardner has shot an uncanny 93 percent on his two-point baskets (115-of-124).

Millbrook senior John Burwell delivers a league-best 5.9 assists and 2.7 steals.

This story was originally published January 4, 2016 at 3:50 PM with the headline "Heritage boys basketball has true test in upcoming Millbrook matchup."