First Baptist got an early jump on the basketball season with the Crusaders sweeping Ahoskie Christian (N.C.) at home Tuesday evening.

Hannah Fagan’s basket with 0:38 remaining gave the Lady Crusaders a 50-49 victory. The Lady Crusaders rallied from nine points down early in the fourth quarter.

In the boys’ half of the doubleheader, First Baptist turned the game around by winning the third period 21-4. Behind 33 points and 26 rebounds by Colby Toler, the Crusaders won 67-56.

The Lady Crusaders fueled their rally with defense. After halftime, First Baptist put aggressive full-court pressure on Ahoskie. It paid off with steals and lay-ups to get the Lady Crusaders back into the game after trailing 29-19 at halftime.

Point guard Meredith Overton drained a couple jumpers, and Morgan Overton stole the ball on the press and went in for a lay-up, cutting Ahoskie’s lead to four a minute into the new half.

Another steal and lay-in by Morgan Overton made it 31-29 Ahoskie. Victoria Carr picked an Ahoskie dribbler’s pocket and Fagan finished the following fast break with a basket to tie the score.

Morgan Overton finished another break a few seconds later, throwing in an acrobatic shot while getting knocked to the floor. First Baptist erased the deficit and led 33-31 in just over two minutes.

Ahoskie regrouped and returned the game to a slower pace. The Lady Warriors regained a 43-38 lead going to the fourth quarter and made it 47-38 with 6:20 left. Ahoskie was hanging on, leading 49-46 as the clock moved under 60 seconds.

In a span of 15 seconds, Carr stole the ball in Ahoskie’s backcourt and went in for a lay-up. On the ensuing inbounds pass, Carr quickly got another steal. Carr missed on her drive to the basket, but Fagan got the rebound and put it in to give the Lady Crusaders the lead.

Ahoskie had two more possessions. Two shots at the line went empty and Megan Farmer grabbed a rebound with 0:04 remaining.

Carr led First Baptist with 16 points and nine steals. Morgan Overton had 10 points and 10 steals. Fagan added 10 points and nine rebounds. Farmer led First Baptist with 10 rebounds.

The Lady Crusaders come into the new season after a 13-11 record last season and as regular season champions of the Seven Cities Athletic Conference.

First Baptist’s best offensive game plan in the boys’ contest was a missed shot.

Toler, a physical 6-foot-3 forward, got most of his 26 rebounds on the offensive end and Dylan Farrenkopf, who has an inch on Toler, added 25 rebounds as the Crusaders overpowered the Warriors.

Ahoskie led most of the opening half and held a 33-27 lead at the break. Toler’s work inside and nine points from Ben Joslin kept the Crusaders close.

Justice Fuller’s three-pointer from deep in the right corner cut Ahoskie’s lead to 35-34 and the Crusaders kept pouring it on for the rest of the third quarter.

Fuller dished to Toler in the paint for a hoop to put First Baptist ahead, 36-35. On the next Crusader trip, Wesley Hughes passed to Toler for a three-point play in the post.

Farrenkopf scored off an offensive board at the horn, putting the Crusaders up 48-37.

Ahoskie cut what was a 15-point lead down to 61-56 Crusaders with two minutes left. Fuller scored two baskets, driving into the lane and putting up short jumpers, to stretch the lead to 65-56 with 1:08 remaining.

The Crusaders were 11-11 last season. The Crusaders return to action on Nov. 30 at Yeshiva Aish Kodesh. The Lady Crusaders don’t play again for three weeks, until a home game on

Dec. 7.