After losing its first game in December to Christian Academy of Greater St. Louis, the Liberty Christian boys basketball team reeled off six straight wins to end the semester, ringing in the new year with a 12-3 record.

“I am very pleased with our record so far,” Eagles Head Coach Kenny Hart said. “This is a new team and we are starting to figure out our identity. We started out this season trying to be the same team as last season, but we learned quickly we are not.”

The Eagles lost their third- and fourth-highest scorers off last year’s team — Kameron Bagby and Jake Pietzman — but leading scorers Andrew Voss (21.6 points) and Logan Hart (18.1) returned.

The duo picked up where they left off last season, averaging the same amount of points through 15 games.

Kenny Hart said they’ve also helped bring along younger players this season.

“They both have stepped up this season and have displayed great leadership,” he said. “I can see that look in their eyes when it’s time to take the game over. I know each and every night they are going to give me everything they have.”

Senior Braeden Grow has also pleased Hart.

“He is the guy who does all the gritty work down low that doesn’t show up in the stat book,” he said. “Without him, our defense wouldn’t be half as good.”

Offensively, the Eagles are on pace to break the Liberty Christian single-season scoring record of 73.3 points per game, which was set last season.

“We try and average one point per possession,” Hart said. “If we can continue our average of 70 possessions a game, we should be able to beat that record. With our fast break-style offense, we push the ball down the court and try to  score under seven seconds each possession.”

Hart said he expects to continue to see big games from Voss and Logan Hart, and he believes two other players can reach another level.

“David and Jacob Vaclavik are both good and they bring that intensity I need on the defensive side,” Hart said. “However, offensively they need more confidence in themselves. I want them to see what I see in them.”

Hart also wants to see better production from his team in late-game situations.

And as far as expectations for the rest of the season, he said his team’s goal is simple.

“We want to win our state championship in Joplin,” he said. “Second place is getting old.”