After an 0-5 start to the season — a skid that included a 33-point loss to Greensboro Day and a 76-point thumping against Word of God — the Cary Academy boys’ basketball team looked ready for another long winter.

But the Chargers have since turned a corner. They got their first win of the season Dec. 4 and they’ve won every game since.

Academy dished out a 33-point whipping of its own Friday when it defeated Cary Christian 73-40, the team against which the four-game win streak started two weeks ago.

“We ran into a buzzsaw,” said Christian coach Wes Montgomery, whose team lost 57-55 to Academy in their first meeting. “It’s amazing. Give credit to Cary Academy. They had guys who could not miss a shot. I give my hat off to them. They executed.”

Chargers coach Randy Jordan said his team has not done anything differently lately. Players have put their faith in their first-year coach, and it’s paying off.

“We’re sticking with the philosophy we had when we came, the up-tempo offense, defensive pressure,” Jordan said. “I think it’s more a case that the kids are really starting to get confident in themselves. They see those skills developing every day. It’s a beautiful thing to see. They know they can play.”

In practice during the last couple weeks, Jordan said he’s seen things starting to click with his players. He likened it to the old cartoons where a light bulb would appear over a character’s head and turn on when it had an idea.

“That’s what it is with these guys, and every day, two or three different guys who we’re seeing that light bulb going on, and they’re saying, ‘I can do this. I have that skill or I can master this,’ Jordan said. “And it’s just been a real joy for me. I feel like I’m back teaching, and it’s just a great group to work with.”

The Chargers’ recent success starts with their defense. Against Christian, they forced 31 turnovers — translating into 26 points — and held the Knights to 34 percent shooting for the game.

Academy utilized a suffocating full-court zone press — one that offered as many as three different looks — and then dropped back into man-to-man defense. CA senior point guard Nick Debnam led the defensive pressure with six steals.

“We try to switch it up so they don’t know what’s coming,” said Debnam, who also had 10 points and nine assists.

The pressure led to a 28-4 advantage at the end of the first quarter, and a 43-14 lead at halftime.

Offensively, the Chargers shot 46 percent from the field, and all 12 players to see action scored at least two points.

Academy guard Stuart Gordon hit 6-of-8 3-pointers for a game-high 18 points.

“Each shot, I felt like it was a brick, and it went in,” Gordon said. “I was like, ‘OK. I’ll go with it.’”

The Chargers also got strong contributions in the paint from James Link (eight rebounds), Charlie Stutesman (eight rebounds) and Shane Orton (four points, six rebounds), who led the Chargers to a 46-25 advantage on the boards.

With Friday’s win, Cary Academy surpassed last season’s win total of three games. Jordan said his team likely would have two more wins had they not shot 48 percent from the free-throw line in a nine-point loss to Trinity Christian and a seven-point loss to Wesleyan Christian.

The Chargers have two more games this week before playing host to The Cary News Holiday Invitational Dec. 27-29. They begin conference play on Jan. 8 against North Raleigh Christian.

There’s no telling if CA will still be riding the current win streak into that game, but the key is the Chargers believe they can.

“As long as they think that, we’ve got a shot,” Jordan said. “That’s all any coach can ask for.”