Stevons Emerges from Red-Shirt Year as a Complete Player/Leader
The decision by Parrish Stevons to red-shirt and concentrate on his studies last season is paying off for the sophomore and for the Sandhills Community College basketball team.
The 6-foot-1 guard from Anson High School, who leads the team in scoring with a 15.0 points per game average, contributed 12 points, five assists, three rebounds and a pair of steals as the Flyers improved to 16-4 with a 106-77 Region X victory over Central Carolina CC in Sanford Wednesday evening.
"Parrish is such a complete player," Coach Mike Apple said afterward. "He red-shirted last year because he wanted to make sure he got a diploma and he worked on his game. He plays with his eyes wide open and lets the game come to him. He's in great shape so he can play at both ends and he usually guards the other team's best player."
The balanced Flyers compiled a total of 34 assists in the game led by point guards Donnie Haith with nine and Casey Clarkson with seven. That was the most by a Flyer team since exactly three years ago when they recorded 37 in a win over Virginia Western CC.
Including the 12 points apiece by Haith and Shane Garrison, nine Flyers scored eight or more points in the game. Mason Harrell and Juwaan Childs were the leaders in rebounds with eight each. David Thompson poured in 35 points for the Cougars. It was the fourth time in the last seven games he exceeded 30.
The Flyers take a 4-1 conference record into Saturday's 7 p.m. home game against Johnston Community College (1-20, 0-5). Members of the Haarlow's Hoops Mini Hoopers program will perform during the halftime intermission.
Thompson made the first basket of the game to give the Cougars their only lead of the night. Later Garrison scored off a slick feed from Haith for the Flyers first double-digit lead at 35-24 with just under six minutes remaining in the half.
About midway through the second half, a three by Tavarus Peterson hiked the margin to 20 points at 66-46. Later, a basket off the last of Haith's three steals made it 100-70.
"I thought our effort was good throughout the course of the game," Apple said. "They got some easy baskets on us which we are going to work on before Saturday."
Stevons was a member of Apple's rotation during the 2015-16 season and averaged 4.5 points per game. This time around he also leads the team in minutes played, is second in rebounds, second in steals, tied for in third in assists and has made the most threes. He has scored in double figures in all but two games.
One of the things he observed during the red-shirt year was the positive leadership provided by the team's sophomores that helped produce a record of 26-6.
"During that whole year I worked on improving my shot and I also tried to get my grades up," he said. "Guys like Christian (Lathan), Josh (Smith) and D'Angelo (Harris) showed how to get better together and not as individuals. It made me think I really have to step up this year and show leadership to the freshmen."
Flyers Extra – The Flyers are ranked 10th in this week's NJCAA Division III poll. Region X Standings: Davidson 5-1, Sandhills 4-1, Central Carolina 2-4, Johnston 0-5. Ishmael Baldwin and Craig McDaniel were double-figure scorers on the 2014-15 Flyers team that went 27-8 and made it to the NJCAA National Championship tournament in Loch Sheldrake, N.Y. where this year's event will also be held. Both saw action for St. Augustine University on Wednesday in a 54-48 loss to Shaw.
Sandhills – Stevons 5 0-0 12, Harrell 4 1-2 9, Haith 4 3-4 12, Morrissette-Barnett 4 0-0 8, Garrison 6 0-2 12, Merriweather 2 0-0 5, Clarkson 1 0-0 3, Sexton 3 2-3 8, McCrimmon 0 0-0 0, McFadden 3 0-0 9, Peterson 3 3-4 10, Moore 1 0-0 2, Copeland 2 0-0 4, Childs 4 0-1 8, Murdock 0 0-0 0, Grissett 2 0-0 4 Totals 44 9-16 106. Central Carolina – George 2 0-0 5, Monroe 4 0-3 8, Brown 1 3-6 6, North 3 2-2 9, Thompson 13 4-5 35, Matangira 2 0-0 4, Thomas 0 0-1 0, Amerson 0 0-0 0, Tolbert 3 4-6 10 Totals 28 13-23 77. Three-point goals: SCC 9 (McFadden 3, Stevons 2, Haith, Merriweather, Clarkson, Peterson); CCCC 8 (Thompson 5, George, Brown, North).
by Charlie Bergmann
photo by Donna Ford