No. 7 Ranked Flyers Get the Jump on Cougars Early
The Sandhills Community College basketball team dimmed any hopes Central Carolina CC had of pulling an upset on Wednesday by running off 26 points in a row to take an early 34-5 lead.
Led by freshman Bryan Quiller with 23 points, the Flyers went on from there to defeat the Cougars 111-75 in Sanford. Coach Mike Apple's No. 7 ranked in Division II squad improved to 6-0 in Region 10 and 7-0 overall while the home team dropped to 3-4 and 3-4.
Next on the schedule is a Region 10 home game on Saturday at 3 p.m. with Patrick Henry CC (1-5, 1-5) providing the opposition. No spectators will be allowed, but live streaming will be provided.
A three by the Cougars' Derek Gardner opened the scoring. Later, the Flyers led 8-5 when five points in a row by Quiller initiated the 26-0 run. In the middle of it were two threes made by freshman Dharyus Thomas.
Turnovers generated by a swarming Flyer defense led to a number of transition baskets during the burst.
"Defensively we were just as one," Apple said afterward. "We went in really playing good defensively, communicating and it was beautiful. And we were attacking the rim so well.
"I wish we could put that first few minutes in a bottle and keep it for another time."
Leading 52-28 at the intermission, Corry Addison started a 13-4 Flyer run with a jumper. The Cougars never got any closer than 28 points the rest of the way.
"I thought we started the second half really well," Apple said. "I thought we came out and played really hard and really smart."
Also scoring in double figures for the winners were Thomas with 14 points, Derreco Miller with 12 and Addison with 10. Quiller and Savion Staton were the leaders on the boards with seven rebounds each. Nasir Johnson was credited with a team-high seven assists.
Like the Flyers, the Cougars had been playing well coming into the game in their transition from Division III to Division II for this season. The Flyers were defeated on their court as recently as February, 2019.
"At the shoot-around this morning, Coach said that as long as we play harder than them, we're going to beat them," said Miller, one of four members of last season's national championship squad. "We've been working hard on getting used to each other, getting everybody to play hard, moving the ball and playing together."
Flyers Extra - Sandhills and No. 2 ranked Davidson-Davie CC (5-0, 6-1 overall) are the only two teams in Region 10 that have not suffered a conference loss. They meet each other at 3 p.m. on Sunday in Thomasville. Freshman Jeremiah Murphy made his first nine shots as a Flyer before missing one late in Wednesday's contest. As a team, the Flyers are first in Division II in steals per game (14.9) and second in points per game (103.4). No. 3 ranked Arkansas State Mid-South leads in the latter category (107.8).
Sandhills CC – Staton 4 0-1 9, Addison 5 0-0 10, Brayboy 4 0-0 9, Miller 5 2-3 12, Quiller 10 3-5 23, Johnson 4 0-2 8, Yow 2 0-0 6, Thomas 4 4-7 14, Zachary 0 0-0 0, Murr 3 0-0 7, McKnight 0 2-2 2, Boyd 2 1-2 5, Murphy 2 0-0 4, Sledge 1 0-0 2 Totals 46 12-22 111. Central Carolina CC – Bell 1 2-4 4, Case 4 1-2 12, Carver 2 0-0 4, Moore 2 0-0 6, Womble 1 0-0 2, Jones 1 1-2 4, Bell 1 1-1 3, Shutt 4 0-0 9, Gardner 9 5-6 26, Thiam 1 0-0 2, Conwell 1 0-0 3 Totals 27 10-15 75. Three-point goals: SCC 7 (Yow 2, Thomas 2, Staton, Brayboy, Murr); CCCC 11 (Gardner 3, Case 3, Moore 2, Jones, Shutt, Conwell).