Hot-shooting Sends Flyers Past Dolphins
The Sandhills Community College basketball team pulled away from Brunswick CC in the final nine minutes of the game and grabbed a 107-95 road victory Thursday evening.
Freshman Bryan Quiller was 12-for-19 from the field and scored 25 points as the No. 13 ranked Flyers improved to 10-2 with the non-conference win while the The Division I Dolphins dropped to 7-2.
The Flyers made 85.7 per cent of their free throws (30-for-35) and 55.6 percent of their shots from the field. Also in double figures were Savion Staton with 19 points, Camron Zachary with 17 and Nasir Johnson with 16.
Staton's all-around effort also included a team-high eight rebounds, four steals and four assists.
In a juggling of the schedule, the Flyers take an 8-2 record in Region 10 into a 3 p.m. contest at The Hangar on Sunday against Bryant and Stratton College. The Bobcats, 3-3 overall and 2-3 in the conference, defeated the Flyers 91-86 in Virginia Beach last Sunday.
Sandhills Coach Mike Apple is expecting to face a another tough challenge from a Bryant and Stratton squad that has not played since its win over the Flyers and will be coming to town a day early to work out at The Hangar.
"They have to feel very confident," Apple says. "They are going to be as prepared a team as we've played all season."
The Flyers started out operating smoothly against a Brunswick team that won its first seven games of the season. Johnson and Zachary combined to drain four threes that helped build a 28-10 lead on the way to a 50-42 advantage at the intermission.
The Dolphins scored the first eight points after the break to tie the game at 50-50 before a basket by Quiller, and a pair of free throws by Zachary, put the Flyers back on top at 54-50.
The home team never got closer than two points, but at the nine-minute mark the Flyers were clinging to a 75-71 lead.
Following an offensive foul against one of the Dolphins, Dharyus Thomas scored in transition off an assist by Corry Addison. The 10-2 run that ensued included 4-for-5 at the charity stripe by Staton, and another basket in transition by Quiller, giving the Flyers an 85-73 lead with just under eight minutes remaining.
The closest the Dolphins could get after that was eight points. A pair of free throws by Keegan Brayboy gave the Flyers their largest lead at 105-91 in the final minute of the game.
Regarding the Region 10 standings, Davidson-Davie CC, 8-1 and Fayetteville Tech, 5-1 hold a one game lead over the Flyers in the loss column.
Sandhills CC – Staton 5 8-9 19, Addison 1 3-4 5, Brayboy 3 2-2 8, Miller 2 0-0 4, Quiller 12 1-2 25, Johnson 3 8-9 16, Yow 0 0-0 0, Thomas 3 1-1 9, Zachary 5 5-6 17, Boyd 1 0-0 2, Sledge 0 2-2 2 Totals 35 30-35 107. Brunswick CC – McDonald 10 5-5 29, Dixon 1 0-0 2, Anthony 1 1-2 4, Johnson 0 0-0 0, Koonce 6 4-4 18, Petree 3 0-0 7, Hadden 0 0-0 0, Cousin 3 2-3 9, Green 4 0-0 8, Shackleford 6 1-9 13, Davies 0 1-2 1, Phronebarger 2 0-0 4 Totals 36 14-25 95. Three-point goals: SCC 7 (Johnson 2, Thomas 2, Zachary 2, Staton); BCC 9 (McDonald 4, Koonce 2, Anthony, Petree, Cousin).