Moore-fueled Flyers Make it Two in a Row to Start Season

Luke Moore poured in 26 points to lead the Sandhills Community College basketball team to a 105-97 victory over stubborn Oxford Emory in the Chatlee Classic at the Hangar on Saturday.

The team from Georgia led the Flyers by as many as 10 points in the first half, and later came roaring back from a 15-point deficit in the second to draw even at 88-88 with 2:49 remaining in the game.

Then a pair of free throws by Damauri Sexton, and a defensive play by Parrish Stevons on a potential game-tying lay-up by one of the Eagles, sparked a decisive 11-0 run by the home team.

Moore, 6-foot-6 sophomore, was 9-for-11 from the field, including five threes, and also grabbed eight rebounds. Other double-figure scorers for the Flyers were Stevons with 17 points, Chase Morrissette-Barnett and Shane Garrison with 13 each, and Sexton with 12.

Coach Mike Apple's squad takes a record of 2-0 into Wednesday's 6 p.m. home contest against Lenoir CC (1-1).

The visitors (1-2) were 9-for-20 from behind the arc in the second half to make things uncomfortable for the Flyers.

"I thought we got Oxford's best shot," Apple said. They regrouped after they lost a close game yesterday (Central Carolina CC). I was surprised by how well they shot from the perimeter.

"I felt like after our easy win last night our guys might let down. My hope is this game was more of a wake-up call so we'll be ready to go against Lenoir on Wednesday.

Nine minutes into the first half, the Eagles took their first 10-point lead at 24-14. Three treys by Moore, and one by Juwaan Childs, helped turn the deficit into a 38-33 advantage.

"They were leaving me open so I kept shooting," Moore said. "I think as a sophomore you're a little more comfortable so I'm playing my game this year to do what I can to score."

Leading 48-41 at the intermission, two baskets in a row inside by Garrison, and threes by Morrissette-Barnett and Stevons, got the Flyers off to a good start in the second half. Later Johnny McFadden fed Childs for a lay-up inside that gave them their largest lead at 60-45. 

That's when Eagle guard Ryan Kwong made the first of his team's nine second-half threes to ignite a 15-1 burst that reduced the margin to 61-60. The threes kept falling for the visitors and with less than three minutes remaining a pair of free throws by Tate Coston tied the game at 88-88.

"I was in the game so I kind of felt bad they were coming back," Moore said. "We were slacking on defense and letting them have open threes that they were knocking down. If we get up by 15 points it shouldn't be a close game at the end."

Then came the clutch free throws by Sexton and the defensive stop by Stevons. That was followed by a put-back of his own miss by Morrissette-Barnett, a steal by Casey Clarkson, and a three-point play by Moore off an inbound pass from Morrissette-Barnett.

"I can't say enough about Damauri Sexton and the minutes he played in the game," Apple said. "Of course Luke had a very nice game and Shane is so workmanlike in what he does."

After making only half of their first 40 free throws in the first game and a half, the Flyers sank 15 in a row during the tense period of the second half on Saturday.

"I really thought our free throw shooting had a lot to do with our concentration level," Apple said. "When we needed them we knocked them down. Our concentration varies throughout the game and we have to do some things to fix that problem. Our biggest need at this point is to be consistent at both ends of the court for longer stretches of the game."

Region X rival Central Carolina CC also improved to 2-0 after defeating New River CC in Saturday's second game.

Oxford Emory – Wainio 4 2-2 10, Kwong 6 4-5 20, Brown 3 2-5 8, Mosso 0 0-0 0, Wickham 6 3-6 17, Komi 3 2-5 10, Liu 5 0-0 11, Coston 2 5-6 9, George 1 0-0 3, Patel 3 1-3 9 Totals 33 19-32 97. Sandhills – Stevons 4 8-10 17, Clarkson 1 2-4 4, Morrissette-Barnett 5 2-6 13, Garrison 6 1-5 13, Grissett 1 0-0 2, Merriweather 1 0-0 2, Sexton 3 6-7 12, McCrimmon 0 2-2 2, McFadden 0 2-2 2, Haith 0 1-2 0, Peterson 0 0-0 0, Moore 9 3-3 26, Copeland 2 0-1 4, Childs 2 2-4 7, Murdock 0 0-0 0 Totals 34 29-46 105. Three-point goals: Oxford 12 (Kwong 4, Komi 2, Patel 2, Wickham 2, Lee, George); SCC 8 (Moore 5, Stevons, Morrissette-Barnett, Childs).

by Charlie Bergman

Photo by Donna Ford