Flyers Stumble at Home Against Francis Marion Junior Varsity
The Sandhills Community College basketball team cut a 14-point deficit with seven minutes remaining in the game to one, but the visiting Francis Marion junior varsity held on to hand the home team an 87-82 loss.
The Flyers dropped to 15-7 after their second loss in a row at the Hangar. They return to action at 7 p.m. on Thursday when they entertain Blue Lights Junior College of Apex.
The Flyers were sharp at the start. They led 12-4 after Devian Smith turned a steal into a basket. Midway through the half, a pair of free throws by Sayaun Dent off a put-back made it 18-11.
But a dozen first-half turnovers helped fuel a comeback by the Patriots. They caught up at 20-20 on a three by Trey Jones. An 11-0 run that began at the five minute mark helped the squad from Florence SC take a 46-39 lead into the intermission.
The ice-cold Flyers had made only six field goals in the second half when a pair of free throws by Darius McGirt gave the Patriots a 73-59 lead with 7:12 remaining in the game. Then a pair of free throws by Dent, and a drive to the basket that Donnie Haith turned into a three-point play, got the Flyer rally underway.
Moments later, Smith, Winston Bryan and Dent each converted a pair of free throws to cut the margin to 75-70. With 3:05 remaining, a baseline drive by Smith completed a 15-2 Flyer run that made it 75-74.
A free throw, and then a three by Jones for the first Patriot field goal in almost five minutes, increased the margin back to five points. It was seven when a three-point play by Morrisette-Barnett, and a pair of free throws by Haith, made it 83-81 with 40 seconds remaining.
The visitors outscored the Flyers 4-1 at the free throw line in the closing seconds to wrap things up.
Haith scored 19 points to lead the Flyers. Dent had 13 to go with 13 rebounds. Morrisette-Barnett and Holt Walker added 12 apiece, and Smith contributed 11 and a team-high six assists. McGirt led the Patriots, who were defeated 93-76 by the Flyers on December 3 in Florence, with 27 points.
Francis Marion – Smith 1 1-2 3, Hollaway 1 0-0 2, Jordan, 6 3-4 18, Jones 6 4-5 19, Simon 0 0-0 0, Middleton 1 0-0 0, Green 2 0-0 5, McGirt 9 9-13 27, Martin 1 0-0 2, Buford 2 5-6 9 Totals 29 22-30 87. Sandhills – Morrisette-Barnett 4 4-5 12, Haith 6 4-5 19, Smith 4 2-3 11, Dent 2 9-12 13, E. Davis 3 0-2 6, Ratliff 0 2-3 2, Grissett 0 1-2 1, Bryan 0 2-2 2, Allmond 1 0-0 2, Williams 0 0-0 0, Ahoume 0 2-2 2, Walker 6 0-0 12 Totals 26 26-36 82. Three-point goals: FM 7 (Jordan 3, Jones 3, Green); SCC 4 (Haith 3, Smith).
by Charlie Bergmann
photo by Donna Ford