Everyone Gets Into the Act as Flyers Race by Combine Academy

The No. 1 ranked Sandhills Community College basketball team defeated Combine Academy 127-79 for its sixth win in a row on Saturday afternoon at The Hangar.

The non-starters accounted for 80 points against the team from the Charlotte area. Coming off a five-game home stand, the Flyers take a record of 22-2 into Monday's 8:15 p.m. contest in Greensboro against the Guilford College junior varsity.

"We're playing at real high level right now," Flyers' Coach Mike Apple said. "We're playing faster than the other team can guard us on offense and defensively we're playing quicker than the other team wants us to play. It's a good combination.

"The good thing is we have 14 guys doing it and not just five. That makes it very competitive, very fun and easier to sustain. Hopefully, that will keep happening."

Last week's Region 10 Player of the Week, Sayaun Dent, was 8-for-10 from the field and led the winners with 17 points. The other double figure scorers, Evan Davis, 16, Savion Staton, 14, Tyrell Allmond, 12 and Niem Ratliffe,10, all did their damage, coming off the bench.

Davis and Cameron Richardson were the top rebounders with eight each. Corry Addison was credited with a team-high eight assists. Nathan and Yow and Winston Bryan added five apiece. The visitors canned 11 threes in 21 attempts in the second half.

Davis, a 6-foot-8 sophomore product of Garner High School, put together a strong first half that included 12 points and six boards. The Flyers made 61 per cent of their shots from the field on the way to a 63-33 lead at the intermission. They went on to lead by as many as 48 points in the second half.

On one trip down the court early in the second half, Davis went up and down for rebounds three times attempting to score before passing the ball on the last one to Richardson for the basket.

He knows that hitting the boards hard is his job while also helping maintain the tempo of play. He has averaged 11 points and six rebounds coming off the bench over the last four games.

"I'm just trying to be aggressive on the boards and make extra possessions for my teammates," he said. "We try to keep up the pace no matter who is in the group, starting five or second five, so everybody can come in and be used to the tempo."

Ratliffe, a sophomore guard, led Scotland County High School in scoring and in three-point baskets as a senior. Over the last two games off the bench he has been a combined 9-for-12 from the field, with no treys. He has shown he can score in a variety of ways and also handed out four assists.

"Yes, the three is always there," he said when asked about his recent stats. "I always try to get my teammates involved, but today things opened up for me and I was just taking what they gave me."

According to Apple, Ratliffe is a talented player, competing for more minutes on the court.

"Niem is making the most of what he is getting right now," the coach said. "We've got a good problem in deciding who to have out there and he's deserving."

The Flyers are back at home on Wednesday at 7 p.m. with Carolina Christian College providing the opposition.

Flyers' Extra- The two teams that handed the Flyers their only defeats this season met in a Division I showdown on Saturday. USC Salkehatchie (18-4) knocked Caldwell Tech (21-1) from the undefeated ranks with the 97-94 road win. More about former Flyer Mason Harrell: The Winston-Salem senior was named the CIAA Food Lion Defensive Player of the Week for his performances against Fayetteville State and Claflin. He was credited with a total of 25 rebounds (13 defensive) and four blocks in the two games.

Combine Academy – Wiggins 5 2-2 13, Rodriguez 6 0-0 16, Morris 1 0-0 2, Montero 7 1-2 18, Tull 2 2-2 6, Mayers 0 0-0 0, Walker 2 0-0 5, Wigfall 1 0-0 3, Wakati 3 0-0 9, Ulker 0 0-0 0, Davies 1 0-0 3, Halliday 1 0-0 2, Matt 1 0-0 2 Totals 30 5-6 79. Sandhills – Idlett 3 0-0 7, Dent 8 1-1 17, Bryan 1 4-4 7, Addison 4 0-0 8, Miller 4 0-0 8, Ratliffe 5 0-0 10, Staton 5 3-5 14, Allmond 5 1-1 12, Yow 0 3-4 3, Bailey 1 0-0 3, Williams 2 3-6 7, Richardson 3 0-0 6, Davis 7 1-2 16, Medins 4 1-2 9 Totals 52 16-23 127. Three-point goals: CA 14 (Rodriguez 4, Montero 3, Wakati 3, Wigfall, Wiggins, Walker, Davies); SCC 7 (Idlett, Staton, Allmond, Bryan, Bailey, Davis, Medins).

by Charlie Bergmann

photo by Donna Ford