Team Chemistry Grows as Flyers Win Final Two Scrimmages of Fall Season

The Sandhills Community College men's basketball team completed its fall schedule for the COVID delayed 2020-2021 season with a 108-67 victory over the St. Andrews B-Team at The Hangar on Monday.

Unless arrangements can be made for an additional scrimmage in January, the Flyers will not see any further game action until January 22 when they open the regular season at home against Thomas Nelson CC. Between now and then, Coach Mike Apple plans to hold eight hours of workouts a week per NJCAA rules.

"Sounds like forever, doesn't it?", Coach Mike Apple said after the game. "We have one scrimmage left (of the five allowed by the NJCAA) and I'll try to get one for early January."

After dropping their first two scrimmages against Division I USC-Salkehatchie and Division II Fayetteville Tech, the 2020 Division III National Champions began putting some things together starting with a 94-81 win in Hickory against Division II Catawba Valley CC on Saturday.

Following a competitive first half on Monday, the Flyers mixed in a 20-2 run as they pulled away from the squad from Laurinburg after the intermission. Keegan Brayboy, a red-shirt freshman, led the way with an all-around effort that included 17 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals.

Other double-figure scorers included sophomore Derreco Miller with 15 points, freshman Bryan Quiller, 14, sophomore Savion Staton, 13 and sophomore Will Boyd, 10. Quiller grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds. Sophomore Corry Addison was the assist leader with seven and Boyd was credited with four blocked shots.

A product of Red Springs High School, Brayboy made the trip to Rochester, Minnesota last March to watch the Flyers win the national title.

"I sat and watched last year and learned from a lot of people," he said on Monday. "I learned how a championship team plays.

"It's been hard this year with all the COVID stuff, but it's a blessing to play basketball. Everybody doesn't get to play so you have to play hard when you get the chance."

According to Apple, the 6-foot-3 guard's enthusiasm is contagious.

"He hasn't played basketball in a year so there's a lot of rust there," the coach said. "However, it's getting better. I thought he had a good game tonight and a good game on Saturday too."

The Flyers scored the final nine points of the first half on Saturday against Catawba to knot the score at 45-45. They finished the contest with a 16-3 burst to win going away.

Freshman Dharyus Thomas, a South Onslow High School alum, was 7-for-8 from the field, including four threes, and led the team with 20 points. Addison, who led last year's squad in assists and steals, added 19 points, seven assists, seven rebounds and six steals. Other double-figure scorers were Quiller with 17 points, Brayboy with 13 and Miller with 10.

In the 93-89 win over Mohawk Valley CC for the national title, Addison, 5-11 product of Fairmont High School, recorded 10 assists with just one turnover.

"Corry has been working hard to develop those leadership skills and traits and I've been very pleased," Apple said. "His maturity has really shown here the last couple of weeks and I hope it continues to develop as the season progresses."

Miller, Staton and Nathan Yow are the other returnees who saw action in Minnesota.

"We're adjusting to everybody that's new and how they play," Addison said. "We've gotten closer and we've bonded as a team. We learn more about each other every day."

Apple likes the way the team has increased its commitment to defense as the fall season progressed. The Flyers' last two scrimmage opponents committed 34 and 26 turnovers respectively.

"The group we have is pretty tight and support each other pretty well," he said. "We hope that continues."

Flyer Extra – Apple was pleased with the production down low of Boyd and freshman Zac Sledge, both 6-9, along with 6-6 freshman Jaden Kirkland. The trio combined for a total of 22 points and eight rebounds in 30 minutes of action. Monday's highlight reel play belonged to 5-10 Jordan Coleman, who stole the ball in the backcourt and took it in for a dunk. "We have a layup drill we do a lot and he dunks it more than our forwards do," Apple said of the freshman from Chester, SC. Other players seeing action on Monday included red-shirt freshman Ahmad McKnight and freshmen Cameron Zachary and Jeremiah Murphy. 

C. Bergmann