Flyers Outlast Titans in High-Scoring Season Opener

Monday's season-opening 120-118 victory over Guilford Tech gave Sandhills Community College Basketball Coach Mike Apple a clear view of what his team needs to work on between now and Saturday's next game at Patrick Henry CC in Martinsville,VA.

Leading by as many as 16 points in the first half of the Division II, Region X conference game, the Flyers surrendered all of their advantage and more to trail 59-57 at the intermission. The Titans built the margin to eight points at the 15 minute mark of the second half before the Flyers rallied behind sophomores Savion Staton, Derreco Miller and Corry Addison.

Staton scored 19 of his game-high 29 points, and Miller accounted for 17 of his 24, after the intermission. The totals represented Flyer career-highs for both players.  Addison was limited to 18 minutes of action due to foul trouble, but still managed to record a double-double that included 15 points and 10 assists.

Last season's NJCAA Division III National Championship Flyers did not allow 100 points in any of its 36 games. You have to go back to a 120-93 loss to Louisburg College in December of 2012 to find a game that the Flyers allowed more points.

The visitors, now 0-2, made 53.9 per cent of their shots from the field in the game and were 36-for-40 from the charity stripe.

"We're so challenged defensively guarding people and that is going to be our focus right now," Apple said afterward. "When you have a large lead and lose it, that's hard to deal with. We hung in there, hit some shots to get even, and then finished out pretty well."

The Flyers accepted the option of competing in Division II this season after the NJCAA determined there were not enough Division III teams to justify holding a national tournament.

Five minutes into this one, a basket inside by Miller gave his team its first double-digit lead. With just under six minutes remaining in the half, a three by Nathan Yow provided the 16-point margin at 44-28. But a 14-2 response helped spur the visitors to their halftime advantage.

Later trailing 75-67, five Flyer points in a row by red-shirt freshman Keegan Brayboy, helped turn the tide. They drew even for the first time in the second half at 86-86 on a pair of free throws by Staton. Another three by Yow put them back in the lead at 96-93 with 6:20 remaining in the game.

The Flyers trailed briefly once more before six points in a row inside by Miller established a five-point margin they protected until the end with the help of Addison's 5-for-6 at the free throw line in the final 29.8 seconds.

The home team made 58.7 of its shots from the field in the game. Brayboy, 15 and freshman Bryan Quiller, 13 were other double-figure scorers for the Flyers.  Staton was 13-for-16 from the charity stripe and was also credited with seven rebounds, two assists and five steals. Addison also recorded five steals.

Sandhills CC – Staton 8 13-16 29, Addison 5 5-6 15, Brayboy 6 2-4 14, Miller 10-4-6 24, Quiller 5 3-4 13, Thomas 1 0-0 2, Zachary 0 0-1 0, Boyd 3 0-0 6, Yow 2 1-2 7, Murr 2 0-0 6, Sledge 2 0-0 4 Totals 44 28-39 120; Guilford Tech – Pulley 9 0-2 22, K. McKoy 7 9-9 24, Cook 5 2-2 12, Abwok 2 6-8 11, Smith 2 3-3 7, C. McKoy 6 0-0 15, Ngama 1 0-0 2, Key 8 4-4 21, Moses 1 2-2 4 Totals 41 26-30 118. Three-point goals: SCC 4 (Yow 2, Murr 2); GTC 10 (Pulley 4, C. McKoy 3, K. McKoy, Abwok, Key).  

C. Bergmann