Flyers Fall Short in High-Scoring Battle Against Caldwell

The Sandhills Community College Flyers faced Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute in a thrilling game on Saturday afternoon, ultimately falling 104-98 in a back-and-forth battle against the Cobras.

Despite a strong performance from Damien Robinson, who led the Flyers with 23 points and 15 rebounds, the Flyers couldn't overcome Caldwell's consistent offensive pressure. Robinson was a force in the paint, shooting 8-of-11 from the field and 7-of-9 from the free-throw line. 

The game was tight from the start, with Caldwell taking a narrow 50-46 lead into halftime. Sandhills responded with a balanced attack in the second half, highlighted by contributions from Isaiah Upchurch, who scored 16 points, and Antoine Piper, who added 11 points off the bench while shooting a perfect 3-of-3 from the field. 

However, turnovers proved costly for the Flyers. The team committed 12 turnovers, which Caldwell capitalized on to maintain their edge. Additionally, the Flyers struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 2-of-16 (12.5%) from three-point range. 

Kendall Smith and Nylikk Troutman contributed eight and seven points, respectively, while battling on the boards. Smith grabbed five rebounds, and Troutman pulled down seven, helping the Flyers out-rebound Caldwell 45-33 overall. 

The Flyers will look to bounce back from the tough loss as they prepare for Wednesday night's match-up with Davidson-Davie Community College at 7pm in the Hangar. Davidson-Davie is currently ranked number one in the NJCAA DII Poll and the Flyers are number two in the NJCAA DIII Poll.