Sandhills Dominates Franklin Prep, Rolls to 116-60 Victory
The Sandhills Community College Flyers cruised to another dominant victory Thursday night at home, defeating Franklin Prep 116-60. What started as a competitive matchup with two early lead changes quickly turned into a blowout as the Flyers took control and never looked back.
"We're playing faster, and that's a big deal," Flyers head coach Mike Apple said. "I tell 'em we're deep, and if we learn to play fast and keep playing fast, then we're going to give other teams—especially teams in our conference—a problem. Hopefully, we'll build on that on Saturday down in Georgia."
After an early back-and-forth battle, the Flyers seized momentum with a scoring run that put them ahead 12-3. Their defense stifled Franklin's offense for much of the first half while continuing to pour it on offensively, pushing the lead to 38-16. Franklin Prep responded with an 11-0 run to cut into the deficit, but Sandhills remained in control, leading 54-29 before heading into halftime with a commanding 61-36 advantage.
The Flyers came out firing in the second half, starting with a 14-6 run to extend their lead to 75-42. They followed with another 8-4 burst to make it 83-48 before closing out the game in dominant fashion, setting the stage for a crucial stretch of the season.
Damian Robinson led the Flyers with an impressive 25 points, 14 rebounds, and three assists. Antoine Piper followed with 20 points and nine rebounds, while Mylon Campbell and Isiah Upchurch each contributed 11 points.
With only six games remaining in the regular season—four of them being key Region 10 matchups—the Flyers now turn their focus to a critical road test. They will travel this weekend to face Oxford College of Emory University in a pivotal Region 10 showdown, tipping off at 1 p.m.
"Big-time game Saturday with Oxford," Apple said. "We played them here, and it was a close game that could have gone either way. I like what we've done this week, and I'm hoping we have good preparation for them."
Z. Ciboth