Boys Varsity Basketball
Clarendon Hall takes a loss
Clarendon Hall was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their 15th straight defeat dating back to last season. They were beaten by the Calhoun Academy Cavaliers 66-27. While losing is never fun, the Saints can’t take it too hard given the team’s big disadvantage in MaxPreps’ South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 312th, while the Cavaliers are ranked 131st).
Calhoun Academy found their leader in freshman Nick Lindsay, who went 9 of 14 on his way to 23 points in addition to six rebounds and four steals. The contest was Lindsay’s fifth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Chase Strickland, who went 6 for 8 en route to 14 points and four steals.
Clarendon Hall’s loss dropped their record down to 0-14. As for Calhoun Academy, the victory was the fifth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 20-4.
Clarendon Hall does not have any more games scheduled as of now. Calhoun Academy has already played their next game (against Thomas Sumter Academy), but no score has been uploaded at the time of writing.
Scott’s Branch loses to Bethune-Bowman
Scott’s Branch was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss. They fell 70-61 to the Bethune-Bowman Mohawks. While losing is never fun, the Eagles can’t take it too hard given the team’s big disadvantage in MaxPreps’ South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 240th, while the Mohawks are ranked 80th).
Despite the loss, Scott’s Branch still got an impressive performance from Nigel Lawson, who posted 20 points. Nyren Bowman was another key player, putting up 12 points.
Scott’s Branch’s defeat dropped their record down to 5-15. As for Bethune-Bowman, their victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 15-6.
Scott’s Branch didn’t take long to hit the court again: they’ve already played their next contest, a 59-47 loss against Cross on the 7th. As for Bethune-Bowman, they have also already played their next match, a 76-32 win against St. John’s on the 7th.
Laurence Manning comes up short against Trinity
Laurence Manning Academy was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They took a hard 73-59 fall against the Trinity Collegiate Titans. Unfortunately, that’s the third time they’ve come up short against the Swampcats this season, with their most recent defeat being a 57-39 loss on Friday.
Trinity Collegiate’s win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Jy’Ell Preston, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and 11 rebounds. Preston is on a roll when it comes to boards, as he’s now pulled down ten or more in the last four games he’s played. Evan Williams was another key player, going 8 for 13 to rack up 19 points.
Laurence Manning Academy now has a losing record at 13-14. As for Trinity Collegiate, the win (which was their sixth in a row) raised their record to 16-10.
As of now, neither Laurence Manning Academy nor Trinity Collegiate have any future games scheduled.
East Clarendon suffers tough loss
East Clarendon played a tough contest on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They took a blow against the Atlantic Collegiate Academy Armada, falling 68-34. The Wolverines were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 35-12.
Atlantic Collegiate Academy got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Jamie Brooks out in front who posted ten points in addition to seven rebounds and three blocks. Jaylen Bellamy was another key player, going 5 of 8 en route to 13 points.
East Clarendon has been struggling recently as they’ve lost 12 of their last 13 matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-16 record this season. As for Atlantic Collegiate Academy, the victory (which was their eighth in a row) raised their record to 17-3.
Coming up, East Clarendon will be playing at home against Marion at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Atlantic Collegiate Academy, they will head out on the road to take on Kingstree at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Atlantic Collegiate Academy knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past 15 games -- so hopefully Kingstree likes a good challenge.
Manning defeated by Atlantic Collegiate
East Clarendon played a tough Manning lost against Atlantic Collegiate Academy last Wednesday and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Tuesday. The Manning Monarchs were outmatched by the Atlantic Collegiate Academy Armada and fell 71-41. While losing is never fun, the Monarchs can’t take it too hard given the team’s big disadvantage in MaxPreps’ South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 92nd, while the Armada are ranked 17th).
Several Monarchs players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Lovell Stevenson, who posted eight points in addition to five rebounds and three steals. Stevenson is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he’s now grabbed two or more in the last three games he’s played. Another player making a difference was Lovon Stevenson, who scored four points along with seven boards and three steals.
Even though they lost, Manning smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they’ve now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in eight consecutive games.
Jaylen Bellamy was his usual excellent self, going 7 for 11 en route to 19 points and five rebounds for Atlantic Collegiate Academy. The dominant performance gave Bellamy a new career-high in points. Jamie Brooks was another key player, putting up six points in addition to six boards and six blocks.
Manning’s defeat dropped their record down to 13-5. As for Atlantic Collegiate Academy, the victory was the seventh in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 16-3.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Manning will face off against Marion at 7:45 p.m. on Friday. As for Atlantic Collegiate Academy, they will take on East Clarendon at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Atlantic Collegiate Academy’s favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last 14 matchups.
