rss
mobile
Feeds
After two big losses to the Dolphins last year, the Cougars coach knew that anything from a 3-pointer by Javari Albergottie, a Norman Jenkins putback or even a big Brent Evans rebound could spark Battery Creek's high-octane attack. But neither using all of his timeouts nor several missed opportunities by the Dolphins could stop the inevitable outburst.
Behind a 17-2 run to open the fourth quarter, Battery Creek pulled away for a 69-36 victory against the Cougars, pushing its record to 4-0 on the season.
Granted, it wasn't the prettiest of blowout wins. The host Dolphins missed four layups and despite recording 12 offensive rebounds in the first half, only turned three into second-chance points.
"It certainly wasn't our best performance, but it's always good to get a win," Dolphins coach John Drafts said. "We're very athletic as far as our speed, and you want to use that speed to your advantage, but when it leads to bad plays, that's where we have to make adjustments and get under control."
During those composed spurts, Jenkins was at his best. The senior nailed two 3-pointers and scored eight transition points to help the Dolphins build a 47-29 advantage after three quarters. Albergottie, meanwhile, got hot from the outside, knocking down two of his five 3-pointers during a stretch that saw him and Jenkins reel off 17 straight points.
The lead grew in the final period, as the Cougars committed eight of their 21 turnovers and the Dolphins got more help from reserve forward Benjamin Garvin, who scored a career-high 12 points.
"We just had too many turnovers and got outrebounded -- that was the game in a nutshell," Tew said. "We knew if we didn't keep it tight, Battery Creek could bust it open at any time, and that's what happened."
BC (4-0) -- Javari Albergottie 20, Norman Jenkins 17, Benjamin Garvin 12, Brent Evans 8, C.J. Brown 5, Spencer Shine 2, Rhakeem Brown 2, Devon Anthony 2, Brent Johnson 1.
CC (0-1) -- Taurean Stephens 9, Frankell Williams 9, Jabri Mays 8, Isa Miller 8, Ernest Hicks 1, Spencer Floyd 1.
COLLETON COUNTY GIRLS 58, BATTERY CREEK 43
The shot came as a pleasant surprise, a desperation 30-footer just ahead of the final buzzer that wowed the home crowd and drew a smile on the face of Dolphins guard Nyeeka Simmons. Thing is, in the prior 32 minutes, Battery Creek's opponent in Colleton County had done all of that -- and much more -- during a 58-43 Dolphin defeat.
Cougars guard Deyja Brown hit the first half-court buzzer beater of the night, capping a first half that saw the Cougars go up by 23 points, Battery Creek tally 12 of its 23 turnovers and Dolphins top scorer Katrece Daniels hit just two free throws.
"Turnovers killed us and most of them were unforced," Dolphins coach Wilbert Bryant said. "Colleton County was turning over the ball just as much as us, but the difference was, we weren't capitalizing and they were."
Shalae Edwards proved the greatest beneficiary. The Cougars forward had her way in the paint, scoring 26 points and grabbing 15 rebounds, including a 2:44 stretch in which she outscored the Dolphins 10-2.
On the other hand, the similar scoring potential of Daniels was bottled up by a cold shooting night and the swarming defense of Cougar sophomore Thea Campbell.
"(Daniels) is their best shooter, their best dribbler, their best everything, really," Cougars coach Jason Loudenslager said, "so for us to hold her to no baskets in the first half and keep Battery Creek mostly on the perimeter was big."
The Dolphins were able to close the gap in the second half, outscoring their opponent, 32-26, behind the aggressive play of senior forward Latara Grant (a team-high 12 points) and Kierra Wright's two 3-pointers. Still, this -- combined with Simmons' shot -- wasn't enough to overcome an 11-point output in the first half.
BC (0-4) -- Latara Grant 12, Nyeeka Simmons 11, Kierra Wright 9, Rashidah Jones 4, Katrece Daniels 4, Justice Hill 2, Shaniqua Moultrie 2.
CC (1-0) -- Shalae Edwards 26, Deyja Brown 7, Thea Campbell 6, Latisha Burns 6, Teeric Vaughan 5, Oshiana Davis 4, Bria Chisolm 2, Chaney Muffy 2.
Next game: Battery Creek at Goose Creek, 6 p.m. Monday.
