Bluffton girls continue hot streak, blast Battery Creek

It might have seemed a silly statement to anyone who wasn't in the Bluffton High School girls basketball locker room when the Bobcats decided back in December that they were done with being downtrodden.

The Bobcats had just lost three of their four games in the Porter-Gaud Holiday Classic to drop to 2-9 -- on the heels of losing their last 13 games of the previous season, no less -- yet they rallied together at that moment and set a lofty goal.

"We decided right then we wanted to win the region championship," senior forward Amanda Thompson said.

They'll still need some help to pull off that feat, but the Bobcats won for the fifth time in six games Tuesday, beating Battery Creek 58-26 to solidify their spot in second place in Region 8-AAA and assure themselves a first-round home game when the Class 3-A playoffs start Monday.

Thompson and her teammates made sure of that, as the senior forward scored 18 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, sophomore guard Jennifer Giles added nine points and eight rebounds and the Bobcats forced 39 turnovers.

Bluffton got off to a slow start at the offensive end, hitting only 2 of 15 field-goal attempts in the first quarter. But the Bobcats' stifling defense held the Dolphins to four points in the quarter, and Bluffton warmed up enough to pull out to a 27-9 halftime lead.

Kierra Wright scored 11 points to lead Battery Creek, but the Dolphins could never get into an offensive rhythm. The fourth quarter was the only frame in which they scored 10 or more points, and only then on Tauran Jefferson's banked 3-pointer at the buzzer.

The Bobcats (11-13 overall, 7-2 in Region 8-AAA) can still earn a share of the region crown if they beat Hilton Head High and North Charleston loses to Stall on Friday, though the latter half of that equation is unlikely.

Nonetheless, Bluffton has posted the most region wins in its six-year history and will host a playoff game for the first time.

"We've just got to continue on," Bluffton coach Lonnie Roberts said. "We're in uncharted territory. Our girls are humble, but we're going to take it as far as we can take it.

"I think our best ball is still to come."

BATTERY CREEK (7-15, 4-5) -- Kierra Wright 11, Katrece Daniels 4, Jasmine Watson 3, Tauran Jefferson 3, Latara Grant 2, Rashidah Jones 2, Nyeeka Simmons 1.

BLUFFTON (11-13, 7-2) -- Amanda Thompson 18, Jennifer Giles 9, Sheree Williams 8, Breighone Brown 5, Tibra Wheeler 4, Katelyn Grant 4, Bianca Gettis 3, Janecia Mitchell 3, Toniqua Wynn 2, Shakeira Kitty 2.

Next: Lake Marion at Battery Creek, 6 p.m. Friday; Bluffton at Hilton Head High, 6 p.m. Friday.

Battery Creek boys 70, Bluffton 39

With fellow starters Javari Albergottie and Norman Jenkins fighting stomach bugs, seniors Brent Evans and C.J. Brown took on an extra share of the scoring load to lead the Dolphins to their 11th consecutive victory and their 18th straight region win dating back to last season.

Evans scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Brown scored 17 points and dished out four assists to lead the Dolphins, who had already clinched the region title with Friday's win at Stall.

"I saw some things in the second and third quarter I liked," Dolphins coach John Drafts said.

B.J. Garvin added eight points and seven rebounds off the bench for Battery Creek.

Ryan Combs led Bluffton with 10 points, and Stephen Bradley added nine.

BATTERY CREEK (21-2, 9-0) -- Brent Evans 21, C.J. Brown 17, B.J. Garvin 8, Dion Harris 6, Javari Albergottie 4, Devon Anthony 4, Evan Robinson 4, Norman Jenkins 4, Rodney Cooper 2.

BLUFFTON (5-16, 1-8) -- Ryan Combs 10, Stephen Bradley 9, C.J. Frazier 7, Bryson Bell 6, Marquis Weber 4, Josh Suman 2, Coley Davis 1.

Next: Lake Marion at Battery Creek, 7:30 p.m. Friday; Bluffton at Hilton Head High, 7:30 p.m. Friday.