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They instructed the Eagles to switch on screens, to deny a potential game-winning 3-pointer. But the Eagles' best efforts were foiled.
Stratford's Te'Andre Hansley had never made a game-winning shot. But the guard followed the play Tuesday, popping open in the left corner, head-faking his defender and burying a 3-pointer with nine seconds left to lift the Knights to a 48-47 victory on the road.
Beaufort High's Tyrone Holmes missed a shot after driving the baseline in the closing seconds, and Jordan Broussard's rebound and desperate follow were no good as time expired.
"We've got to listen to the coaches," Holmes said. "We've got to stay focused, and take what they say from the sideline to the court. That's basically it."
Holmes finished with 15 points to lead Beaufort High. Chase Tidwell also scored 15 to lead Stratford.
The non-region tuneup came as Beaufort High prepares to resume its region schedule Friday with Summerville. The Eagles started the Region 8-AAAA schedule 2-0.
"That's where our main focus is," Beaufort High coach Bruce Beasley said. "We'd have liked to have won this tonight, but it didn't fall our way."
Holmes' fast-break layup with 38 seconds left gave Beaufort High the lead. Stratford called timeout to set up a play with 16.5 seconds remaining.
The Knights wanted a layup to tie, Hansley said, but the lanes clogged and the second option opened. The basket was the Knights' only field goal over the final 3:27, after they had taken a five-point lead.
Beasley said missed layups and free throws throughout the game were issues overshadowed by the final sequence.
"We can pick a whole lot of things," he said. "We cant just wait and say what you didn't do at the end. Everything is just as important throughout the game."
Stratford boys 48, Beaufort High boys 47
Stratford (10-6) -- Chase Tidwell 15, Te'Andre Hansley 9, Shomari Tait 7, Demetre River 6, Jamar Stevens 5, Marquise Simmons 4, Jacob Parks 2
Beaufort High (10-6) -- Tyrone Holmes 15, Joey Chaplin 9, Jordan Broussard 7, Henry Jenkins 7, Darrae Alston 3, Keion Marshall 2, Martin Washington 2, Thurston Milton 2
Stratford girls 33, Beaufort High 32
Emani Gray delivered a straight answer when asked what Beaufort High wanted in the final seconds Tuesday.
To get a good look, the Eagles guard said. Put the ball in the basket.
The looks were there in the final 10 seconds for Beaufort High. But the Eagles missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer and a pair of follows before the buzzer sounded.
"Our shots wouldn't seem to fall the whole game," Gray said. "We've got to keep our focus during the whole game and keep our intensity level high from the jump ball."
Stratford's Tiffany Addison led all scorers with 18 points, though the Eagles slowed her some during the second half.
Beaufort High post player Paris Smith scored 13 to lead the Eagles. Smith helped fill the void left by Beaufort High's Ebony Watson, who sat in street clothes with a swollen knee. She said she expects to return this week.
The Eagles will try to regroup before returning to region play with Summerville on Friday.
Gray gave the Eagles their first lead of the second half, 32-31, on a jumper with 2:10 remaining. But the Eagles couldn't convert the front end of two one-and-one chances, and Addison sank two free throws with 37 seconds left to provide the winning points.
Stratford (9-8) -- Tiffany Addison 18, McKenzie Yon 7, Maggie Matthews 4, Caroline Gilbert 2, Elizabeth Kanai 2
Beaufort High (5-9) -- Paris Smith 13, Jordan Fields 8, Emani Gray 5, Veneshia Holmes 3, Stephanie Pollock 2, Kaitlyn Hamilton 2
