North Myrtle Beach Times Serving our Community and the Grand Strand for over 50 years
By JOHN SMITHSON
The North Myrtle Beach High School varsity basketball teams each split their two region games last week. The Lady Chiefs opened the week on Tuesday as they beat West Florence 42-22 before losing to Hartsville 40-32 last Friday night at Hartsville.
The Chiefs did just the opposite, losing a close home game on Tuesday by a 41-38 score. They then won their game at Hartsville, beating the Red Foxes 48-41.
The Tuesday games at the North Myrtle Beach gym began with the Lady Chiefs scoring the first point of the game on a Faith Farmer free throw. The Lady Knights grabbed the lead back with a basket about 30 seconds later, but then failed to score another point the rest of the first period.
After both teams took trips up and down the court, Maddie Vereen broke the scoring drought with a basket to put the Chiefs up 3-2. Farmer added a free throw after being fouled on a drive to the basket for a 4-2 lead with 5:21 on the clock. Kristin Livingston scored with 4:53 left and Vereen added a basket, rebounding a missed Farmer shot for a 8-2 lead with 3:20 remaining in the period.
The Lady Chiefs got a big three point basket from Livingston with 1:55 left, and after lots of action by the Chiefs trying to score, Farmer dropped in a three-pointer from near half court just prior to the buzzer for a 14-2 first period lead.
The Lady Chiefs offense for almost half the second period was two baskets by Jaden Berger. The Lady Knights made a couple of free throws and a basket to trail 18-6 after Berger’s contributions. Vereen got the offense going again with a rebound basket in with 3:11 on the clock. A Vereen drive netted two more points, and Farmer stole the ball and drove for a basket to give the Chiefs a 24-6 lead.
Ty Woodard rebounded under the Chiefs basket for two points and Vereen added two free throws after driving for the basket, and the Chiefs led 28-10 at halftime.
The Lady Chiefs came out flat in the third period. Ty Woodard scored a put back basket at the 6:40 mark, but the lid was on the basket until Nevaeh Washington scored near the baseline for a 32-13 lead with 1:45 on the clock. West Florence added a three and free throw to close the period trailing the Chiefs 32-17.
The Lady Chiefs opened the scoring in the fourth period when Ty Woodard rebounded a miss by Berger for a 34-17 lead with 6:00 left. West Florence went on offense over the next two minutes but despite six free throw opportunities, added a basket and one free throw as the Chiefs led 34-20 with 4:17 left.
Woodard and Berger were the Chiefs offense over the last four minutes. Woodard went to the line twice and sank both free throws each time, while Berger hit two baskets in the last two minutes to give the Chiefs their 42-22 win.
Woodard’s late points gave her 10 for the game. Farmer, Berger and Vereen each scored eight points in their region win.
Coach Brooke Smith-Vereen was glad to get the victory but felt her team needed a complete performance going forward in region play.
“We came out ready to play in the first half. We played some man defense. We usually play a zone but we know we will have to play man to man against teams going forward. Coming out in the second half we only scored four points in the third quarter. We were sloppy with turnovers and seemed to let up a bit. There’s no way we can win games against the top region teams playing that way. In the fourth period we got back to the way we should play the whole game. We have to come out ready to play in the second half in order to win our games against the top region teams,” Smith-Vereen said.
In the second game of the night, West Florence and the Chiefs got off to a slow start, the Knights getting two baskets for a 4-0 lead with 6:01 on the clock.
Jamie Brooks got the first two Chiefs points on a fast break shot under the basket but West Florence quickly added five points on a three point play and putback rebound for a 9-2 lead.
The Chiefs CJ Stanley scored and Brooks hit a jumper in the lane to narrow the lead to 9-6. Then the Knights got a three-pointer and another quick basket to lead 14-7 and coach Ryan Walker called a timeout with 2:45 left in the first period.
The Chiefs came back. Brooks hit one of two free throws after being fouled underneath. The action picked up with both teams failing to score on missed shots or turnovers.
Following a Knights miss and with under a minute to play, Stanley scored on a layup, drove for another score thirty seconds later, and Wells Hill capped off the rally as he scored a desperation three-pointer from outside the top of the key at the buzzer for a 14-14 score after the first period.
The Chiefs started slowly in the second period as West Florence took advantage of a three-pointer and another basket to lead 19-14 with under five minutes left in the period. Brooks drove for a basket, was fouled after the score and added the free throw. Noah Louder added a free throw, making one of two shots, and Stanley drove the baseline for a basket that gave the Chiefs a 20-19 lead with 3:18 on the clock.
The Knights answered right back with a basket, and following a steal, a layup that gave them a 23-20 lead. CJ Oxidine returned the favor, taking a steal the length of the court for a layup. West Florence scored on another layup to lead 25-22 with under a minute to play. Brooks laid it in to cut the Knights lead to 25-24 at halftime.
The third period began with the two teams each scoring to tie it at 26-26. Brooks broke the tie with a basket at the 4:07 mark and a 28-26 Chiefs lead. Neither team scored again until a West Florence basket with 1:35 left in the period. McCain Moses got the Chiefs a 30-28 lead to end the quarter on a jumper from the left corner.
The fourth period was a compilation of turnovers and missed shots by both teams. After the Knights tied it at 30-30 after 45 seconds passed in the period on two free throws, West Florence scored on two free throws with six minutes left and a layup basket with four minutes on the clock. The Chiefs finally broke the 34-30 lead with a Henley basket down low and a Brooks basket to tie it at 34-34.
The Knights dropped two free throws after a Chiefs foul with 1:19 left, but Stanley tied it at 36-36 with 63 seconds left in the game. West Florence went back in front on a Deuce Hudson jumper, and with the Chiefs forced to foul, Hudson hit two more free throws for a 40-36 lead with 23 seconds left. Brooks got loose for a dunk and cut the lead to 40-38.
The Chiefs intentionally fouled the Knights and they hit one free throw for a 41-38 lead with 14.7 seconds left. The Chiefs got the ball downcourt, but three desperate shots to tie the game failed and the Knights won 41-38.
The Chiefs teams traveled to Hartsville last Friday for their first matchup with the Red Foxes. The Lady Red Foxes came out and beat the Chiefs by a 40-32 score to run their season record to 13-4 and lead the region with a 3-0 record. The Chiefs ended the week with a 12-6 overall record and are second in region 6AAAA with a 2-1 record.
This week the Lady Chiefs met South Florence at home Wednesday and have a second home game tomorrow night against region and local rival Myrtle Beach.
The Chiefs beat the Hartsville Red Foxes 48-41 in the second game of the night and improved their region record to 1-2 against 8-9 Hartsville. They also have games against South Florence and Myrtle Beach this week.
