North Myrtle Beach Times Serving our Community and the Grand Strand for over 50 years
The North Myrtle Beach Chiefs boys basketball team made the long trip to Hilton Head last Wednesday and dominated the Seahawks with a 73-51 victory in the first round of the SC High School League playoffs. The Chiefs continued their playoffs with a 60-55 win over North Augusta last Saturday and moved to round three of the state 6AAAA playoffs.
The Chiefs opened the scoring at Hilton Head with a lay-up by Chad Beasley, a free throw from Javi Marlowe and a basket down low for a 5-2 lead. The Chiefs added a three-pointer from Rogan Vincent and three lay-ups from Marlowe in transition as they built a 16-8 lead after the first quarter.
The Chiefs continued their offensive pressure with two quick lay-ups by Tyree Smith in the first minute of second quarter play and a 23-8 advantage. The Chiefs defense caused lots of problems for the Hilton Head offense and the Chiefs took advantage, first Beasley’s three-pointer, then two free throws from Beasley for a 28-10 score.
The Seahawks finally got their offense going as they scored six unanswered points before the Chiefs answered with a Kymani Knox lay-up and a Marlowe drive for a basket and another Knox rebound basket for a 34-16 Chiefs lead and less than two minutes left in the first half.
The two teams finished the half with six points each, the Seahawks on two three-pointers and the Chiefs on a Knox basket and two free throws from Vereen and it was 40-22 as the teams went to the lockers at halftime.
Javi Marlowe’s basket in early third quarter action was the extent of the Chiefs scoring in the first three minutes, as Hilton Head battled to a 42-30 deficit. North Myrtle Beach got a spark from a Beasley three-point shot, a Smith put-back of a Vincent miss and a three-point non-miss from Vincent for a 50-34 Chiefs lead and 2:18 to go in the third quarter.
Following a Chiefs timeout Hilton Head again tried to come back, scoring six points in the final minutes, while the Chiefs settled for another Vincent three and a 53-40 lead after three quarters.
The Chiefs benefitted from two fourth quarter baskets by Vereen to offset the Seahawks offense as Hilton Head called a timeout with 5:38 left in the game trailing 57-44. Javi Marlowe went coast to coast to make it 59-44 near the four-minute mark. Things got a little sloppy for both teams until the Chiefs scored on a drive by Beasley and a basket for Vereen for a 63-47 lead. It was 65-50 with 1:35 left after Beasley hit two free throws.
The Chiefs were able to seal the win and get a couple of subs into the game, with notable late-game scoring coming from TJ Farmer on two free throws, and a Chiefs crowd-pleasing three-pointer from Luke Rice in the final seconds.
The Chiefs 73-51 victory was followed by another long road trip to North Augusta and a 60-55 upset of the number one seeded Yellow Jackets last Saturday.
The Chiefs wasted no time scoring as Travis Collins hit a three-point shot in the first minute, then didn’t score until Collins hit a basket near the 5:29 mark of the first quarter for a 5-0 Chiefs lead. North Augusta hit a three-pointer before Javi Marlowe went the length of the court for a basket a minute later and North Myrtle Beach led 7-3.
The two teams didn’t score over the next several minutes, with both squads missing shots, or scrambles with tie-ups or turnovers. North Augusta hit another three near the two-minute mark to close to within 7-6 but Kymani Knox laid a shot in for
