Byrnes overcomes slow start to beat Keenan 60-52 in MLK Bash

Columbia – Holiday basketball tournaments and events can offer intriguing matchups that might normally not take place. One of those games was on Monday in the boys portion of the MLK Bash at Eau Claire High School’s George Glymph Arena.

Byrnes, ranked fifth in the High School Sports Report AAAAA poll, took on perennial AA power Keenan. In a back-and-forth game through the first 3 ½ quarters, Byrnes put together a run in the final minutes of the game for a 60-52 triumph.

Keenan is ranked 12^th in the AA poll despite owning just a 5-14 record. However, the Raiders play a difficult non-region schedule, taking on all comers

“I thought we played well except for about the last three minutes of the game,” said veteran Keenan head coach Zach Norris. “I think we turned it over like three or four times in a row without even getting a shot late in the game. We were right there.

We've got a lot of young kids we're trying to play who don't have a lot of varsity experience, and we've got maybe two. who really have varsity experience. They're trying to guide everyone else, and sometimes kids don't listen. We've been working on getting them to listen more, and today I must say they listened all the way up to about the last three minutes of the game.

The Rebels improved to 15-4. Head coach Layne Fowler liked the way his team performed in a style it isn’t accustomed to playing.

“I thought they kind of imposed their will on us a little bit as far as being physical and making it tough on us in the paint,” Fowler said of Keenan. “I was proud of our kids and their  resiliency It was kind of sloppy offensively. We normally average in the 70s, but today we just couldn't get it going. Give them credit. That was good defense by them.

“I thought we found a way to win a halfcourt, possession-by-possession game, and that's not really our calling card. If you want to be a great team you've got to learn how to win in different ways.”

Keenan bounced out to a 7-0 lead in the first two minutes of the game. However, BHS ended up leading 14-11 at the end of the quarter. The Raiders though took the lead into the locker room at halftime, 24-23.

Byrnes got its offense going in the third quarter, outscoring KHS 19-16 for a 42-40 lead going into the final stanza.

The Rebels were still clinging to a 2-point lead at 49-47 after Keenan’s Cedric Schofield scored with 5:23 left in the game. BHS responded with seven straight points, starting with a turnaround jumper in the lane by Will Fowler, rated as one of the top five seniors in AAAAA by the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association.

After a Keenan turnover, Kayzzin McDowell drained one of his three 3-point baskets to make it 54-47 with 3:51 left. Fowler then scored on a fast break following another Raiders turnover to make it 56-47 with 2:11 to go.

KHS never recovered from that run.

“They moved the ball well,” Norris said of Byrnes. “They didn't get rattled when we went up on them. They walked us down, and they just kept playing their basketball.

“That's a sign of a very good team, and we played a good game against them except for those last few minutes. I said after the game, ‘We're not but just a couple of clicks away (from being a good team) if you buy in.’ “

Tyheim McNeil led Keenan in scoring with 10 points. Schofield and Brian Sumpter both had eight points with Sumpter finishing with six rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots as well.

Tony Odom added six points, while Antoine Caughman, Emanuel McCullough and Broderic Anderson had five apiece.

The Rebels had four players score in double figures led by Will Fowler with 15. Colt Fowler scored 12 points to go with five rebounds, two assists and three steals, while McDowell and KJ Stephens both finished with 11.

Evan Enos had five points.

Byrnes has a huge Region II contest against defending AAAAA state champion Dorman on Tuesday. The Cavaliers are currently ranked third.

Coach Fowler believes his team is playing really good basketball at this point.

“We always have high expectations for our kids, but not unrealistic expectations,” he said. “Our kids are fighters, they compete, they want those expectations. I would say we're about where we expected we would be. We've won 10 of our last 11 after a slow start.”

BYRNES

Colt Fowler 12, Kayzzin McDowell 11, Will Fowler 15, Enos 5, Cullen 2, KJ Stephens 11, Page 4.

KEENAN

Sumpter 8, McCullough 5, Tyheim McNeil 10, Anderson 5, Jones 3, Schofield 8, Caughman 5, N. McNeil 2, Odom 6.

In other games on Monday, AAA No. 1 Crestwood beat Irmo 56-41, Sumter beat Hilton Head Christian Academy 67-63, and South Florence topped Cardinal Newman 76-48.

Crestwood 56

         Irmo 41

Shannon Davis and Aaron Coleman combined or 37 points to lead Crestwood to a 56-41 win over Irmo.

Davis scored 22 points while Coleman finished with 15. Xavier Johnson added nine. Teon Tindal, a 6-foot-8-inch center, had nine blocked shots and seven rebounds to go with four points.

Donovan Murph led Irmo in scoring with 12 points. AJ Brand added eight, while Darius Dollison had seven.

CRESTWOOD

Shannon Davis 22, Johnson 9, Aaron Coleman 15, Tindal 4, Jones 4, Durant 2.

IRMO

        Brand 8, Donovan Murph 12, Pierce 1, Henderson 4, Hopkins 2, McLauglin 4, Dollison 7, Allbretton 1, Williams 2.

       Sumter 67

       Hilton Head Christian 63

       Sumter held on to beat Hilton Head Christian 67-63.

       The Gamecocks led 1`9-17 after one quarter 31-28 at halftime. They did outscore HHCA 21-14 in the third quarter to open a 52-42 advantage.

       BJ Brown led SHS in scoring with 24 points, including going 11 of 12 from the free throw line. Michael Gregg added 14 points while Darius Moye had nine.

       Caleb Jenkins and Jordan Bradley both scored six points. Jenkins had four rebounds, five assists and three steals, while Jamie Tedder had 10 rebounds and four points.

       Qayden Turner had 22 points and nine rebounds to lead the Eagles. Harry Skinner and Elijah White both had 10 points, Dylan Sampson had seven, and Dorian Janvier had five.

       HIILTON HEAD CHRISTIAN

       Qayden Turner 22, Harry Skinner 10, Sampson 7, Elijah White 10, Janvier 5, Anderson 4, Foster 2, Epstein 3.

       SUMTER

       Jenkins 6, Tedder 4, Bradley 6, BJ Brown 24, Michael Gregg 14, Bentley 3, Ward 2, Moye 9.

      South Florence 76

      Cardinal Newman 48

      South Florence outscored Cardinal Newman 46-28 in the second half on the way to the 76-48 triumph.

      The Bruins led 23-13 after one quarter, but only led by six, 28-22 at halftime.

      Jamarie Brown led SFHS with 22 points, going 9 of 11 from the floor, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range. Ziyon Gamble had 12 points on 4 of  6 shooting from 3.

      Rodney Lesane had 10 for South Florence, while Jarius Davis had seven, Amare Adams six and Lennix Valarie and Raleigh Jett five apiece.

      Josiah Peeples led Cardinal Newman with 16 points, hitting 6 of 8 shots from the floor. Elton Smith had seven while Evan Carter and Desmond Harrington both had six. Amari King and Manny Davis each had five.

      CARDINAL NEWMAN

      King 5, Josiah Peeples 15, Echevarria 3, Carter 6, Smith 7 Harrington 6, Davis 5.

      SOUTH FLORENCE

      Valarie 5, Jamarie Brown 22, Ziyon Gamble 12, Adams 6, Robinson 1, Moorer 4, Davis 7, Livingston 2, Jett 5, Rodney Lesane 10.