South Carolina Warriors earn first road victory

First road win. Check.

Knock off one of the top 10 teams in the ABA. Check.

The upstart South Carolina Warriors defeated the N.C.-based Carolina Cougars 121-102 on Sunday night in their first road test of the season to improve to 3-0.

The Cougars were ranked No. 10 in the ABA’s power rankings, while the Warriors were 16th.

However, don’t expect Warriors coach Chris Beard to get too excited over the rankings. The former Texas Tech assistant coach learned that a while back from legendary coach Bob Knight.

“I’ve never really considered myself big [on rankings],” Beard said via phone. “I learned from the best ever, Coach Knight, and Coach would never talk about ranking or anything but the next game.

“… I’ve never coached with rankings in mind. At this time of the year you just focus on getting better.”

Rankings or not, winning on the road is an early breakthrough for the team.

“To win on the road was a pretty big deal,” Beard said. “The first time you play on the road any season you learn a lot about your team. We got off to a good start and were up 12 at the end of the first quarter. … [In the second half] they cut down the lead a little. But we pulled away toward the end.

“I was happy we led for 48 minutes, but we have a lot of room for improvement.”

Overall, Beard said, the Warriors need to be more consistent.

“We’ll play really good ball for two or three minutes and then have a lapse,” he said. “That’s what makes basketball a great game being a team sport. Four guys can be playing at a high level and one guy makes a mistake and it’s exposed quickly.

“I tell the guys all the time that you can’t play comfortable. We’ve got to play with more of a sense of urgency.”

After starting with a roster of players who had little experience together, Beard believes his team is starting to create an identity with three games in the books.

“I think we’re definitely work in progress,” said Beard, whose team next hosts the Ga.-based East Point Jaguars at 7 p.m. Saturday at North Strand Recreational Center in Little River. “[But] we’re starting to get role definition and we’re learning what guys can do and can’t do.”

Collectively, however, the Warriors have proved early that they are capable of winning.