‘They’ve earned that’: How Myrtle Beach edged rival NMB, advanced to Lower State finals

As a stereo system boomed in the home locker room, reverberating around the gym at Myrtle Beach High School, North Myrtle Beach coach Ryan Walker forced a smile and gave his opponent props.

“They’ve earned that.”

Beating a team three times in one season is tough, but the Myrtle Beach boys basketball team achieved just that with its 58-47 victory over North Myrtle Beach in the third round of the Class 4A playoffs.

The Seahawks (19-5) never trailed in the contest, leading North Myrtle Beach (20-6) by as many as 16 points late in the fourth quarter en route to earning a spot in the Lower State finals.

“I think a lot of it was experience and having a player like Emorie Knox,” said Myrtle Beach coach Craig Martin. “He’s been in big games with us since the seventh grade and has done an excellent job. He’s really zoned in this year and really zoned in on this game and his teammates really came along.”

Knox paced the Seahawks, scoring 23 points including 10 free throws, and kept his team calm throughout the contest. He was helped along by James Marques, another senior, who chipped in 15 points.

“James and Emory really played well tonight and I think that was probably the difference, just a lot of big=game experience. I’m happiest for the seniors, that all their hard work and effort has paid off (to this point),” Martin said. “Now, it’s a matter of moving on to the next game and we’re pretty excited about it.”

In a sold-out gym, Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach got off to sluggish starts, with neither team scoring for the first two minutes of action. Knox put the first bucket on the scoreboard, and the Seahawks would go on to outscore the Chiefs in three of the game’s four quarters.

“I told my guys, we had opportunities with open shots and drives to the rim. We just didn’t execute,” said Walker following the season-ending loss. “We went 10-26 at the line, so what are you going to do? When you can’t knock down free throws, which has been an issue all year, and (Myrtle Beach) makes free throws, that’s going to make an impact.”

For the game, Myrtle Beach shot 19-26 at the free throw line.

The Seahawks advance to the Lower State final, where they will face AC Flora at the Florence Center on Friday. In that game, Myrtle Beach will have back one of its leaders, Darius Hough, who did not dress on Tuesday for what he called “stupid and emotional actions” during the Seahawks’ win over Colleton County. His presence will be welcome for his coach.

“If you’ve ever watched the kid play, you know he’s going to bring it,” Martin said. “He brings energy and gets after it. He’s a hard guard, a hard kid to match up with. I’m happy we were able to win this game and give him an opportunity to play.”

Moving into the Lower State final, Myrtle Beach hopes to field its entire team for the first time all season. With injuries and suspensions, the Seahawks have been at least a man down in every game.

“These kids are excited about the two teams that we had the opportunity to play, so we will be ready for (AC Flora). Hopefully, if we’re healthy against AC Flora, we will be able to put our whole team on the floor for the first time,” Martin said. “We’ll be ready.”

Tipoff for Friday’s game Class 4A Lower State final is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.

Points

NMB - Chad Beasley, 12

MB - Emorie Knox, 23

Rebounds

NMB - Cameron Goew-Gause, 6

MB - Emorie Knox, 5

Assists

NMB - Travis Collins, Malik Livingston, 2

MB - Emorie Knox, 3

This story was originally published February 25, 2020 at 9:46 PM.