How Myrtle Beach boys hoops fared in a back-and-forth battle in state championship game
In the tunnel underneath Colonial Life Arena, the deafening noises of celebration drowned out the tears and anguish being expressed by the Myrtle Beach basketball team.
This one hurt.
Ridge View took control of the Class 4A state championship and ran away from Myrtle Beach (20-9), securing its third consecutive state championship 69-59.
“This one didn’t go the way we wanted it to, we came in here expecting to win,” said senior Darius Hough. “They came out and took this from us in the second half, we gave up too many easy shots and couldn’t stop their momentum.”
The momentum Hough mentioned came in the form of two big runs, one 9-0 and another 11-0, which took the wind out of the Seahawks’ sails.
“Basketball is a game of runs, but we never got on a big one of our own,” said Myrtle Beach coach Craig Martin. “(Ridge View) did a great job of keeping the pressure on us with their playmaking ability and by crashing the boards. We gave up way too many easy shots on second chances. Those are backbreakers.”
Ridge View (23-8) was led by Tyler Rice and Cincere Scott, who combined for 39 points and six assists in the contest. Perhaps the bigger performances came from Ja’Von Benson and Patrick Jenkins, who each grabbed double-digit rebounds and combined for 27 points from their forward positions.
“They had a couple of big plays in the paint that really got the crowd into it,” Martin said. “In the second half, they were able to apply pressure to us and turn our mistakes into points and big plays. That really turned the game around.”
Myrtle Beach went into halftime leading 34-29 after holding Ridge View to just seven points in the frame. The Seahawks shot only two free throws in the first half, missing both, but were able to put great pressure on the Blazers’ ballhandlers to take the advantage into the break.
In the second half, Scott and Rice came to play, with each scoring 11 points in the final two quarters. While their scoring was critical, their impact on the game went well beyond their baskets, as they were able to get Myrtle Beach’s Hough and Emorie Knox into foul trouble. Both players would foul out in the second half.
While the contest didn’t go the way Martin wanted, he thanked his team for its effort and resolve to make it to a state championship game.
“We are one of the two best teams in (Class) 4A,” he said. “Coming into this game, we knew there would be a winner and a loser. We didn’t want to lose, but there’s no shame in the way we competed tonight. I’m proud of my team. This represents a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, that’s for sure. It took a lot of work. We had a lot of kids commit to this program and doing the right things to get us to this point. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to finish the deal this year, but we’re going to try and improve and get back here next year.”
Hough, a senior who had to watch the final 2:43 after fouling out, took a different approach to the game from the bench.
“Right now, I just want to help these underclassmen get better so that they can get here and finish this next time,” he said. “My time as a player is over, but I can still have an impact on these guys. This is a game that didn’t go our way, but it doesn’t define us. We’re still brothers, we’ve formed that brotherhood and there’s nothing that can take that from us.”
RV 22 7 18 22 - 69
MB 19 15 12 13 – 59
Scoring Summary
Points
Ridge View – Tyler Rice 23; Cincere Scott 16; Ja’Von Benson 14; Patrick Jenkins 13
Myrtle Beach – Emorie Knox 16; JJ Jones 14; Ayden Hickman 10
Rebounds
Ridge View – Ja’Von Benson 14; Patrick Jenkins 12
Myrtle Beach – Emorie Knox 6; JJ Jones 5
Assists
Ridge View – Tyler Rice 4
Myrtle Beach – Emorie Knox 4
This story was originally published March 7, 2020 at 10:22 PM.