Conway drubs Socastee in Region VI-AAAA opener
Even the slightest of noises can trigger an avalanche.
For Conway, the ability to force turnovers and get on the fast break created endless opportunities Tuesday night, as the Tigers buried Socastee 64-30 in the Region VI-AAAA opener for both teams.
Up 25-20 toward the end of the first half, a quick spurt allowed Conway to take an 11-point lead into intermission – the first double-digit lead for either team in the game.
From there, things would snowball.
Picking up the pace courtesy of a half-court trap, the Tigers would outscore Socastee 22-6 in the third period. For Braves coach DeAndre Scott, it was the type of scoring barrage his team was trying to avoid.
“We’re not a good enough team to play from behind,” he said. “We can score four or six points in spurts. But when teams make runs like (Conway) did tonight, we’re in trouble. But you have to give Conway credit … they are certainly as good as advertised.”
As impressive may be the way in which Conway went about its business. Four players scored in double figures, with eight Tigers offering some sort of contribution to the team’s final points total.
“That may be the best thing about this win overall,” said Conway coach Michael Hopkins. “To get balanced scoring and not have to rely on one person to carry the load was important.
“We’re still learning each other, but we have to be willing to be unselfish. When you give, you’ll get it back.”
Early on, Socastee was able to go tit-for-tat with the Tigers, using its pronounced size advantage on the inside courtesy of 7-footer Jason Cudd. The Braves big man scored nine points, but after earning his third foul was sent to the bench late in the first half.
Cudd would not score for the rest of the game. His void also opened the lane for Conway to penetrate at will.
No one was a bigger beneficiary of Cudd’s absence than Shy Holmes, the junior guard leading all scorers with 14 points for the game. Also chipping in was Juwan Moody with 13 points and Darren Grainger with 12.
More importantly for Conway, it allows it to hold serve at home during region play. It also gives the Tigers momentum heading into Friday’s showdown with defending Class AAAA champion Sumter.
“We were fortunate enough to have this game at home,” Hopkins said. “In this region you have to win (games) at home. But it also gives us a little confidence heading into Friday night on the road against the defending champions.”
▪ SOC (30): Marcus Hemingway 7, Aeneas Green 3, Kendrell Generette 2, Alex Collins 5, Logan Sitar 1, Andrew Gardner 3, Jason Cudd 9.
▪ CON (64): Darren Grainger 12, Juwan Moody 13, Shy Holmes 14, Darren Stanley 11, Darquarius Gowans 3, Trenique Richardson 4, Jaylen Moody 2, Jimmy Nichols 5.
SOC | 12 | 8 | 6 | 4 | — | 30 |
CON | 14 | 17 | 22 | 11 | — | 64 |
▪ 3-point goals: SOC 1 (Gardner), CON 6 (Grainger 3, Ju. Moody, Stanley, Gowans). Team fouls: SOC 14, CON 14. Fouled out: None. Technical fouls: None.
▪ Records: SOC 6-9, CON 12-1.
Joe L. Hughes II: 843-444-1702, @thejournalist44
This story was originally published January 12, 2016 at 10:53 PM with the headline "Conway drubs Socastee in Region VI-AAAA opener."