Hardwood Report (Jan. 31, 2016)

Practice makes perfect.

A mere cliche to most, Myrtle Beach boys basketball coach Craig Martin is a firm believer that players’ behaviors in practice will repeat themselves during games.

For this simple reason, following drills during practice, he sends a random Seahawks player to the foul line for their turn at knocking down a pair of free throws.

If able to knock down both free throws, practice continues as scheduled. But should a player miss? … the entire team runs.

Though groans were the theme with every lap up and down the floor, Martin had a grand scheme in play knowing it would eventually bear fruit.

So as his players waltzed to the charity stripe in a close game against Wilson, Martin was not at all concerned with how his players would fare. After all, they had already been there before.

Myrtle Beach knocked down 17 of 19 free throw attempts – including all 16 of them in the fourth quarter and overtime – helping push it past the Tigers for a 53-52 win.

“Every single day, they shoot a lot (of free throws) after every drill we have,” Martin said. “It’s simple – if they miss a free throw, we run, simple as that.

“After seeing how they fared tonight at the free throw line, I think they’ve run enough this year. They’re tired of missing free throws.”

Few were as pressure-packed as those taken by the Seahawks’ Adam Zam. With his team down two in the closing seconds of regulation, he cooly knocked down a pair of free throws to help send the game into overtime.

Zam would knock down four more in the extra frame, putting Myrtle Beach in position for the game-winning score with a little less than 17 seconds remaining.

The victory moved the Seahawks to 3-3 in Region VII-AAA play, a game behind league-leading St. James (4-2).

Mental toughness has long been part of the basketball program’s DNA. If anything, Friday’s performance at the free throw line showed Martin that after a slow start to the season, his team may finally be coming around.

“We’ve always prided ourselves on being mentally and physically tough,” Martin said. “This year, it has taken us a bit longer to build that type of mindset.

“In the past, it is something we have hung our hat on. Being tough, being gritty … I’m happy these guys are starting to take that on.”

TOPSY-TURVY WEEK IN REGION VII-AAA

Hope you didn’t blink … you might have missed what proved to be an eventful week in Region VII-AAA.

Coming into this week’s play, both Wilson’s boys and girls teams stood atop the league, undefeated and largely unchallenged. By the conclusion of games Friday night, both Tigers squads were in the midst of losing skids and no longer in first place.

The Myrtle Beach girls and St. James boys in particular flexed their muscle this week, the Seahawks moving into first place as a result of wins over Georgetown and Wilson,while the Sharks used close wins over the Tigers and North Myrtle Beach to move into the region’s top spot on the boys’ side.

Despite being a game clear of competition, Myrtle Beach girls basketball coach Jennifer Dennison is doing her part to keep her team from “buying into the hype.”

“It’s a great win for our girls, but we’re taking things one game at a time, knowing what is ahead for us,” she said. “Next week we have Lake City and then we’re on to St. James, a team which also was able to beat (Wilson). We have to continue striving to get better.”

Nothing is coming easy for anyone on the boys’ side, with four teams all within a game of first-place St. James. With squads making their second rotation through the league schedule, it could be a fun ride down the stretch.

FAB FIVE PERFORMANCES OF THE WEEK

Michael Green (Christian Academy): The freshman played with the poise of a seasoned veteran on Thursday, his 35 points leading the Saints to an 89-77 win at Trinity-Byrnes. He followed that performance with a 22-point effort Friday night in a loss to Gray Collegiate Academy. In the loss, he also had five rebounds, two blocks, two assists and two steals.

Tamara Jackson (Green Sea Floyds): Among the Grand Strand’s leading scorers, the Trojans point guard had 32 points Tuesday night, helping them to a 51-40 win over Lake View.

Alexis Tomlin (Carolina Forest): Her game-high 26 points helped lead the Panthers to a 51-39 victory over Socastee on Tuesday night.

Jalen Matthews (Christian Academy): The freshman had a game-high 24 points to go along with eight rebounds and three blocks in an 82-34 win over Florence Christian.

Nia Sumpter (Myrtle Beach): The junior’s 25-point performance helped the Seahawks gain a measure of revenge in their Region VII-AAA clash with Wilson, winning the game 59-35.

This story was originally published January 30, 2016 at 8:02 PM with the headline "Hardwood Report (Jan. 31, 2016)."