Griffins Hammer Panthers

WINNSBORO – Coming off a big 69-45 win over Camden Military Academy Monday, the Fairfield Central Griffins continued their dominating ways Tuesday by drubbing the Pelion High School Panthers by a score of 93-37.

Before the Tip-off, Fairfield Central head coach Devin Liferidge was not expecting to overwhelm the Panther team the way the girl’s team did just prior.

“I will be happy with a win. We played them four weeks ago. It will be interesting to see where we are. We managed to beat them then, but it’s a Region game, so we will see,” said Liferidge. When asked what concerned him the most about his opponent, he added, “The size, of three of their guards.”

As the game began, the first half of the first period was led by Pelion. Their big man, Jonathan Bell, got the advantage at the tip-off, and Brayton Jones was able to convert that into a basket. Pelion snatched up a rebound from a missed Griffin shot, and Andrew Kneese, Pelion’s high scorer with 11 points, sunk a 3-pointer, putting the team ahead of Fairfield 5-0. This would be Pelion’s high water mark

Halfway through the period, the Griffins tied things up with a 3-pointer of their own by Shadarius Hopkins. Hopkins and Dequan Weldon did most of the heavy lifting in the first period with a 3-pointer and two field goals each. Cleet Richmond added three more points. By the buzzer, the trio almost doubled Pelion’s score, 17-9.

The second quarter would be even tougher for the Panthers. The persistent Griffin defense held Pelion to only two baskets, one of which was from outside the 3-point line. For Fairfield, others besides Hopkins and Weldon stepped up. Nick Rikard hit a 3-pointer and a layup, as well as hitting a free-throw. Chandon Davis added a 3-pointer as well. At the end of the quarter, Pelion’s Kneese hit one of two free throws on a technical to end the quarter 35-17, Fairfield.

In the third quarter, Pelion was held to just six points, while the FCHS hammer came out to finish off the quarter, leading by 43 points. Toward the end of the third, and for the entire fourth quarter, and with the game in the bag, the Griffins began shooting from the outside with impressive accuracy, hitting three out of five.

The tiring Panthers, with three key players in foul trouble, couldn’t do much to stem the Griffin tide. However, they did manage to hit 8 of 11 from the free-throw line.

The game’s high scorer was Fairfield’s Weldon with 14 points.

Fairfield Central-93, Pelion-37

Pelion: Keith-2, Andrew Kneece-13, Jones-8, Bell-6, Bethea-3, Sharp-2, Hawkins-2. Fairfield Central: Dequan Weldon-14, Shadarius Hopkins-11, Brandon Adams-14, Sampson-4, Chappell-5, Davis-7, Pauling-2, Anthony Ragin-10, Richmond-7, Peoples-1, Goode-4, Nick Rikard-12, Mickle-2.

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