Khalil Shakir-Harris (15) attacks the basket for the Bengals. (Photo/Kristy Kimball Massey)
BLYTHEWOOD (Dec. 16, 2015) – Consider Friday night’s 42-41 loss at Irmo long forgotten in the minds of the Blythewood boys’ basketball team. Khalil Shakir-Harris put up 15 points and Eli Lake added 11, and the entire Bengals squad saw the court in a 76-43 dismantling of previously unbeaten Chester Tuesday night at Blythewood.
“We played so many people,” said Bengals head coach Ezekiel Washington. “That really helps us in the long run. Everybody played and everybody played with intensity, and that’s what we’re looking for. When we play with intensity, we’ve got a shot.”
The Bengals intensity took the wind out of Chester almost immediately, as the Cyclones fell behind almost from the tipoff.
In an up-tempo first quarter, Blythewood (10-1) found its perimeter shot quickly, getting 3-pointers from Harris, Jackson and Jacob Bailey while surging to a 17-9 lead.
The Bengals kept pouring it on, taking a 36-20 lead into the half. They stretched the margin to 20 points early in the third quarter, and made it a 30-point cushion by the 5:45 mark of the fourth quarter.
“We knew they were a very athletic team, we knew they shot the ball very well,” Washington said. “What we wanted to do was to keep the pressure up the same way we did a long time ago when we were in Chester.”
Everyone on the Blythewood squad touched the ball on the court, whether by scoring, stealing, rebounding or assisting.
All but two Blythewood players on the 14-man roster scored. Seven Bengals accounted for the team’s eight 3-pointers. Malik Williams led the Cyclones (5-1) with 14 points.
Blythewood plays at Ridge View Thursday.
Blythewood-76, Chester-43
CHS: 9-11-16-7 – 43
BHS: 20-16-22-18 – 76
C – Malik Williams 14, D. Hardin 9, Jackson 4, Minter 4, Coleman 2, Q. Hardin. B – Khalil Shakir-Harris 15, Eli Lake 11, Bailey 9, Matthews 9, Jackson 7, Womack 7, Hammond 6, Riley 4, Braswell 2, Dawkins 2, Jenkins 2, Churn 2.
REC: Chester 5-1, Blythewood 10-1.
