Jalen Mazyck (24) grinds his way to the hoop for the Griffins. (Photo/DeAnna Robinson)
COLUMBIA (Jan. 25, 2017) – For the last two games, the Fairfield Central boys were within four points of coming out with a much needed Region 4-3A win.
At Columbia Tuesday night, the Griffins broke through for a win, and made it so with a 13-point margin. Quay McBride scored 17 points and Chandon Davis added 13 as Fairfield Central’s up-tempo game wore out the Capitals, 51-38.
The win snaps a four-game losing streak.
“The kids are really excited,” Fairfield Central head coach Brian Sanders said. “The young guys, the veterans, everybody contributed. We’ve had a lot of injuries and a lot of miscellaneous things, but these guys have stepped it up.”
Fairfield Central (4-9, 2-3) fell 52-48 to Camden Jan. 17 and then lost 52-49 at Indian Land Friday. On Tuesday night, the Griffins put a lot of pressure on the Capitals (1-16, 0-5), although the first half was mostly missed shots from both teams and running up and down the floor.
The Griffins finished the first quarter with a 13-7 lead. Columbia got to within a point at the half, as Fairfield Central clung to a 20-19 lead at intermission.
The lack of early scoring didn’t bother the Griffins, Sanders said.
“The guys are really comfortable with the full-court man (press) right now,” Sanders said. “I didn’t want to run it too early in the season knowing that we were going to be scouted. We wanted to mix it up a little bit. But the guys feel comfortable with full-court and we’ll keep it that way.”
Fairfield Central ran the press successfully enough to fend off a Capitals rally.
Chris Cobb opened the second half scoring for the Capitals with a dunk, but McBride hit a 3-pointer shortly afterward to give the Griffins a 23-21 lead. Cobb responded with another basket to tie things up about three minutes into the third, but that shot was as close as the Capitals could come.
Davis broke the tie a few seconds later, and then Darryl Camack’s bucket, a Davis put-back and Gerard Lawhorne’s 3-point play made it 32-23 with 3:39 left in the third. The Griffins closed out the third quarter leading 34-28.
In the fourth quarter Fairfield Central ran the clock out, shutting out the Capitals in the first five minutes. McBride put the game on ice with his 8-for-8 fourth-quarter performance at the free-throw line.
The Griffins travel to Camden Friday.
“We really needed this win,” Sanders said. “It’s a confidence booster for us as we go to Camden Friday night.”
Fairfield Central 51, Columbia 38
FCHS: 13-7-14-17 – 51
CHS: 7-12-9-10 – 38
Fairfield Central
Quay McBride 17, Chandon Davis 13, Sease 8, Mazyck 6, Lawhorne 3, Camack 2, Roach 2.
Columbia
Tyrese Salahuddin 10, Cobb 6, Miller 6, Blocker 5, Goodwin 5, Pinkston 2, Hayes 2, Squirewell 2.
