The Voice of Blythewood & Fairfield County

Bengals blow past River Bluff

BLYTHEWOOD – In typical fashion, Blythewood mopped up River Bluff 69-48 Tuesday night. The Bengals (17-2, 8-0) used their distance shooting to stretch out an early lead on the Gators.

Ja’Darrius Hambrick (4) looks to rattle the rim. | Ross Burton

Tre’ Jackson had four of his team’s eight 3-pointers in the first half and finished the night with 25 points. Robert Braswell, who had two 3s, finished with 16 points in addition to seven rebounds. Johnathan Breeland also had seven boards, and he and Travis Thompson each had 12 points.

The Bengals had nine 3s in the game, and at one point they had sank more 3s (7) than they did shots inside the perimeter (6).

“We’re scoring. Thanks to the Lord, we’re scoring. Because defensively, we still have to do a little bit better,” Blythewood head coach Zeke Washington said. “I’m not a real big fan (of distance shooting), I would like to see us do better in the paint, but I’m just glad they’re scoring.”

River Bluff, which lost in double digits to the Bengals before the holiday break, was outmatched from the tip-off.

Jackson drained a 3 and Caymen Williams got a basket to get things started, and when Jackson made good on a 3-point play to make it 13-8 at the 3:51 mark of the first, the rout was on.

The Bengals finished that quarter on an 8-2 run, then opened the second quarter with a 20-2 run that lasted till the 2:12 mark of the half.

Blythewood had a 44-20 lead at intermission and went up 57-24 midway through the third when Washington started rotating in bench players.

“We’re still trying to increase our depth, but it’s hard,” Washington said.

Blythewood’s boys and girls are at Dutch Fork Friday,

River Bluff  –  10 – 10 – 12 – 16 – 48

Blythewood – 21 – 23 – 13 – 12 –69

RBHS – Malachi Reeves 13, Damone Spencer 10, Windows 9, Reeves 9, Robinson 3, Danley 2, Trottier 2.

BHS – Tre’ Jackson 25, Robert Braswell 16, Travis Thompson 12, Jonathan Breeland 12, Williams 2, Heatley 2.