BLYTHEWOOD – The Blythewood boys basketball team never fell behind Chapin in a 56-52 victory Tuesday night, but a fourth-quarter defensive slide nearly gave the Eagles an opportunity to steal a win.
Donovan Mickle led the Bengals with 13 points and Elijah Major scored 11, but the late-game slide that caused turnovers and defensive lapses under the nets is a concern for head coach Zeke Washington.
“We’ve just got to get better,” Washington said. “We love our kids, but sometimes it’s frustrating.”
The Bengals (4-4) led 45-35 going into the final quarter, but Chapin’s Adam Vandergrift got hot and led his team on a 15-4 scoring run over seven-plus minutes. Vandergrift, who led all scorers with 15 points, scored nine points over that stretch and brought the Eagles (2-5) to within 52-50 with 49 seconds left.
Fortunately for the Bengals, Vandergrift fouled out with 21 seconds left. Two foul shots from Major had Blythewood up 54-5- with 10.3 seconds to play, and while Brayden Francis’ quick layup after those shots cut the lead to 54-52 with 3.8 seconds left, Asa McQuaker got fouled and delivered the game-clinching cushion of two foul shots with 2.6 seconds left.
Washington, who usually subs as many as five players at various intervals of early season games as a means of finding a productive combination, said this season with the loss of seniors T.J. Lewis and Tyler Stephens, and sophomore Terrion Mack, who moved to Kentucky, finding a good combination of players over the past few games has been difficult.
“We’ve lost so much,” Washington said from last year’s team that reached the 5A Division I state final. “We’re playing young kids and the young kids are doing well, we’ve just got to keep on working. It’s not easy. I wish it was but it ain’t.”
Blythewood got off to a 17-7 start in the game before Chapin rallied in the second quarter. The Bengals held a 24-17 halftime lead and scored 21 points in the third quarter—but the Eagles scored 18 points to stay within striking distance, and with a 17-11 win of the fourth quarter nearly came out with a road win.
Tuesday’s win made it two in a row, as the Bengals beat White Knoll 66-63 Saturday.
“We played better,” Washington said after his team fell 68-66 to the Timberwolves Dec. 2. “We were going with something a little different with our substitution patterns.”
The group on the floor in any given quarter of a December basketball game can be completely different for the Bengals, but it’s because Washington and the coaching staff are looking for those players who stand out in a particular lineup or in a particular situation.
“Starting is not anything I’m really high on,” Washington explained. “We let our kids play to see who the starters are. We look for players who play, who compete, to see who the starters are.”
The Bengals head to Charlotte for a tournament at Independence High School next week. They play Queen’s Grant Tuesday and Independence on Wednesday.
After Christmas Blythewood returns to the Lemon Street Classic in Marietta, Ga., Dec. 27-30. Blythewood tips off against Miller Grove Dec. 27 and plays North Manchester Dec. 29.
“Were glad to go back. It gives our kids a different type of ball,” Washington said. “The recruiting services are different, it gives us a chance to bond.”
The Blythewood girls (5-3) beat White Knoll 88-40 Saturday and won their fourth straight game with a 60-16 defeat of Chapin (4-3).
India Williams led all scorers with 19 points, while Chase Thomas added 12 points and Hayley Hightower put up 10 against the Eagles.
The Bengals led 16-10 after the first quarter but won the second quarter 28-4. They held the Eagles scoreless in the third and played the fourth quarter with a running clock after taking a 40-point lead.
The Blythewood girls head to the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach that tips off Friday and carries on till Monday. The Bengals are in the John Rhodes Division and play Greenville at 5 p.m. Friday.
Boys
Chapin – 7-10-18-17 — 52
Blythewood – 17-7-21-11 — 56
Chapin
Adam Vandergrift 15, Alex Rose 11, Forbes 6, Labiran 6, Francis 5, Folk 4, Sims 3, Coggins 2.
Blythewood
Donovan Mickle 13, Elijah Major 11, Pernell 9, McQuaker 7, Hayes 7, Jones 4, Scriven 3, Troy 2.
Girls
Chapin – 10-4-0-2 — 16
Blythewood – 16-28-12-4 — 60
Chapin
Douglas 6, Woods 2, Wright 2, Haggard 2, Stephenson 2, Love 2.
Blythewood
India Williams 19, Chase Thomas 12, Hayley Hightower 10, Spain 8, M. Thomas 6, Fulton 5.
