The Shadow
The DSLCC Roadrunners (12-15) men’s basketball team hopes of advancing to a chance at playing in the National Tournament, are over, as the team’s season came to an end on Thursday night following a 104-101 loss to the Sandhills Flyers (24-7) in the Region 10 Tournament.
For the fourth time this season the Flyers beat the Roadrunners. The previous three games, the Flyers had won by a combined 106 points, including two 40+ point victories.
Just based on their previous three games against the Flyers, the Roadrunners were heavy underdogs.
The Roadrunners finished with all five starters in double figures scoring. Dayshawn Hamilton, recorded a season and game-high 28 points. Hamilton, was 7-for-10 from three-point range. Noryen Lasley, who does not have a shortage of double-doubles this season added to his seasons total by delivering another double-double performance with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
In the win, the Flyers, also finished with five players in double figures, including Bryan Quiller, who scored a team-high 20 points, along with five rebounds. Meanwhile, the bench for the Flyers played well with 46 of the teams points.
However, this game was the Roadrunners to win.
The Roadrunners led for majority of the first half as the team knocked down eight three-pointers in the first half to help build a seven point advantage at 52-45 heading into intermission.
A minute into the second half, Hamilton, knocked down back to back three-pointers that gave the Roadrunners their biggest lead of the game at 11 points, 58-47.
The Region 10 favorites though would not give up. With 12 minutes potentially left in their season, the Flyers used a 13-2 scoring run to give the team their first lead of the second half at 82-80.
The Flyers would continue to build around that scoring run to eventually take a 101-93 lead with just over a minute left in the game.
It was the Roadrunners turn this time to amount a rally.
The Roadrunners were fouled on two three-point attempts in the final minute. The team knocked down all six free-throw attempts to cut the lead down to two points.
Trailing 104-101, the Roadrunners, had a chance to tie the game as time expired, but missed the three-point opportunity.
The Roadrunners had came into this game having had lost 12 of their last 15 games after starting the season with a record of 9-3.
The Flyers will play Central Carolina Community College (CCC) in the Region 10 Tournament Championship game. CCC defeated Oxford Emory in the other Region 10 semifinal game.
The winner of the Region 10 Tournament Championship game, will advance to the Mid-Atlantic District Tournament where the champion will receive a bid to the National Tournament.
In a future edition, we’ll have an interview with Roadrunners head coach, Brandon Garrett, on his thoughts about the season and how hard his team played in the Region 10 semifinals.
Team 1st 2nd Ttl
DSLCC 52 49 101
SCC 45 59 104
Roadrunners Statistics
Player Pts Reb Ast Stl
Rawlings 12 4 3 1
Hamilton 28 1 1 2
Hudson 19 5 2 1
Lasley 23 10 3 –
McCrary 17 4 5 –
Johnsen – 6 – 1
Garrett 2 2 – –
Flyers Statistics
Player Pts Reb Ast Stl
Wooldridge 19 8 5 2
Hanani 3 – 2 2
McCaster 5 2 3 –
Zachary 11 6 3 1
Quiller 20 5 – 1
Perry 7 3 1 –
Hunter 16 3 2 1
Coleman 2 3 3 –
McMullin 14 6 3 –
Sledge 7 4 1 2
