FAYETTEVILLE — The length and height that the Seventy-First boys basketball possess makes it a good team, but on nights like Wednesday at home against Lumberton in the Sandhills Athletic Conference tournament semifinals when it is shooting well from deep, they are hard to beat.
“They’re a daggone good team. I knew that going in,” Lumberton coach Matt Hill said. “It’s just unbelievable just how good they have shot the last two times we have played them. There’s nothing else I can say, but give them props for being a daggone good team.”
Controlling the game from behind the arc and inside on the post, the top-seeded Falcons had no problems advancing to the tournament title game against Richmond on Friday with a 78-63 win over the Pirates.
No. 1 Seventy-First (23-3) hit 11 3-pointers in the win, while No. 4 Lumberton’s (16-10) best offensive weapon, Jordan McNeill, was out for the game due to sickness.
While the Pirates didn’t have McNeill, Hill was still pleased with the effort the group he came with.
“I’m happy with the kids I brought. I’d love to have him back and can’t wait to get him back, but I was happy with their effort and play,” Hill said.
Hill said that even with his team effort, it was outsized and outgunned by the Falcons.
“The biggest deal is they out-rebounded us at times and they didn’t miss a lot of shots,” Hill said. “It’s tough when the team you are playing is shooting that hot. You’ve got to match them shot-for-shot.”
Seventy-First took control early with its 3-point shooting to go up 25-7 with seconds left in the first quarter when Trevan Bell hit a trey as a part of a 7-0 run where he provided all the scoring during the span. Bell was one of five Falcons that recorded more than nine points in the game.
Thomas Hendricks had a team-high 18 points and Brion McLaurin scored 15 points for Seventy-First.
Holding a 14-point lead after the first quarter, the Seventy-First lead grew to 17 points at the half and was 61-33 entering the fourth quarter. Early in the fourth, McLaurin slammed home a missed 3-pointer to put the Falcons up 67-36, their largest lead of the night.
The Pirates rallied over the final six minutes to trim the lead to 15 points, the final margin, following the McLaurin flush.
Lumberton’s Kwashek Breeden had a game-high 22 points with 12 points coming in the fourth. Caleb Kelly and C.J. McCray each added 11 points.
The Pirates will wait until Saturday for the seeding announcement of the NCHSAA state basketball tournament.
St. Pauls’ suspension denied
ST. PAULS — The appeal to lift the state playoff ban for the girls basketball team at St. Pauls was denied by the state on Wednesday, this from St. Pauls school officials.
The Lady Bulldogs were fined $1,000, had nine players suspended four games for leaving the bench in a Jan. 18 altercation at South Robeson.
St. Pauls is still allowed to finish out the Three Rivers Conference tournament, and will play in Thursday’s semifinals against Whiteville at 6 p.m. at Fairmont.
