First Posted: 1/6/2012

FAIRMONT — Fairmont’s Draquine Floyd, a 6-foot-5 forward who can jump out of the gym, had just four points and one rebound as the Golden Tornadoes trailed Dillon, S.C., by one after the first quarter.
Fairmont coach Michael Baker wasn’t satisfied and he let Floyd know it.
Floyd responded.
Emphatically.
The senior scored five straight points during a 9-0 Fairmont run to open the second, paving his way to a 21-point night during the Golden Tornadoes’ 70-51 win over the Wildcats Thursday at Fairmont High School.
“Dre is one of our key players this year, there’s no doubt about that. We thought he wasn’t being assertive, he wasn’t being aggressive,” Baker said. “I think after he got the message that he needed to start playing, he started stepping up and playing well.”
Floyd’s scoring outburst came with a pair of dunks, including a one-handed baseline flush in the first half and a two-handed jam from the left block late in the game.
“(Coach) told me to just step the D up, play hard,” Floyd said. “I thought about what he said and I did that. As a player I do what the coach asks.
He got a little more satisfied with me.”
Fairmont (8-4) rode Floyd’s 11 second-quarter points to a 33-27 edge at halftime. The margin was as wide as 33-21 with a minute in the frame before the Wildcats connected on six straight free throws. EriReon Hayes and Shaqui Cabbagestalk led Dillon with 14 and 12 points, respectively.
“The key for us tonight was that run we made,” Baker said. “We weren’t consistent the whole game and that’s something we have to work on. You take that big run away … “
Floyd ripped a 3-pointer to open the third quarter and his teammates paid complement to his scoring inside and out throughout the second half. Notably, Charlton Townsend, who made his presence felt in the paint with 17 points and eight rebounds on the night.
“He really looked for the ball in the post and asked for it and was making moves,” Baker said.
Townsend exemplified Baker’s statement with four minutes left in the third when he maneuvered and muscled in consecutive buckets down low.
“I got the mindset that I can’t be stopped in the inside,” Townsend said. “That’s just my mindset. And if they double down, I got to kick it back out because I got to trust my teammates.”
Floyd put the exclamation point on Fairmont’s win early in the fourth when he took a hard dribble off the block and hammered down a dunk, making for a 55-42 gap. The fans draped in black and yellow swayed with excitement.
“I like getting the crowd hyped — and I know that will get them hyped,” Floyd said.
Evans’ 25 not enough for Fairmont girls
Despite a game-high 25 points from Anasia Evans the Fairmont girls were outdone by Dillon, 64-46, Thursday night.
The Golden Tornadoes trailed by a mere 15-11 count after the first quarter before being outscored 22-9 in the second.
Khadejhia Sellers led the Wildcats with 22 points while Chelsea Frazier added 17.
Shakeca Faison chipped in 11 for Fairmont.
The Fairmont boys and girls open Three Rivers Conference play tonight at West Columbus.
Reach Sports Editor Kaleb Roedel at 910-272-6111 or [email protected]