By DAN BISER
Sports Editor

LAKE WACCAMAW – It was a tough way for the East Columbus Gator basketball teams to close out their regular season home schedules.

The upstart South Brunswick boys and girls teams each came away with victories on the ECHS homefloor Tuesday night, making amends for losses they suffered to the Gators last month on their homecourt.

The South Brunswick boys team prevailed 60-57 behind the explosive offensive play of Ervin Hall to hand East Columbus its second straight loss and its first conference home loss since 2005.

East Columbus, which got a 25-point effort by senior B.J. Patrick, now has a 9-2 confernce record. The Gators have already clinched at least a tie for the conference title and can claim it outright with a win over Trask in its final regular-season game on Friday.

South Brunswick won the girls game 66-63 in overtime after ECHS sparkplug guard Taquanna Bress went down with a knee injury in the fourth quarter.

The ECHS boys team built a 26-22 halftime lead but South Brunswick gained the momentum in the second half as Hall hit several crucial baskets. The Cougars also got strong rebounding from Ryan Waldrep and Joey Hines as they gained the lead in the final quarter.

“We let them dictate the game in the second half,” said ECHS coach Clarence Ganus, whose squad had suffered a three-point loss to Pender last Friday. “We weren’t assertive at all the second half. Our shots weren’t falling and we were letting South Brunswick take charge.”

SBHS coach Dan McGougan, whose starting lineup includes a freshman and two sophomores, said that his team has shown considerable strides in experience and confidence through the season.

“Tonight we tried to pack in our defense and keep East Columbus off the boards,” McGougan said. “Our kids got pretty aggressive tonight. We got some good looks at the basket in the second half and made the most of it.”

Hall tallied 20 points, followed by Hines with 12 and Edward McNeil with 11.

Patrick had his big scoring night after sitting out the loss to Pender with an ankle injury. Jerry Moore had 12 points for East Columbus, whose season record now stands at 18-5.

South Brunswick outscored ECHS 10-7 in the overtime period to turn back the Lady Gators.

Bress had 21 points before leaving the game with her knee injury after getting fouled while attempting a lay-up T.T. Bennett scored 20 points and Jasmine Young had 11 for South Columbus, whose conference record slipped to 7-4.

South Brunswick, which improved to 6-4 in conference play, was led by Kat Adams’ 18 points. Brittany Spivey, Talisha Green and Chris Deveney had 12 each.

After closing out their regular-season schedule this week, the Gators will host next week’s Waccamaw Conference Tournament.

GIRLS GAME

SOUTH BRUNSWICK (66): Adams 18, Spivey 12, Burghoffer 8, Deveney 12, Green 12, Ferguson 4.

EAST COLUMBUS (63): Bress 21, Bennett 20, Young 11, Moore 8, Jacobs 2, Ellis 1.

BOYS GAME

SOUTH BRUNSWICK (60): Randolf 6, McNeil 11, Williams 1, Hall 20, Hines 12, Ferguson 1, Waldrep 9.

EAST COLUMBUS (57): Clark 8, Freeman 1, Waddell 8, Patrick 25, Moore 12, Ganus 3.