Gator girls win
Stallions keep
rolling with
victory over
E. Columbus

By DAN BISER
Sports Editor

LAKE WACCAMAW - The Waccamaw Conference is starting to take notice that boys basketball is again trying to match strides with its football programs.

On Tuesday night, the Stallions ran to their fifth straight conference victory as they downed the host East Columbus Gators 65-51.

“To do well in this conference, you have to be able to win on the road, and we’ve been able to do that lately,” said SCHS coach Nathan Faulk, whose Stallions were fueled by a 27-point effort by senior guard Bryant Edwards. “Tonight, we were pretty sharp most of the way. We got a little sloppy in spots, but the effort was there.

“East Columbus has struggled some the past few weeks, but they are still a good basketball team,” Faulk said. “I thought we did a good job holding down some of the things they like to do on offense.”

South Columbus led 36-22 at the half and extended its lead to as much as 20 in the second half.

Edwards had four 3-point goals and added a pair of three-point plays on penetrating drives to the basket.

Edwards was joined in double figures by Derrick Clay, who had 10 points. South Columbus now holds down second place in the conference standings with a 6-2 record behind first place Pender (7-0).

“We have won seven of our last eight games and nine of 12 since the Christmas break,” Faulk said. “We have Pender coming to our place on Friday and that will definitely be a big one.”

East Columbus saw its conference record drop to 1-7 as it was led by Anthony Fields with 12 points and Derrick Clay with 10.

The East Columbus girls atoned for two earlier losses by sprinting to a 54-23 win over the Lady Stallion club.

“We didn’t play well at all the first two times we played South Columbus and tonight we had the opportunity to change that,” Lady Gator coach Karlyn Stephens said. “Our girls worked hard on defense and we got a lot of points transition.”

T.T. Bennett scored 21 points for East Columbus while Jasmine Young had 12 and Tabitha Moore 11.

The East Columbus girls are tied with North Brunswick for second place in the conference standings with 6-2 records. They will meet Friday at Leland. ECHS led at halftime 29-7

Amanda Dowe led SCHS scorers with eight points as the Lady Stallions saw their conference record slip to 5-3.

GIRLS GAME

SOUTH COLUMBUS (23): Dowe 8, Newman 4, Neal 6, C. Lewis 5.

EAST COLUMBUS (54): Young 12, Bennett 21, Lennon 3, Moore 11, Jacobs 2, Ellis 5,

BOYS GAME

SOUTH COLUMBUS (65): Stephens 5, Edwards 27, Benton 6, J. Bryant 4, Duncan 5, Clay 10, F. Bryant 8.

EAST COLUMBUS (51): Ganus 6, Fields 12, Graham 6, Campbell 8, Moore 7, Hazel 2, Bellamy 10.