Wilson holds on to beat Lancaster 66-63 in MLK Bash on Monday
Fourth-ranked Tigers rally past No. 9 Bruins after blowing 15-point lead
Columbia – While it may not have replicated a playoff game, there was definitely some intensity on the floor when the boys basketball teams from Wilson and Lancaster high schools met in the finale of the MLK Bash on Monday at Eau Claire High School’s George Glymph Arena.
After all, the game featured two of the top AAAA programs in the state with three of the best players. Wilson is ranked fourth in the High School Sports Report AAAA poll and is led by Joshua Leonard and Tristan Thompson, both listed as among the top eight players in the state regardless of classification by the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association. The Bruins are ranked ninth and are led by Jordan Watford, another of those elite players.
The teams didn’t disappoint. After a close first quarter, the Tigers went up by as many as 15 points in the second quarter before LHS rallied to grab the lead in the third quarter. However, Wilson recovered in the fourth quarter for a 66-63 victory.
“We won the game. That's what it's about, finding a way to win,” said Tigers head coach Carlos Powell, the former University of South Carolina standout. “A couple of missed calls kind of threw the rhythm off a little bit. We just had to withstand their runs, and we came out on top.
“That's another good AAAA team,” he added. “That's not an easy squad. Coach J (Jerron Cauthen) is coaching those guys up. It's much respect. and they’re hard-nosed kids over there. It was a good game.”
Lancaster fell to 11-5 on the season and has a huge Region 3-AAAA contest with second-ranked Catawba Ridge on Tuesday. Cauthen thinks his team will be ready for that game.
“They got us prepared for tomorrow night,” Cauthen said. “We'll be prepared for tomorrow based off we haven't played since last Monday, so we needed some type of recreation, so we got what we needed tonight.
“I’m proud of the effort. I just wish we would have stayed locked in a little bit more defensively.”
WHS led 20-16 after one quarter and went on a run early in the second quarter to open the 15-point margin. The Bruins began to cut into the lead to make it 36-27 at halftime. That run continued in the third quarter as they outscored Wilson 24-13 to take a 51-49 lead into the final stanza.
Noah Spears scored five points, Khristian Bruce and Bryan Boston had four apiece and Thompson had three in the fourth quarter for the Tiger as they rallied for the 3-point win.
“We recovered,” Powell said of his team’s rally. “They went up, but I wasn't worried. We're trained to withstand adversity. None of the guys panicked. We just kept saying, 'We're going to win.'
“This is our sixth win in a row. We've been playing pretty good basketball. We've got some things we need to correct. as any other basketball team, but they're right there. We've got to turn the corner. We're going to turn the corner, and once we turn the corner we're going to be pretty tough to stop.”
Thompson led WHS with 18 points and five steals. Leonard finished with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Bruce finished with 10 points. Spears had seven points and Boston had six.
Watford led Lancaster with 26 points, connecting on 10 of 14 shots rom the floor. Malik Tinsley finished with 18 point, going 4 of 7 from 3-point range. RJ Brown had 12 points, connecting on two 3-pointers.
Lancaster is having to overcome the loss of some players due to injury, but Cauthen feels his team will be able to do so.
"We've got guys who are capable on that bench. They've just got to step up and be consistent," he said. "Sometimes when you get down to region you have to tighten up your rotation."
About us
Recognizing the achievements of young athletes in South Carolina since 1986.