LANCASTER – The Fort Mill girls basketball team improved to 4-0 with a 56-38 win over the Lancaster Bruins Tuesday night.
Both sides came in looking even. Lancaster jumped out to 5-2 start to open the game. Fort Mill rallied with a 7-0 run to go up 9-5.
Turnovers plagued Lancaster in the first quarter as they gave the Jackets extra opportunities. Even with the extra opportunities, Fort Mill held a 13-11 lead after the first quarter.
The second quarter showed an even more aggressive Fort Mill team as they were able to get inside shots by their forwards with Ella Marker and Jada Chambliss converting baskets.
Lancaster was able to keep it close with baskets in transition as they relied on their quickness and foul shooting. Fort Mill took a 28-21 lead at the half.
Lancaster continued to struggle with turnovers which hurt them to start the third quarter as Fort Mill went up by 10 at 33-23 early in the second half.
Fort Mill continued to pull away as Lancaster failed to establish any offensive consistency.
Both teams started firing shots up to open the fourth quarter and hitting them as the Jackets led by 10 to start the period.
Fort Mill then went on an 8-0 run with the help of Chambliss and Clare Moore to go up 50-33. Chambliss led with 16 points and Moore had 15 points.
Fort Mill falls in final seconds
Lancaster’s Jordan Watford hit two free throws with 6.5 seconds left to give the Bruins a 54-52 win over the Fort Mill Yellow Jackets.
Fort Mill had the tall task of taking on the defending 4A Upper State champions in a loud Bruins Den.
Fort Mill started hot as the Bruins struggled with turnovers early. That allowed the Jackets to go up 9-2 to start the game.
However, Lancaster ranked fourth in 4A, started to rally as they were the ones forcing Fort Mill into turnovers.
Fort Mill had a small 16-11 lead to end the first quarter as the momentum was clearly in the Bruins corner.
Watford started to heat up as he scored 10 of the Bruins’ 17 second quarter points.
Fort Mill continued to struggle with turnovers as they led to Bruins’ points in transition. Fort Mill’s Darryl Carrington led the Jackets in the second quarter with seven points as the game was tied at 28 at the half.
Fort Mill was perfect from the field in the first quarter despite the turnovers, but only shot 50% in the second quarter. Lancaster also shot 50 % from the field, but didn’t turn the ball over in the second quarter compared to six Fort Mill turnovers.
Fort Mill went up by four to start the third quarter and scored six of the first eight points in the second half.
The Jackets were more methodical with their offense and cut down on the turnovers.
Lancaster stayed within striking distance and was more patient as well offensively. Neither team pushed the pace like they did in the first half and seemed more content to slow things down.
Fort Mill took a small 42-39 lead into the fourth quarter. Lancaster drained a 3-pointer by Columbus Parker to tie the game to open the period. Parker would pace the Bruins as he scored Lancaster’s first 11 points in the quarter before leaving with an injury.
Both teams would continue to trade points and go back and forth with a tied game as the quarter wore down.
A turnover by Fort Mill in the final seconds led to Watford getting fouled and converting the game winning free throws. Fort Mill had one last 3-point attempt that came up short.
Carrington led Fort Mill with 19 points. Nas Berry added 13 points and Logan Parker had 11 points for the Jackets.
Fort Mill fell to 2-2 on the season. The Jackets will travel to Catawba Ridge Friday, Dec. 8 to take on the Copperheads.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
