CLOVER – Both Fort Mill and Catawba Ridge boys’ basketball program got wins Monday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Showcase at Clover High School.
The three-game showcase had Fort Mill and York leading things off in the first game with Catawba Ridge and host Clover playing in game two and Keenan facing off against Lake Norman Christian in the third game.
The showcase was originally supposed to be at the Rock Hill Events Center, but was moved to Clover in recent weeks and the schedule was slimmed down some. Originally other local teams like Nation Ford, Lewisville, York Prep and Great Falls were supposed to be in the event, but for one reason or another dropped out.
In the opening game, Fort Mill picked up the 52-33 win over the York Cougars, but the game was a lot closer for the first three quarters as the Jackets struggled from the field. Head coach Dwayne Hartsoe chalked it up to being out of rhythm on gameday, as they played at 2 p.m.
“It was hard playing at an odd time of the day, especially when they don’t have school,” he said.
Fort Mill held a 27-26 lead after three quarters, but got hot quickly in the final quarter starting on a 7-0 run and nearly scored as many points in the fourth quarter as they did in the first three quarter. The Jackets outscored York 25-7 in the fourth quarter and hit all six shots from the field in the quarter including three 3-pointers.
The Jackets were led by Kyle Neibch, who had 13 points, 11 of which came in the fourth quarter. The only missed shot for Fort Mill in the fourth was a free-throw as the went 10-for-11 from the line.
In the first three quarters, Fort Mill hit just nine shots on 35 attempts from the field. The Jackets trailed by five after the first quarter and were helped in the second quarter by the inside play of Carson Timberlake, who scored all five of his points in the quarter.
In the third quarter, York started off on a 6-0 run, while Fort Mill struggled from the field and allowed the Cougars to get back into the game. As much as Fort Mill struggled shooting, York struggled with ball handling helping Fort Mill out.
Fort Mill, now 6-4 overall, is scheduled to head back to Clover Wednesday as part of a Region 3-5A game and host Clover Friday at home. The Fort Mill home game Friday will be at 7:30 p.m. as the Lady Jackets varsity team is out for awhile because of COVID-19 issue.
Catawba Ridge pulls away from host Clover
A strong third quarter performance from the Copperheads helped them pull away to get a 60-45 win over Clover in their game.
Catawba Ridge, now 5-5 overall, had two players in double figures with Grant Lovette leading the way with 17 points and Jacob Stevens adding 13 points in the win. The Copperheads outscored Clover 17-7 in the third quarter and was able to take a 20-point lead shortly after the start of the fourth quarter at 55-35.
“We played three solid quarters,” said Catawba Ridge head coach Brett Childers. “We have to nail down that fourth quarter. Our focus has been pretty good.”
The Copperheads did struggle some in the fourth as Clover went on an 8-0 run and cut the lead to 12-points, but Catawba Ridge was able to get some key shots from Lovette and Tyler France to help fend off Clover.
Catawba Ridge started the game going up 13-8 after the opening quarter, but both teams took their offense to a new level in the second quarter and combined for 36 points. Lovette came up big in the second quarter scoring nine of his 17 points in the quarter.
The Copperheads caused multiple turnovers in the game for Clover and took advantage of those in the third quarter to extend their eight-point halftime lead to an 18-point third quarter lead. During the third quarter, Catawba Ridge used its height to get short range jumpers in the paint to grow their lead.
Catawba Ridge is now scheduled to travel to South Pointe Thursday and then to Fort Mill Jan. 23.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
