A heap of basketball teams crossed the lake on Wednesday as Greenwood visited Laurens and Cambridge Academy took a trip to Laurens Academy.
Greenwood swept the Raiders for the second time, and once again the girls took on more lake water than the boys.
The Crusaders were water tight across the board against the Cougars.
Undefeated Greenwood (16-0) swamped Laurens, 52-24, in the girls’ game. The second-ranked team in Class 4A unleashed a pressing defense and controlled the boards. Ty Johnson led the Eagles with 21 points.
No one scored in double figures for Laurens (7-8). Faith Jackson popped eight, Ty Jones seven, Nyri Allen five and Taliyah Ballard and Shaniya Chinn two apiece.
Greenwood (12-3) won the boys’ game, 52-40, after Laurens (6-12) took a lead into the final quarter that blew up in the Raiders’ faces.
Laurens couldn’t buy a shot with a debit card in the final eight minutes. It went 1/6 at the free-throw line at the end.
The Raiders’ Tylan Fowler led the LDHS way with 17 points, and TyJ Jones added 11. Also in the scoring column were K.J. Singleton (5) and Zee Simpson (4).
Laurens captured the junior varsity games. Quin Anderson (17) and Damyyo Watts combined for 31 points in the boys’ 49-37 victory. Led by Nasira Sanders with eight points, the girls won, 29-25, in overtime.
Out past the interstate on Highway 49, all hands were on deck at Laurens Academy. The hard-charging girls defeated Cambridge (8-3), 39-25, by blowing them away 15-6 in the four quarter.
Olivia Huck scored 14 points and Sadie Bruyere added 10 for Laurens Academy (12-1).
Down the line were Rylee Ballard (7), Madisyn Graham (4), Hannah Ervin (3) and Emily Suttles (1).
The boys’ game was a rout from start to finish as Laurens Academy (8-8) tamed the Cougars 20-4 in the first quarter and 75-47 overall.
Three Crusaders put up major points. Braydon Burke dropped 18 points, Garrison Vaughn 15 and Jared Willard 14. Vaughn was 7/11 from the floor and 1/9 from the line.
Evan Asalone added nine points, Garrett Murphy five, Elijah Hornberger four, Elijah Straight and Hunter Campbell three each, and John Waters two.
Cambridge Academy is 6-6.
Micah Straight’s 20 points led the LA boys to a 39-20 middle-school victory, and Braylee Burke led a 42-8 girls’ rout with 18 points.
On Thursday, Newberry Academy is visiting Laurens County for an afternoon (4 p.m.) and evening of middle-school and varsity basketball, boys and girls alike.
Friday finds Wade Hampton visiting Laurens for Region 2-4A clashes and Clinton busing to Woodruff for Region 4-3A clashes.
According to two independent sources, Whitmire is visiting Thornwell Charter School
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Nightrider's Lament 