An odd boys’ basketball game broke out at Clinton High School on Tuesday evening, where Southside knocked the Region 4-3A champion Red Devils out of the playoffs.

The game was frantically and inefficiently played. Both teams played hard but sometimes to cross purposes. At the end, Southside (11-16) made enough free throws and Clinton (14-8) missed enough field goals for the Tigers to survive, 49-46.

Clinton won its second consecutive region title in Dontavius Glenn’s first season as head coach.

Led by Jaden Johnson’s 21 points, Southside pulled the upset in spite of shooting only .333 (18/54) from the field and .476 (10/21) from the line. Clinton’s floor shooting was decent (21/47, .476), but the Red Devils only tried five free throws and hit two.

Tushawan Richardson, named Class 3A All-State by the S.C. Basketball Coaches Association earlier in the day, led the Red Devils with 16 points.

In the second quarter, Clinton outscored Southside, 11-8, in spite of committing 10 turnovers in the eight minutes. The Tigers took 18 shots and hit four of them. The Red Devils managed to get the ball to the forecourt enough to can 5/7 shots.

Clinton finished the game with 21 turnovers. Southside, which committed only three turnovers in the first half, ended up with 15. The Tigers edged the Red Devils on the boards, 33-31.

Southside led at halftime, 20-17, but Clinton roared ahead, 37-36, at the end of three.

With 3:57 remaining the game, Kadon Crawford’s slam gave the Red Devils a 43-37 lead and seeming control. What happened next was the greatest oddity of all. Clinton committed four turnovers over the next 55 seconds. Two were violations for crossing the baseline while inbounding after a Southside basket.

The control was gone.

Crawford pumped in 12 points for the Red Devils, who also got six points each from Keleja Byrd and Devin Swindler. Emarian Jones added four points and Michael Henderson chipped in two.

Angerrelle Gomes-Ramsey scored 10 points. Below the two-digit barrier were Quintevius Gambrell (7), Shakem Griffin (6), Cameron Brown (5) and Lance King (2).

The same Greenville school visits Clinton on Wednesday, also at 6:30 p.m. John Gardner’s girls’ team, ranked eighth in 3A, takes its 18-5 record into play against Southside (11-9), also fourth in Region 2-3A.

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