By MONTE DUTTON

It’s the end of January, and Clinton High’s basketball teams both have a two-game edge over the rest of Region 3-2A.

According to the state coaches association, the girls have an edge over the rest of Class 2A.

They both ran out on Friday night and laid waste to Columbia in front of a crowd gathered to honor the seniors and thankful it wasn’t snowing yet.

It’s a recurring pattern. John Gardner’s girls hit the floor running and go as far into the playoffs as their talent, size and cohesiveness will take them.

Dontavius Glenn’s boys hit the floor with a strong dose of football talent, and it takes a while to adjust. Friday night’s 52-42 victory over Columbia (4-19, 1-6 Region 3-2A) was the Red Devils’ 10^th in a row. They didn’t lose in January. Clinton (14-8, 7-0) is off to Chester on Tuesday night.

Before a reasonably competitive boys’ game, the girls (22-1, 7-0) dawdled only briefly, clobbering Columbia, 65-17. After a quarter, the Red Devils led by only two, 13-11. Columbia (8-10, 4-3) scored only six points in the rest the game. Clinton won the second quarter 21-2, the third 19-4 and the fourth 12-0.

The Capitals had won three of their four previous games. Against Clinton, which has also won 10 straight games and finished January undefeated, Columbia hit 6/24 shots (.250) while Clinton was good on 23/44 (.523).

Why did Clinton make almost as many shots as Columbia took? Because the Capitals committed 36 turnovers (to the Devils’ 19), that plus Clinton won the rebounding war, 29-16.

Gardner’s girls are extraordinarily balanced. Mylayja Thompson was the only double-figures scorer with 15 points. Emma Thompson and McKenzie Clark each added nine, Kemaria Shelton seven.

Genesis Sharp scored eight of Columbia’s 17.

“Last year the four teams from our region made the (Upstate) final four. Their losses were heavy; we returned a lot. We’ve got to keep our motivation up. It’s not always the win or the loss. It’s how we play,” said Gardner. “How we score. Are we efficient? Are we rebounding? Are we playing good defense? Win in the little things that are going to matter in the long run.

“When you do the little things, the scoreboard takes care of itself.”

The Clinton boys led almost the entire game, though seldom by much. The Red Devils were ahead by three points after a quarter, three at halftime (28-25) and six after three. As with the girls, the scoring was balanced. C.J. Jones scored 13 points, T.J. McGowan 11, Nyterian Smith 10 and Khyron Butler seven. Owen Glenn had four.

The Red Devils outrebounded the Capitals, 23-17, and forced 13 turnovers while committing 11. Clinton hit 18/33 shots (.545) to Columbia’s 12/34 (.369).

Courtnie Brown led the Capitals with 15 points.

It is untrue to proclaim that Presbyterian never wins a close men’s basketball game. Heck, the Blue Hose beat Charleston Southern by four points just seven nights ago.

It just seems that way.

On Saturday afternoon at Templeton Center in front of 637 brave souls, PC (11-13, 4-5 Big South) outshot and outrebounded Radford (13-11, 6-3) but couldn’t outscore the Highlanders, who won in double overtime, 93-84. PC tied, 75-all, at the end of regulation, and 8-8 in the first extra period.

At which point, the Blue Hose ran out gas. Radford beat them 10-1 and swept the season series.

Everything in the second OT was as messy as the weather outside.

It was a shame because so much was so good.

Jonah Pierce doubles doubles the way Joey Chestnut stuffs hot dogs. The senior scored 28 points and snagged 17 rebounds. It was, in fact, the doublest of his 13 doubles. His free throw after 52 seconds of the latter overtime was PC’s only point.

The evil twin of superior shooting (.508-.431) and ferocious rebounding (46-33) was pernicious turnovers. PC committed 22 of them. Triston Wilson had seven, Jaylen Peterson five and Carl Parrish four.

Wilson also had 19 points and 11 assists. Peterson had 18 points and four blocks.

Two Highlanders, Jaylon Johnson (23 points) and Del Jones (22), lit it up.

Take a look at the stats here.

Presbyterian’s crackerjack crew of women’s wrestlers always provide an uplift.

The team closed its dual schedule on Friday night by winning for the 18^th time, the eighth victory over a nationally-ranked school and fifth over a top-10 foe as they tripped up Lehigh by a 26-19 count in Bethlehem, Pa..

Two-time All-American Maddie Kubicki gave PC the lead for good with just two matches left, while fifth-ranked May Cuyler put the match to sleep with a 71-second fall.

The Blue Hose (18-3) will approach their last tournament of the regular season next weekend with a phenomenal 18-3 record in dual events. Still ahead is a bid for a second straight Southeast Region Championship and finish in the national top 10.

I’ll be out and about again soon. I’m living in a small camper-trailer, and it seems like I’m a character in one of those old movies about city folks moving to the country.

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