The South Brunswick boys basketball team split two games last week, rallying to defeat Whiteville 47-42 in a nonconference game but losing 59-54 to Topsail in the first game of the conference season.
South 47, Whiteville 42
South rallied from a 22-3 first-quarter deficit to stun the Wolfpack 47-42 Dec. 6 in Whiteville.
The Cougars outscored 22-4 in the second quarter in cutting the lead to 26-25 by halftime. Caleb Bernard, who did not play in the first quarter, scored 11 of the Cougars’ 22 points.
South outscored the Wolfpack 12-10 in the third quarter as Demerius Wise scored seven points, including a 3-pointer.
In the fourth quarter, the Cougars outscored Whiteville 11-6. Bernard scored six points. South made 3 of 4 free throws; Whiteville, 2 of 8.
Bernard finished with 17 points and Wise 11. Lamerean Mason scored seven points and Tony Cox five. Rashad McNeil and Chase Robinson each scored four points.
Topsail 59, South 54
The Pirates took the lead for good early in third quarter in defeating the Cougars 59-54 Friday at South.
Topsail led 52-42 with 4:30 left and was in the double bonus when Bernard, South’s top scorer, fouled out.
A three-point play by Mason cut the lead to 52-45. After Topsail was called for a charge, Robinson sank a 3-pointer from the left wing. Topsail scored, gaining a six-point lead, but a rebound by Wise and a free throw by McNeil cut the lead to 54-51 with 2:14 left.
Topsail scored with 1:38 left, taking a 56-51 lead. South’s next two possessions ended on a charge and a missed 3-pointer. The Pirates scored on a back door play with 38 seconds left, extending the lead to 58-51.
Wise sank a 3-pointer, cutting the lead to 58-54, but Topsail made a free throw with 11 seconds left to clinch the victory.
The Cougars led 13-8 after the first quarter and 29-25 at halftime. The Pirates outscored South 12-2 in the opening minutes of the third quarter in taking a 37-31 lead. The quarter ended with Topsail ahead 43-40.
The Pirates made 2 of 15 3-pointers and 15 of 25 free throws.
Topsail entered the game 1-3, its only victory 56-50 Dec. 6 against Dixon, a team South has split games with this season.
Wise finished with 19 points and Bernard 14. McNeil and Robinson each scored six points, Mason five and Cox four. South made 12 of 19 free throws.
Girls:Â Whiteville 61, South 13
The Wolfpack led 28-4 led after the first quarter and 44-10 at halftime. The lead was 55-12 entering the fourth quarter.
Whiteville, 2-2, had 17 points from freshman Zhari Shipman and 13 points from sophomore Elayzia Dawson.
For South, freshman Summer Covington scored five points, sophomore Matty Moye and senior Davina Daley three each and sophomore Bella Wilde two.
Topsail 60, South 13
The Pirates improved to 6-0 by beating the Cougars 60-13 Friday in a Mideastern 3A/4A Conference opener.
Topsail led 22-4 after the first quarter and 32-7 at halftime.
South, 10 of whose players are either freshmen or sophomores, is 0-5. Sophomore Paige Lewis scored six points. Daley, freshman Mia Hughes and junior Rachel Wehlage each scored two points and Moye one. Freshman Gracin Johnson had seven rebounds.
