Quiller and Robinson Lead Flyers to Fifth Win in a Row
Sophomore Bryan Quiller scored 29 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, both career highs, to lead the Sandhills Community College basketball team to a 94-78 non-conference victory over Lenoir CC on Thursday at The Hangar.
Freshman LeNigel Robinson chipped in with 19 points as the Flyers improved to 15-6 with their fifth win in a row. The Division II Lancers from Kinston dropped to 2-12.
Saturday's scheduled home game against Combine Academy has been moved to February 15. The Flyers will take a 4-0 mark in Region 10 into a 7 p.m. contest at Central Carolina CC (9-9, 4-1) next Wednesday.
Thursday's opening tip-off was delayed for 30 minutes by the late arrival of the Lancers. In spite of that, the visitors were more energized at the start while jumping out to an 11-4 lead.
Ranked No. 15 in this week's NJCAA Division III national poll, the Flyers went ahead for the first time at 14-13 on a pair of free throws by Robinson, but the lead changed hands four more times before two of Quiller's 16 first-half points put them in front for good at 22-20.
Robinson finished the half with 10 points as the home team took a 47-34 lead into the intermission. The margin grew to 15 points early in the second half, but with 6:30 remaining in the game, the Lancers had rallied to within four points at 75-71.
Coach Mike Apple's squad was without the services of sophomore point guard Keagan Brayboy who has been suspended indefinitely from the team.
"I thought we were pretty disjointed, really throughout the course of the game," the Flyers' coach said afterward. "We didn't find our rhythm offensively or defensively.
"These guys are getting adjusted now to not having Keagan around and it's going to take a game or two to kind of iron out the kinks. Hopefully we can get this thing straightened out by Wednesday."
Freshman Alon Hanani provided a spark off the bench as the Flyers' responded to the challenge by the Lancers with a 10-0 run.
The 5-10 guard from Nir David, Israel, helped ignite the spurt by assisting on baskets by Robinson and Quiller. He took a charge and then moments later scored in transition to make it 85-71.
Hanani leads the team in the classroom, posting a GPA of 4.0 for the fall semester.
"He's a good young man and we hope he is going to keep coming along," his coach said. "He's a good passer and he does a good job, seeing the floor and trying to get guys involved."
For Quiller, who missed the first two months of the season with a broken right hand, the game marked a return to the form of his freshman year when he led the Flyers in scoring and was a second team all-region selection.
"Coming back, I've been trying to figure out how to get past this injury," the 6-5 product of Cary High School said. "I tried to stay focused and didn't let up the whole game. It felt good to kind of get back in the rhythm and do what I do."
Quiller posted a double-double in the second half alone that included 13 points and 10 boards. Overall, he connected on 11 of his 14 shots from the field.
"Bryan was due to have that kind of a game and I think that is probably something he can build on now," Apple said.
Flyers' Alumni Report - A week ago in Murfreesboro, former Flyer Chase Barnett drained a jumper as time expired, giving Chowan a 74-73 victory over Mount Olive. Barnett and another former Flyer, Calvin Ahoume, are teammates with the Hawks. Derreco Miller, a third team All-American for the Flyers last season, saw action for Mount Olive.
Lenoir – Hammond 6 8-12 22, Lipscomb, Jr. 3 2-4 9, Dudley 1 0-0 2, McKinney 7 2-5 17, Moore 1 0-0 3, Walters 6 1-3 13, Dixon 0 0-0 0, Chapman 0 0-0 0, Smith 0 0-0 0, Lovette 6 0-0 12 Totals 30 13-24 78. Sandhills – Hunter 3 0-0 6, McCaster 3 5-6 11, Stoltz 0 2-2 2, Sledge 0 0-0 0, Quiller 11 7-11 29, Wooldridge 1 2-2 4, Perry 0 0-0 0, Hanani 1 0-0 2, Coleman 1 0-0 2, McMullin 2 0-0 4, Zachary 3 1-2 9, Nelson 2 0-0 6, Robinson 7 2-2 19 Totals 34 19-25 94. Three-point goals: LCC 5 (Hammond 2, Lipscomb, Jr., McKinney, Moore); SCC 7 (Robinson 3, Zachary 2, Nelson 2).
C. Bergmann