Flyers Claw Past Patriots

The #3-ranked Sandhills Community College Flyers battled their way to a thrilling 88-84 victory over the Patrick & Henry CC Patriots in Region 10 action Wednesday night at home. Although the Flyers led for most of the game, they found themselves trailing late before mounting a strong comeback to secure the win.

"I think both teams were scrappy tonight," Sandhills Head Basketball Coach Mike Apple said. "I just talked to Coach Malloy from Patrick & Henry, and he wasn't pleased with how some of his guys played. I wasn't pleased with how some of our guys played either. It was one of those games with a lot of mistakes, and your hope is that your team plays hard and works through those mistakes. For the most part, we did that. But we've still got a lot to work on—offensively, we're not where we need to be."

With the win, the Flyers improved to 13-5 overall and 1-1 in Region 10 play. The Patriots fell to 8-6 overall and 1-1 in the region.

The Flyers jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead on back-to-back possessions and extended their advantage early. However, the Patriots responded with a small run to close the gap to 12-9. Sandhills answered with a 7-3 scoring run, pushing their lead to 19-12.

Patrick & Henry refused to back down, clawing their way back into the game. The Flyers held a slim 28-23 lead before the Patriots trimmed it further to 35-31. The Patriots then caught fire, briefly taking the lead at 44-43. However, the Flyers immediately responded, regaining the lead and heading into halftime up 47-44.

The second half began with the Flyers on fire, opening with a 6-0 run. The Patriots countered with a run of their own, narrowing the gap to 55-51. They then surged ahead to take a 56-55 lead.

Both teams continued to exchange baskets, with neither able to pull away. The game was tied at 60-60 before the Patriots edged ahead, 66-64. But the Flyers quickly reclaimed the momentum, taking a 73-71 lead on a crucial three-pointer.

Sandhills extended their lead to 86-77 late in the game, but the Patriots mounted one last push. Despite their efforts, the Flyers held firm in the closing moments to secure the hard-fought win.

"Pressure situations, especially for first-year guys, were tough on them," Apple said. "We didn't completely break because we won the game. Hopefully, we'll learn from the mistakes we're making. Guys have to watch a lot of film. They don't always realize the mistakes they're making until they see it for themselves."

"I feel like we handled it well," said Mylon Campbell. "We came together at the end, fought hard, and did what we had to do."

Antoine Piper led the Flyers with 18 points, 13 rebounds, and two assists. Campbell followed with 15 points, five rebounds, and two assists. Zack Noel added 14 points, 10 rebounds, and one assist.

"It felt good to get our first conference win," Piper said. "We just have to keep working to get better."

Z. Ciboth