Flyers Falter After Strong Start in Road Loss to Yetis

The Sandhills Community College basketball team was defeated 102-89 by Cleveland Community College in Shelby, NC on Saturday afternoon.

The Flyers, now 13-6 overall, led by as many as 12 points in the early going before the Division II Yetis caught up and built as much as an 18-point lead in the second half. The home team improved to 9-7 overall.

Coach Mike Apple's squad returns to action next Wednesday for a 6 p.m. game against Richard Bland (4-8), another DII opponent, in South Prince George, VA. With a 1-1 record in Region 10 play, the Flyers are scheduled to entertain Paul D. Camp CC in a conference game next Friday at 6 p.m.

Against the Yetis, a three by Kevin Gentry, and a basket by Isaiah Upchurch, gave the fast-starting Flyers a 16-4 lead just over three minutes into the game. They maintained that margin when a three by Mylon Campbell made it 30-18 at the 11-minute mark, but then went the next five minutes without making a field goal.

A three by Kendall Smith, and another basket by Gentry, broke the drought. The home team took a one point lead briefly before the Flyers went on to take a 46-43 lead into the intermission.

The score was tied at 56-56 through the first four minutes of the second half before a 15-3 run by the home team created a 71-59 deficit for the Flyers with 11 minutes remaining in the game. The closest the Flyers got after that was at 75-71 on a drive for two by Antoine Piper with 8:30 remaining, but a 10-0 Yeti run followed to put the game out of reach.

Gentry, a freshman, scored 11 of his 17 points in the first half to help get the Flyers off to a strong start. Piper, a sophomore, accounted for 17 of his team-high 22 points in the second half and grabbed a team-high 14 rebounds. Other double-figures scorers for the Flyers were Upchurch with 13 and Campbell with 11.

C. Bergmann