CLOVER No. 3 Gaffney escaped Clover on Tuesday night with a gritty 66-59 region win over the Blue Eagles.
If not for a painfully slow start, the ninth-ranked Blue Eagles could have handed Gaffney its first region loss. The Indians improved to 5-0 in the region and 16-2 overall.
After spotting the Indians a 13-point lead after one, Clover (15-4, 2-3 Region 4-AAAA) outscored Gaffney 55-49.
"You can't get behind like we did against a good team," Clover coach Dudley Lybrand said. "We just have to get started (earlier).
"It was a decent ball game once we got going, but (we) can't use up all that energy early."
Chris Lindsay and Cody Bauer each scored five points in the second to jumpstart the Blue Eagles offense. The pair scored on back-to-back 3-pointers to open the frame.
Clover closed the half with an 8-4 run to draw within three at the half, 23-20.
Lindsay tied the game at 23 on Clover's first second-half possession, and Alexander Wiley gave the Blue Eagles their first lead, 25-23, at the 6:20 mark in the third.
Josh Corry, the hot-handed junior guard from Gaffney, was limited to four first-half points, but woke up in the third, scoring 9 of his game-high 18 points in the quarter.
Gaffney held the Blue Eagles scoreless over the final 1:55 of the third, and that's when Corry went to work, scoring 5 points in the final 48 seconds to thrust the Indians back into the lead.
The Indians extended their lead to six on a Dershawn Dawkins jumper with 4:43 left. Clover whittled its deficit to 2 on a Josh Clawson bucket at the 3:33 mark but couldn't muster any more the rest of the way.
Gaffney 17 6 19 24 -- 66
Clover 4 16 18 21 -- 59
NATION FORD 66, YORK 55 -- Free-throw shooting is a huge part of any game. In Nation Ford's 65-55 region 3-AAAA victory over the York Cougar boys Tuesday night it was the number of free throws attempted that made the difference. The Falcon's went 29-of-47 for the game and 20-of-28 in the second half.
Nation Ford led 14-8 after the first quarter thanks to the inside play of TJ Everett and the Falcons' half court defense. Everett had 8 of his 12 first half points in the quarter.
The second quarter saw York convert Falcon turnovers into transition baskets. Brandon Hagins and Jon Hardy each had 8 in the second to help York lead 30-27 at the half.
Nation Ford was able to take control in the fourth because Sam Hirsch's and three point shooting and its free throw shooting. Hirsch, who had 15, hit three three pointers, including a huge four point play. Everett lead the Falcons in scoring with 20.
York coach Kendall McCarter said "Nation Ford played harder than we did. You have to answer a run with a run, and we didn't do that."
Nation Ford coach Artie Moore said "A win like this is a sign we're growing. TJ Everett kept us in it in the first half. Sam Hirsch's four point play was huge."
