South Pointe boys’ basketball hopes to ‘finish what we started’ heading into SC playoffs

The South Pointe Stallions are currently sitting on top of the Region 3-4A standings and are anxiously awaiting their return to the hardwood after two weeks in quarantine.

South Pointe is currently 8-4 overall and 4-0 in the region. The team owns two region wins over both Catawba Ridge and York. The Stallions are set to face Lancaster and Indian Land twice each in their remaining four region contests prior to the playoffs.

Veteran head coach and former USC basketball great Melvin Watson hopes that the long layoff doesn’t hurt his team.

“I know the character of these players,” Watson told The Herald. “They worked extremely hard to get ready for this season, and they have continued to work hard as the year has progressed. I know they have been doing things on their own to stay ready for our return to the floor.”

The Stallions opened their campaign by splitting eight non-region games before they got into region play. Once they got that far, they have been very consistent.

Watson traces the consistency to several sources.

“The biggest reason is our team chemistry,” Watson said, adding that his coaching staff has pretty much remained intact since he arrived at South Pointe in 2011. “We have quite a few players back from last year, and that always helps.”

Who’s leading South Pointe basketball?

Quan Peterson is the leading scorer for the Stallions thus far this season. The point guard averages just more than 17 points per game. He also leads the team in assists with nearly six per outing.

He gets plenty of help on the offensive end of the floor from forward Jalen Hicklin, who is scoring almost 17 points per game. Waymond Jenerette adds nearly 10 points per game to the offensive attack. That balanced triple threat gives opposing defenses headaches.

“Those three make South Pointe go,” said Watson. “They are the leaders, but they get plenty of help.”

South Pointe counts on offensive contributions from center Jamar Williams and forward Corinthian Finch. That duo completes the starting five.

Williams and Jenerette are the top rebounders for the Stallions, while Peterson leads the team in steals.

South Pointe counts on five other players to come off the bench and contribute in multiple ways. Christopher McCullough, O’Mega Blake, Phillip Mickles, Jakari Webb and Troy Frazier have all gotten lots of playing time this year.

“One of the keys to our success has been quality depth,” said Watson. “Also, every player on this team understands his role.”

‘We have gotten consistently better’

South Pointe’s tradition also helps motivate the team.

“These players work extremely hard because of the pride they have in what they do,” Watson said. “They all know the tradition here and want to keep it going.”

When the team resumes play, Watson is not taking his perch at the top of standings for granted, he said.

“We still have four region games remaining that will decide if we are to make the playoffs,” he added. “We are not resting on what we have done. We need to be prepared for all four games because both Lancaster and Indian Land are very tough opponents.”

The coach added: “We have come a long way since the start of the season. We just need to stay focused and finish what we started.”

This story was originally published February 8, 2021 at 5:00 AM.