Late Monday night: Nation Ford 3-pointers take down Fort Mill

Probably the most ill-advised of the 14 3-point shots that Nation Ford’s boys’ basketball team hit Monday night was the last. But it was that shot by senior Cameron Holmes that helped clinch a 69-64 win in the rivalry tilt that was pushed back from last Friday because of weather.

Holmes received a kick-out from Hank Tuipulotu with the clock winding down and the Falcons leading by two. The senior guard probably should have circled back up top with the ball and drained a few more precious seconds before the inevitable Fort Mill foul. Instead, he buried a back-breaking 3 to send the home crowd into hysterics.

“That’s one of those when you’re a coach that you’re like, ‘no, no, no... yes!” said Nation Ford coach Michael Tew. “He’s a senior and he’s been one of our go-to guys all year. You’ve got to have guys willing to step up and take that big of a shot, and that was huge at that point.”

Holmes’ key intervention was the final tilt in Nation Ford’s favor in a game that was close the entire night. Nation Ford got off to a good start but as happened the rest of the night until the fourth quarter, the visiting Yellow Jackets reeled in the hosts before halftime, Keaton Griffin skying to grab an air-balled buzzer beater and flipping a shot up and in at the intermission horn to cut the Falcons’ lead to three, 32-29.

The entire second half was close, befitting a game between the two best teams in the boys’ half of Region 3-4A so far this season. The Yellow Jackets were trying to make it through the first seven region games without a loss, but they still sit in first place, a half game ahead of their rivals.

“We didn’t have our best stuff, but they played really good tonight, Nation Ford played really good,” said Fort Mill coach Dwayne Hartsoe. “They’re a talented team, they just got a late start on the year because of their football season.”

Turning point

Two turning points in this game, the first of which came early in the second quarter. Three-pointers from Holmes and freshman guard Zeb Graham helped the Falcons build a nine-point cushion (27-18), one that they held much of the remainder of the game. When Fort Mill did finally take the lead in the second half, Tew’s club answered with a - wait for it - 3-pointer to take the lead right back. The Falcons never let it slip again.

Critical

Nation Ford’s shooting was on point Monday night. The Falcons’ 69 points were the most Fort Mill has allowed this season, and many of them came on good shots where the Yellow Jackets’ defense wasn’t necessarily to blame.

“Fourteen-of-28 from the 3-point line will beat a lot of people. And don’t miss a free throw,” Hartsoe said. “It’s tough to beat a team like that.”

Star contributions

Holmes had an excellent night, scoring 16 points with four 3-pointers and also pushing the pace in transition.

“It was probably the best feeling in the world,” Holmes said afterward about the 3-pointer that sealed the win. “I got chills, but it was nice.”

Nation Ford sophomore Ben Tuipulotu had a big game too, scoring 24 points with six 3-pointers. Ninth grader Zeb Graham added 13.

Fort Mill’s Tanner Mitchell scored half of his team’s total. His game-high 32 points marked the third time he’s topped 30 in the Yellow Jackets’ last five contests.

Overheard

The atmosphere for the rivalry game was pulsating, especially for a Monday night. The two opposing student sections volleyed derisive but clean chants back and forth the entire game.

“Aw, it was awesome,” said Hartsoe. “Every time we play them - I don’t care when we play - I think it’s gonna be that way. A lot of kids that play in small colleges never play in an environment like that.”

Box score

This story was originally published January 25, 2016 at 11:50 PM with the headline "Late Monday night: Nation Ford 3-pointers take down Fort Mill."