LowcoSports.com
As the buzzer sounded to end a 40-point defeat at the hands of Hilton Head Prep, Beaufort Academy’s boys were itching for another crack at the Dolphins. Ten days later, the Eagles got that shot, and they made it count.
Ben VanHise delivered a monster 24-point performance to go with 10 rebounds and two assists, and Beaufort Academy stunned Hilton Head Prep at home in dominant fashion 60-40 Monday night in a remarkable rebound from a 46-33 loss to Hilton Head Christian Academy just two days earlier.
“It feels really good,” Eagles head coach Bobby Smith said. “As a team, we wanted to come out and be ready to play because we knew they have a great coach and a great team. We just knew that we were a better team than when we played against them the first time. We hadn’t been able to put four quarters together, but tonight we did. We played defense, we rebounded, and we made some shots. I’m just happy to see my team come together.”
Big Ben and the Eagles started fast, as VanHise outworked the Dolphins on both ends of the court, scoring six early points and giving his squad an early 14-5 advantage. Then Hilton Head Prep came alive in the second quarter, finding contributions all across the lineup to score 17 in the frame.
Sully Gay and Kevin Rogers came up big off the bench for BA to provide some important buckets, but a 17-8 run fueled by electric point guard Jayden Chance knotted the game at 22 going into halftime.
The second half was all Beaufort Academy. Despite a 10-point third quarter from Dolphins star JJ Hayes, HHP had no answer for VanHise, showing his remarkable versatility finishing past defenders at the rim and splashing a three to catapult his Eagles ahead.
The Beaufort Academy offense was clicking on all cylinders, as Ja’sean Lawson, Elijah Fess, and VanHise combined for a quartet of three-pointers in the third period to double up the Dolphins 24-12. Then the Eagles shut the door in the fourth, playing lockdown defense to limit a stunned Dolphin squad to just six more points while VanHise polished off an all-around masterpiece performance with seven more in the final minutes.
“I had a feeling that they came in thinking this would be an easy win, an easy matchup for them,” VanHise said. “But we had other plans. I finally had my standout game that I’ve been waiting for, and having it against JJ was a great feeling.”
Fess supported VanHise’s big night with three triples and 10 points, Lawson added seven points, and Rogers put up six in a highly-efficient nine minutes.
After a string of shaky offensive showings, Beaufort Academy was sizzling Monday night, shooting 8-of-16 from beyond the arc to complement VanHise’s dominance in the paint.
Hayes scored 16 and grabbed seven boards to lead the Dolphins, and Jayden Chance joined the junior in double figures with 10 points, six boards, and three assists. BA did a phenomenal job of defending HHP’s Kane Eanes and Ryan Mikell, who combined for 32 points in the first meeting but just nine in the rematch.
BA shot 52.1 percent from the field while holding the Dolphins to 30.4 percent, including 3-of-14 from 3-point range.
Beaufort Academy (8-8, 4-3) traveled to Bethesda Academy on Tuesday.
Hilton Head Prep (12-4) hosts Colleton Prep on Thursday.
BA blows by
HHP with 20-0
run in 4th
Hilton Head Prep’s girls were about to wrap up a crucial road win Monday night, but Beaufort Academy roared back in the fourth quarter, scoring all 20 points in the period to snatch away a 39-28 home victory.
The Eagles started strong, opening up a 10-8 first-quarter lead behind six points from Tahleea Heyward, but the home team went cold in the second, as Hilton Head Prep’s strong man-to-man defense limited BA to just a single Mike’Ala Washington bucket.
HHP found scoring from five different Dolphins in the period as the away side used a dominant defensive effort to take an 18-12 lead into the break.
The Dolphins kept the defensive pressure going in the third, outscoring Beaufort Academy 10-7 as Emma Moore was the reliable option with four points in the frame. But HHP’s offense sputtered completely in the fourth quarter as the Eagles surged ahead with a 20-0 run to pull out a stunning come-from-behind win.
BA delivered on the defensive end, forcing 14 second-half turnovers to take control of the game. Washington scored seven of her 14 points during the final period, including sinking five of six from the line to ice the game.
Heyward matched Washington with 14 points, and Margaret Hiers added four.
Ella Clark, Haylee Hopman, and Moore scored seven each to lead Hilton Head Prep.
Beaufort Academy (10-7, 5-2) hosts Colleton Prep on Friday for the final home game of the season.
Hilton Head Prep (5-8) welcomes the War Hawks on Thursday.
