Beaufort Academy’s boys took down a state powerhouse in their season opener on Nov. 24, winning 73-63 at Clarendon Hall to hand the Saints their first loss to a SCISA opponent since the 2018 state championship game. The Eagles kept it rolling with a 52-51 win at Lowcountry Leadership on Monday.
Clarendon Hall star Kylic Horton poured in 40 points, but Malachi Rodriguez scored 13 to lead five Eagles in double-figures as BA dealt the Saints just their fourth defeat since the start of the 2018-19 season.
Braydon Dineen, Elijah Fess, Brandon Trapp, and Ben VanHise each scored 10 points to join Rodriguez in double digits as the Eagles displayed their depth.
The Saints clobbered the Eagles 74-25 in last year’s opener in Beaufort and completed the season sweep with a 66-50 home win 10 days later, but BA was in control from the start this time.
The Eagles closed the first quarter on an 11-0 run to take a five-point lead and reeled off nine more points to start the second quarter and take a commanding 25-11 advantage. BA stayed the course and went to halftime up 38-26.
Clarendon pulled within 38-33 in the third quarter, but BA responded with a 9-2 run to cushion the margin and regain the momentum. The Saints kept coming and closed within four before Ben Frey hit a 3-pointer to put BA up 57-50 at the end of three periods, and Clarendon didn’t get any closer the rest of the way.
BA then went on the road and knocked off a tough Lowcountry Leadership team Monday, escaping with a 52-51 victory.
VanHise scored 18 points, and Fess punctuated his 16-point night with a buzzer-beating layup for the win to lead the Eagles. Frey added 12 for BA.
Washington drops 31 as BA slams Saints
Beaufort Academy’s girls opened their season with an impressive 58-19 victory at Clarendon Hall on Nov. 24.
Sophomore Mike’Ala Washington poured in a career-high 31 points to lead the way for the Eagles.
Tahleea Heyward added nine points, and Mary Hanna Hiers contributed eight for BA.
Above: BA’s Mike’Ala Washington
