HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Beaufort High falls to Crestwood
The Beaufort Eagles’ 2016-17 season ended on the road in the first round of the Class 4A State Playoffs on Feb. 15. Crestwood pulled away to defeat the visiting Eagles 68-43 in an opening round game.
With the loss, Beaufort High ended its season 11-11.
Crestwood improved to 17-7 and advanced in the postseason with the win.
The victory allowed the Knights to move on to meet A.C. Flora in the second round of the Class 4A State Playoffs on Feb. 18.
Multiple players stepped up to help pace the Crestwood boys’ basketball team.
Ja Morant, flirting with a triple-double, led Crestwood with 19 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds and five steals.
Dakota Jennings registered a double-double of his own to help lead Crestwood to the win. Jennings scored 18 points and pulled down 14 rebounds for Crestwood in the victory.
Accompanying Morant and Jennings in double figures in scoring for the Knights, Trevion Webber added 11 points.
Beaufort High was forced to play from behind early. Crestwood moved ahead in the game’s opening quarter. The Knights led 19-15 at the conclusion of the first period.
Struggling to keep up with Crestwood, Beaufort High faced a double-digit deficit throughout the game’s last three quarters.
Beaufort High’s leading scorer and rebounder, Matt Garay, drew a technical foul after committing his fourth foul in the third quarter.
The Eagles suffered their third straight loss after opening the month with a 68-55 win over Berkeley on Feb. 3.
Williams named Player of the Year
Beaufort Academy senior Kevin Williams has been named the Region Player of Year.
Williams averaged 21 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks per game for the Beaufort Academy boys’ basketball program during the regular-season. He scored 458 total points in the regular-season. Williams has been a longtime leader for the Eagles.
Beaufort Academy’s Luke Harper was selected to the All-Region Second Team. Harper averaged 15.5 points per game (2.8 3-pointers per game) during the regular-season.
Players from Beaufort Academy, Hilton Head Prep, John Paul, Bethesda Academy, St. Andrews and Hilton Head Christian earned All-Region honors. The complete all:region team follows:
Player of the Year: Kevin Williams (Beaufort Academy).
First Team: Javone Watson (Hilton Head Prep), Rashad Battiste (John Paul), Haddith Stewart (Hilton Head Prep), James Moore (Bethesda Academy), Jacob Boyd (St. Andrews).
Second Team: Karl Johnson (John Paul), Mac Orie (Hilton Head Prep), Cole Webster (Hilton Head Christian), Stone McDonald (Hilton Head Prep), Luke Harper (Beaufort Academy).
Harper scores 1,000th career point in Eagles’ win
Luke Harper scored the 1,000th point of his high school basketball career as Beaufort Academy defeated Faith Christian 55-35 in the SCISA Playoffs on Feb. 18.
With the win, Beaufort Academy improved to 16-7.
Beaufort Academy freshman Dawson Coleman led all scorers with a game-high 25 points. Coleman was 7-for-7 from the free throw line in the Eagles’ victory.
Accompanying Coleman in double figures for Beaufort Academy, Harper scored 15 points and netted his 1,000th career point in the second half of the postseason matchup. Harper was honored and recognized for scoring his 1,000th career point, which came from the free throw line.
Flirting with double figures for the Eagles, Kevin Williams finished with nine points. Williams has been named the Region Player of the Year.
Beaufort Academy gradually pulled away to beat Faith Christian convincingly. Faith Christian was forced to play from behind throughout the game.
Levi Watts led Faith Christian with a team-high 15 points.
Following the victory, Beaufort Academy was set to travel to Sumter on Tuesday to face top-seeded Covenant Christian in the quarterfinals of the SCISA playoffs. Continued coverage of the Beaufort Academy Eagles in the postseason will appear in next week’s edition.
