What a difference a year makes. Beaufort is home to one of the state’s most improved girls’ high school basketball teams. Beaufort High moved to 5-0 with a 64-49 win over host Battery Creek in an early-season rivalry game on Friday night.

The Eagles, who won convincingly over rival Battery Creek in the girls’ high school basketball matchup, surpassed their win total from the 2014-15 season thanks to the victory. Beaufort High exited the 2014-15 season with a 4-19 overall record. In each of the previous two seasons, Beaufort High had posted four wins.

The Eagles, under the guidance of head coach Reginald Jones, converted on the offensive end throughout the early-season contest versus longtime familiar foe Battery Creek.

Leading Beaufort High to the win, Imani Smalls scored a game-high 26 points. Only two Beaufort High players reached double figures in the scoring column. Brittany Whitmore contributed 11 points, joining Smalls in double figures for the Eagles. Narrowly missing double figures for Beaufort High, Bre White netted nine points.

Several Beaufort High players were able to get involved offensively during the early-December outing.

Battery Creek also featured pair of scorers in double figures. Kendriana Shoigreen paced Battery Creek with a team-high 13 points. Joining Shoigreen in double figures, Brianna Tolbert pushed in 12 points for the Dolphins.

Battery Creek dropped to 1-1 with the loss.

Following its initial five-game stretch, Beaufort High’s regular-season schedule features games versus Colleton County, Whale Branch, Bluffton, Battery Creek, Berkeley, Stall, Hilton Head, Hanahan and Orangeburg-Wilkinson.