Trae Churn (34) flies into the lane Tuesday against Dreher. (Photo/Kristy Kimball Massey)
BLYTHEWOOD – Tevin Mack’s 47-point showcase was too much for the Bengals’ (6-3) basketball team to handle Tuesday night, as the Dreher Blue Devils escaped the jungle with a 75-65 victory. With the win, Dreher kept an unblemished record at 6-0.
Blythewood head coach Zeke Washington knew his defense would have its work cut out for it trying to defend the 6-foot 7-inch Virginia Commonwealth University commit.
“(Mack) is just a cut above and is a nationally ranked player,” Washington said. “He is athletic, has good size and has a real good skill set. The only way to defend him is to player harder than him, period.”
The first quarter had eight lead changes as the two squads traded scoring combinations. With Blythewood leading 13-11 late in the first quarter, Trae Churn sent the Bengal fans into a frenzy when he threw down an alley oop. Churn scored nine of his team-high 21 points in the first quarter to fuel the Bengals’ 17-11 lead.
Despite five more lead changes in the second quarter, the Bengals still went into the locker room ahead 33-31 at the break.
Churn and Eli Lake poured in the first two buckets of the second half to stretch the Blythewood lead to six points, but Dreher responded with a 6-0 run to knot the contest up at 37. After a put-back by Churn that gave the Bengals a slight lead, Mack responded by converting a 3-point play on the other end to give the Blue Devils a 40-39 advantage. Blythewood would never recapture the lead as Dreher would keep the Bengals at arm’s length for the remainder of the contest.
Lake buried a 3-pointer halfway through the fourth quarter to cut the Dreher lead to 59-56, but the Blue Devils responded with a 10-3 run. Blythewood was forced to foul in the latter stages of the fourth quarter and Dreher was able to put the game on ice from the line.
The Bengals are on the road Friday night against Chester. Blythewood will stay fresh during the Christmas break as they will compete in the Lindberg Moody Tournament at Northwestern High School in Rock Hill. Action tips off Dec. 29 with the opponent to be announced.
Dreher 75, Blythewood 65
DH: 11-20-20-24 – 75
BW: 17-16-10-22 – 65
Individual scoring – Blythewood: Keith Matthews 5, Zavion Holmes 5, Josh Bowers 3, Keiwan Hammond 6, Eli Lake 7, Khalil Harris 8, Cameron Womack 6, Jacobi Bailey 4, Trae Churn 21. Dreher: Isaiah Drayton 2, Deandre Nathaniel 11, Brandon Brown 3, Grayson Stiglbauer 10, Tevin Mack 47, Tyrod Hutcherson 2.
