COLUMBIA – Blythewood head basketball coach Zeke Washington missed Tuesday’s game at Spring Valley because of a root canal.
At times during the game, the Vikings made the Bengals look like they were on the receiving end of one.
While Blythewood went 0-for-10 in 3-point shooting, Joshua Felder’s five 3-pointers and 25 points on the night enabled Spring Valley to drill the Bengals 74-64 at the Spring Valley gym.
“He’s a good player, the kid can play,” Blythewood assistant Kenneth Frink, acting as head coach, said about Felder. “We gave him too many open looks. We lost him a couple of times in man-to-man, lost him a couple of times in zone.”
Julian Phillips kept a presence inside the lane with 21 points, while Tre’ Jackson put up 20 points, but 20 Blythewood turnovers enabled Felder and other Vikings get easy points in transition late in the game.
Felder opened the game with back-to-back 3-pointers, but Blythewood (15-6, 2-2 Region 4-5A) went on an 11-0 run over the next three minutes and closed out the first quarter leading 21-17.
Spring Valley (12-7, 4-0) finally turned the tables late in the second quarter. Felder sank his third 3-pointer of the half to cut Blythewood’s lead to 29-28 with 2:16 left. Ja’len Roberson’s 3-point play a minute later put the Vikings up 31-29.
Jackson evened the score with a basket, but Michael Neal field goal with 40 seconds to go gave the Vikings a 33-31 lead at the half.
Donovan Range made good on a pair of free throws to start the third quarter, which tied the game at 33. Spring Valley responded with a basket from Gerald Wright, and a basket and a pair of foul shots from Niklous Doctor to take a 39-33 lead.
After that, Blythewood kept trying to chase down the Vikings, who stayed ahead with timely 3-pointers and transition baskets.
Spring Valley took a 53-44 lead into the fourth quarter and kept at least a 3-point cushion until late in the game.
Blythewood heads to Irmo Friday. The Bengals lost 49-48 to the Yellow Jackets in the region opener last week.
“When we go there, we’ve got to be ready for them,” Frink said. “It comes down to making the playoffs and not making the playoffs.”
In the girls’ game, Spring Valley’s Taylor Lewis scored 32 points, including the 1,000th of her career, as the Vikings eased past the Bengals 88-47.
Alexis Mims had 19 points to lead Blythewood (7-11 1-2).
Spring Valley 74, Blythewood 64
BHS – 21-10-13-20 – 64
SVHS – 17-16-20-21 – 74
BHS: Julian Phillips 21, Tre’ Jackson 20, Travis Thompson 10, Range 5, Manuel 4, Hardy 2, Williams 2.
SVHS: Joshua Felder 25, Nicklous Doctor 15, Brandon Tolbert 12, Wright 8, Roberson 6, Moore 4 Neal 3.
Spring Valley 88, Blythewood 47
BHS – 13-10-13-9 – 47
SVHS – 23-29-22-14 – 88
BHS: Alexis Mims 19, Galman 9, Weeks 7, Emetu 6, Swanier 2, Jones 2.
SVHS: Taylor Lewis 32, Lauren Taylor 18, Ashley Williamson 15, Coleman 9, Britt 6, K. Taylor 4, Garza 2.
My name is spelled Nicolas Doctor..