WINNSBORO – The holiday season was bright for the Richard Winn Eagles’ boys basketball team. The Eagles jumped into holiday tournament action on Dec. 20 and 21 at the Senn Freight Lines Holiday Hoop Fest.
The Eagles found a formidable opponent in SCISA 3A powerhouse Oakbrook Prep. After falling behind 30-23 in the first half, the Eagles worked to dig their way out of the hold in the third quarter, outscoring Oakbrook 22-13 and taking a 45-43 lead into the fourth. The Knights locked the Eagles down and outscored them 17-7 in the final quarter to take the 60-52 win.
Darius Boyd led the Eagles with 18 points, followed by Hudson Wade with 10 and Dru Caldwell with 9. Wade tallied seven rebounds and Caldwell added five assists.
The Eagles returned for day two to face Shannon Forest Christian. Both teams got off to a slow start, and Richard Winn held a 9-6 lead after one quarter of play. Shannon Forest battled back to take a 17-15 lead into the intermission. The Eagle offense found its footing in the second half, outscoring the Crusaders 31-16 in the half for a 46-33 win.
Boyd led scorers with 15 points, followed by John Russell with 12. H. Wade added nine rebounds two blocks, and Caldwell was credited with eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.
After finishing 1-1 in the Hoop Fest, Richard Winn returned to Winnsboro to host their own holiday tournament.
The Eagles faced Providence Homeschool’s Athletic Club in Dec. 27 action. The Eagles jumped out to a big 27-10 lead in the first quarter but found a little trouble in the second, only outscoring the Panthers 20-18 before the half. The Eagles were able to hold off a Panther rally in the third (11-8) and fourth (19-19) quarters for the 77-55 win.
Boyd finished with 23 points, followed by a slew of Eagles, each scoring nine (Derek Branham, Preston Williams, Lawson Wade, H. Wade). L. Wade and Williams each shot 3/3 from behind the arc. H. Wade grabbed 14 rebounds and hit his 500th rebound milestone. Wade also had three blocks and two deflections in the win. Caldwell led the team with five assists and Boyd racked up six steals.
The Eagles returned for day two to face the Eagles of Covenant Christian. A 31-11 lead in the first quarter gave the Eagles breathing room for the remainder of the game Richard Winn put up 20 to Covenant’s five in the second quarter for a 51-16 lead at half. Winn outscored Covenant 27-19 in the second half to take a 78-35 blowout win.
Boyd, who hit his 1000th career point in the win, led the Eagles offensive again with 29 points, followed by H. Wade with 13 and L. Wade with 8. Boyd shot 88% inside the arc. Russell finished with nine rebounds, followed by Boyd and H. Wade with eight apiece. Boyd also had six assists, five steals, two blocks and two deflections in the win. Wade was credited with three blocks and two deflections.
Richard Winn returns to regular season action on Friday at home against Wardlaw Academy. The Eagles defeated Wardlaw 58-42 in their first meeting of the season.
