Wilson squads sweep Marion in Saturday matinee matchup
FLORENCE, S.C. – After suffering its first loss of the season Friday against Cardinal Newman, the Wilson High School boys’ basketball team was in need of a rebound game.
And the Tigers also needed to get back to rebounding, coach Carlos Powell said, after not being as sound on the boards as he would have liked against the Cardinals.
His squad accomplished both in a big way Saturday – racing to a 17-point lead to open the game before cruising to a 90-43 victory over Marion.
“That was a great bounce-back game for us,” Powell said after his team improved to 4-1 overall. “Played Cardinal Newman last night, didn’t play our best, didn’t rebound and we came out and controlled the boards today so that was the biggest thing.
“We boxed out and we rebounded.”
That led to quick transition baskets and a few slam dunks in the early going Saturday. The Tigers scored the first 17 points of the game before Marion’s Isaiah Vereen sank a pair of free throws at the 1:47 mark of the first quarter to finally put the Swamp Foxes on the board.
“We kind of changed the tempo of the game today and tried to switch some things up,” Powell said. “And the guys played really, really well. They just came out and played very hard. Energy and effort − didn’t have to coach that. They brought that tonight.”
The Tigers also brought balanced scoring as 10 different players made the scoresheet, led by Jeron Brown’s game-high 18 points.
Brown scored 15 of those points on second-half 3-pointers – including four in the third quarter. Merel Burgess and Dominick Jones each added 14 and Derrick Daniels finished with 10 to give Wilson four players in double figures.
That helped put to rest any thoughts of WHS taking its foot off the gas and allowing Marion to claw its way back into the game.
“We tried a few different things and just tried to switch it up a little bit and it worked,” Powell said. “We gave up a few rebounds or back cuts. Number 23 for Marion (Tahj Lathon) is a really good basketball player and he did some things tonight where he exploited us on defense and that’s going to help us be a better team down the road.”
Lathon finished with 12 points for the Swamp Foxes, who were led by Gabriel Cusack’s 13.
MARION (43)
Scott 2, Moody 3, Gabriel Cusack 13, Vereen 2, Eaddy 2, Wilson 9, Tahj Lathon 12.
WILSON (90)
Butler 8, Derrick Daniels 11, X. Brown 3, Dominick Jones 14, Thompson 2, Jeron Brown 18, McAlister 7, Lytch 5, Green 8, Merel Burgess 14.
GIRLS
Wilson 40
Marion 37
FLORENCE, S.C. – Despite a couple of key runs throughout the afternoon, Wilson was not able to put Marion away until the very end for the Tigers’ first victory of the season.
The Swamp Foxes battled their way back to pull even, 35-35, with just over a minute to go. But the Tigers got a late bucket from Leah Swinton and a pair of free throws from Janiya Swinton to take a 39-35 lead with 48 seconds left in the contest.
That proved to be the difference as a Brya Timmons’ jumper wound up being the last bucket for Marion.
Wilson started the game on an 8-0 run, but Marion scored the final six points of the quarter and trailed by two entering the second period.
The Tigers led by three at the break, but a late run in the third quarter pushed the advantage to nine points before the Swamp Foxes were able to rebound once again. They outscored Wilson 15-6 until the final few moments when the Tigers were able to hold them off to improve to 1-1 for the year.
Janiya Swinton led WHS with 12 points followed by Ariana Johnson with eight and Nitara Stigger with six.
Marion’s Timmons led all scorers with 15 points followed by Miracle Samuels and Maliya Williams with six each.
MARION (37)
Brya Timmons 15, Howard 3, Allen 4, Davis 3, Samuels 6, Williams 6.
WILSON (40)
Williams 2, Janiya Swinton 12, White 7, Stigger 6, Johnson 8, L. Swinton 2, Brown 2.
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