NORTH AUGUSTA — North Augusta High School’s basketball teams continued their winning ways Jan. 17.
The boys’ team won its 15th straight game in a 69-57 win over Brookland-Cayce on Friday.
The Yellow Jackets are now 15-0 and have not lost a game since last season when they lost to Lancaster in the second round of the 4A South Carolina Boys High School Basketball playoffs.
“We got here by doing hard work, we preach it every day,” said North Augusta Coach Tony Harrell. “We are going to enjoy this win tonight and will get back tomorrow and go back to work on things we need to get better at. We are not a finished basketball team, and we understand if we want to reach our ultimate goal, we have to improve daily.”
Senior Jamison McKenzie started hot for the Jackets, scoring eight points in the first few minutes of the first quarter and pushing North Augusta ahead 10-2 early.
Brookland-Cayce guard Carter Jackson helped the Bearcats back in the game with a couple of 3-pointers of his own, pushing back only down one at 15-14.
North Augusta finished the first quarter on a 8-2 run, ending with a 23-16 lead.
The Bearcats stormed back again with another 7-2 run as Jackson made a 3-pointer to cut the Jackets lead to 26-23.
North Augusta would lead 36-28 at the half after Jordan Rouse converted a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
After all the momentum seemed to be in the Yellow Jackets’ favor, the Bearcats once again fought back, this time tying the game 36-36 with a 8-0 run to start the third quarter.
Tides turned once again after Harrell called a timeout to rekindle his team after the Bearcats run. This timeout seemed to be the turning point in the game as the Yellow Jackets went on a 23-4 run with the help of Darion Dunbar and Rouse.
“I thought we came out in the third quarter extremely flat,” Harrell said. “We let the ball get to the basket two times in a row, they threw ahead on transition and it led to a quick 8-0 run in a minute and 26 seconds. I told them it is time to refocus and we have been working on the set we ran and executed it to perfection. We then kind of loosened up to play better ball the rest of the quarter.”
Despite another late run from Brookland-Cayce, North Augusta hung on to win 69-57. Dunbar led the game with 23 points, followed by Rouse with 16.
“We talk about finishing everything around here whether it is a drill, a sprint or whatever, we are going to play until there is no time on the clock,” Harrell said.
The men’s team isn’t the only hot Yellow Jackets’ hoops’ squad. The Lady Yellow Jackets added another to the win column in a game called early because of the lopsided score.
They soundly defeated Brookland-Cayce 64-12, upping their record to 15-1. They host Denmark-Olar on Saturday.
The boys’ team will look to continue its undefeated streak Monday. The Yellow Jackets will host Harlem with tip-off at 7:30 p.m.
Christopher Rickerson, an Augusta University graduate, has covered area sports for Augusta University, The Augusta Press and Augusta Good News. Subscribe to the Augusta Good News newsletter here.
