Poor perimeter shooting, free throw shooting thwart Pee Dee games

After a 3-1 showing at The King’s Academy almost two weeks ago, the Pee Dee Academy Golden Eagles regular season in basketball got off to a shaky start as they visited Robert E. Lee this past Monday.

Girls basketball

Last season, the Varsity Girls snuck out of Bishopville with a two-point win with the winning free throws coming with only six seconds left. This time around was not quite so kind to the Lady Golden Eagles.

Falling behind 6-0 early, Pee Dee finally got on the board with two Kelsey Dozier free throws. Moments later, Katherine Rogers would connect from behind the arc, but the Golden Eagles were unable to catch up and trailed 9-5 going into the second.

Finally, baskets by Jeffre Rogers and Katlyn Browne tied the game at 10. But, just as soon as Pee Dee tied it up, the Cavaliers made another run with six straight and took a 17-12 lead into the locker room.

When the third quarter rolled around, it was more of the same. The Golden Eagles defense limited Lee’s field goals, but a 28-11 shooting advantage at the foul line allowed the home team to pull away. And Pee Dee’s perimeter shots refused to fall in the second half. The result was a disastrous one for the Golden Eagles as they were unable to catch up and fell by a 39-27 score. Dozier led Pee Dee in scoring with 8 with Katherine Rogers netting 5 and Browne and C.C. Causey had 4 apiece.

The loss drops the Lady Golden Eagles to 2-1 on the year.

Boys basketball

The Varsity Boys game looked promising for Pee Dee at the outset. A quick basket by Kyle Drew and then a nifty move underneath by Drew again put the Golden Eagles up 4-0 quickly. Cody Gibson, TJ Jordan and Chris Jackson all tickled the twine in the opening stanza and Pee Dee’s run and gun play out of the gate had them up 12-7 after one.

Then, the Tyler Jackson show took over. The Cavalier guard was held to a mere two points in the first quarter. But, when the second arrived, he found one way after another to put the ball in the hole. Nine points in the frame brought Lee back into the contest, giving them the lead.

Jordan would stem the tide, somewhat, with a baseline three-pointer to keep Pee Dee close. But, the pressure finally caught up and the Cavaliers would force numerous Golden Eagle turnovers and turn them into easy baskets on the other end. This paved the way for a 31-20 Robert E. Lee advantage at the break.

When the second half began, Jackson picked up right where he left off, putting up 13 more points in the third quarter. Pee Dee, however, did all they could to hang in. Using a more balanced attack than their opponent, the Golden Eagles got six from Drew in the quarter and also baskets from Jackson, Kevin Driggers, Jordan and Rand Waller to stay within reach.

But, in the end, Pee Dee was done in by poor foul shooting. The Golden Eagles shot a paltry 6-for-26 from the line in the game and lost by that 20-point margin, 59-39.

Drew led the scoring with 15 while Jordan finished with eight and Jackson with six. With the loss, the boys fall to 1-2 on the year.

This Friday, the Golden Eagles host a familiar foe as the Carolina Bobcats visit Mullins. Varsity games are to begin at approximately 6:30