Goodson leads Silver Foxes past rival Whirlwinds

TIMMONSVILLE — Down by two points at halftime to rival Timmonsville on the road, Lamar’s B.J. Goodson knew something had to be done if his team would have any chance at second place in Region 7-A.

So Goodson did what any team captain would do — put the team and the outcome on his shoulders.

The senior forward scored 15 of his 20 points in the second half as the Silver Foxes held off the Whirlwinds, 57-55, in boys basketball Thursday night.

“It’s about not being afraid in a clutch moment,” Goodson said. “I’m a team player. If my coaches and teammates didn’t push me, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.”

Unfortunately for the Silver Foxes, their hopes for a No. 2 seed were dashed with Scott’s Branch’s victory over C.E. Murray. Nevertheless, Lamar was happy to end the regular season with a win over its
rival.

“We had to come out and get the momentum,” said Lamar guard K.J. Hamilton, who scored 15 points. “We knew we were going into Timmonsville’s house, and we knew we had to win.”

“We played strong down the stretch, and I’m proud of my team for that,” Silver Foxes coach Michael Hamlin said. “We missed some shots and committed some turnovers, but I’m proud of my team for
holding it together.”

Trailing 26-24, Lamar (10-10, 7-3) returned to its combination of pressure defense and transition offense. Keyed by a dunk and subsequent shot block by Goodson, the Silver Foxes ended the third quarter
on a 7-0 run and led 42-35 entering the fourth quarter.

“He’s our leader. That’s what he does for us,” Hamlin said of Goodson. “He wants the ball in his hands when the game is on the line.”

Just when the contest was about to get out of hand, Timmonsville showed signs of life from the perimeter. Antonio Fulton and Kendrick Graham led a 3-point barrage that drew the deficit to 52-51 with 1:52
remaining.

Graham finished with five 3s and 29 points to lead all scorers. Fulton connected four times from long distance and finished with 16 points.

“(Graham and Fulton) are my best two ballplayers. They did what they’re supposed to do,” Whirlwinds coach Gerald Wright said. “They had the hot hands, but they just couldn’t get it done in the end.”

After Goodson missed the second of two free throws, Timmonsville (15-9, 4-6) had several chances to win the game in the final seconds. Graham and Tirrell Williams missed a layup and a tip-in, respectively, before Fulton’s desperation three fell short at the buzzer.

Williams added 10 points for the Whirlwinds.

“That’s the way it goes,” said Wright, whose team ended the regular season in fourth place in region play. “We had a layup that bounced out and a tip-in that didn’t fall.

“It was a great game, and Lamar stood up and played hard.”

GIRLS
Timmonsville 59, Lamar 26

The Whirlwinds opened the game on an 18-0 run en route to blowing past the Silver Foxes and setting up a one-game playoff with C.E. Murray for the Region 7-A championship tonight at Scott’s Branch High School.

Ashley McKithen led a balanced scoring attack with 17 points as Timmonsville had a 29-11 halftime lead. Asia Graham scored 11 points. Sade Eli and Brittany Williams each added 10.

“Lamar’s got a really young team, and we forced some turnovers early,” said Timmonsville coach Perry Stokes, whose team improved to 17-4 overall and 9-1 in region competition. “We stopped pressing after that, and tried to get every player we could on the floor.”

Quanecia Allen had 11 points for Lamar, who finished the season 2-19 overall and winless in region play.