North Myrtle Beach Times Serving our Community and the Grand Strand for over 50 years
By John Smithson
The North Myrtle Beach varsity boys and girls basketball teams finished their home schedule last Friday night. The Lady Chiefs started the evening with a 61-18 domination of their region rival. The Chiefs, who won their first matchup with the Seahawks in Myrtle Beach by a 54-47 score, had the tables turned in the second game and lost 50-21.
The Lady Chiefs opened the varsity action and jumped out to 16-0 while holding the Lady Seahawks to a single free throw, ending the first quarter with a 16-1 lead. Maddie Vereen scored the first four points, Jurnee Blye added 8 points on four baskets and Aubree Anglin four points to highlight the Chiefs offense in the first eight minutes. Meanwhile the Chiefs defense was stifling the Lady Seahawks, forcing bad shots and turnovers leading to points.
The Seahawks scored the first three points of the second quarter and coach Heather Kearney called a timeout with 6:07 on the clock after a couple of turnovers. Following a three-pointer by the Seahawks and Chiefs 20-7 lead, the Chiefs offense went on an 11-0 run with four quick Vereen drives to the basket accounting for eight points and Blye adding a free throw. Sophia Powell’s steal and layup capped the scoring for a 31-7 Chiefs lead.
Sophie Lewis hit a three-pointer and free throws from Vereen and Powell closed out the first half with a 36-10 Chiefs lead.
The Chiefs opened the third quarter with Powell fouled on offense and making three of four free throws on two separate trips down court. Powell hit a basket for a 41-14 lead with five minutes left in the quarter. Ke’Aisha Bryant scored three points off the bench with one of two free throws and a steal and bucket for a 44-14 score.
The Chiefs scored five points in the remaining four minutes of the quarter, all from the foul line. Powell hit two, Sophie Lewis two from the line, and Blye one of two with just over a minute left in the quarter for a 49-14 score.
Myrtle Beach scored four points to open the fourth quarter and a NMB timeout followed. The Chiefs got the message, shutting down the Seahawks offense while outscoring the Seahawks 12-0 the rest of the way. Sophia Powell had three baskets in the quarter, Blye one, a bucket by Zoe Costella and free throws from Lewis and Vereen capping off the victory, a 61-18 final.
Three Chiefs were in double figures in the game. Powell led the team with 16 points, Maddie Vereen had 15 points and Blye scored 12 points. Sophie Lewis scored 6 points and Anglin scored 4 points.
The Lady Chiefs entered the final week of region play with Tuesday’s game at St. James and a Friday game at Carolina Forest tomorrow night. That game was rescheduled due to the snowstorm. The Lady Chiefs need to win one of those two games to win the region championship outright.
The NMB boys team followed the girls game last Friday. It was not a good night for the Chiefs. Both teams were scoreless in the first two minutes of the game with turnovers and missed shots, until Tate Siegmund made a basket and free throw and two consecutive three-pointers on the way to a 12-0 Seahawks lead halfway through the first quarter.
The Chiefs took a timeout and Caden Bass put the Chiefs on the board with a drive down the lane and basket. Myrtle Beach then scored 7 points over the final 2:40 on the clock. The Chiefs Reo Stevenson’s scored with seven seconds left in the quarter. The Chiefs trailed 19-4 after one quarter.
It only got worse in the second quarter for the Chiefs. They continued their poor shooting night and turnovers or steals by the Seahawks. Despite playing better on defense, the Chiefs failed to score in the quarter and trailed 28-4 at halftime.
The Chiefs made a slight comeback in the third quarter. Eric Lewis hit a three-pointer, Primere Lewis had a basket and two free throws, and Caden Bass and Porter Anglin had baskets, as they outscored the Seahawks 12-4 in the quarter but still trailed 32-16 going into the final eight minutes of the game.
The Chiefs managed to score only five points in the fourth quarter, three points on a basket and free throw by Bass and two made free throws by Dustin Clement. The Seahawks outscored the Chiefs 18-5 and won the rival game with a 50-21.
Caden Bass was the leading scorer for the Chiefs with 7 points. Tate Siegmund scored 16 points to lead all scorers in the game.
The Chiefs end their regular season schedule this week, with a Tuesday game at St. James and their snowstorm makeup game tomorrow night at Carolina Forest.
