After an extremely slow offensive start, Hilton Head High couldn’t recover Tuesday, falling 72-65 at Colleton County in a matchup that determined the Region 7-4A title.
“The sluggish start is really what dug us a hole that was too big to get out of,” Hilton Head High coach Chane Brown said.
After a pair of traveling calls to open the game, the Cougars jumped out to a 12-2 lead and maintained offensive pressure throughout the game that deflated the Seahawks.
Adam Clark sunk a huge three in the first 30 seconds of the second quarter to spark a stronger offensive effort, followed by three Seahawk steals to ignite the defense.
Heading into halftime trailing by 10 points, the Seahawks were looking for a momentum shift in the third quarter.
“We just told them they gotta pick it up (in the second half),” Brown said. “We gotta stop them in transition, close down the paint, and be more aggressive on offense.”
It was evident that the Seahawks were looking to make a big comeback in the second half as the energy shifted in the gym at the start of the third quarter. The Seahawks came out firing and got as close as five points, but with every made shot, Colleton’s fiery offense answered, led by Alston Sherrill and Stephan Gadson.
As the Seahawks tried to regain offensive momentum in the fourth quarter, a couple of tough foul calls resulted in their leading scorer, Alex Smith, fouling out of the game.
Smith’s absence left the Seahawks in a hole that they were unable to dig out of as Colleton continued to extend the lead until the buzzer.
Smith and Sam Summa led the Seahawks with 18 points each and were important on both ends of the floor.
With the loss, the Seahawks secured the No. 2 seed from Region 7-4A and will host a first-round playoff game against the No. 3 seed from Region 6-4A at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19.
“We just have to refocus and work on our defense,” Brown said. “Because if we can’t stop anybody then we can’t win a basketball game.”
Story by Brooke Simons
Brooke Simons is a student-athlete at Hilton Head Island High School and an aspiring journalist. She has a passion for photography and broadcasting.