An improved Battery Creek girls basketball team gave visiting Bluffton a fight Tuesday, but the Bobcats emerged with a 44-36 road win over the Dolphins behind a huge performance from Tacoya Heyward.
Heyward scored 21 points on 8-of-18 shooting to go with 11 rebounds, five assists, two steals, four blocks, and 10 deflections in a dominant all-around effort to lead the Bobcats. Katie Rodney added 12 points, seven boards, three assists, and six steals as Bluffton’s dynamic backcourt took charge.
Kiara Wilson posted a double-double with 14 points and 11 boards while Sophia Felix added nine, but Battery Creek’s late comeback fell short after trailing 27-9 at halftime.
Neither team could find the basket through nearly half of the first quarter. With just over four minutes remaining in the opening frame, Carolina Alvarez was fouled and knocked down both ends from the charity stripe to open the scoring. That was the last lead the Dolphins held in the half as Heyward caught fire, scoring 11 of her team’s 13 first-quarter points.
The Bobcats defense dominated the second stanza, only allowing two points, which came on a Wilson layup. Rodney and Amirah Brown each put up seven points in the period as Bluffton went into the break up 27-9.
Creek found its groove offensively in the second half, outscoring the Bobcats 13-7 in the third quarter. Wilson found the net for seven of her team-high 14 during the third. The Dolphins were able to cut the Bobcats lead to five, but a short offensive outburst pushed the lead out to 10 with less than 90 seconds remaining and held on.
The Bobcats (3-0) host Goose Creek on Saturday. The Dolphins (1-3) host rival Beaufort High on Friday for the teams’ first meeting since the 2019-20 season.
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