HSBBB: BA blows by Bobcats for season sweep

Beaufort Academy’s boys basketball team has been enjoying a balanced diet. Sure, the Eagles have feasted on a few cupcakes, but they had another serving of meat and potatoes Wednesday night, rolling visiting Bluffton 57-39 to complete a home-and-home sweep of the Bobcats.

Braydon Dineen and Sully Gay each scored 11 points in strong all-around performances, and freshman big man Amarion Wilson continued his strong start to the season as the Eagles bounced back from a tough loss to Hilton Head High a night earlier with a win over another Class 4A foe.

The Bobcats scored the game’s first four points, and the lead changed hands a couple of times before the teams were even at 10. BA rattled off 14 straight points spanning the end of the first and start of the second quarter, and the Eagles rolled from there, leading 30-20 at halftime before extending the margin to 20 entering the fourth quarter.  

Dineen got hot early, splashing a trio of 3-pointers in the first half, then turned his attention to the defensive end, finishing with 11 points, seven rebounds, two steals, and six deflections. Gay added 11 points and four boards, including an impressive and-1 finish at the rim to help BA pull away in the third quarter, and Wilson contributed nine points and three boards inside while also coming up with two steals and four deflections.

BA’s reserves held the line in the fourth quarter, and eighth-grader Devin Fripp showed why the Eagles are excited about his future in 10 productive minutes off the bench.

“Everyone scored. I love that,” BA coach Nick Field said. “And I love that we won the battle on the boards again. We have only lost the rebounding battle once this year, and that was against Hilton Head.” 

Jaylin Linder led Bluffton with 14 points, eight rebounds, four deflections, and a steal, while Nic Yanez added 11 points, four rebounds, and four assists. The Bobcats struggled to knock down shots, hitting just 25.9 percent from the field.

BA (9-3) hosts Charleston Collegiate on Friday in the first round of the BA Classic. Bluffton (2-4) plays at Lowcountry Leadership on Friday.

By Justin Jarrett

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