Tacoya Heyward took over in the second half and overtime to lead Bluffton girls basketball to a hard-fought 43-38 road win at James Island on Friday to remain unbeaten in Region 7-4A play since 2019.
Heyward finished with a game-high 21 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter and overtime, as the Bobcats rallied from a six-point deficit to force overtime and pulled off a big road win in a matchup of the last undefeated teams in the region standings.
Heyward was limited to just two points in the first half, and the Bobcats found themselves down 19-16 at halftime, as Madi Washington and Ja’laina Mosley picked up the slack and Bluffton’s strong defense kept it in the game.
The Trojans widened the gap to six heading to the fourth quarter, but the Bobcats clamped down and Heyward heated up for eight points in the period to pull Bluffton even at 35 and force overtime.
It was Tacoya time in OT, as the sophomore star scored all eight of Bluffton’s points and the Bobcats limited James Island to one field goal and one free throw in the extra period.
Washington scored 10 points and Mosley added nine on a trio of 3-pointers to help the Bobcats stay perfect in region play. Andrea Duncan scored 15 points, and Yiana Hilyer added 10 for James Island.
Bluffton (12-1, 5-0) travels to Lucy Beckham for another key region clash Tuesday.
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