By Thomas Grant Jr.
The Bobby Wells era is underway at Lexington High School.
As just the third boys basketball coach for the program since 1975, he looks to bring the winning formula used at previous job Brookland-Cayce and combine it with the tradition that has produced three state titles.
“Real good coaches find what’s best for their team,” Wells said. “At Brookland-Cayce, we did play a different style and we still do some of that stuff here. We haven’t just thrown all of that stuff away. We’re still going to press. We’re still going to trap. I just think you have to pick and choose throughout the game when you want to use those different styles of play.
“We’re still going to bring some of the stuff we did at my previous school. We’re still going to play some zone and be very, very long at times and be athletic and trap the ball. I think we’re going to use multiple defenses throughout the season.”
Wells made his debut last Monday in the 33rd annual Lake Murray Tipoff. This year’s event was a round robin in which all four teams played three games.
Lexington’s opener was a hard-fought 64-57 victory over South Aiken. Guard Samarion Glenn led the Wildcats with 18 points as he and fellow sophomore Reagan Bryant, who scored 13 points, provided a glimpse of what to expect the next three years in the backcourt.
Despite the absence of center Sam Mills, Lexington’s frontcourt was still productive against the Thoroughbreds. Jeremiah Howard had 13 points and American Leadership Academy transfer Payton Miles finished with 12.
“We’ve got a lot of different pieces that as we keep playing and keep getting better, you’re going to see a really good Lexington High School team come January,” Wells said.
The Wildcats won their second game 57-52 over the Patriots. Glenn scored 18 points for the second straight game and Bryant added 14 points.
This set up a final matchup with undefeated Ben Lippen and head coach and Wildcat graduate Jay Reid. The Falcons jumped out to an early lead before pulling away for a 67-41 victory to improve to 6-0.
Lexington will play four of its next five games on the road. This includes facing Marion Saturday at Sumter High School in the Stars and Stripes Showcase.
“As we continue to build some toughness and some grit to be able to get after it, when we get into region play, we’ll be able to get after it,” Wells said.
Lady Wildcats off to 4-0 start
Add another distinction for Lexington girls’ basketball coach Molly Goodrich.
With blowout wins over Fox Creek and Lancaster, the Lady Wildcats claimed the first-ever girls’ bracket at the Lake Murray Tipoff.
In Game One against the Lady Predators, Lexington jumped out to a 47-11 lead in the first half. It went on to win 67-16 to advance to the final.
Against Lancaster, the seventh-ranked Lady Wildcats took a 21-1 lead at the end of the first quarter. Preseason Top Five senior center Sydni Anderson scored 14 of her game-high 19 points in the opening stanza
The Lady Wildcats stretched their lead as high as 42 points. Cassidy Harry also scored in double figures with 11 points, eight in the second half, and Kyrin Livingston added nine points in the 61-36 victory.
“We really want to focus on our defensive intensity and our pressure,” Goodrich said. “I thought in our first half, we did a great job at that. Sometimes, it’s a double-edged sword when you get up like that because it made for a long second half. But I was proud how the girls handled the adversity, handled the calls and just kept fighting through it and kept listening to our gameplan as we adjusted.”
Following the Tipoff, the Lady Wildcats swept the Sapphire Bracket at the She Got Next Tournament this past week. It rolled past Carolina Forest 80-40 on Friday, then jumped out to a 19-4 lead enroute to defeating Lower Richland 61-42.
Anderson had 17 points and guard Jaleya Lytes added 16 against the Lady Diamond-Hornets to earn co-MVP honors.
Up next Tuesday was a road game at Summerville and a home game Friday against Aiken.
Other Lake Murray basketball results
It was a mixed week of results for River Bluff hoops.
The girls opened the Jordan Keitt era with two straight wins over Chapman (51-21) and Broome (61-34). In the She Got Next tournament at Lexington High School, the Lady Gators were winless against Gray Collegiate (60-43) and Greenwood (38-29).
Guard Evie Godfrey, one of three Northside Christian Academy transfers, averaged 12 points, 3.8 assists, three steals and 2.3 rebounds over the four games.
The boys team were 0-3 at the Tipoff at the Dam Tournament with losses to J.L. Mann (63-41), Lugoff-Elgin (59-53) and Wando (51-41).
The White Knoll boys basketball team also opened play with head coach Willie Thomas back on the sidelines. The S.C. Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame coach missed the second half of last season after suffering a heart attack.
The Timberwolves went 1-2 in the tournament, the lone victory taking place over Wando 56-48.
Batesburg-Leesville opens the season
Batesburg-Leesville opened the season Monday with a sweep of Ridge Spring-Monetta.
The Lady Panthers were victorious 42-36, while the ninth-ranked boys’ team rolled to a 74-32 win over the Trojans.
Braylen Davis scored 28 points and preseason Top Five Senior Ta’Maj Gilliam had 24 points.
Photos by Thomas Grant Jr.
