GIRLS

PEMBROKE -- Bryan County girls’ basketball coach Mario Mincey isn’t one to toot his own horn, but it may be time to break out the trumpets.

The Redskins girls, bouncing back from a dreadful 9-12 COVID influenced season which snapped both a streak of 20-win seasons and state playoff appearances, are back in the hunt.

With the unexpected success the Bryan County boys’ basketball team is having the girls have quietly gone about their business in compiling an 18-4 record, 9-3 in Region 3A Public play.

Bryan County overcame a slow start to hammer Metter, 55-33, last Friday night. It was a nice rebound win following a disappointing 46-40 loss at Claxton three nights earlier.

Kenzie Stucker, who was held to seven points at Claxton, poured in 21 points and Niyah Shuman added 18 as they combined to outscore the Tigers. Anderia Jackson was the only other Redskins player with more than two points as she scored nine.

Several of Stucker’s points came off steals which led to fast breaks, while Shuman, the Redskins’ designated long-range shooter had five three-pointers. Stucker also had one from behind the arc.

Although going by the score it looked like a romp for the Redskins it did not come easily. Bryan County struggled from the floor in the first half and had to battle to manage a 23-21 halftime lead.

Stucker and Shuman were a combined 7-19 in the first half as they and their teammates appeared to be nursing a hangover from the loss at Claxton.

That loss meant the Redskins will finish third in the regular season region race behind Screven County and Claxton. They have a three-game lead over fourth-place Jenkins County with two games to play.

Metter was looking to snap an eight-game losing streak to the Redskins but everything fell apart in the third quarter as Bryan County opened the second half with a 10-0 outburst to seize control.

Stucker opened with a quick steal and layup, Shuman nailed a trey, Stucker got a free throw and a put back of a missed shot and Jackson converted a layup off a Metter turnover

Just like that the game, for all practical purposes, was over. Shuman wound up with nine points in the quarter and Jackson had eight.

As to those shooting percentages for Stucker and Youman they were 4-8 in the second half. Mincey cleared the bench in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter.

While Mincey will flinch at the thought of it with games remaining against Portal and Mcintosh County Academy the Redskins are in excellent position to win 20 or more games for the fifth time in the last six seasons.

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BOYS

The way Bryan County coach Brent Anderson figured it his team had Metter right where it wanted it:  trailing the Tigers by five points with 90 seconds to play.

Actually, Anderson wasn’t thinking that way at all, but you couldn’t blame him if he was.

The Redskins have made a habit of coming from behind all season. The biggest deficit was 15 points in a 69-67 Region 3A Public win over Jenkins County with freshman Elijah Mincey scoring 40 points including the game winner with 26 seconds to play.

Another game which comes to mind is a 52-47 win at McIntosh County Academy. In that one the Redskins trailed the entire game until taking the lead with 20 seconds remaining. There have been other nail biters, too, but for sheer magnitude it would be hard to match last Friday’s win over the Tigers.

Metter was playing well, having overcome a 10-point deficit to take a 54-49 lead only to see Mincey, who scored 31 points, score five straight to force overtime.

Twelve seconds into its first extra period of the season Bryan County (16-5, 10-2) took the lead on Jamal Campbell’s basket—he finished with 11 points--and never looked back in posting a 68-58 win that earned it a berth in the GHSA Class A state playoffs.

With only a Tuesday night game at Portal (11-5, 9-2) and the home finale Friday against McIntosh County Academy remaining Bryan County is assured of no worse than a second-place finish in the region regular season race. The top two teams automatically qualify for the semi-finals of the region tournament.

“This was so big,” Anderson said. “It takes the pressure off. I did not want to see us in an elimination game in the region tournament. A loss like that would be really tough for this team. These kids have worked too hard and put in too much effort to have to deal with something like that.”

In a game in doubt all the way the Redskins scored seven points in the final 30 seconds highlighted by a play Anderson said, “was pretty much the game,” to put an exclamation point on the outcome.

Tanner Ennis plays wide receiver on the Bryan County football team. Sean Kelly Hill is the quarterback. They reversed their roles on a play which surprised everyone, and left Metter stunned and unable to recover.

Clinging to a 61-58 lead the Redskins were inbounding the ball following a Tigers score when Anderson called time to set it up.

Ennis was the in bounder and Hill, in the game because Devontae Bowers had fouled out, suddenly broke out of the pack racing downcourt. The 6-0 Ennis, with 6-4 Cole McCranie draped over him, threw a perfectly placed pass which Hill took in stride for a layup.

Hill was also fouled on the play and made the free throw for a 64-58 lead. Mincey then tacked on two baskets to complete the win. Hill finished with nine points and Ennis eight as everyone in the lineup contributed in some way or another.

“We knew they would be aggressive, and I told them in the timeout ‘let’s throw it to the other end,’” Anderson said. “Tanner threw a perfect pass and Sean caught it in stride. They’re good athletes.”