Byrnes Downs Gaffney

“I think we are a three-headed monster.”

That quote from Coach Layne Fowler is an accurate summary of the Byrnes Rebels’ dominant 87-55 region 2-5A victory over Gaffney on Tuesday night at Schofield Gymnasium. 

These 2 rivals came into the contest in very different places. Byrnes was sitting at 11-3 overall with their only losses coming to Independence (NC), North Mecklenburg (NC), and Fort MIll. The ‘Runnin’ Rebels’ were averaging just over 81 points per game, and had held their opponents to an average of 68. Half of their wins had come by 20 or more points. To put the icing on the cake, they were sitting at  2-0 in region play, tied for 1st place with the Dorman Cavaliers. 

The Indians, who have a very junior and senior-heavy roster, came in at 4-7 on the season. They have struggled to score the basketball and did not earn their first win of the season until their region opener against Eastside, who they beat 65-53. Prior to Tuesday night’s matchup, Gaffney had scored 50 or more points just 5 times in the early season. In all but 1 of their losses, they were outscored by 15 or more. In short, on paper Byrnes looked to be a complete and total mismatch for the Indians. 

But, the way the first 3 minutes of this game went, the ‘on-paper’ aspect looked to be irrelevant. The Rebels got off to an uncharacteristically slow start while the Indians managed to win the battle in the paint and on the glass. Gaffney was getting several offensive rebounds and second chance looks, but in spite of all that, they only held an 8-0 lead through the first few minutes. Senior small forward Johnathan Buckson was a key contributor with half of those points and would go on to lead the team with 18 on the night. Sophomore power forward Hank Davidson and senior small forward Braylon Givens each had 2 with a missed and-1. 

When you allow a team like Byrnes to hang around after jumping out to a narrow early lead, you can expect it to eventually dissipate. It did just that once the three-headed monster got going. Junior small forward Fabian McClintock hit a couple of free throws to get the Rebs on the board, and by the next timeout, they had rallied to tie the game at 8. Thanks to junior phenom point guard Colt Fowler’s 10 points and 6 from the third head of the Hydra – senior forward/guard Sukhi Singh, Byrnes was able to close out the opening 8 minutes on a 17-6 run, making for a 25-14 lead that only grew from there, getting to the point where the Rebels were able to rest their starters for the fourth quarter. By the final buzzer, Gaffney’s turnovers and struggles to get shots to fall pitted against Byrnes’ speedy and potent offense that can score from anywhere on the floor did create the ‘on paper’ result. 

“I thought it was a total team effort”, said Fowler after the win. “I thought we defended better, and we shared the ball. Ten different guys scored tonight. The game started out with them {Gaffney} up 8-0. I felt like they were more ready to play and more determined. They always compete hard when they play us. But once we got some stops and started sharing the ball, we were able to build that lead and get easier shots going downhill in transition.” 

The Rebels were led by the trio of Fowler with 32 points, McClintock with 16, and Singh as well as sophomore guard Josh Dixon adding 10 each. One other Byrnes player – junior guard Kayddin McDowell, came close to double figures with 7 – all coming in the final minutes of the game. On the other end, aside from Buckson’s contribution, Gaffney would have just one other in double figures – junior shooting guard Jonah McSwain with 14. 

“I think we are a three headed monster as far as our three leading scorers go”, said Coach Fowler. “Colt, Sukhi, and Fabe can do it all in a variety of ways. Fabian is more of an interior presence – both scoring and defensively. Sukhi is one of the best shooters I have ever coached and now he is starting to get more downhill a bit more. When those three guys are going, it gives us an opportunity to get our younger guys feeling more confident and comfortable.” 

As far as those younger guys go, Dixon’s impact has already been touched on. But, freshman guard Kellen Leverett scored 5 down the home stretch. Junior small forward Darius Stover added 4, and junior forward/center Jack Bailey also managed to crack the scoring column with 2. 

With the win, Byrnes is now 3-0 in region 2-5A, continuing to keep pace with Dorman for the top spot after the Cavs knocked off Spartanburg 63-59 on Tuesday night. Now, the Rebels will set their sights on Friday night’s road trip to take on the aforementioned Spartanburg Vikings (9-6, 1-2 region). Tip off is tentatively set for 7:30 at Viking Arena.