The No. 4-seeded Sandhills Community College Flyers battled from start to finish in Saturday’s fifth-place game against the No. 10-seeded Salem Community College. Salem came out on top in the end with a 77-75 victory, halting a game-tying opportunity for the Flyers.
The Mighty Oaks finished the NJCAA Championship Tournament in fifth place, wrapping up the season with a 26-8 overall record. As for the Flyers, they placed sixth and concluded their season with a 28-8 overall record.
Both teams came out ready to play, with Sandhills jumping out to an early 6-4 lead. The Flyers kept their hot start going, pushing the advantage to 11-6, but Salem fought back, chipping away at the lead. Sandhills, however, kept the pressure on and extended its lead to 24-16. Salem responded with a scoring run of its own, cutting the deficit to three points heading into halftime, as the Flyers led 30-27
Both sides came out swinging in the second half, with three lead changes occurring in the first three minutes before the Mighty Oaks took a 35-34 lead. Salem maintained the lead for a stretch, but the Flyers battled back to tie the game 47-47 with just under 12 minutes to go.
The game remained tightly contested, with multiple ties and lead changes down the stretch. A three-pointer from Salem made it 72-69, sparking a brief run that gave the Mighty Oaks the advantage. Sandhills made one final attempt to tie the game but fell just short as Salem held on for the win.
Damien Robinson led the Flyers with 21 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, and one steal. Nylikk Troutman and Mylon Campbell provided momentum off the bench. Troutman finished with 13 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal, while Campbell added 11 points, one rebound, two assists, and one steal.
~Written by Sandhills Sentinel contributor Zack Ciboth. Photo by Donna Ford.
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