By Thomas Grant Jr.
The latest “Battle of Irmo” last Friday was more than another sporting event for bragging rights between the town’s archrival schools.
By evening’s end, it was a loud celebration for host team Irmo in the “Temple of Doom”. The hyped fans witnessed their boys’ team upset Class 5A Division I top-ranked Dutch Fork 48-42.
It was the first region loss of the Silver Foxes (17-3, 4-1), who had won its previous four region game by an average of 40 points. After an 0-2 start in the region, Irmo has won three straight to move into a second-place tie with Lexington and a game out of first place.
Oshon Browman led the Yellow Jackets (15-5, 3-2) with 19 points and Christian Brown added 13. Kaleb Copeland had back-to-back jumpers as part of a 7-0 run in the fourth quarter that put Irmo ahead to stay.
Quillen’s strategy targeted Dutch Fork’s top two scorers forward Justus Bell and guard Samajee Govan. Both players started strong early with a pair of fastbreak slam dunks.
As the game progressed, Irmo’s physical defense limited Bell’s opportunities. He finished with a season-low nine points.
Govan faired better offensively, finishing with a game-high 17 points before fouling out. He also struggled at the free throw line, missing 5-6 in the fourth quarter.
“We knew they had some unbelievable players,” Irmo head coach Alex Quillen said. “5 (Govan) and 2 (Bell) are very, very good players and we knew we had to take one of them away and I think the guys embraced that and they really, really took that away. And we kind of did our best job on (Bell). We felt he was probably the biggest strength for them and our guys just defended their butts off.”
Dutch Fork had a 36-32 lead entering the fourth quarter. A 3-point play by Browman ended the 7-0 run to put Irmo up 39-36 with 4:55 left.
Following an exchange of free throws, Khiry White’s layup gave Irmo its biggest lead at 42-37. Govan answered with a jumper just before picking up his fifth foul with 1:05 left.
Consecutive scoreless possessions by Dutch Fork and two free throws by Irmo made it 44-39. A putback by K.D. Dupree closed the deficit to 44-41 with four seconds left.
Irmo ended the game with two free throws by Brown and a layup by Browman following a Dutch Fork turnover. Once time expired, students began to storm the crowd as the players did a victory lap.
Up next is a “revenge game” Friday at Lexington. It’s a rematch Quillen said his team “really, really wants back” after the Wildcats defeated them 53-40 on their home floor Jan. 9.
“We’ve got to take it day by day,” Quillen said. “Practice every single day, we’ve got to have intensity like we just had it right there and then take it day by day.
VARSITY GIRLS
The doubleheader kicked off the fourth-ranked Irmo girls playing host to Dutch Fork. The winner was guaranteed a share of first place depending on the outcome between Lexington and River Bluff.
Despite a game-high 27 points from eighth-grader Lailah Singletary, the Lady Yellow Jackets were dominated at home 66-45. It was their second straight region loss and dropped it to a third-place tie with Chapin, who defeated them 42-39 three nights earlier.
For Dutch Fork (12-5, 4-1), it was a second straight region win following a “lost weekend” a week ago. It dropped back-to-back games to Lexington at home and Camden in the MLK Bash at C.A. Johnson High School.
“Last weekend was a rough stretch for us,” Dutch Fork head coach Candace Bush said. “Being down by 24, then having to fight back…then wound up losing by two (70-68), I think it just took a whole lot of energy out of us last Friday. And then turn around and had to play at 11:30 Saturday morning. So, they really didn’t have any legs under them. That’s why I think the outcome (66-38 loss) was as bad as it was Saturday. But I’m glad we did turn it around.”
The start against Irmo was a reversal from a week ago against Lexington. Instead of trailing by 24 points in the second quarter, the score was 33-8 in the Lady Silver Foxes’ favor.
Center Trinity Crumlin used her size advantage to dominate in the paint. Whether scoring inside enroute to 24 points or showing shot blocking or rebounding prowess, she proved difficult for the Lady Yellow Jackets to slow down.
“We knew we would have an advantage in the post,” Bush said. “So that’s why we fed her as much as possible. Not just her, even our other post players because we knew size wise, we had that advantage. And they were playing only one man on her. Most of the second half of the season, they’ve been playing 2-3 girls on her. But to have only one girl on her, we had to take an advantage of that.”
Aaliyah Lee also provided 3-point shooting in finishing with 14 points.
Despite the double-digit lead, Bush implored her team not to slow down. This was especially true with Singletary catching fire in the second half. She scored 20 points over the final two quarters.
Irmo (14-6, 3-2) only got as close as 18 points the rest of the way. Like the boys, it faces Lexington in a “revenge game” after defeating it 65-59 on Jan. 9.
Dutch Fork also returns to action on the road Friday versus Chapin.
