Falcons breeze through opening round, stumble in the second

Frankie Johnson's last game as a Darlington Falcon; he will play next year for The Citadel. Photo by Drake Horton

Frankie Johnson’s last game as a Darlington Falcon; he will play next year for The Citadel.
Photo by Drake Horton

By Drake Horton
Contributing Writer

Before the first quarter was even over the game already was as the Darlington Falcons completely outplayed the Myrtle Beach Seahawks this past Tuesday, February 16 at home in the opening round of the 3A boys basketball playoffs.

“That was a pretty good start for us to say the least,” Darlington boys head coach Ken Howle said after the game. “I was real pleased with how we started. Our guys were ready I think, I’m just real pleased. It’s good to play here (home).”

Opening the game on a 20-0 run, the Falcons already seemed to have the game wrapped up before Myrtle Beach scored its first basket at the 2:43 mark in the first quarter. By the end of the opening period it was 28-6 Darlington and for all intends and purposes it was over.

“We took them out their game when we hit that run to start the game and it kind of set the tone,” Howle said on the impact of the opening run by the Falcons in the first quarter.

Darlington, who won the game by a lopsided score of 75-37, was a deadly offense all the way around, passing with precision and shooting with accuracy and efficiency. Overall the Falcons had 23 team assists all while shooting 40% from outside the arc.

Marquis Green squares up to shoot a three point shot against Myrtle Beach. He finished with 16 points. Photo by Drake Horton

Marquis Green squares up to shoot a three point shot against Myrtle Beach. He finished with 16 points.
Photo by Drake Horton

As it has been the majority of the time over the past three years it was the Falcons starting three guards that led way, with Tyriq Smith, Marquis Green and Frankie Johnson carrying a majority of the load offensively.

Smith got things started for Darlington, scoring 14 of his 15 points in the first quarter that included four, three-pointers. Both Green and Johnson each had 16 points.
“I thought we had to come out and get a good start,” Smith, who was responsible for 50% of the Falcons points in the first quarter, said.

Each quarter Darlington seemed to put together some type of run and on each run it appeared to suck the life a little more out of the Seahawks.

Like it had been stated earlier the opening quarter started off with a 20-0 run. The second quarter was closed out by a small 7-0 run of the Falcons with the fourth quarter ending on a 14-2 run as the game was already in hand.

In the first and fourth quarter combined Darlington outscored Myrtle Beach 45-12. It was the second and third quarters that the Seahawks actually played a close game getting outscored only 30-25.

Playoff Recap

The Falcons run at a fourth consecutive trip to the lower-state championship came to end this past Friday as Darlington lost to Midland Valley on the road by a score of 73-55.

The loss ends the careers of one of the most successful senior classes in Falcons basketball history.

Darlington’s overall final record is 21-6.

Author: Jana Pye

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