Brookland- Cayce's O.B. Johnson runs a fast break against tough Darlington defense. In the second round of the 3A state playoffs, Brookland- Cayce outlasted the Darlington Falcons on February 15, to advance to the third round at Myrtle Beach. T.J. Boykin scored 20 hard- earned points to lead the Bearcats while Delanta McCoy added 19 and O.B. Johnson scored 17.

Each team opened the game with a flurry of points and impressive skill. McCoy completely controlled the B.C. offense scoring 10 points on fast breaks and short jumpers. Darlington held a decided height advantage but managed to do most of their early scoring on longer- range jump shots. The pace of the early minutes was fast and largely under control as neither team turned the ball over or fouled. With a near capacity crowd exploding on every made basket, B.C. rode the tide of enthusiasm in the gym to a 23- 14 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter, while equally competitive, featured less offense than the first. Both teams reacted to the tendencies of the other as the game progressed giving way to better defense. To counter the extreme height differential, Brookland- Cayce defenders fronted the frontcourt players of Darlington, making it difficult for the Falcons to get the ball into the post, where their advantage could be best utilized. Instead, Darlington continued to shoot outside jumpers, which allowed B.C. to turn long rebounds into fast break opportunities. Boykin and O.B. Johnson were especially adept in the second quarter at transitioing and scored 12 of their team's 15 points in the quarter. B.C. maintained their scoring advantage to lead 38- 28 at the half.

Photos by Morgen Orr Brookland- Cayce's Alex Furtick shoots between a Darlington double team. Darlington made a bit of a comeback in the third quarter to get back into the game by playing hard and finally scoring inside baskets. The Falcons reached a five point deficit early and despite foul trouble, remained close throughout the quarter. B.C. struggled to score in the third as the Darlington defensive intensity forced the Bearcats to shoot heavily guarded shots. Brookland- Cayce emerged from a very slow third quarter with a fragile 49- 43 lead.

With their season on the line, Darlington made another push to really make the game close, midway through the final quarter. Bringing the score to 53- 50 with 5:15 to play, the Falcons had every opportunity to finally catch the Bearcats. But B.C. answered with a 6- 0 run over the next three minutes to keep Darlington at bay. Confronting a seasonlong struggle, the Bearcats were sent to the free throw line throughout the fourth as Darlington tried to extend the game by fouling. Unlike their first round game in which the team made less than half of their attempts, the B.C. players, and their guards in particular, made clutch free throws as the game neared its end. Johnson made Darlington pay for stopping the clock by making almost all of his late free throws.

In the end, the Falcons simply did not have enough offense to overtake the Brookland- Cayce lead and B.C. prevailed 74- 65 to advance to the state quarterfinals. Note:The Bearcats were eliminated from the playoffs by Myrtle Beach 67- 51 on Tuesday,February 19.