Photos by Morgen Orr Flora's Akeem Williams splits LR's Marcus Taylor and Kenneth McFadden. It was not quite the famed 40 minutes of hell but that is only because high school basketball plays for just 32 minutes. Lower Richland used a devastating full court press and had five different players score at least eight points in a 72- 49 thrashing of A.C. Flora on Friday, January 30. Preston Blackmon led the Diamonds with 23 points while Flora's Akeem Williams led the Falcons with 12.

Blackmon took over the game nearly as soon as it started, rattling off 10 points in the opening quarter using an array of outside jumpers and slashing drives to the rim. Flora stayed afloat early with Williams knocking down two three- pointers in the first three minutes of the game. But LR pushed the pace on both ends of the floor and went on a 7- 0 run in the final minute of the quarter to take a 17- 14 lead.

The game was blown open in the second as Blackmon poured in eight more points and Torrance Outing contributed five of his own. The constant press flustered the Falcons and the incredible depth and interchangeability of the Diamonds' gave LR a decided advantage. Blackmon, Outing, and Marcus Taylor all made three- pointers as Lower Richland earned a 15 point lead at half, 37- 22.

LR's Preston Blackmon soars in for a lay up. Blackmon had a game high 23 points for the Diamonds. In the third quarter, Blackmon decided to spread the wealth and gave Sidney Rivers and Mark Garrick per- fect passes on the blocks. Rivers and Garrick scored eight inside points between them to give LR another dimension to its multipronged attack. Flora did make four three- pointers in the third compliments of Williams and Cam Hart, but it was not enough to stick with the Diamonds. The Falcons appeared exhausted and trailed 54- 35 after three.

Flora finally found some inside scoring success with Marquise Simuel to the tune of six points in the fourth. But the damage was done and the Falcons had too little left in the tank to mount a major comeback. Lower Richland continued to score nearly every time down the court and were able to run out the clock.