High School Football Scores

Falcons fall to Lower Richland

Lower Richland’s Malcolm Rhett goes in for a lay up against A.C. Flora. Photos by Paulene Cruse Lower Richland completed the regular season sweep of A.C. Flora on Friday January 29 with a 71–62 win at A.C. Flora. While the Diamond Hornets had to battle the Falcons for the lead in the first half, Lower Richland controlled the game in the second half to cruise to a victory. Sixteen points from Keith Johnson led the way for the Diamond Hornets. Malcolm Rhett helped out with 15.

Marcus Taylor opened the scoring with a three pointer. A 6–4 run helped extend that lead to five points. Johnson’s four points helped spark that run. A free throw from Terrance Segars and two buckets from Matthew Howard tied the score at 9–9. A three pointer by Eric Eaves gave Lower Richland a brief lead, but five straight points from Akeem Williams and a bucket from Segars gave A.C. Flora a 16–12 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Flora’s Terrance Segars drives to the basket against LR. The Diamond Hornets fought back in the second quarter. Two straight buckets from Kenneth McFadden tied the score. A 5–2 run gave Lower Richland a 21–18 lead. A.C. Flora responded with free throws from Edward Kirkland and a bucket from Lamont Todd to regain the lead. Johnson answered with a bucket to help Lower Richland regain the lead at 23–22. Williams answered with a bucket to swing the lead back over to A.C. Flora. Then Lower Richland recaptured the lead and control of the game.

Johnson hit two buckets, and McFadden chipped in with one to give the Diamond Hornets a 29–24 lead. After a free throw from Howard made the score 29–24, the Diamond Hornets finished the quarter with eight straight points to take a 37–25 lead into halftime.

A.C. Flora mounted a run to cut into the Lower Richland lead. After Torrence Outing’s three pointer gave the Diamond Hornets a 13 point lead, A.C. Flora scored seven straight points to cut the deficit to 41–34. Lower Richland answered with six straight points, two buckets from Johnson and one from McFadden, to extend the lead back to 13. The Diamond Hornets led by as much as 16 before a bucket from Segars cut the Diamond Hornet lead to 54–40 at the end of the third quarter.

Lower Richland maintained a double digit lead throughout most of the fourth quarter until A.C. Flora was able to mount a run. After a bucket from Rhett gave Lower Richland a 62–48 lead, two free throws each from Kirkland and Marquise Simuel as well as a bucket from Simuel made the score 62–54.

Later in the quarter, Lower Richland once again extended the lead to double digits at 66–56 following a bucket from Rhett. However, A.C Flora was not going to go away. Two free throws from Keyon Helton and a bucket from Howard cut the deficit to 66–60.

It was Lower Richland’s ability to make free throws that iced the game. Rhett made two and Harde Cate made one to make the score 69–60. Kirkland’s bucket cut the lead to 69–62, but Rhett answered it with a bucket of his own to give Lower Richland a 71–62 win.