The boys varsity basketball team traveled to Greenville yesterday and left with a dominating 63-23 win over the Yellow Jackets. This was the team’s first conference game of the season, pushing its record to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play.

The Rangers jumped out to an early lead by scoring the first points of the game thanks to a three-pointer by senior Jimmy Scholler. After this shot put the boys up 3-0, they led for the rest of the game, not letting Greenville hold a lead even once. From the end of the third quarter into the beginning of the fourth, the Rangers put up 15 points in a row before Greenville was able to get a bucket. The boys outscored Greenville by 12 in the fourth quarter to end the game at 63-23.

Every Ranger scored in this game, and three players scored in double-digits: Jimmy had 18 points, senior Mitchell Wilkinson had 13, and junior George Hatchett had 11. The majority of points scored came from inside the arc—the boys shot a stunning 47% on two-point shots.  The team also spread the love by recording 15 assists. George and junior Dallas Hopson led the team in assists with four apiece. 

The team’s defense shined as it had 16 steals and two blocks. The most steals came from George, Jimmy, and junior Chris Battiste, who each had four, three, and three assists, respectively, and Jimmy and Chris both recorded a block.

The theme of the importance of practice continues to be exhibited after this win. After moving to 4-1, the boys will embark on their next conference matchup. That game will be against a 2-4 Cedar Springs team on the road on Tuesday, January 14th at 7 pm.