The Kingstree Blazers waltzed into their game Wednesday with two straight wins but they left with three. They blew past Lamar 62-42. Given Kingstree's advantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 135th, while Lamar is ranked 288th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Kingstree's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Micheal Kelly led the charge by scoring 13 points along with three steals. That's the first time this season that Kelly grabbed two or more steals. Ja'Shaun Dorsey was another key contributor, scoring 12 points.
Despite the loss, Lamar still got an impressive performance from NyShaun "Shaun" Quillen, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and ten rebounds. Another player making a difference was Jacari Mitchell, who scored eight points.
Kingstree's win bumped their record up to 9-4. As for Lamar, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost six of their last seven matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-11 record this season.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Kingstree will take on Marion at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Marion will be looking to extend their current three-game winning streak. Lamar won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Hannah-Pamplico at 8:00 p.m. on January 11th. Hopefully Hannah-Pamplico focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 25 last Friday.
