Basketball Recap: Orangeburg-Wilkinson Snags Eighth Victory in Last Nine Games

After losing to North Charleston the last time they met, Orangeburg-Wilkinson decided to demonstrate that turnabout is fair play. The Orangeburg-Wilkinson Bruins snuck past the North Charleston Cougars with a 52-48 win on Wednesday. Given the Bruins' advantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 19th, while the Cougars are ranked 66th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Orangeburg-Wilkinson's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Keith Smith led the charge by going 5 of 6 on his way to 14 points and eight boards. That's the most rebounds Smith has posted since back in January of 2024. Another player making a difference was Jordan McGahee, who posted eight points and seven boards.

North Charleston lost despite a true team effort on offense, the best among them being Richard Hazel III, who had 15 points and five rebounds. Hazel III has been hot, having also posted two or more steals the last seven times he's played. Otto Witherspoon was another key player, putting up 12 points.

Orangeburg-Wilkinson is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine games, which provided a nice bump to their 14-3 record this season. As for North Charleston, their loss ended a nine-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 11-7.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Orangeburg-Wilkinson will host Oceanside Collegiate Academy at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are headed into the matchup with plenty of momentum (Orangeburg-Wilkinson has won 13 straight at home dating back to last season, while Oceanside Collegiate Academy won three straight on the road), something that'll have to change. As for North Charleston, they will welcome Battery Creek at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday.