Dillon’s Wildcat boys took sixth place in the Robeson County Shootout basketball tournament last week, defeating South Robeson but taking losses to Lumberton and Purnell Swett.
In their first game of the tournament on Thursday, December 15, the Wildcats fell to Lumberton 67-55. The Pirates were ahead by five points at 44-39 heading into the fourth, and they started the quarter by adding nine points to put them ahead by double-digits and eventually secure the win, outscoring the Wildcats 23-16.
Lumberton’s Austin McNeill and Dillon’s Breon Page were the only two players to score in double-digits, each earning 15 points to lead their teams. Montrae Strother, VJ Hicks, and Colby Johnson each added nine points for the Pirates.
On Friday, Dillon breezed past South Robeson, scoring double figures in all four quarters for a final score of 55-37. The win allowed the Wildcats a shot at fifth place on Saturday, when they took on Purnell Swett’s Rams at UNC Pembroke.
The Rams were 7-2 headed into the game, and improved to 8-2 as they downed the Wildcats 68-54.
Purnell Swett started strong with the Rams opening the game 14-3 . With 3:58 left in the first half, Dillon’s Breon Page gave Dillon the lead at 23-20 following a 6-0 run near the end of the first and three-pointer that closed the gap. But the Rams reclaimed the lead in the third and a managed to hold it as they headed into the fourth. With two minutes left in the game, Juwan Jones sank a three-pointer to give Purnell Swett a 60-50 lead and the Rams added eight more points before the buzzer for the 68-54 finish.
Jones scored 11 points for the Rams and was named all-tournament. Mitchell Hill and Tyrell McDonald added a combined 29 points and 17 rebounds for Purnell Swett.
Breon Page earned a team-high 16 points for Dillon, and was also named all-tournament.
Elsewhere, Flora Macdonald Academy became the first private school to compete in the shootout and the first to win the tournament as they defeated Fairmont’s Golden Tornadoes 74-44. In the third place game, St. Pauls’ Bulldogs and Lumberton’s Pirates battled through a close game that saw the Bulldogs close a 16-point gap in the second half, but the Pirates capitalized on turnovers and fouls in the final moments of the game for a 60-54 win.
Dillon heads into the holiday break with a 3-4 record. They won’t get much rest, though, as the Wildcats are scheduled to take on Marion in the first round of the Pepsi Carolina Classic on Tuesday, December 27, at 4:00 p.m. at West Florence High School. If Dillon wins, they’ll face Mullins on Wednesday at 2:45 p.m. If they lose, they’ll face either Darlington or Florence Christian on Wednesday at 11:15 a.m. The tournament runs through Friday, December 30.
Dillon returns to regular season action on Tuesday, January 3, when the Wildcats travel to Latta to face the Vikings at 6:00 p.m. Then on Thursday, January 5, they Wildcats travel to Fairmont to take on the Golden Tornadoes. Make plans to attend to support our local teams!
