PEMBROKE, NORTH CAROLINA – The University of South Carolina Beaufort men's basketball team completed a two-game sweep at the Thanksgiving Tournament in Pembroke, North Carolina hosted by UNC Pembroke, rolling past Ferrum College with a dominant 104–74 victory. The Sand Sharks jumped out to a 21-point halftime lead and never looked back on their way to the 30-point win. Ismail Rashid set the tone early, scoring 20 points in the opening half.
The win lifts USCB to 6–1 on the season.
Rashid was one of five Sand Sharks to score in double figures, finishing with a team-high 22 points. Dylan Lewis added 14 points and six rebounds, while Hudson Norton recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Aiden Fitzgerald and Seth Cullen each chipped in 10 points.
Kevaughn Price opened the scoring for the Sand Sharks, answering an early Ferrum basket off a feed from Lewis. Both teams started strong offensively, with USCB spreading the early scoring among four different players in the opening five minutes. The Sand Sharks also forced two turnovers during that stretch, taking a 7–6 lead.
USCB then used a 16–7 run to open up its first double-digit lead of the game. The run was highlighted by a perfect 4-for-4 shooting mark from beyond the arc during the run. Dominic Eason scored six points in the stretch, while Rashid sparked the run with a three-pointer off an assist from Lukas Platauna. Back-to-back baskets from Eason and a Fitzgerald three gave USCB a 23–13 advantage.
Rashid capped a dominant first half with five three-pointers and 20 total points. His fourth triple pushed the lead to 36–16 with eight minutes remaining first time of the afternoon to go in front by 20. After Ferrum closed the gap to 14, USCB responded with a 10-0 run, highlighted by a Fitzgerald three, and held the Panthers scoreless for two minutes. Cullen closed the half with a dunk to extend the lead to 56–35 at the break.
The Sand Sharks knocked down 10 shots from three in the first half and assisted on 12 of 19 made field goals. They also controlled the glass with a commanding 28–13 rebounding advantage.
The second half picked up where the first left off, as Price scored on USCB's opening possession off an assist from Eason. Platauna knocked down a three to push the lead to 62–38 before Ferrum responded with an 8-0 run to trim the margin to 16. Lewis halted the run and started a 12-0 USCB burst, scoring nine points during the stretch to extend the lead to 76–48. Nolan Paladugu added a three-point play off an assist from Evan Kilminster, converting through contact to continue the momentum for the Sand Sharks leading by 30.
USCB's largest lead of the afternoon came at the 5-minute mark, when Caden Douglass scored inside off a rebound and a Fitzgerald assist to put the Sand Sharks ahead 97–60.The Sand Sharks maintained control the rest of the way, cruising to the 104–74 final.
The 104-point performance marks the third time this season USCB has eclipsed the century mark, winning all three of those contests. The Sand Sharks connected on 16 three-pointers, two shy of last year's program record of 18, and out rebounded Ferrum 52–27.
USCB returns to action this week with two road games to open Peach Belt Conference play, beginning Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. against USCA.
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