WINNSBORO — Playing hard and as a team the entire year has earned the RWA boys basketball squad a playoff berth. They play Saturday at Porter Gaud against Palmetto Christian.
It will be a long road trip for Richard Winn, but Palmetto Christian, in Mt. Pleasant is just across the bridge from the venue.
Palmetto Christian won the A state championship a year ago but this year moved up to SCISA AA. RWA Head Basketball Coach Joe Pitt said that Palmetto Christian plays around seven players, with their standout being senior Gabe Hogan. Hogan is more of a scorer than a pure shooter and he is averaging 15.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. He is hitting on 52 percent of his field goals including 32 percent from three point range.He is third in AA SCISA in scoring behind K’wan Brown of Spartanburg Christian and Kenyard Campbell of Bible Baptist (Savannah, Ga.).
At 18-6 on the season, Palmetto Christian ranks third in SCISA AA behind Charleston Collegiate and Marlboro Academy.
Despite his opponent’s success, Coach Pitt likes his chances of the Eagles soaring out of Charleston with a victory.
“They play a lot of man-to-man defense and like to drive the ball, but I think this is a very winnable game for us,” Coach Pitt said. They like to get the ball to the rim, so we need to work hard to stop their penetration and their transition game. On offense he knows against a tough man to man defense they will need to pound the ball inside to seniors Logan Gibbons and Reid Johnson. If they can get the scoring started down low that will open up opportunities outside for sharpshooter Cameron Cooper, who has come on as an outside scoring threat this year, giving point guard Patrick Pope another option alongside big men Logan Gibbons and Reid Johnson. Cooper transferred to Richard Winn this season and turned in an effort worthy of inclusion on the All Region Team for SCISA AA Region 3.
Pitt is proud of this bunch and the work ethic they have displayed this season.
“Our toughness and basketball I.Q. really have improved this year, too,” he said. Winning on the road will require some of all of those attributes, but he likes this team’s chances to make it to round two.
“We have to make them earn it by playing their offense in the half court,” Pitt said. “I think we got a good draw in this one.” Fans looking to make the trip to Charleston need to be there at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.
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