Ailing Myrtle Beach girls cruise past North Myrtle Beach

LITTLE RIVER — The Myrtle Beach High School girls basketball team dressed only eight players for Friday night's key region game against North Myrtle Beach because of the flu.

A lot of teams would love to catch the same bug.

The Seahawks rolled to a 71-33 victory over the host Chiefs, cementing their spot atop the Region VII-AAA standings despite being short-handed.

As it turned out, Myrtle Beach (12-5 overall, 3-0 region) could have gotten by with even fewer players in the lineup. Five Seahawks scored in double figures, led by Shatia Cole's 18 points and Khadijah Sessions' 13.

Two Myrtle Beach players registered double-doubles - Tanisha Brown and DJ Hunter with 12 points and 10 rebounds apiece - and Keyaurna Wilson made double-digit scoring unanimous among the starters with 10 points.

It all added up to an impressive victory by a team that has struggled since making the long trip to Ohio to compete in last week's Classic in the Country. Several Seahawks contracted the flu, another suffered a concussion and they dropped both games before returning to the Grand Strand sick, tired and banged up.

"We have so many players out with the flu and some of them were out there tonight trying to play the best they could," said Myrtle Beach coach Brian Kiper. "We needed the ones who could play to step up and they certainly did. It says a lot about our depth."

The Chiefs (14-4, 2-1) appeared ready to challenge the defending champs for first place in the region, getting off to a quick 4-2 lead on nice outside shots. But the Seahawks went on a 14-2 run, sparked by steals and layups by Cole and Sessions, and closed the first period ahead 22-11. They led at halftime 39-19.

"Both North Myrtle Beach and St. James are good teams in our region and we came back from Ohio and beat both of them on the road this week," Kiper said. "This was big for us to back here when we're not at our best and play as well as we did."

Myrtle Beach scored the first 14 points of the second half to build a 53-19 lead. The starters took turns sitting on the bench in a game that would normally see the starting five call it a night. North Myrtle Beach's Kendricka Bellamy finished as the only Chief in double figures with 12 points.

Myrtle Beach scored 46 of its points in the paint and 33 off turnovers, forcing 14 steals in the game. The Seahawks took a 40-29 edge on the boards.

MYRTLE BEACH (71) - Shatia Cole 18, Keyaurna Wilson 10, Khadijah Sessions 13, Tanisha Brown 12, DJ Hunter 12, Cooper 4, Sheets 2.

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH (33) - Allman 6, Kendricka Bellamy 12, Livingston 4, Farmer 2, Dewitt 3, McCloskey 2, White 2, Cox 2.

3-point goals: MB 1 (Cole); NMB 2 (Bellamy 2). Team fouls: MB 10; NMB 12. Fouled out: none. Technical fouls: none.

Records: MB: 12-5, 3-0; NMB 14-4, 2-1.