Junior forward Vincent Hicklin’s 22 points and 10 rebounds helped propel Lower Richland to a 66-51 win over Ridge View in the opening round of the Chick-fil-A Classic on Monday at Richland Northeast.
“He’s a competitor, so he competes. It’s just what he does,” coach Ezekiel Washington said. “He works hard in practice and it shows in the game. It showed in this game.”
Hicklin’s big moves inside put the Diamond Hornets far out front quickly. Lower Richland held a nine-point lead before the Blazers made their first field goal, after three minutes of play. Ridge View was 0-for-9 from the field to start, and could not find its outside shot. The Blazers nearly erased the gap midway through the period, but Hicklin turned it up for Lower Richland, with six consecutive points from the paint.
Then Alonzo Gibson’s two-point jam gave the Diamond Hornets a 10-point lead, and with six minutes to go Lower Richland was ahead by 15.
Then the shots began to fall for Ridge View and the Blazers charged back.
Seth Coleman posted eight of his 10 first-half points in the final three minutes of the half, helping Ridge View cut Lower Richland’s lead to 35-30.
Eric Eaves, a senior guard, pitched in four points then, and Edward Stephens put up a 3-pointer at the buzzer to reestablish the Diamond Hornets’ lead at 42-33.
Ridge View’s Coleman and Ismail Howard each scored 15 points, but coach John Combs said the Blazers’ were hampered by less physical play and a lack of rebounding.
“I thought our big guys for the most part held their own in the paint, our defense was good, but if you can’t secure the rebound it isn’t going to matter,” said Combs, whose Blazers allowed Lower Richland 13 second-chance points.
The win puts the Diamond Hornets in the top bracket of the tournament, which has been rated one of the nation’s top three high school boys basketball tournaments. Lower Richland will play the winner of today’s matchup between Columbia of Georgia and West Charlotte.
Ridge View will play the loser of that game in the Classic II bracket.
RV: Fulmore 3, Howard 15, Coleman 15, Robinson 8, Howell 3, Bradshaw 2, Portee 3, Holbert 2. LR: Montgomery 5, Hicklin 22, Gibson 11, Eaves 13, Stephens 12, Walker, Cole 2.
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