Fourth-quarter spurt helps No. 8 Travelers Rest pick up road win over No. 3 A.C. Flora

A possible AC Flora and Ridge View playoff game will have to wait for another season.

No. 8 Travelers Rest made sure there wouldn’t be an all-Midlands matchup by winning at third-ranked A.C. Flora, 66-58, on Saturday in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs.

The Devildogs get defending state champion Ridge View on Tuesday in the third round with the winner headed to the Class 4A Upper State championship.

“We just couldn’t find a groove and a lot of that goes to them. Travelers Rest played great defense and played well down the stretch,” AC Flora coach Joshua Staley said. “We didn’t shoot the ball well. Shots we have been making all season just didn’t fall.”

“We still had our chances and much respect to Travelers Rest and Josh Mills. They did a great job. That is how the playoffs go. It is not a series. They were the better team tonight and advance and we get ready for the offseason.”

The win broke a two-game postseason losing streak to AC Flora. Travelers Rest lost to the Falcons in the playoffs in 2013 and 2014. But this is a different Devildogs team from the past.

Longtime coach Josh Mills made a change before the season to play a more up-tempo, fast-paced style with this year’s team, which starts four juniors and a freshman. Travelers Rest came into the game averaging 71 points a game and scored 97 in its first round game against Palmetto.

“Traditionally, we are a half-court team but this an athletic team and we don’t normally have these kind of athletes,” Mills said. “So we tried to pick up the tempo and play a little faster.”

All-state players Case Roach and Sam Brown led the way for Travelers Rest. Roach scored 25 points and Brown added 15.

Roach scored 15 of his 25 in the second half as the Devildogs used a pair of runs in the final two quarters for the win in front of a large contingent of fans that made the trip to Columbia. With the score 30-30 at halftime, the Falcons scored the first six points of the third quarter before Travelers Rest answered with 10 straight points and led 44-42 going into the fourth quarter.

AC Flora tied at it 44 but the Devildogs went on a 7-0 run to lead 51-44. The Falcons got within 51-48 but Quan O’Neal and Brown had back-to-back fastbreak layups to put Travelers Rest up 55-48 with less than three minutes left.

“Playing on their homecourt you got to be as tough and as physical as they are. They are going to go on runs and we have to respond to runs,” Mills said. “And we did that late in the game. I’m proud of the kids. They played hard in a tough place to play.”

Quincy Riley led the Falcons with 22 points including five 3-pointers and DJ Sinkler added 15 in the final game of their high school careers. It was a somber mood by the Falcons’ players as they emerged from their locker room with many of them in tears.

AC Flora finished 19-8, won the Region 4-4A championship and entered the game with a 13-game winning streak. The Falcons will lose nine seniors with many playing key roles on the team.

“I told our guys it is not about what you go through it is how you respond,” Staley said “We got to bust our tail in spring, summer and fall to get better. And it will be how we respond.”

TR: Case Roach 25, Sam Brown 15, O’Neal 7, Fields 9, J. Brown 2, Ware 4, Ja. Brown 2. ACF: Quincy Riley 22, DJ Sinkler 15, Jamison 3, Mobley 1, Butler 4, Iriel 5, Linnen 4, McCray 4.

This story was originally published February 16, 2019 at 6:17 PM.