Supporting cast comes up big as Cardinal Newman boys defeat rival Hammond
With its top player Joshua Beadle held in check for most of the night, Cardinal Newman needed to find offense from other places Friday night.
Thomas Tyler and Peyton Cooper picked up the scoring slack to help the defending SCISA 3A champion hold off a late comeback to defeat Hammond, 49-44, in front of a standing-only crowd at Cardinal Newman.
“Thomas and Peyton really stepped up,” said Beadle, who was held to just eight points and came into the game averaging 18.3.
“One night I might be off and (Josh) might or I might be on and he (Josh) is off,” Tyler said. “We got great players and great defenders all over the court.”
Tyler led the Cards with 17 points, including three 3-pointers in the first half. Cooper added a season-high 13 points. It was just his third game scoring double figures and first since scoring 11 against Bakersfield on Dec. 27.
Tyler and Cooper had eight of the team’s 12 points in the fourth quarter as the Cards withstood a late Hammond run. South Carolina football commits Alex Huntley and Jordan Burch scored back-to-back baskets as Hammond, which trailed by double figures in the second half, cut it to 39-35 with 4:32 left.
But Tyler converted on a 3-point play and then picked up a loose ball near halfcourt and took it in for the layup to put the Cards up 46-38 with 1:19 left.
“At the end of the game (Tyler) was money and that is what we needed,” Cardinal Newman coach Phil Deter said. “Thomas, Peyton, Silas Christie and those guys have been around the program and they know what we want and how to play.”
With the win, Cardinal Newman improves to 2-0 in region play after a tough nonconference schedule that included games against public school powerhouses such as Ridge View, Keenan and Mauldin, as well as four games in the Torrey Pines Classic in San Diego after Christmas.
“If you want to be somebody that is worth something in high school basketball, you want to play anybody, anytime,” Deter said. “That is our motto and we were able to do that, schedule some great teams in the area and travel out to San Diego.
“Now that we are in region play, we got to lock in. Everyone knows what you can do and strengths. And at the end of the day we got to play hard and finish.”
Burch led Hammond with 13 points.
CN: Thomas Tyler 17, Payton Cooper 13, Beadle 9, Christie 8, Monsanto 2. H: Jordan Burch 13, Toman 8, Yeatts 7, Wilson 7, Goodman 5, Diaz 2, Huntley 2.
Girls
Cardinal Newman 68, Hammond 50
Ashlyn Watkins scored 26 points as the Cardinals pulled away in the second half for their ninth win of the season.
Tyra Myers led Hammond with 26 points.
CN: Ashlyn Watkins 26, Audrey Meyers 13, Erin Boyer 12, Kennedy 6, Hogan 4, Etter 4, Dayhuff 3. H: Tyra Myers 26, Lauren Scott 11, Adams 7, Evans 2, Stephens 2, Beacham 2
This story was originally published January 10, 2020 at 10:52 PM.
