Three-peat! Ridge View rallies past Myrtle Beach for 4A basketball championship
The Ridge View boys basketball team’s last game in Class 4A ended just like the previous two seasons — with a championship.
The Blazers won their third straight state title with a 69-59 win over Myrtle Beach on Saturday at Colonial Life Arena.
Ridge View used an 11-0 run from late in the third quarter until early in the fourth to take control of the game. Myrtle Beach led 34-29 at halftime.
The Blazers are the fourth Midlands team to win a title over the weekend, joining the Keenan boys and girls, and the Gray Collegiate boys. It was Ridge View’s last game in Class 4A, at least for the next two years, because of the South Carolina High School League’s 2020-22 realignment.
Ridge View will be in Class 5A next year with the likes of Dorman, which won its fourth straight Class 5A title Friday night.
“It is a definitely a good way to go out,” Ridge View coach Yerrick Stoneman said. “Dorman, by far, is hands down one of the best teams to come through South Carolina. But Class 4A has had some extremely good basketball. We are not afraid. We definitely are looking forward to it.”
The Blazers’ title comes a month after the death of Jason “Crow” Anderson, running backs coach for the Ridge View football team and father of former basketball player Ja’Von Anderson. Ridge View coach Yerrick Stoneman ended his pre-game and post-game speeches in the locker room by saying, “For Crow.”
And as the seconds ticked down in the fourth quarter, Ridge View fans were chanting Anderson’s signature “You gon’ get this work” catchphrase.
“We did this for Crow. Everything we do is for Crow,” Blazers guard Tyler Rice said. “It feels even better. People doubt you and say, ‘You lost all your seniors and you can’t do it again.’ So it feels good to do it even more.”
Ridge View’s third straight title came a little tougher than the first two. The Blazers lost three starters from last season, all of which are playing college basketball.
The Blazers also trailed in their final three playoff games, including a 19-point deficit last week against Wren in the Upper State finals.
Against Myrtle Beach, the team’s experienced players led the way with big performances from Rice and seniors Ja’Von Benson, Cincere Scott and Patrick Jenkins. The four players scored all but three of Ridge View’s points.
Rice led the way with 23 points and added four rebounds and four assists in one of the best performances of his career. He scored 10 points in the first quarter as the two teams went back-and-forth, with Ridge View leading after one.
Rice hit a 3-pointer with six seconds left in the third quarter to give the Blazers a 47-46 lead.
“I knew I had to come in and bring that aggressive nature to the team,” Rice said. “We needed that better start than we had against Wren.”
Benson, the South Carolina signee, was held scoreless in the first half and admitted to being a little nervous with Gamecocks coaches Frank Martin, Chuck Martin and Perry Clark in the crowd for his final high school game. The senior finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds.
Jenkins, known more for his defense, had 13 points and 12 rebounds while Scott had 16 points and three assists. Scott also had to play point guard in the fourth quarter when Rice was bothered by cramps.
Scott hit a big 3-pointer to put Ridge View up 62-53 with 1:57 left. Benson put the exclamation point with a slam dunk 30 seconds later.
“I can’t believe it,” said Stoneman, a former Oak Hill assistant who took over the program four years ago. “The good Lord puts you in position to be successful. Sometimes he closes the door to open another. He closed a door that I was comfortable with but put me down here in a situation that I could make an impact of the youth of the Ridge View community.”
RV: Patrick Jenkins 13, Ja’Von Benson 14, Cincere Scott 16, Tyler Rice 23, Everett 3. MB: Hough 7, JJ Jones 14, Ayden Hickman 10, Emorie Knox 16 Alston 3, Marques 9
Saturday scores
Class A Girls
High Point Academy 60, Military Magnet 50
Class A Boys
Great Falls 73, Scott’s Branch 71
Class 3A Girls
Class 3A Boys
Class 4A Girls
North Augusta 70, South Pointe 57
Class 4A Boys
Ridge View 69, Myrtle Beach 59
Friday scores
Class 2A Girls
North Charleston 38, Christ Church 34
Class 2A Boys
Gray Collegiate 53, Whale Branch 39
Class 5A Girls
Class 5A Boys
This story was originally published March 7, 2020 at 10:13 PM.
