South Meck boys’ basketball ends its frustration, finally beats arch rival Myers Park

When South Mecklenburg High basketball coach Chris McDonald raised his arms in celebration toward the hundreds of Sabres supporters with 8.5 seconds left, he and his team and fans knew they had snapped a frustrating four-game losing streak to rival Myers Park.

The Sabres’ 71-63 victory also keeps them near the top of the SoMeck 4A Conference race that is already shaping up to be a terrific battle between South Mecklenburg, Myers Park, Ardrey Kell and Olympic.

“It was huge,” McDonald said of the win. “Not beating them lately was part of our motivation. We have the attitude that this is our year. Everybody had one loss before tonight so we’re still in the running.”

Hot shooting from junior Ben Houpt sparked the victory in an emotional matchup between longtime rivals that saw 48 total fouls called, including two double technicals (both in the final minute) and five players being disqualified with five fouls.

Houpt hit seven of his first eight shots before finishing nine of 13 overall for a game-high 26 points.

Muja Williams added 13 points, Jim Gatehouse 11 and Connor Yett 10 for South Mecklenburg (9-7, 4-1).

Just as important as Houpt’s offense were his two blocked shots on Myers Park drives to the basket in the final 1:07.

Houpt had four of the Sabres’ seven 3-pointers as South Mecklenburg rallied from a 22-11 deficit with 5:38 left in the second quarter to take as much as a 12-point lead (49-37) with 1:57 left in the third quarter.

But the host Mustangs (8-10, 4-2), who had won 73 games, one state title, two league titles and three Western regional appearances in the last three years, showed their mettle in a fourth-quarter comeback that cut their deficit to 62-61 with 2:11 to play.

Then Gatehouse may have had the biggest bucket of the night when he answered with a 3-pointer for a 65-61 lead with 1:39 to play; Myers Park got no closer than two the rest of the way and the Sabres scored the game’s last eight points.

Three who made a difference

Ben Houpt, South Mecklenburg: The junior guard had a game-high 26 points by scoring five or more in each quarter.

Bram Early, Myers Park: Before fouling out with 21.9 seconds left, the senior guard had 22 points, including 17 as the Mustangs rallied in the second half.

Ayo Awosanya, Myers Park: The freshman forward had 16 points, including 11 in the first half, to help Myers Park build a big early lead.

Notable

▪ South Mecklenburg’s four-game losing streak to Myers Park had come by margins of 39, 43, 28 and 38 points.

▪ First-year Myers Park coach Andrew Glover has played a challenging schedule in his first season, which makes the team’s current 8-10 overall record somewhat deceiving. The Mustangs are off until next Friday at home against first-year Ballantyne Ridge.

▪ South Mecklenburg plays again Saturday when the Sabres travel to perennial state power Kinston and that school’s Brandon Ingram Invitational to play against Eastern N.C. 3A power Jacksonville White Oak. South Mecklenburg is 2-0 in the previous two years’ events, beating Wilmington Ashley and Wilmington Carolina Christian in the last two seasons.

They said it

“Myers Park has proven they can fight with the best of them. We had to keep fighting, get our rhythm back and keep going.” South Mecklenburg coach Chris McDonald, on his team’s slow start.

GAME SUMMARY

South Mecklenburg 9 21 23 18 — 71

Myers Park 16 13 15 19 — 63

SOUTH MECKLENBURG 71 — Muja Williams 13, Ben Houpt 26, Connor Yett 10, Howard 6, Page 1, King 2, Gathings 2, Jim Gatehouse 11.

MYERS PARK 63 — Hayes 3, Hines 3, Bram Early 22, A.J. Jamison 11, Brezeault 5, Nelson 2, Sweet 1, Ayo Awosanya 16.

Records: South Meck 9-7, 4-1; Myers Park 8-10, 4-2