Hot-shooting Wildcats top Chapman, Polk County

Travis Miller Ledger Sports Editor

The Wildcats didn’t hit every three-pointer they shot Tuesday.

It just seemed like it.

Blacksburg sank seven of its 12 three-pointers in the first half to cruise to an 82-71 victory over visiting Chapman.

“We really played well,” Blacksburg coach Travis Miller said. “We were very hot.”

Quinton Hemphill had five three-pointers, including three in the first half as the Wildcats built a 44-29 halftime lead.

The Panthers got within seven points in the third quarter, but the Wildcats answered with a run to push the lead to 12. They were never seriously threatened the rest of the way.

Hemphill finished with a game-high 27 points while Rodney Poston had 23 and Kyle Shy added 16.

It was the Wildcats’ second win in 24 hours. On Monday, Blacksburg center Tyler Otey made the most of his playing time.

Otey had just seven points, but four came during the final two minutes to help the Wildcats edge Polk County, 65-59.

After two free throws by Hemphill and a basket by Bryson Smith, Otey put the Wildcats up by five with 1:15 left to play. Otey then sealed the win by scoring after rebounding Kyle Shy’s missed free throw with just seconds remaining.

“I thought Tyler did an excellent job,” Miller said. “I told the kids that somebody different was going to step up every game and that’s what happened.”

Hemphill paced the Wildcats with 15 points and Poston and Shy both scored 12. Poston also had a key defensive play when he blocked a shot with Polk County trailing by three with :35 left to play.

The Wildcats played sluggishly in the first half and trailed 31-26 at the break after Shy’s three-pointer at the buzzer.

Miller said he stressed during his halftime message the importance of the opening minutes of the third quarter.

The Wildcats then erased the deficit and took a 40-39 lead on Hemphill’s three-pointer from the corner.

Blacksburg led by as many as 10 points in the early moments of the fourth quarter before Polk County went on a 14-3 spurt to lead 57-56 with four minutes left to play.

“Obviously we started very poorly in the first half,” Miller said. “But we set the tone for the game in the third quarter.”

The Wildcats play at Chesnee on Friday.