Gaffney pounds Panthers

Ledger photo by LARRY HILLIARD Gaffney’s Kammeron Bradley leaps over a Chapman defender on his way to the basket. As if the high-flying Gaffney Indians needed any more good news, it appears the team’s free throw shooting slump is over.

A day after making just 7 of 26 free throw attempts in a 77-72 win over Dorman, the Indians connected on 25 of their 37 shots from the foul line to beat the outmanned Chapman Panthers, 100-49, in the first round matchup of the Sub Station holiday tournament.

Rodney Love had a game-high 23 points to pace the Indians. Johnny Woods added 17 points and Jazz Palmer had 15 for Gaffney, which will play Broome in the championship game today at 7:30 p.m.

Leading 43-23 at the half, the Indians turned the game into a laugher, outscoring Chapman 37-9 in the third quarter.

“We talked to them at halftime about executing better,” Gaffney coach Mark Huff said. “This is a team game. We had some guys pouting at halftime because they weren’t getting the ball enough. But I told them to just play the game and execute the way you are supposed to.”

Love, Palmer and Woods scored the first three baskets of the second half to key the Indians’ thirdquarter flurry. Ken Littlejohn’s three-point play increased the Indians’ lead to 52-25. Love’s basket gave the Indians an 80-34 bulge at the end of the third quarter.

The only suspense was whether the Indians would reach the century mark. Robert Butler made the home crowd happy with a layup that made it 100-49.

Solomon Black paced the 0-11 Panthers with 12 points.

The Panthers scored the last three points of the first quarter to pull within 18-9. Palmer’s threepointer extended the Indians’ lead to 41-21 late in the second quarter.

Gaffney used a big run to take a 40-31 halftime lead over region rival Dorman on Wednesday. The Indians built a 12-point lead with two minutes left in the game, but had to hang on for a 77-72 victory.

After Dorman guard Coleman Young made a steal and layup to slice the deficit to three, Gaffney’s Jazz Palmer made two free throws to stretch the lead to 74-69. Gaffney’s Rodney Love then made the first of his two free throws. Johnny Woods tipped in the missed second free throw to seal the win.