Carolina upends Wildcats, 53-44
By LARRY HILLIARD Ledger Sports Editor larry@gaffneyledger.com

TRAVIS MILLER

Blacksburg boys basketball coach Travis Miller summed up his team's woes in a short sentence: "We can't score."

The Wildcats, who are shooting in the low 30s from the field for the season, couldn't find their scoring touch again in a 53-44 loss at home to region rival Carolina on Wednesday.

Blacksburg's offensive output was a point off its season scoring average.

"We are only scoring 45 points a game and giving up 57," Miller said. "We are playing good defense but we aren't making plays on the offensive end. We aren't setting real good screens and we are doing too much oneon one stuff."

Carolina led by two points at the end of the first quarter and expanded its lead to 30-22 at the break.

The Wildcats scored the first eight points of the third quarter to tie the game at 30, but they could never take the lead.

Carolina went on a fourth-quarter spurt to snap a 34-34 tie. Carolina sealed the game at the free throw line.

"We just couldn't get a defensive rebound or execute on the offensive end in the fourth quarter," Miller said.

Ken Littlejohn had 10 points to lead the Wildcats, who fall to 1-7 overall and 0-2 in region play.

Blacksburg will play Spartanburg Day at 6 p.m. in today's opening-round of the Substation II Christmas Tournament in Gaffney.

Spartanburg is led by 6-6, 230 lb. Austin Harper.

"He has a lot of offensive moves," Miller said.