Forestview boys survive spirited South Point rally

GASTONIA — After blowing nearly all of a 23-point lead, Forestview had to return to what worked early.

“I think we started attacking again,” said Catrell Boyd, who scored 20 points and helped the Jaguars reclaim control late in a 73-64 home win over South Point on Thursday.

South Point (9-8, 4-6 Big South 3A Conference) made it a three-point game early in the fourth only to watch Forestview (11-7, 8-1) pull away for its fourth straight win.

Preston Holmes and Jack Sumner added 11 points each for the Jaguars, who expended more energy than they would have liked on the second of three straight game nights. Wintry weather and school cancellations left Forestview with a less-than-desirable schedule this week, but the Jaguars won at North Gaston on Wednesday and survived Thursday to set up Friday's home showdown against rival Ashbrook.

Forestview opened a double-digit lead early in the second quarter and appeared to be cruising until South Point showed life midway through the third quarter trailing 48-25.

The Red Raiders hit the boards hard on the defensive end and got their transition game working to the tune of a 17-4 run to end the third.

“We showed a little more heart than we showed the first half,” South Point coach Steve Barkley said. “A little more hustle.”

Six South Point players scored during the stretch, which cut the Red Raiders’ deficit to 10 entering the final frame. After scoring on three straight layups to start the fourth, South Point made it 54-51 on Ramon Costner’s 3 with 6:14 to go.

Boyd scored inside on the other end, DeJuan Means scored on a putback two possessions later, Preston Holmes hit a 3 and Chris Johnson tapped in a miss to cap a 9-0 Forestview run that put the game back out of reach.

“I didn’t think we played a good second half,” Forestview coach Dan Ghent said. “I thought we played a good first half, played with good intensity, and then let them take the initiative in the second half.”

Christian Lawrence and Jarrett Thorpe scored 19 apiece for South Point. Thorpe’s total marked a season high.

Forestview got a boost from Means, who played for the second straight night after returning from a two-month absence with a broken foot. Means, the team’s second-leading scorer (13.0 ppg) and top rebounder (7.2 rpg) a year ago, clearly wasn’t full strength but still managed to score nine points.

Ghent rated Means at 70 percent his usual self but hopes he’s full speed by the playoffs.

“We’re trying to gradually work him back in,” Ghent said. “But DeJuan at 70 percent is better than an awful lot of people.”

Means, who broke his foot in the Dec. 2 game at Butler, feared the worst when an opponent stepped on the back of his injured foot late in the fourth. Officials stopped the game momentarily as Means lay on the court, but he walked off on his own power and returned to the game shortly.

SP      11 7 24 22 — 64

F         19 18 15 21 — 73

SOUTH POINT (64) — Christian Lawrence 19, Jarrett Thorpe 19, Ramon Costner 7, Quinton Reeves 6, Patrick Truesdale 4, Taylor Williams 4, Shane Merrill 3, Justice Watkins 2.

FORESTVIEW (73) — Catrell Boyd 20, Preston Holmes 11, Jack Sumner 11, DeJuan Means 9, Tyshem Sharpe 9, Calvin Johnson 7, Chris Johnson 6.