10th-ranked Gilbert girls win eighth consecutive game

With Hope on the sidelines, the Gilbert girls’ basketball team continued its near-perfect start Dec. 12 at home.

The 62-8 rout of Pelion was the Lady Indians’ eighth straight win and improved them to 8-1 under first-year head coach Alisha Hope. A home win Dec. 16 against winless Fox Creek will allow Gilbert to match last year’s victory total.

“I think these girls are just playing together right now,” Hope said. “Spending their work and time in the summertime just doing skill development and it’s just showing right now.”

Leading scorer Taylor Spencer had 25 points and was one of three Gilbert players to either match or surpass the Lady Panthers’ point total. Ahleira Leaphart added 16 points, eight in the first quarter, and Chanelle Adams finished with eight.

“She's phenomenal,” said Hope about Spencer. “She's coachable. She passes the ball when needed, takes the open shot and finishes well around the rim.”

Hope believes the team chemistry developed from having played with each other the past 4-5 years has propelled the quick start. As the Lady Indians look ahead to Region 5-3A matchups against “aggressive” teams like Orangeburg-Wilkinson and Lower Richland, Hope said Gilbert will look to study film to see how to defeat those traditional powers.

Boys basketball

Gilbert 59, Pelion 47

A 20-6 run to end the first half spurred by three-point shooting helped the Indians (2-7) build an insurmountable lead over the Panthers.

Laquenton Etheredge scored 10 of his game-high 18 points during the second quarter. He had two of Gilbert’s nine, three-pointers, with Oscar Gould scoring all 12 of his points on four made baskets from behind the arc, and Aiden Barefoot finished with 10 points.

Despite trailing as many as 20 points in the second half, Pelion rallied to within eight points in the fourth quarter. Noah Pegues had 10 points and Luke New and Jaiden Myers each scored eight as the Panthers outscored the Indians 17-12 in the final stanza.

Pelion (3-5) travels to Blackville-Hilda Dec. 14, while the Gilbert boys travel to Mid-Carolina.

Carolina Forest 65, Brookland-Cayce 61

The Bearcats suffered their first loss of the season.