No early hiccup for Wando Warriors

Last season, the Wando boys basketball team was one and done.

This season, the Warriors are a little wiser.

Wando opened the Class AAAA playoffs Wednesday night with a 62-52 victory over Dutch Fork. The homecourt victory gave the Warriors a 45-5 record over the past two seasons, but the one game that stands out was the first playoff game of last season. The Warriors were shocked and sent home when they fell to Ridge View, 57-51. The team's great season was up in smoke, a puff of hope dashed by defeat.

"We had an early exit last year," Wando coach David Eaton said. "Sometimes, it doesn't matter how

"Sometimes, it doesn't matter how good you have it, it can change in one game," said Wando coach David Eaton.

"What happened last year was in the minds of a lot of our players. We talked about what happened and how to avoid it. In the playoffs, it's a fresh start for everybody," Eaton added. "Every team has that mentality that they can beat anyone."

Dutch Fork entered the game with a 5-15 record, but played bigger than its record. Wando led 34-19 at halftime, and the visitors threatened to make it a game by cutting the margin to eight points at the end of three periods.

But the Warriors prevailed to advance to Saturday's second round. They host the winner of Beaufort and Orangeburg-Wilkinson.

All season long, the Warriors didn't have a player average in double figures. Wednesday, they had four players in double digits. Terrance Jenkins scored 16, while Josh Walker, Richie Alston and Elijah Legree chipped in with 10 each.

"We played aggressively on defense," Eaton said. "That created some opportunities at the other end of the court. Our guys were ready to play and the press paid off."

Dutch Fork (52): Chad Geter 14, Paul Bynoe 12, Markland 5, Poole 5, Tweito 5, Lloyd 3, Morgan 3, Berry 3, Winston 2.

Wando (62): Terrance Jenkins 16, Josh Walker 10, Richie Alston 10, Elijah Legree 10, Vanderhorst 6, Smalls 6, Kinloch 4.