By By ROBERT HATFIELD, Daily Advance
CAMDEN -- Coach Mark Harnly's Camden Bruins relied on their solid core of senior players to down Southside 85-64 Wednesday night in the second round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Class 1-A playoffs.
Guard Darris Sawyer, in particular, played like a man possessed, scoring 32 points on lay-ups, baseline treys and foul shots. He was 14-for-17 from the foul line, including 8-for-8 in the fourth quarter.
The Bruins will play host to Plymouth Friday night in the sectional final. Harnly praised the play of his four seniors.
Brockett scored 10 for the Bruins, with Penny and Theriot each adding eight.
Penny also grabbed eight rebounds, while Jasper Sawyer had seven and Brockett six.
The two teams felt each other out in the early going before the Bruins scored 11 straight points -- nine from Sawyer -- to take a 15-8 lead. At the end of one, the Bruins led 20-12.
The second quarter saw the Seahawks, led by Nicquan Farrow and Travis Midgette, go blow for blow with the Bruins, pulling within four early in the second.
The Bruins, however, promptly gathered themselves and spread the ball around to take a 38-28 halftime lead. Southside got to within two when Farrow completed a three-point play from the foul line.
However, the Bruins outscored their guests 10-5 the remainder of the period to lead 56-49 after three.
Key shots from Penny and Jasper Sawyer early in the fourth highlighted a nine-point Camden run. Another streak midway through the fourth saw Darris score six straight points during an eight-point Bruins' run.
Farrow led Southside with 26 points.
SOUTHSIDE (64)
Blount 1, Reddick 2, Crawford 2, Farrow 26, Midgette 7, Mills 4, O'Neal 1, Simmons 6, Whitney 9, Williams 6.
CAMDEN COUNTY (85)
Meiggs 2, Brockett 10, Pennell 7, D. Sawyer 32, Dismukes 2, J. Sawyer 6, Theriot 8, Penny 8, Cook 5, Purvis 2, Hughes 1.
Southside 12 16 21 15 -- 64
Camden County 20 18 18 29 -- 85