The Inaugural Battle At The Beach Presented by Beach Realty certainly lived up to it’s billing, with the Hargrave Post-Graduate Tigers battling hosts Myrtle Beach High School on Friday night before taking on arch-rival Fork Union on Saturday. The weekend concluded with another big-time rivalry as the Post-Graduate team took on the Varsity team in a series of beach-related events for all the marbles.
Hargrave Military Academy 99, Myrtle Beach High School 60
Hargrave got off to a hot start and never looked back aginst host Myrtle Beach High School. Brandon Knapper and Naji Marshall paced a balanced scoring attack for the Tigers, pouring in 20 points and 17 points respectively, in limited action. Marshall also collected a team-high 8 rebounds and dished out a team high 4 assists in the contest. Jordan McKenzie spearheaded a suffocating defense that forced 40 turnovers with 5 steals, while Knapper added 4 of his own.
The Tigers saw 12 different players score in the game, as they once again eclipsed the 50% mark from the field as a team.
Hargrave Military Academy 83, Fork Union 80
In the year’s second match-up in this bitter rivalry, the #2 nationally ranked Tigers took on the #3 nationally ranked Blue Devils in the Battle at the Beach’s primetime slot. Behind massive performances from Brandon Knapper (30 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists), Braxton Beverly (23 points, 4 assists) and Naji Marshall (12 points, 14 rebounds, 3 steals), Hargrave was able to avenge their only loss on the season in dramatic fashion.
The game was tight from the get-go, with both teams living up to their national rankings in a true heavyweight slugfest. The Tigers were able to carve out a 2 point lead at halftime, a lead that ballooned to as many as 9 late in the second half before a late comeback attempt by Fork Union Fell Short.
Hargrave moves to 20-1 on the season with the two wins, and will be back in action Friday January 20th at the Toyota Classic in Georgetown, KY. Fork Union and Hargrave have the chance to meet again at the First Piedmont Tournament, hosted by Hargrave on February 24th and 25th.
