C.J. Cox nets 21 to help Loris top Georgetown

GEORGETOWN, SOUTH CAROLINA – C.J. Cox was a standout football player for Loris.

He’s not too bad on the hardwood either.

Cox muscled his way for 21 points, helping lead the seventh-ranked Lions to a decisive, 68-53, win over Georgetown in Region 7-AAA action Friday night.

The 6-foot, 215-pound senior consistently attacked the rim, making difficult reverse layups and other shots as the Lions won their fourth game in a row and improved their chances of finishing second in the region.

To the two-sport athlete, it was pretty simple.

“With the help of my teammates,” Cox said. “Just working on the chemistry we have. It helps us.”

On a night when the Lions missed several layups, weren’t particularly effective from outside and turned over the ball fairly often, Cox gave them a jolt. Cox was a lineman on the football team and led the Lions with 24 tackles for loss. He has the look of a linebacker and this strength served him well Friday night. That also wasn't out of the ordinary. Cox is the team’s third-leading scorer.

“He played hard,” said Loris coach Adrian Gray. “What he brought to the table tonight as a senior was big for us. He made some big buckets tonight when we needed them.”

Cox got plenty of help from his friends. LaOntray Knox scored 11 points while Duke Bellamy and Justin Bellamy each had 10.

The Lions are now 14-3 overall and 6-2 in the region with two games remaining. They're now in sole possession of second place since Dillon lost to Manning.

Georgetown slipped to 5-17 overall and 1-7 in the region, tough the Bulldogs were pesky enough to stay within shouting distance until early in the fourth quarter. It was an eight-point game with 6:24 left.

“We played sloppy,” Gray said. “That had a lot to do with their defense. They’re a good defensive team.”

Ean Mitchell led Georgetown with 13 points while Ty Stanley had 11 and Joshua Greene 10.

Loris never trailed. The Lions burst out of the gate quickly, scoring the first eight points and led 17-6 after one quarter.

But the Bulldogs hung in there and started connecting on some 3-pointers while Georgetown’s offense sputtered. It was 22-18 after Greene hit one from downtown. Loris led by eight at halftime.

Loris finally created some space when Justin Bellamy hit a layup for a 50-37 lead. But Greene made a jumper at the buzzer to the end the third quarter. The Bulldogs crept closer when Yasir Strickland’s three-point play made it 52-45 in the first minute of the fourth quarter.

Just seconds after he was whistled for an offensive foul, Cox drove the baseline for a nifty reverse layup and the Lions led 60-50 with 4:32 remaining. About 20 seconds later, Cox was fouled inside and made both free throws for an 11-point lead.

Time was becoming a factor, too. After another Georgetown turnover, Loris went into a delay game. And that produced one of the game’s slickest plays. Duke Bellamy dribbled all over the place for close to a minute, found a crease and drove the middle of the lane for a layup. That extended the Lions’ lead to 64-51 with two minutes to go and it was clear they were safe.

“We locked in and focused,” Cox said. “Then we did what we do.”

Loris hosts region leader Manning on Monday. Georgetown is at Aynor on Tuesday.