By Bru Nimmons
Sports Editor
bnimmons@thepccourier.com

CENTRAL — Coming off back-to-back losses at the Smoky Mountains Christmas Classic in Tennessee over the weekend, the Daniel High School basketball team looked like it was ready to get back on track with a 28-25 halftime lead over Easley during Monday’s DWD Christmas tournament opener.

Instead, the Lions were unable to maintain their first half tenacity in their fourth game in five days, as the Green Wave battled back to take a 57-50 win.

“I told our guys, and I have to take responsibility, but we really have to be tougher down the stretch,” Daniel head coach Ben Touchberry said. “They played harder, they got the 50-50 balls, they out rebounded us and they out executed us.”

While the Green Wave managed to spread the ball during the course of its second half surge, the inside-out play of 6’5” junior forward RJ Stack stood out as he went toe-to-toe with Daniel’s Morehead State bound big man Jackson Conley.

On the night, Stack scored game-high 17 points, including three three-pointers, while also adding nine rebounds and six blocks for the Wave. Stack effort was especially needed as the Green Wave were without leading scorer River Andrews and backup point guard Josiah Coleman for the tournament.

“We always knew he was able to do this,” Easley head coach Austin Anderson said. “To actually apply it and see this, it’s big time and we have to build off of it.”

Stack had five of his 17 points in the opening quarter, but it was the three-point shooting of Daniel’s James Epting and Emory McIntyre that allowed the Lions to build a 13-7 lead after one quarter.

Easley cut the lead to one point on an and-one basket by Logan Clark early in the second quarter, only for Conley to respond with two big baskets down low and two more threes from Epting and McIntyre help expand the lead to 28-18 with two minutes to go in the half. The Green Wave refused to quit though, scoring seven straight to end the period including five from Stack to cut the lead to 28-25 at halftime.

The Green Wave continued to cut into the lead in the third quarter until a three-pointer from Adrian Kominiarek gave them their first advantage since the opening quarter. Epting answered with a basket on the next Daniel possession, but the Wave continued chip away at the fading Lions and took a 40-38 lead into the fourth quarter.

Stack helped Easley build up to an eight point lead with four early points and his sixth block of the night. However, the Lions continued to fight with three-pointers from Epting and McIntyre keeping them within shouting distance. Daniel’s offense stalled from there and a late defensive lapse allowed Matthew Hillstock to put them away with an unguarded layup in the final minute as the Wave pulled out the 57-50 win.

“Tonight was disappointing because I just felt like we did a poor job of playing with the same passion and energy we had the last 10 games,” Touchberry said.

Following the loss, the Lions looked to get back on track in the third-place game against Westside. However, the Rams took down Daniel 73-59 to hand them their fourth straight loss going into the Christmas holiday.

Meanwhile, the short-handed Green Wave were unable to keep their momentum going into the tournament championship, falling to Seneca  83-61.