Barnwell High senior point guard Edward Johnson said the team wanted to come out and make a statement against  Blackville-Hilda High.
Well, the message by Johnson and his teammates was received loud and clear by everyone Jan. 3 in the Barnwell High gymnasium.
Hoping to erase the not-so-fond memory of a two point loss in the team’s first meeting, the Warhorses were in complete command from start to finish in the rematch as they blew away their incounty rivals by a score of 64-41.
“We needed to get some redemption from our last encounter with Blackville,” Johnson said. “I thought we played really well tonight as a team. We had a good up tempo pace offensively. We pushed the ball on the fast break and created scoring opportunities in the paint.”
Barnwell High, which had leads of 12 and 14 points after quarters one and two, extended their advantage to 62-38 with 3:18 left to play.
Blackville-Hilda High’s inability to contain Barnwell High senior center Phazahn Odom in the paint was a big factor in the outcome. Odom almost singled-handedly grounded the Hawks. He finished with a game high 17 points on seven-of nine shooting in the paint. Odom also tallied 15 rebounds and five blocked shots.
Barnwell High head coach Michael Highsmith said the team found its rhythm early against Blackville-Hilda.
“Great overall team effort. We came out aggressive on offensive and defense,” Highsmith said. “Offensively, our guards penetrated and created easy shots in the paint. Defensively, we put a lot of pressure on their ball handlers and shooters.”
Johnson and Trenton Elmore joined Odom with double-double performances on the night. Johnson finished with 11 points, 10 assists and nine steals. Elmore had his best game of the season with 12 points, 10 boards, three steals and  a blocked shot.
Others scoring were Farris Nickens with six points. Shyhiem Badger contributed five points and two assists. Mark Riley had four points and Devonta Dunbar had a three-pointer.
The Hawks’ top offensive player was Roderick Kearse with 13 points. Dwayne Prophet had nine points. Roderick Smith scored eight points and J’Lan Johnson added five points.