(Dancler, pictured in the spring of 2021, scored 26 points in the win)

 

Southport made the quick trip to Beech Grove on Wednesday night for a non-conference game. As expected, it was a competitive game throughout.

 

Beech Grove started the game well with an Adrian Holland three, followed by an Anthony Ball score inside, and an offensive rebound putback from Jaleel Edwards pushed the Hornets to a 7-3 lead. Turnovers bugged Southport early, which continued for most of the game.

 

The Cardinals finished the first quarter with a spurt. Shane Handlon came off the Southport bench for a three-pointer, and Nickens Lemba scored on a putback.

 

The match-up between Lemba and his former Southport teammate Ball heated up in the second quarter. Lemba and Ball battled in the paint and attacked offensive rebounds with tenacity. Ball racked up eight points and eight rebounds in the opening half compared to six and six for Lemba.

 

Each time Southport looked like it could blow the game open, turnovers reared its head. Beech Grove took advantage of the errors in the second period, thanks to Ball and Damon Thompkins. After trailing by seven early in the quarter, Thompkins connected on a three-pointer, then Ball scored twice to give the Hornets a 23-22 lead.

 

AJ Dancler and Keyon Miller closed the first-half scoring with three-pointers for Southport. That duo combined for 16 first-half points but proved even more formidable in the second half.

 

Southport’s Donte McDonald buried two three-pointers in the third to help the Cardinals take a 12-point advantage. However, Ball kept Beech Grove in the game thanks to his scoring and rebounding. The junior forward scored eight points in the stanza to keep the Hornets within striking distance.

 

Jeremiah Alexander and Jeremiah Tate also played a significant part in Beech Grove’s 10-2 run to finish the third. Alexander contributed in multiple areas as a playmaker and defender.

 

Early in the fourth, Ball scored on a putback to pull Beech Grove within 45-43 of Southport. But Miller answered for the Cardinals. The junior guard scored on the following three Southport possessions. His final bucket of the stretch was a three-pointer to give Southport a 52-48 advantage.

 

Dancler scored at the 3:11 mark to push Southport’s lead to six, and the Hornets never made it a one-possession game from there.

 

Dancler and Miller scored all 19 fourth-quarter points for Southport. Dancler scored the final ten, including 8-8 from the foul line.

 

Southport won 62-53.

 

Dancler finished with 26 points, five rebounds, five steals, and two assists. Miller added 16 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals. McDonald tallied nine points, and Lemba recorded eight points, nine rebounds, three steals, and three blocks.

 

Ball led Beech Grove with 20 points and 18 rebounds. He was 9-10 from the floor with 11 offensive rebounds in 26 minutes of playing time. Alexander contributed nine points and four assists, while Tate scored nine points. Thompkins finished with eight points.

 

Beech Grove grabbed 16 offensive rebounds compared to Southport’s five. Each team turned the ball over frequently – 16 for Beech Grove and 15 for Southport. The Cardinals only had five second-half turnovers, though.

 

Southport moved to 8-6, while Beech Grove dropped to 7-5. The Cardinals have won seven of their last eight games.