The Dillon Wildcats won the Farm Bureau Classic boys basketball tournament at Chesterfield High School on Saturday, December 28, with a 52-51 win over Marlboro County.

The Wildcats faced Eau Claire in the first round on Thursday, December 26, and earned a 63-48 win over the Shamrocks. Lawrence Crouch and Julius Saunders each scored 14 points to lead the Wildcats and Eri’Reon Hayes and Joe Manning each added eight points in the win.

The Wildcats advanced to face Anson County, North Carolina, on Friday, and the Bearcats took a 29-16 lead in the first quarter, but Dillon rallied in the second to outpace the Bearcats 23-16 to trail 45-39 at the half. The Wildcats kept up the pressure in the third quarter to go 24-15 and take a 63-60 lead and kept up the pace for a 20-14 fourth quarter and an 83-74 win.

Eri’Reon Hayes led the Wildcats with a career-high 35 points and Gabriel Salmon added 12 in the win. Avery McCall scored 10; Anthony Blue, 8; Sharif Myers, 2; Julius Saunders, 5; Tyrik McAllister, 7; C.J. Sowells, 2; and Jaquan Knowlin, 2.

Anson County was led by Jaqualyn Robinson with a team-high 14 points and Ervin Bennett with 11. William Smith, J’Maine Harris, and Devonta Teal each added nine points and Latrell Willoughby scored eight. Terrill Tillman added 4; Timothy Horne, 4; Deangelo Tyson, 2; Jerrell McNeill, 2; and Parrish Stevons, 2.

The Wildcats advanced to the championship game on Saturday where they took on Marlboro County and battled to a 52-51 win for the tournament title.

Dillon took a 13-12 lead in the first quarter and widened it with a 22-17 second to lead 35-29 at the half. But Marlboro tried to close the gap with an 11-8 third quarter and fell just one point short of tying the game, missing a final shot as time expired to go 11-9 in the fourth and allow the Wildcats to retain the win.

Eri’Reon Hayes scored a team-high 12 points and Julius Saunders and JaQuan Knowlin each added 11. Gabriel Salmon scored 7; Anthony Blue, 6; C.J. Sowells, 3; and Lawrence Crouch, 2.

Marlboro County’s Demetrius Knox scored a game-high 13 points and Hallis Larkins added nine. Fred Brown scored 7; Kijana Johnson, 6; Trey Woods, 5; Tylik Johnson, 4; Andre Underwood, 3; Anlonte Littles, 2; and Cameron Johnson, 2.

Dillon’s Julius Saunders was named the tournament MVP, and Eri’Reon Hayes and Anthony Blue were named to the All Tournament team.

The Wildcats improved to 8-2 with the wins and will be back in regular season action on January 7 in Latta at 6:00 p.m.