After an off-season with a change at the top, new Head Coach J.J. Merritt and the Chargers were excited to get the 2019-20 season underway. However, they had a tough task ahead of them in taking on the 18th-ranked USC-Salkehatchie Indians on the road in Wilmington, NC. The Chargers fell behind by 10 points early and spent the rest of the game fighting their way back. Behind Trevin Wade’s 13 points, the Chargers were able to cut the lead to 7 at halftime, trailing 31-38. The men continued to fight hard in the second half and tied the score 88-88 at the end of regulation, forcing overtime. In overtime, the Chargers just could not sustain the second-half momentum. They came up just short, falling 102-98. In spite of the tough loss, Coach Merritt was encouraged by his team’s effort. “We lost a hard-fought game today but I am super proud of my guys’ effort. They didn’t give up despite being down 10 early. Trevin Wade and Jamal Burke were monsters for us and a lot of other guys contributed as well. I’m looking forward to getting back on the court tomorrow with this team.”
Trevin Wade led all scorers with 33 points. Jamal Burke also played well in his GHC debut, scoring 15 points. Last year’s GCAA Freshman of the Year, Carl Johnson, chipped in 13. Langston Wilson added 11 and Cahiem Brown, returning from a foot injury that cost his most of last year, rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10. The Indians were led by recent St. John’s University commit, Vince Cole’s 26 points and 18 from Mardrez McBride.
The Chargers will remain in Wilmington for one more day as they return to action tomorrow (11/2) against Spartanburg Methodist. Tip-off is at 1:00PM. Make sure you follow GHC Athletics on Facebook (GHC Athletics) and Twitter (@GHC_Athletics) to keep up with all the Charger action this season.