Beech High sophomore A.J. Robertson releases a 3-point shot over the outstretched arm of Stewarts Creek junior Tyler Conley. Robertson scored a game-high 23 points in the Buccaneers’ 70-50 victory.
Beech High senior Noah Chatman leans into a shot after drawing a foul from Stewarts Creek senior T.J. York during first-quarter action. Chatman scored 20 points.
Beech High sophomore Nelson Smith shoots a jumper after drawing contact from Stewarts Creek senior T.J. York during third-quarter action. Smith scored five points.
HENDERSONVILLE The Beech High boys basketball team wanted to make a good first impression for its home fans on Friday evening.
It didn’t take them long to do that as the Buccaneers scored the first 10 points en route to a 70-50 victory over visiting Stewarts Creek.
Sophomore guard A.J. Robertson poured in 23 points, including all five of the Buccaneers’ 3-pointers.
“He’s got to do that for us,” Beech head coach Darrin Joines said. “I feel like people try to take our post play away because we’re big, and he’s got to take those open shots for sure.”
Senior forward Noah Chatman did most of the damage inside, finishing with 20 points and 17 rebounds.
The Buccaneers (2-0) led 18-3 after the first quarter, with Chatman scoring 10 points in the opening period.
“We like to come out with energy from the tip and go from there,” Robertson said. “When you’ve got the first home game and a big crowd, you definitely like to get after it with lots of energy.”
However, it could have been a bigger first-half lead. Beech missed 10 of 17 free-throw attempts over the first two quarters.
“We missed (10) free throws in the first half, and we’re a pretty good-shooting free-throw team,” Joines said.
Robertson hit buzzer-beating 3-pointers at the end of each of the first two quarters, with the second one giving the Buccaneers a 27-15 lead at halftime.
“That’s kind of what we needed,” Joines said. “We were getting pretty good looks, and we’d kick it out and miss a shot.”
Robertson added, “Mostly, they played man-to-man (defense), so it was our job to move the ball and get open. I’m thankful for my teammates kicking the ball out to me.”
Stewarts Creek (0-1) pulled to within nine points (42-33) early in the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run, but the Buccaneers ended any notion of a comeback by scoring 11 of the next 16 points.
“It’s funny … sometimes you get up like that and a team gets scalded a little bit, and they come back,” Joines said. “(Stewarts Creek) played hard, and their (full-court) press bothered us. But I thought once we started attacking it, it was fine.”
T.J. York led the Red Hawks with 12 points, while Vince Floyd finished with 10 for Stewarts Creek.
Senior forward Caleb Walton also finished in double figures for the Buccaneers, scoring 10 points.
Beech will play a number of home games prior to two holiday tournaments, including their own event during the final week of December.
“We’ve got one more road game in the next eight or nine,” Joines said. “That’s good for this team, because we’re young.”
The Buccaneers will open the regular season by hosting West Creek on Tuesday evening.
Reach Chris Brooks at cbrooks@tennessean.com or at 615-575-7118. Follow him on Twitter @CB_SumnerSports.
STEWARTS CREEK (50) – T.J. York 12, Vince Floyd 10, Javontay Rollings 9, Tyler Conley 7, Desmond Sales 5, Daniel Freeman 3, Braydon Jackson 2, Jordan Rouse 2.
BEECH (70) – A.J. Robertson 23, Noah Chatman 20, Caleb Walton 10, Nelson Smith 5, Ben Buhrow 4, Joel Littlepage 3, Heath Pentecost 2, Drake Sanson 2, Ty Dean 1.
Half: 27-15, Beech. Three-point goals: Stewarts Creek 7 (Floyd 3, York 2, Rollings 1, Sales 1), Beech 5 (Robertson 5). Records: Stewarts Creek 0-1, Beech 2-0.