WHITMIRE — The Newberry Academy boys’ basketball team raced out to a big first-quarter lead and cruised from there to a 57-45 victory at Whitmire Saturday.

The Eagles took a 16-7 advantage into the second quarter and led by as many as 16 on two different occasions in the first half.

Newberry Academy opened the second half on a 12-1 run to stretch its lead to 25.

Point guard Jamal Robateau drilled a pair of 3-pointers and added a bucket in the lane during that spurt. Robateau finished the game with a team-high 21 points.

“(Robateau’s) deceptively quick,” Newberry Academy coach Scott Gardner said. “He doesn’t look like he moves very fast. He’s just smooth.”

Newberry Academy held a 20-plus point lead for most of the second half, until Whitmire closed the game on a 14-3 spurt. The Wolverines lost their second game in as many nights. Whitmire dropped a key region game against Blacksburg Friday at home.

“At some point in time, you have to make a layup or a free throw when you get fouled so we can set our press.” Whitmire coach Eric Thompson said. “We were tired. It’s like the intensity’s not there.”

Jarrell Ruff-Smalls paced the Wolverines with 21 points, 13 coming in the fourth quarter. Blake Chick and Lamarcus Lindsay chipped in eight each. Newberry Academy’s Matt Bell finished with 12, while Daulton Halfacre added eight. The victory against Whitmire finished up a weekend sweep of games. The Eagles edged Laurens Academy 45-36 Friday at home. Robateau led Newberry Academy with 17 points.

“Last night against Laurens, I thought we put four quarters together, and I thought we did that again (against Whitmire),” Gardner said.

WCS girls hammer Eagles

The Whitmire girls’ basketball team cruised to a 53-24 victory against Newberry Academy Saturday.

Kim Geyer led the Wolverines with 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Lyndie McDaniel added 14 points.

Joycelynn Hopp chipped in 11, while Elaina Alcocer finished with 10.