NEWBERRY — The first Bennie Bennett Holiday Classic was held from Tuesday to Thursday of last week on the campuses of both Newberry High School and Batesburg-Leesville High School.
The Bulldog boys went 2-1 in the tournament and took third place honors on Thursday with a 77-74 overtime victory.
The tournament began in the Scott Gym on Tuesday. Newberry defeated 4A St. James High from Murrells Inlet, 54-38.
Robert Houston and Terrell Rogers led the Newberry scoring with 10 points each while Tyriq Goodman scored six.
The trio of Derrick Scurry, PJ Wright, and Pat Paul scored five points apiece, Zay Chalmers (4), Jaleel Gilliam (3), while the scoring for Newberry on Tuesday ended with the two points of Darius Stephens-York, Tramas Ruff, and Ny Downing.
On Wednesday, Newberry fell into the consolation bracket after being defeated 65-55 by 5A Clover.
Rogers led the Newberry scoring with 15 points, followed by the 11 points of Goodman, and the 10 points of Chalmers.
Scurry scored seven points, Wright (6), while the Newberry scoring was rounded out with the two points apiece of Stephens-York, Ruff, and Downing.
Thursday saw the conclusion of the tournament with all four games played in the Scott Gym.
Newberry trailed region foe Clinton after each of the first three quarters, 16-15, 32-21, and 49-42 respectively.
Winning both the field shot category, nine-to-six, and the converted free-throw category, eight-to-seven, Newberry forced a four-minute overtime the score tied at 70-70 at the end of regulation.
Foul trouble plagued Clinton in the overtime period and one of three Red Devils with four fouls in the game, who ended the night with 40 points, fouled out with about two minutes to go.
Newberry also won the field shot and converted free throw categories in the overtime period, two-to-one and three-to-two respectively.
Goodman scored 12 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Newberry scoring.
Wright, who was named to the all-tournament team, converted five consecutive free-throws in the fourth quarter and ended the night with 17 points.
Chalmers, Lamarcus Moore and Scurry scored seven points apiece, Paul scored six, Houston (5), Gilliam (4), and Rogers had three points to round out the Newberry scoring.
Newberry, 3-6, will host Ninety Six on Tuesday.