FROM STAFF REPORTS

sports@newstopic.net

Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute's men's basketball team could not overcome an offensive onslaught by visiting Sandhills Community College, falling 115-98 on Saturday afternoon in Hudson.

DeAndre McLaurin scored 22 points and led six other players in double figures for Sandhills CC (15-11), which avenged a four-point overtime loss to the Cobras two weeks earlier with its highest-scoring regulation game this season.

Three players -- Corey Rase, Germann Bostic and Clay Thorne -- had 16 points apiece, Nick Quigley 13, Carlton Rhone 12 and Joe Houpe 11 for Sandhills, which led 53-50 at the half, then outscored Caldwell CC&TI 62-48 over the final 20 minutes.

"We absolutely did not play defense," Cobras head coach Tim Cline said. "They had their way inside and outside with us. ... We were slow, and did not help each other on defense. It was probably our poorest performance defensively all season."

Octavius Robinson had a game-high 27 points for Caldwell CC&TI (15-6, 4-3 NJCAA Region 10), which fell into a tie for second place in the region standings with Southwest Virginia Community College.

Darius Curry added 18 points, Robert Shaw 16, Jordan Wright 13 and Chad Eppley 10 for the Cobras, who close out their three-game home stand on Tuesday night against rival Catawba Valley Community College. Game time is 7 p.m.