Future Tar Heel Lawson Erupts--Again

For the 16th time in the history of the scrimmage, Hargrave and Oak Hill waged a friendly battle this week. While the teams split two 20-minute halves, Tywon Lawson was more consistent with 26 and 25 points in each stanza.

The book on Tywon Lawson now contains another chapter: The Hargrave Scrimmage.

Lawson, the nation’s top-ranked point guard, asserted himself last October when he and Kevin Durant starred during the annual tussle. This year, Lawson watched as Durant skipped off the Montrose and Oak Hill surrounded him with junior studs Michael Beasley and Nolan Smith. Regardless of whom his running mates are, Lawson always plays well in the scrimmage.

However, his 51 points on Tuesday against Hargrave left his coach scrambling for superlatives.

“It’s probably the best I’ve seen him play to be honest,” Oak Hill’s Steve Smith said. “This wasn’t a real game but it was against great, great competition. He was double-teamed, they pressed him full court man and they tried to trap him and that might have been their downfall. He takes that as a challenge.”

Lawson erupted for 51 points (15-21 FG, 6-10 3s, 15-16 FTs) as Oak Hill and Hargrave traded wins in a pair of 20-minute halves. Lawson also had 5 boards, 7 dimes, 7 steals and 4 turnovers.

“Tywon Lawson was incredible,” Hargrave coach Kevin Keatts said.

While Lawson was outstanding, the event provided a pair of strong teams (one post graduate and one prep powerhouse) to measure themselves against big time players early in the season while upholding a tradition dating back to 1990.

“The best thing that could have ever happened to both teams (was a split),” Keatts said. “We scored 64 points in the first half and we’re on a high. In the second half they go and score 61 points and we’re on a low. It’s a good thing because it shows that if you don’t come out and play teams can score against you.

“This was the most productive Hargrave-Oak Hill scrimmage you could have had. I don’t that in any other year the game will prepare us any better than this one has.”

Smith was equally fired up about the scrimmage. “We usually win a half and they win a half; it’s usually a one or two-point game. It was intense and different than most scrimmages because there was a good crowd and a lot of college coaches. It felt like a big game. It was a lot of fun and it was good for us.”

Source-InsideCarolina