After nearly two months away from action, the Marlboro County High basketball team had a lot of rust to brush off as they hosted Manning Tuesday night.
Fortunately for the Bulldogs, the Monarchs were just as mistake-prone. Marlboro survived a late Manning rally for a 57-54 win in the region opener for Marlboro.
"There were a lot of turnovers, fouls and missed free throws by both teams. With just a few practices to get things back together, its not surprising," said MCHS head coach LaTroy Brace.
"The boys battled through a tough game and we pulled out the win to start the region play. It was ugly but we'll take it. We needed the competition and a tight game to keep us humble," he said.
Manning started the game with a two-point advantage as the Bulldogs were called for a technical foul before tip-off. It was the first of many trips to the free throw line that the players would make during the evening.
After a slow start, the Bulldogs finally took the lead on a three-pointer by senior guard Devonta Oliver with 4:30 left in the period.