Patriots Hang on to Top Flyers

Sandhills Community College came up just short in a hard-fought road battle Wednesday night, falling 94–91 to Patrick & Henry Community College.

The Flyers trailed 51–46 at the half but responded with a strong second-half push, outscoring the Patriots 45–43 over the final 20 minutes. Despite the late surge, Sandhills couldn't quite close the gap in the final moments.

Zack Noel delivered a standout performance, leading all scorers with 27 points while shooting an efficient 11-of-13 from the field. Noel also controlled the glass with a game-high 14 rebounds to complete a dominant double-double. Isaiah Upchurch added 24 points, attacking the basket consistently and going 10-for-12 from the free throw line.

Amarie Liburd chipped in 10 points and 10 rebounds, giving the Flyers another double-double, while Titus Cunningham provided a spark off the bench with eight points, including a pair of three-pointers. Kendall Smith added seven points for the Flyers.

Sandhills finished the night shooting 45.2 percent from the field and grabbed 39 rebounds. 

The Flyers will close out the regular season at home this weekend, hosting Mt. Zion on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m., followed by the final Region 10 contest of the season on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. against Camp Community College.

Sandhills will then host the Region 10 Championship Tournament the weekend of February 20–22, with the tournament champion advancing to the District Tournament the following weekend, February 27-29, 2026, hosted by Region 20. Tournament action in The Hangar is scheduled as follows:

Friday, February 20, 2026
7 p.m. – Quarterfinal Game (No. 5 seed vs. No. 4 seed)

Saturday, February 21, 2026
1 p.m. – Semifinal 1 (Winner of 4/5 vs. No. 1 seed)
3 p.m. – Semifinal 2 (No. 3 seed vs. No. 2 seed)

Sunday, February 22, 2026
1 p.m. – Championship Game (Winners of the semifinal games)