Laurence Manning's Dennis leads Swampcats to crucial region wins on way to Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week

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The Laurence Manning boys basketball team entered last week looking to make a statement.

The Swampcats entered the week a game below .500 on the season and had two critical region games ahead, a home date with Hilton Head Christian before a trip to John Paul II. A pair of wins would put LMA in a great spot as they prepared to face off with Wilson Hall this week. Thanks in large part to Scoop Dennis, the 'Cats did just that.

The freshman guard averaged 18.5 points per game as Laurence Manning won both their region games in overtime alongside a win over Orangeburg Prep to cap off the week. His performance also helped Dennis earn recognition as the Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week.

"It's been really great," the freshman said of the support he's received from the LMA community.

Laurence Manning head coach Patrick Anderson was thrilled to see Dennis step up as a leader despite his age.

"We knew we had a big stretch of games, and to come out with two overtime wins there, that was huge. Scoop has been consistent throughout the season, so we know when we need a play, he's going to make it," Anderson said. "He's been a big leader for us, even though he's only a freshman."

Dennis felt like the week of games had a chance to highlight the cohesive unit they're building at Laurence Manning. The Swampcats went through a lot of transition in the last year with a new head coach and a ton of new players after the graduation of several starters and the loss of Shane Goines, who moved out of town.

"I feel like we've got the perfect pieces for the team. We've just been working together and trusting each other," Dennis said. "We've really found our roles and found who can do a lot for the team."

The freshman started the week with a bang, scoring 24 points in a 70-64 overtime victory. When some shots weren't falling around him, Dennis decided to take over and helped will the team to victory.

"Our shooters weren't really hitting, so my brother (Zy) and I just really had to go," Dennis said. "Our teammates trusted us to get to the rim and do big things for the team."

Dennis' versatility as an athlete really opened the door for an impressive game to open the week.

"It was a little bit of everything; he's a matchup problem a lot of the time," Anderson said of Dennis. "He's about 6'1", athletic, has a quick first step, and he was able to get to the rim when he needed to. When he's able to get to the rim, other things start to open up.

"That kinda sprung us forward into the next two games."

Anderson classified the win over John Paul II as a true team effort. The Swampcats had five players score at least nine points in a 59-56 overtime victory. Dennis scored 13 of those as the team's second-leading scorer.

"I think it's big for confidence with every individual player," Anderson said of the contributions across the board in the win. "Teams were starting to Box-and-1 Scoop early, and you can't really do that when we've got five guys on the court playing well and being threats."

In crunch time, the freshman stepped up, hitting four critical free throws down the stretch.

"My team gave good feedback to me and trusted me at the free throw line. I just took my time hitting the free throws. You practice that, and good things happen," Dennis said. "We just did really good things in late situations and hit some big shots. We've got some big-time shooters with Brentston Rembert and Charlie Duvall, who hit some big shots for the team."

Laurence Manning followed with a tough 61-59 win over Orangeburg Prep, avenging a 67-59 loss they suffered in their home opener on Dec. 3. Dennis led the way again with 19 points in the victory as LMA put a bow on a 3-0 week.

"I just felt really free, and my shots were hitting, so I just kept going," Dennis said. "My teammates were trusting me, so I just kept going and looking for the open shots for my team."

With the three victories, LMA jumped to 10-8 on the season and showed the consistency in play that Anderson has been seeking from his squad.

"It was big for us to be consistent through the week," the head coach said. "We might have one game and not play quite as hard the next day, so it was key for us to be consistent."

After a massive week, Dennis thinks the Swampcats proved that they're ready to compete with anyone on their schedule.

"Everybody doubted us and don't know the weapons we have," he said. "We've got good players on the team that can do really good things for us."

Of course, a week filled with snow can throw a wrench into carrying that momentum forward, but Dennis trusts that Anderson and the coaching staff will lead them down the right path.

"We're just trusting our coaching staff and going in the gym to work, getting ready for the games," he said.

Anderson definitely wasn't a fan of a bunch of time away from the court thanks to winter weather, but he's interested to see how his team responds, especially with a road trip to their rivals at Wilson Hall on Saturday.

"Not gonna lie, it's definitely worrisome coming off a week like that; I didn't really want a big break," Anderson said. "But it's continuing to focus on the little things we do to be successful, blocking out, playing good defense, eliminating turnovers, things like that. That's what's going to allow us to be successful moving forward."


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