The CCU Basketball program has captured a lot of attention the past week, and not because of its outstanding on-court performance, but due to allegations of possible recruiting violations.

Consider This: Cam Newton, quarterback for College Football's National Champion Auburn Tigers and certainly a first round NFL draft pick, was hounded this past fall by allegations of wrongdoing. However, we still don't know if those accusations are true because the NCAA works slowly and methodically, and rightfully so, before releasing the results of an investigation. It will follow the same process with CCU so don't expect any additional information until late summer or early fall.

Read the full story at http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/14155607/consider-this-ccu-basketball

Over 140 collegiate golfers hit the green at the Barefoot Resort in North Myrtle Beach for the Barefoot at the Beach Collegiate Women's Golf Tournament. The tournament is actually organized and sponsored by the Lowcountry's College of Charleston. This is the first year that the tournament has been held at Barefoot in the North Strand, but it stands as a testament to growing sports tourism in the greater Myrtle Beach area.

"It helps expose Myrtle Beach to people who wouldn't have exposure to it," said Lew Gach, a golf official and Dean of Golf Academy of America. "We have a lot of visitors and a lot of spectators as well. It gives them an opportunity to play Myrtle Beach and hopefully they'll come back."

Read the full story at http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/14198628/golf-tournament-brings-tourism-newcomers-to-the-north-strand

North Myrtle Beach, SC-With the end of the regular season in sight, the Chiefs and Lady Chiefs are battling hard against region opponents for the top spot in playoff brackets. With wins against Wilson High and Georgetown High, the Lady Chiefs are now 6-2 in region play, while the Chiefs are now 5-3 in Region VIII-AAA with a loss to Wilson and a win against Georgetown High this past week.

Allman Scores Thirty to Put Lady Chiefs Past Wilson

On Tuesday, February 1st, the Lady Chiefs traveled to take on the Wilson High Lady Tigers. North Myrtle Beach outscored the Lady Tigers 18-12 in the first quarter and stayed ahead 35-27 at halftime. Wilson pulled closer the Lady Chiefs in the third quarter, but North Myrtle built on their 47-42 lead to take the win 69-58. The Lady Chiefs were hot during the first half, shooting 54% from the floor. They cooled down in the second half with a 32% shooting percentage, but still managed to shot 42% for the game. Taylor Allman led the Lady Chiefs on both sides of the ball with 30 points, while India Farmer completed a double-double with 19 points and 16 rebounds. Jaquella Livingston grabbed another 11 rebounds for the Lady Chiefs.

The Lady Chiefs kept things rolling that week with a win at home against the Georgetown High Lady Bulldogs on Friday, February 4th. The Lady Chiefs played well again in the first half, building a 19-32 lead despite shooting just 37%. North Myrtle Beach seemed to ease off in the third quarter, allowing the Lady Bulldogs to outscore them 15-11 in the third quarter. However, the Lady Chiefs hung on for the 53-61 win. The Lady Chiefs maintained their lead throughout the game, but shot just 28% in the second half. Taylor Allman and India Farmer again led the Lady Chiefs in the scoring column with 16 and 13 points, respectively. Kendricka Bellamy kept the ball in North Myrtle Beach hands with ten rebounds and five steals. The Lady Chiefs are now 17-5 overall.

Chiefs Can't Keep Up with Wilson, but Win Big Against Bulldogs

The Chiefs were missing Dylan Poston's usual performance while facing their biggest region challenge on Tuesday night, the Wilson High Tigers. The Chiefs fell way behind early after being outscored 10-27 in the first quarter. The second quarter wasn't much better, as the Tigers built up a 21-48 lead by halftime. The Chiefs fought back in the third, but that wasn't enough to make up for their 24% shooting percentage in the first half. North Myrtle managed to shoot 51% in the second half, but Wilson held on for a 54-87 win. Timmy Bellamy and Jaquan Grissett combined for 23 points, while Temarrick Hemingway came off the bench to score 16. Rodrick Hemingway had ten rebounds for the Chiefs.

Friday night was a much different story, as North Myrtle Beach hosted the Georgetown High Bulldogs in another region matchup. North Myrtle jumped out in the first half, building a 22-37 lead after shooting a solid 42%. Neither team could get the baskets to fall in the second half, but the Chiefs did manage to stretch their first half lead, taking the win 36-56. The Chiefs scored just 19 in the second half, making just 29% of their shots. Dylan Poston and Temarrick Hemingway each scored 15 for the Chiefs, and Hemingway controlled the boards with 14 rebounds. Jaquan Grissett added another 11 points for North Myrtle Beach. The Chiefs are now 14-8 overall.

The Chiefs and Lady Chiefs will finish region play this week, hosting Socastee High on February 8th at 6 pm and traveling to take on Myrtle Beach High on February 10th. Come out and support North Myrtle Beach basketball!

As the XLV Super Bowl approaches, Pittsburgh Steeler fans are preparing for the main event. Many Pittsburgh natives and other hard-core Steeler supporters have migrated to the Myrtle Beach vicinity. Sixty percent of the Myrtle Beach population is composed of Steeler fans. Each fan has their unique way of ensuring a Steeler victory, by performing rituals before and during the championship game.

"I will only watch the game on the T.V. in my kitchen because that is where I watched the play-off game between the Steelers and the Jets," said Scott, a North Myrtle Beach mailman and long time Steeler fan. Viewing the game on another T.V. could jinx his favorite team.

Although one Barefoot Resort homeowner has a whole room dedicated to the Steelers, he still has to watch the Super Bowl at Oscars Sports Bar in North Myrtle Beach. He said it would be bad luck to watch the Steelers anywhere else! Besides overflowing with Steeler Memorabilia, Oscar's Food and Spirits is painted black and gold on the outside and has become a haven for Steeler fans.

Another couple, who reside in Little River, must sit in the same chair and eat cheese nachos while yelling "Go Steelers" at five minute intervals. They also wear matching shirts and hats.

One North Myrtle Beach family is going to have a Super Bowl party in their home, but follows certain steps to guarantee a Steeler win. First, they hang a Steeler flag on the outside of their house and decorate their mailbox with black and gold streamers. Next, the inside of their house is decorated with Steeler signs. Finally, they all put on a favorite players jersey and drink IC Light or Iron City Beer, waving terrible towels. Terrible towels are small gold dish towels twirled around by excited Steeler followers.

Stories about Steeler fans and their traditions are endless.

Whether you love or hate the Pittsburgh Steelers, their fans have to be admired. Call them superstitious or compulsive, but don't try and change them. Win or lose, they support their black and gold team!

North Myrtle Beach, SC-After dropping two games in one week to region opponents, the North Myrtle Beach varsity basketball team came soaring back with two wins, including a crushing defeat of Socastee High. The Lady Chiefs split this week, defeating Socastee but suffering a close loss to St. James High.

Socastee Braves No Match for Chiefs

The large majority of the Chiefs' wins this basketball season have come from close games, but that wasn't the case on Tuesday, January 25th, when the Chiefs traveled to take on the Socastee High Braves. In the first quarter the Braves hung in, leading the Chiefs 11-12 heading into the second quarter. From that point on, it was all about the Chiefs. North Myrtle Beach built up a 31-20 lead by the half, and the Braves only fell farther behind in the second half. The Chiefs' lead grew to 47-27 by the end of the third, and by the end of the game the final score was 61-33, a blowout. North Myrtle Beach improved offensively over the course of the game, shooting 40% in the first half and 54% in the second. Offensively, Temarrick Hemingway led the Chiefs with 14 total points and a double-double performance. Timmy Bellamy and Davis Trussell weren't far behind with twelve and ten points, respectively. Dylan Poston worked well on both sides of the ball, scoring nine points and grabbing 11 defensive rebounds.
Judging by the first quarter, the Chiefs seemed as if they were going to cruise past the St. James Sharks on Saturday, January 29th. While they were able to hang on for the 71-67 win, the game stayed pretty close with eight lead changes. The Chiefs jumped ahead 28-18 in the first quarter, before the Sharks fought back to make the score 44-39 by the half. The Chiefs lost their lead by the end of the third quarter, but outscored the Sharks 15-11 in the final quarter to take the win. The Chiefs shot well in the first half, making 44% of their shots. The second half was a different story as the Chiefs shot a poor 35%. Dylan Poston had an amazing night, scoring 34 total points. Jaquan Grissett added another 15 points, while Temarrick Hemingway controlled the boards with 15 rebounds, 12 of which were defensive.

Sharks Edge Lady Chiefs After Third Quarter Boost

When the Lady Chiefs traveled to take on Socastee this past Tuesday, they meant business. North Myrtle Beach took the lead in the first half and never looked back. The Lady Chiefs held the Lady Braves to just three points in the first quarter, jumping out to an 11-3 lead. Things evened out in the second quarter, but the Lady Chiefs managed to extend their lead 29-17 by the half. The Lady Braves were again held to single digit points in the third quarter as they were outscored 12-5 by North Myrtle Beach. The Lady Chiefs stayed out in front for a 53-36 win. North Myrtle Beach shot 44% in the first half, but just barely made one in five shots during the second half. Taylor Allman led the Lady Chiefs in scores with 16 total points. Jaquella Livingston had 11 rebounds, while India Famer had nine points and nine rebounds. With 25 steals, the Lady Chiefs did a great job of generating 29 points off of turnovers.

Next up for the Lady Chiefs were the St. James Lady Sharks on Saturday night. The Lady Chiefs controlled the game during the first half, building a 32-25 lead. That all changed in the third quarter when the Lady Sharks outscored North Myrtle Beach by ten points, surging ahead 41-44. The Lady Chiefs went point-for-point with St. James during the fourth quarter, but the Lady Sharks hung on to win 55-58. Three Lady Chiefs hit double digits in the scoring column; Taylor Allman scored 17 points, and Jaquella Livingston and India Farmer added another 12 apiece. Allman also contributed five steals, while Farmer had 11 rebounds.

The Chiefs and Lady Chiefs will travel to take on Wilson High on Tuesday, February 1st. After that, they will return home to play Georgetown High on February 4th. Both the Chiefs and Lady Chiefs currently hold a 4-2 region record. Come out and support North Myrtle Beach basketball!

It took double overtime to settle the game between the North Myrtle Beach varsity basketball team and the Georgetown Bulldogs on Tuesday, January 18th. The first half was back and forth, but the Bulldogs gained a 26-29 lead going into the third quarter. After outscoring the Bulldogs 15-10 in the third, the Chiefs seemed to be on their way to their second region win. Unfortunately, Georgetown battled back and took things into overtime. The Chiefs hung on during the first overtime, matching the Bulldogs' four points. However, Georgetown edged North Myrtle Beach in the second overtime, bringing the final score to 61-63. Dylan Poston had an outstanding performance, scoring 25 for the Chiefs. Jaquan Grissett added another 11, while Timmy Bellamy scored 10. Temarrick and Rodrick Hemingway worked together under the basket, combining for 23 rebounds.

On Friday, January 21st, the Chiefs scored 66 points against the Myrtle Beach Seahawks. Fifty-six of those points came from just three players. The Chiefs jumped out to an early 7-17 lead in the first quarter, but things quieted down in the second. Going into the second half with a 21-27 lead, the Chiefs were able to control the Seahawks and take the win, 57-66. North Myrtle Beach shot well in the second half, making 53% of their shots. Much of their second-half points came from the line, where the Chiefs scored a surprising 19 points off of fouls. Dylan Poston scored 24 points for the Chiefs, while Jaquan Grissett and Timmy Bellamy each added another 16. Temarrick Hemingway kept the ball in Chief hands with 13 defensive rebounds.

Lady Chiefs Win Big Over Bulldogs, Can't Handle Myrtle Beach

Things went pretty consistently for the Lady Chiefs when they traveled to take on the Georgetown Lady Bulldogs on Tuesday night. North Myrtle Beach outscored Georgetown in all four quarters, holding them to just five points in the third. After shooting 45% in the first half, the Lady Chiefs had built up a 28-22 lead. North Myrtle Beach matched their first-half shooting percentage in the second, stretching their lead to a final score of 61-38. The Lady Chiefs' strengths for the night included their scoring around the basket and points coming from the bench, due largely in part to Taylor Allman, who scored 18 points despite being left out of the starting lineup. India Farmer completed a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds on the night. Sharissa Chestnut added another 9 points for the Lady Chiefs.

Despite their performance against Georgetown, the Lady Chiefs had a rough time against the Myrtle Beach Lady Seahawks, a team with more than one state championship under their belts. In the same way that the Lady Chiefs took control in each quarter during their game against Georgetown, the Lady Seahawks never let up, jumping out to a 22-11 lead after the first quarter. While North Myrtle Beach managed to shoot 35% in the first half, Myrtle Beach shot 60% and stretched their lead to 39-19 by the half. The second half didn't go any better for the Lady Chiefs, who ended up losing 71-33. The Lady Seahawks scored the majority of their points, 46, under the basket, while North Myrtle Beach had just eight points in the paint. Kendricka Bellamy was the only Lady Chief who seemed to have any success against Myrtle Beach's defense, scoring 12 points.

The Chiefs and Lady Chiefs are away this week, facing Socastee High on the 25th and St. James High on Friday, January 28th. Come out and support your North Myrtle Beach Chiefs!
 

North Myrtle Beach, SC-With such strong senior athletes and such a successful season, it's no surprise that many of the Lady Chiefs were featured in this year's "Toast of the Coast" volleyball selection, which honors the best high school players from around the Grand Strand. Out on the basketball court, the Chiefs and Lady Chiefs went 1-1 for the week.

Jones Named Volleyball Player of the Year

For the second season in a row, the Toast of the Coast Volleyball Player of the Year award has been given to a North Myrtle Beach player. Senior Grace Jones was given the honor due to her spectacular season and the role she played in leading the Lady Chiefs to the lower state championship match. But for Jones, this certainly isn't anything new. In fact, after this year's season she was named the Region AAA-VIII Player of the Year, a Class AAA All-State selection, and a North-South All-Star selection. With such a great team behind her, it's no wonder that Jones wasn't the only Lady Chief mentioned in the Toast of the Coast selections. Seniors Megan Johnson and Haley Thomas were also selected for the Toast of the Coast team. As a setter, and last year's Toast of the Coast Player of the Year, Johnson had 734 assists this season. As an outside hitter, Thomas had 254 kills. Congratulations to the Lady Chiefs for an excellent season!

North Myrtle Beach, SC-With region play underway, the North Myrtle Beach girls' and boys' varsity basketball teams are now vying for a spot in the 2011 AAA state playoffs. This past week, the Lady Chiefs came out strong with wins over both Wilson and St. James High. On the other hand, the boys met their match against Wilson High, who was predicted to be their biggest competition within Region VIII.

Fifty-four, Lucky Number for the Lady Chiefs

On Friday, January 14th, the North Myrtle Beach Lady Chiefs hosted the Wilson High Lady Tigers, a team new to Region VIII. In terms of shooting percentage, the first half seemed to be dominated by the Lady Tigers. However, North Myrtle Beach hung in there, trailing by just two at the end of the first quarter and just one point by the end of the half. The Lady Chiefs shot just 29.2% from the floor, while Wilson made 43.3% of their shots. Going into the second half with a score of 26-25, the Lady Chiefs and Tigers continued to go back and forth in the third. In fact, there were a total of 14 lead changes and 9 points where the score was tied up throughout the game. North Myrtle Beach gained a slight 34-35 edge going into the final period, where they took control, outscoring Wilson by six points. The final score was 47-54, the Lady Chiefs' twelfth win of the season. India Farmer put 20 on the board for the Lady Chiefs, while Taylor Allman added another 14 points. On the defensive side of the ball, Allman had five steals. Jaquella Livingston narrowly missed a double-double performance, grabbing 11 rebounds and scoring 9 points. Surprisingly, North Myrtle Beach won while making about 6% less of their shots than the Lady Tigers.

The next day, the Lady Chiefs played a make-up game against the St. James Lady Sharks, at home. The tempo of the game was much the same as the day before, with the Lady Chiefs trailing early and coming back for the win. The Lady Sharks jumped out to an early 15-11 lead by the end of the first quarter and remained on top 27-24 by the end of the half. North Myrtle performed much better in the first half then they had the day before, shooting 37.5% to the Lady Sharks' 41.7%. The second half was all about the Lady Chiefs, who outscored St. James 23-30 over the final two quarters. The final score was 50-54. The keys to the Lady Chiefs' success were rebounds and the 16 second-chance points that came with them. India Famer led the Lady Chiefs with a double-double performance, scoring 21 and grabbing 11 rebounds. Jaquella Livingston also grabbed 10 rebounds. Kendricka Bellamy and Taylor Allman each put another 10 points on the board. The number of shots taken was also to the advantage of the Lady Chiefs, who won despite shooting 31.1% to the Lady Sharks' 41.3%.

Chiefs Can't Top Tigers, Redeem Themselves Against Sharks

Temarrick Hemingway and Dylan Poston topped the scoring totals when North Myrtle Beach took on the Wilson High Tigers on Friday night, scoring 15 points apiece. Hemingway completed a double-double with 12 rebounds. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough for the Chiefs to overcome Wilson, their biggest region competition. The Chiefs hung in there during the first quarter, but by the half the score was 42-27, as the Tigers took control. While the Chiefs did manage to shoot 40.9% in the first half, the Tigers made more than half their shots. The Chiefs fell even farther behind in the third quarter, getting outscored 13-9. The two teams went shot-for-shot in the fourth quarter, but the final score was 73-55, a Chief loss. North Myrtle Beach shot just 33.3% in the second half and 37% for the entire game. The Wilson Tigers shot 53.2% on the night. The Chiefs just couldn't maintain control under the basket, where Wilson scored 36 of their points.

The next day, the Chiefs owned the court against St. James High. The first quarter was relatively slow, with a score of 12-11. After that point, the Chiefs scored 23 in the second in the second quarter and jumped out to a 21-34 lead by the half. In the second half, the Chiefs barely outscored the Sharks 38-41. Luckily, their second half boost gave them a strong lead for the remainder of the game. The final score was 59-75; the Chiefs' region record fell to 1-1. Shooting percentages were pretty much even in the first half, with the Chiefs shooting 33.3% and the Sharks shooting 32%. In fact, the Chiefs and Sharks both shot 41% for the entire game. The difference for the Chiefs? They were able to cash in on first half foul shots, shooting 13-15 from the line. Dylan Poston had an outstanding performance with 20 points, while Temarrick Hemingway added another 14 points and 14 rebounds.

The Chiefs and Lady Chiefs will travel to Georgetown on January 18th to take on the Bulldogs. After that, both teams will be back to face their Myrtle Beach rivals at home on Friday, January 21st. Come out and support your North Myrtle Beach Chiefs!

Coastal Carolina senior forward Mike Holmes has been suspended indefinitely from all team activities for a violation of team rules, according to men's basketball head coach Cliff Ellis.

Ellis announced the suspension Monday, but did not expand upon the particular action that lead to Holmes' indefinite departure.

Read the full story at http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/13820763/ccu-senior-holmes-suspended-indefinitely-says-coach

North Myrtle Beach, SC-As one of the top teams in the state, the North Myrtle Beach Chiefs had yet to face a team they couldn't keep under control, that is, until the 30th annual Beach Ball Classic that was held at the Myrtle Beach Convention from December 27th to December 31st. With a bracket filled with state champion teams, the Classic offered little more than a chance for the Chiefs to gain experience on the court.

Game 1: Greater Atlanta Christian

On December 28th, the Chiefs entered round one of the Classic in high hopes, coming off of a narrow defeat in the championship round of the local Shootout by the Sea tournament. The Greater Atlanta Christian Spartans, the Class AA state champions from Norcross, Georgia, jumped on the Chiefs early, building a 48-19 lead by halftime. The Spartans shot 55% in the first half, holding the Chiefs to just 25% and 7 made field goals. The Chiefs picked things up in the second half, but, unfortunately, so did the GAC Spartans. North Myrtle Beach managed to shot 44% from the floor, but the Spartans shot an astounding 73%, going 4-6 beyond the arc and 12-16 in close-range. On the defensive side of the ball, the Chiefs had 9 steals, which was 5 less than the Spartans. The Spartans really dominated at the boards, where they grabbed 45 rebounds, as compared to the Chiefs' 21. Timmy Bellamy and Dylan Poston each scored 13 for the Chiefs, but the game's leading scorer came from the other bench. Malcolm Brogdon scored 27 for the Spartans. Temarrick Hemingway added another 11 points and 5 rebounds for the Chiefs, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Spartans, who outscored the Chiefs 39-36 in the second half. The final score was 87-55, as the Chiefs fell to the "consolidation bracket."

Game 2: Clark County

The next day, December 29th, the Chiefs faced the Clark County Cardinals, a team out of Kentucky that suffered a first round loss to the Boys and Girls Kangaroos, who would later go on to play in the championship match. The first half went slightly better for the Chiefs than it did on the first day, but Cardinals held on to a 25-33 lead through halftime. The Chiefs shot pretty well in the first half, making 40% of their shots from the floor. The Cardinals shot about the same, but a few more opportunities from the line gave them the edge over the Chiefs. Unfortunately, the game was much more lopsided in the second half. The Cardinals poured it on, hitting 58% of their shots and scoring 45 points. The Chiefs shot just 32% and scored just 22 points in the half. Once again, the Chiefs missed rebound opportunities, allowing the Cardinals to grab 46 rebounds to their 24. The Cardinals also did a better job of moving the ball around with 18 team assists, while the Chiefs had just 8. Dylan Poston and Timmy Bellamy led the Chiefs on the scoreboard with 16 and 13 points, respectively. The final score was 47-78, as the Chiefs lost their chance to win the consolidation bracket championship.  

Game 3: Father Henry Carr

On the 31st, the Chiefs played their final game of the Classic, playing for pride at this point and going up against the Father Henry Carr Crusaders from Canada. The Chiefs kept things pretty close in the first half, trailing 32-27. A lack of shooting opportunities certainly wasn't the problem for North Myrtle Beach, who shot 27% and made just 9 of their 34 shots from the floor. In the second half, the Chiefs went basket for basket with the Crusaders, but it just wasn't enough to make up for the slim first half deficit. North Myrtle Beach shot 46%, slightly less than the Crusaders. However, the Chiefs did have a 9-point boost from foul shots. This game, the Chiefs dominated the boards, grabbing 21 offensive and 29 defensive rebounds. Twelve of those rebounds came from Temarrick Hemingway, who also added 8 points for the Chiefs. But Dylan Poston led the Chiefs in points, scoring 21. Rodrick Hemingway added another 11 points. The final score was 67-62, a narrow loss for the Chiefs.
On a positive note, the Chiefs and Lady Chiefs will return to regular season play with a trip to Loris High on January 4th. Both teams will return home to face South Brunswick High at 6 pm on January 5th, so come out and support your North Myrtle Beach Chiefs!