The Darlington Tigers entered the GHSA’s Class A-AAA private boys state tournament as the top seed while Aquinas of Augusta was the final team into the field with only four wins all season.
The result of Wednesday’s first-round matchup showed exactly why.
The Tigers immediately asserted their dominance with high-pressure defense and efficient offense to build a huge lead early and never look back en route to a convincing 81-33 victory on their home court at Van Es Arena.
“It was a good team win,” said victorious Darlington head coach Nathan West after Wednesday’s game. “We came out ready to play and with the right mindset. We were unselfish on the offensive end and did a good job on the defensive end. We were able to get all our guys some state tournament experience.”
Darlington (26-2) forced several turnovers early and built an 11-0 lead to open the game. That same pace continued through the first quarter with the Tigers eventually leading 36-9 at the end of the period.
Darlington had similar success on the defensive end in the second quarter with several more players coming in off the bench to get big minutes and continue the same onslaught as the starters. When the dust settled on the first half, the host Tigers built a 57-20 advantage as the teams went to the locker room for the break. Nine different Darlington players reached the scoring column over the first two quarters.
With the game out of reach and a 30-plus point lead, both the third and fourth quarters were shortened to six minutes due to the mercy rule. Several more reserves saw time on the court for Darlington, but the game never got any more competitive as the Tigers led 74-25 after three and settled for the 81-33 advantage when the final horn sounded.
“I think we’re playing good basketball at the right time of the year,” said West. “That team in that locker room is mature, experienced and driven. Obviously, there is an understanding by all our guys that it is going to get tougher every round, and right now you are playing for your season every time you get on the court. Any loss and it’s done. They know that and have to practice and play with that urgency.”
The Tigers had 11 different players score in the victory led by 16 points from Christian Teasley. Joseph Ogunyemi contributed 14 points, including a couple powerful dunks, and Jordan Wilkerson added 13 with nine of those coming on his three made 3-pointers.
Cam Selig was the fourth Darlington player in double figure with 10 points, and Nate Pitts and Grant Molnar each scored seven.
“It really helps to have some balance with good guard play and guys that can knock down shots from the outside and also some guys down low that can score in the paint,” said West. “That really gives us a lot of different options offensively.”
Aquinas (4-22) had a pair of players reach double figures in the loss that brought its season to an end, including Aiden Newman with 12 points and Chance Fleming with 11, including a trio of 3s.
Darlington will now turn its attention to the second round, which it will host Saturday at 5 p.m. No. 16 seed St. Francis will be the opponent. St. Francis defeated Prince Avenue Christian 69-67 in the first round Wednesday.
This article was originally published in the Rome-News Tribune on Feb. 27, 2026.
