The Darlington Tigers traveled to Model on Tuesday and went home with a 78-62 victory in a matchup between the top two boys basketball teams in Region 6A Division I.
Darlington leads the region at 11-0, while Model is second at 10-2, with both losses to the Tigers. This was Model’s final regular-season game, while Darlington ends its regular season hosting Heard County on Friday. The teams will compete in the region tournament next week.
Darlington got on the scoreboard first with a free throw in the first minute of play. Model stayed close and held a 12-11 lead with 3:50 left in the first quarter. The Tigers hit five 3-pointers in the quarter to just a pair for the Devils and pulled away to a 27-21 margin at the first horn.
By the time the first half ended, Darlington had increased its margin to 11 points and walked off the court leading 44-33.
The scoring picked up in the third quarter and Darlington had stretched its lead to 56-36 with 4:39 showing on the clock. Model went on a 14-2 run, outscoring the Tigers to close the gap to eight points at 58-50 with 1:14 to go in the third. The third quarter ended with Darlington on top 61-52, and it outscored the Devils 17-10 in the final quarter.
Darlington had four players in double figures for the night. Senior Cam Selig finished with a team high 23 points. Senior Brent Bell added 17, Christian Teasley 12 and freshman Joseph Ogunyemi 10.
The leading scorer for the contest was Model junior Bryson Denson, who pumped in 29 points. The other Devil in double figures was Chadon Woodley with 21.
“I thought we did a good job of playing together, playing as a team,” said Darlington coach Nathan West. “Just super proud of the effort tonight. I thought we needed to get the ball inside later in the game especially being in the bonus. By getting the ball in the paint and going inside out it created advantages for us and got us open shots.”
“We can’t afford to come out that flat and allow them to get that many easy baskets in the first quarter,” said Model coach Jacob Travis. “They’re an excellent basketball team. We didn’t get enough contested action on their threes. We hadn’t played a team of their caliber since we played them. They shoot the ball extremely well. We have got to be more patient to execute. We have just got to work a little harder.”
Asked about cutting that 20-point lead to eight in the third, he responded, “There’s guys that can really play. Bryson Denson makes a lot of great shots. Chaydon (Woodley) can create a shot for himself. The guys really stepped up in that third quarter.”
This article was originally published in the Rome-News Tribune on Feb. 12, 2026.
