Recapping the 2021-22 Gaston College basketball season: Highlights, big wins started from the opening tip

When David "Dickey" Nutt was hired as Gaston College's first basketball coach in 50 years, he had no players, no place to practice or play, no schedule and no uniforms.

That was just last summer.

But once Nutt and associate head coach Jamie Rosser had their roster, began practice sessions and prepared for games, the team's talent, cohesiveness and mental toughness showed from the very first game.

Opening against four-year school Johnson & Wales of Charlotte on the road in front of a packed gymnasium, the Rhinos fell behind by as many as seven points in the first half and were still behind with 10 1/2 minutes left to play.

But Gaston College closed the game on a 20-12 surge down the stretch for a 79-72 victory. That was the first win of six straight to open the season.

The closest call came in a 95-92 overtime win over Lincolnton's Lincoln Combine Academy to make Gaston College 3-0.

After losing both games on a Florida trip to fall to 6-2 that included an 85-70 loss to nationally-ranked Northwest Florida State College, Gaston College entered a midseason lull in which the Rhinos would lose nine of 15 games.

Even as Gaston College slumped, there were highlights.

None was bigger than a 78-75 win at Cape Fear Community College on Dec. 4 in the Region 10 opener for both teams. It started the Rhinos' season-long penchant for being "road warriors" in league games - Gaston College would got a region-best 5-2 in road league games - and featured overcoming an early first half deficit.

Later, the Rhinos won 90-86 at all-time Region 10 winner Spartanburg Methodist on Jan. 20, 52-47 at Richard Bland on Jan. 26, 66-65 at Brunswick Community College on Feb. 16 and 97-95 in double overtime at USC Salkehatchie on Feb. 22.

The Brunswick and USC Salkehatchie wins were a part of the 6-1 finish to the season.

Also included a dramatic 89-87 home win over Caldwell Tech on Feb. 24 that gave the Rhinos consecutive wins over league-leading USC Salkehatchie and Caldwell Tech.

The key play of the Caldwell Tech win came when DaMarco Watson drove into the lane and dished to Jaylen Bates for a dunk with 3.9 seconds left that snapped an 87-all tie. Also in that game Dee Merriweather set a set a single-game scoring mark with 34 points that included nine 3-pointers.

That record lasted only one game as Bates tallied 36 points in the season-ending 106-93 win over Hosanna Bible College on Feb. 28 on a night in which sophomores Bates, Kalil Camara, Damon Davis and Zavion Jackson were honored for their efforts to build the school's basketball program.

Some of Bates' points came off Watson's single-game record 13 assists.

The top rebounding game of 17 came in the team's highest scoring game when Jackson had 17 rebounds (and 23 points) in a 122-77 victory over Blue Lights College on Dec. 15.

Season statistical leaders were Davis (14.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists), Bates (13.5 points, 6.4 rebounds), Watson (11.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists), Merriweather (10.8 points), Camara (9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds) and Jackson (6.8 points, 6.3 rebounds).

Bates also was honored at season's end by rival Region 10 coaches with a first team all-league selection.