Dunlop impresses and Augusta Christian hangs tough, for stretches, against Lakeside and Greenbrier

Nate Dunlop scored 65 points in 2 Wolfpack Challenge Tip-off games.

The Lions, led by 6’5” junior scoring phenom Nate Dunlop, competed fiercely and evenly against two impressive teams, Lakeside and Greenbrier, in both Wolfpack Tip-off Challenge games last weekend. At least until the 40 point mark in both games. Lakeside pulled away from a 41-40 stalemate to hang 109 on AC despite 39 points from Dunlop. And after Dunlop’s 3 point play with 2:31 remaining in the third against Greenbrier gave the Lions a 41-37 advantage Saturday night, the Wolfpack went on a 27-0 burst, and AC fell to 1-2.

Dunlop, who averaged 28 ppg last season, is more versatile than any area high school player I’ve seen here in quite some time. He is certainly the area’s top post player and that is not even his primary position. He works hard to get position, he has sure hands, he draws fouls and finishes through contact, and he grabs tough rebounds.

On the perimeter he has a pure stroke from distance, and he handles and passes the ball extremely well. Like his inside play, his play away from the basket is as good as anybody’s within short driving distance.

Nate scored 39 and 26 points Friday and Saturday, overshadowed only slightly by Lakeside’s Kalen Williams’s 74 in two wins.