Kinston boys, girls roll past Washington
Quiara Powell added 16 points for the Vikings. Photo by William “Bud” Hardy / Neuse News.
By Bryan Hanks
The Kinston varsity basketball teams had little difficulty in their Eastern Carolina 2A contests against Washington Friday night at Viking Gymnasium. The Vikings boys put up the most points they’ve scored in almost 12 years in a 101-74 victory against the Pam Pack, while the Kinston girls routed Washington, 65-39.
Dontrez Styles scored 17 points, Isaac Parson had 16 points and eight assists, Judah McBynum scored 12 points and Will London added 11 points to lead the Vikings (11-4 overall, 3-2 EC2A) to the league victory.
The 101 points was the most a Kinston team has scored since Feb. 2, 2007 when the Vikings defeated Southern Wayne, 104-42.
“Scoring that many points really wasn’t our objective,” Kinston coach Perry Tyndall said. “I just wanted us to play hard. … It took us a little while, but in the second quarter we were able to turn them over a little bit.”
The Vikings led 18-15 after one quarter, but outscored the Pam Pack (5-8, 1-4) 29-17 in the second quarter to take a 47-32 halftime lead. Kinston kept up the defensive pressure in the third frame, outscoring Washington, 28-8, to take a commanding 75-40 lead.
The fourth quarter was an offensive explosion as the Pam Pack outscored Kinston, 34-26, in a frame that included five 3-pointers for Washington and two for the Vikings.
“Give Washington and coach (Lane) Raper a lot of credit: They had earned a lot of respect coming into this game because he has those kids believing and playing at a high level,” Tyndall said. “They’re really undersized but they play with a lot of heart.”
Washington was led by sophomore forward Jamarri Bryant, who scored 12 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter before fouling out with 2:52 left in the game. Jeremee Bryant scored 17 points (10 in the fourth quarter), Omarion Blount had 14 (nine in the fourth quarter) and Jordi Barnes added 11.
Styles overcame a scary moment with 3:32 remaining in the first quarter when he knocked knees with a Washington defender. The sophomore wunderkind was helped off the court by coaches and taken back to the locker room. However, he was able to return to the game with a few seconds remaining in the first quarter and played at a high level.
It’s a quick turnaround for Kinston, as the Vikings travel to Garner Saturday to play in the HighSchoolOT.com Showcase against the 4A powerhouse Trojans.
“It’ll be a different game plan then what we had tonight because we’re going to see a team with a lot more size at Garner,” Tyndall said. “We’re going to have to play well; Garner is a tough place to play and it’s going to be a big challenge.”
The Kinston girls took a 17-2 lead and never looked back as they rolled to their 26-point victory, their fifth win in a row. The Vikings improved to 10-5, 5-0 behind 16 points from Quiara Powell and 13 from Taliyah Jones. Their next game is Tuesday at North Lenoir.
Will London scored 11 points for the Vikings. Photo by William “Bud” Hardy / Neuse News.
BOYS
Kinston 101, Washington 74
W 15 17 8 34 -- 74
K 18 29 28 26 -- 101
W: Jamarri Bryant 21, Jeremee Bryant 17, Omarion Blount 14, Jordi Barnes 11, Godley 6, Powell 3, Moore 2. K: Dontrez Styles 17, Isaac Parson 16, Judah McBynum 12, Will London 11, Koonce 9, Minott 8, Williams 7, Pitts 5, Roberts 4, Burton 4, Evans 4, Wooten 2, Dixon 2.
GIRLS
Kinston 65, Washington 39
W 7 10 14 8 -- 39
K 21 15 12 17 -- 65
W: Reagan Ruther 14, Jones 8, Redmond 5, Boomer 4, Soomerville 4, Hopkins 2, Williams 2. K: Quiara Powell 16, Taliyah Jones 13, S. Jones 8, Sutton 6, Cobb 6, Andrews 6, Hargett 4, Rivers 2, Baker 2, Kittrell 2.
