Kinston junior guard Alena Rivers drives past Ayden-Grifton’s Lexi Bryant during Tuesday’s game. Photo by William ‘Bud’ Hardy / Neuse News

By Bryan Hanks

The Kinston varsity basketball squads had little difficulty in their Eastern Carolina 2A match-ups with visiting Ayden-Grifton Tuesday night as the girls romped to a mercy rule-shortened 63-21 win and the boys rolled to a 75-51 victory.

The Viking girls improved to 8-5 overall, 3-0 in the EC2A by leading 15-7 at the end of the first quarter, 35-15 at halftime and 45-21 after three quarters. However, they turned up the wick defensively in the fourth quarter by shutting out the Chargers, 18-0. The final two-and-a-half minutes were played under the NCHSAA mercy rule after Kinston took a 40-point lead.

Michyla Dove and Zykia Andrews both came off the bench to score 14 points each to lead the Vikings. Taliyah Jones added 10 for Kinston. Niyha Williams, a freshman guard, led A-G (4-7, 2-1) with seven points.

While the boys’ contest didn’t end in the mercy rule, it was also never close as the Vikings (10-3, 2-1) used big nights from several players to pound the Chargers (5-7, 2-1). Sophomore Dontrez Styles had a double-double less than two minutes into the second quarter and finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots for Kinston, while junior forward Chance Minott led the Vikings with 16 points.

Senior forward Judah McBynum came off the bench to add 14 points and six rebounds and junior point guard Isaac Parson nearly had a double-double himself with nine points and 10 assists.

Senior point guard Jordan Atkinson led A-G with 19 points, while his senior backcourt-mate James Richardson added 18.

Both teams will continue EC2A play on Friday as Kinston travels to West Craven and A-G entertains North Lenoir in Little Hollywood.

Girls

Kinston 63, Ayden-Grifton 21

A-G 7 8 6 0 — 21

K 15 20 10 18 — 63

Ayden-Grifton: Williams 7, Andrews 4, Hardee 3, Little 2, Hardy 2, Bryant 2, Smith 1. Kinston: Michyla Dove 14, Zykia Andrews 14, Taliyah Jones 10, Cobb 7, Powell 6, Hargett 5, S. Jones 3, Sutton 2, Rivers 2.

Boys

Kinston 75, Ayden-Grifton 51

A-G 10 11 10 20 — 51

K 18 22 13 22 — 75

Ayden-Grifton: Jordan Atkinson 19, James Richardson 18, Hudson 6, Gunter 3, Tufts 2, Wright 2, Harris 1. Kinston: Chance Minott 16, Dontrez Styles 14, McBynum 14, Parson 9, London 8, Pitts 4, Roberts 3, Wooten 3, Koonce 2, Dixon 2.