NK rebounds from 1st loss, whips Packers

Leading from start to finish, New Kent’s Trojans bounced back from their first loss of the season with an 80-59 Bay Rivers District basketball win over Smithfield’s invading Packers.

The Trojans sank eight baskets from behind the three-point arc in the first half to help offset the Packers’ size advantage in the paint as well as a number of field goal misses from point-blank range.

Working with a 12-point halftime advantage, the hosts cruised after the break to improve to 4-1 in the district and 5-1 overall with the Dec. 18 outcome.

“It was a good win,” Trojan coach Ed Allen said afterward. “We played everybody, and the only thing that kept [Smithfield] in the game was their athleticism on the boards.

“We’re not rebounding defensively like we need to,” he said. “But then we’re not very physical.”

Michael Owens’ lay-in off the opening tap handed New Kent a lead it would never relinquish. The Trojans quickly built a 10-2 advantage, and the contest seemed destined for an early rout.

Smithfield, however, closed to within one at 12-11, but that was before Dorrein Akrie’s stick-back of a teammate’s miss triggered a 7-0 run to put the hosts back in command.

The Packers reduced the deficit to three early in the second quarter, but Steven Allen penetrated the lane to score and Akrie followed with a steal and lay-in.

Smithfield took time out after missing its next shot, and when play resumed, Owens drained a three-pointer for New Kent’s first double-digit lead.

Moments later, Allen buried one of his four treys in the first half to up the advantage to 34-21. Allen finished the half with 18 points, 13 of those coming in the second quarter.

New Kent led 45-33 at the break and never allowed the Packers to narrow the gap in the second half. J.B. Berkley’s basket off a Trojan break opened at 20-point advantage with 3:40 left in the third quarter.

Allen led all scorers with 23 points while Akrie and Nick Sickal finished in double figures with 14 each. Owens ended with eight, Adam Otey scored six, Justin Williams tossed in five, and Berkley, Markene Jones, Kevin Chavis, Darnell Fenton, and Donovan Gipson contributed two apiece.

Deonte Fountain’s 13 points and Dyrell Roberts’ 12 led Smithfield.

In the JV game, New Kent trailed 23-21 at halftime, but Smithfield pulled away with a 19-4 third quarter on the way to a 62-38 win.

Carter Gilland’s 13 points topped New Kent. Matt Fultz finished with eight followed by Neko Burson’s six, Cory Dunn’s five, Josh Brown’s three, two from Zach Jacobs, and Arthur Turner’s one.