Grafton deflates New Kent
New Kent’s Trojans for “Pack the Gym Night” as the team took the floor for last Wednesday’s critical Bay Rivers District basketball clash with Grafton’s invading Clippers. Too bad some of that student body enthusiasm didn’t rub off on the players, particularly in the first half.
New Kent dug itself into a 15-point hole in the first half and spent all of the second trying to extricate a comeback win. It didn’t happen.
The Clippers never allowed the Trojans to get closer than five points the rest of the way and hit their free throws down the stretch to escape with a 68-62 triumph. The outcome dropped New Kent, now 11-5 in the district and 14-5 overall, into a third place tie with the Clippers.
“It’s the same old story when we lose like that,” complained Trojan coach Ed Allen afterward. “We didn’t play the front in the low post, we didn’t block out, our shot selection was poor, and we didn’t run the offense. And we were a step slow after every loose ball.
“We knew how important this game was, or at least I thought we did, but I guess we didn’t,” he said. “Now we’re tied with Grafton for third, and they beat us twice. If we end up tied at the end of the season, they get the tiebreaker.”
In the first half, it’s safe to say Grafton outplayed New Kent in every phase of the game. The Trojans committed 17 turnovers and suffered through an eight-minute span during which they failed to register a field goal.
Grafton extended its match-up zone to challenge New Kent’s three-point shooters. The ploy worked as the hosts sank just one of only eight shots they managed to launch from behind the three-point arc in the first half.
The Clippers on offense were not intimidated by New Kent’s pressure tactics, and at times, threw up a press of their own that forced passing errors on the part of the Trojans.
Grafton built an early 13-7 lead, but the Trojans flashed brilliance in erasing most of the deficit. Adam Otey’s basket off penetration into the lane was followed by Donovan Gipson’s basket off a Steven Allen steal. J.B. Berkley then registered a steal and was fouled on a shot attempt. Berkley sank the second of two free throws to close the gap to 13-12.
But over the next eight minutes, New Kent would miss all nine of its shots from the floor and turn the ball over 10 times. The Trojans did earn a dozen trips to the free throw stripe during the span, but converted only half.
Grafton, meanwhile, put together a 6-0 run to lead 19-12 early in quarter two. Then with New Kent relegated to foul shot points only, the Clippers built a 33-18 lead.
Otey’s stick-back ended New Kent’s field goal drought with 2:40 left in the half. The Trojans, however, could not close the gap and trailed 37-22 at the break. In some respects, the hosts were fortunate the deficit was only 15.
New Kent warmed up from three-point range in the third quarter as Otey struck twice and Nick Sickal added another trey to erase some of the Clipper lead. Berkley’s conventional three-point play late in the third quarter pulled New Kent within six at 47-41, but the visitors scored the last points of the period to bump the advantage back to 10 at 51-41 heading into the final quarter.
The Trojans reduced the margin to five on an Allen free throw with 2:52 left, but Grafton spread the floor on offense, forcing the Trojans to foul. The Clippers sank seven of eight shots from the stripe down the stretch to preserve the win.
“The free throw line was major issue for us, and I think they out-rebounded us two to one,” Allen said. “They challenged every shot, and they got every rebound.”
Allen’s 14 points and 13 from Otey topped New Kent. Sickal and Michael Owens each tossed in eight followed by Gipson’s six, Justin Williams’ five, and four apiece from Berkley and Dorrein Akrie.