Trojans halt Lafayette win streak with 86-65 romp
Lafayette’s Rams rode a nine-game winning streak into New Kent’s gym for a key Bay Rivers District basketball clash. It never reached 10.
The host Trojans took over late in the first half and dominated thereafter in gaining an 86-65 victory. The outcome enabled the hosts to stay in second place in the district with a 14-5 record and up their overall mark to 17-5.
“We did a better job of attacking them in our offense,” New Kent coach Ed Allen said. “We moved the ball better, penetrated on them, and kicked the ball out better,” he said. “We made defensive switches out of our half-court trap depending on the situation and that gave them some trouble.
“They hadn’t lost since December and were the hottest team coming in,” he added. “This was a big win for us.”
New Kent gave up a size advantage to the Rams, but kept the game close in the first half. Nick Sickal’s 13 second quarter points, including a trio of baskets from three-point range, keyed a late surge that put the hosts in control.
Fouled in the act of shooting from behind the arc, Sickal sank two of three free throws to wipe out Lafayette’s last lead and create a 29-29 deadlock. Moments later, Paul Kearney’s basket in the lane off a Steven Allen assist put the hosts ahead to stay.
Following a Ram miss, Sickal buried a trey to extend the lead to five. The Rams pulled back within three on Dominique Brown’s basket and had a chance to draw closer with under 30 seconds left in the half, but Kearney drew a charging violation on the Rams’ Matt Maves. The turnover set up Sickal for another trey, two seconds from the buzzer, to send New Kent to the locker room with a 37-31 halftime edge.
The Trojans erupted to start the third quarter. Sickal scored on Dorrein Akrie’s assist, and after a Ram turnover, Kearney got an assist from Sickal for an easy basket. A Trojan steal led to a Sickal stick-back and a 43-31 advantage, forcing the Rams to call time.
The visitors closed the gap to 10 as play resumed, but the Trojans responded with an 8-0 run to lead 51-33 at the 4:29 mark. The Rams got no closer than 11 the rest of the way.
Sickal finished with a game-high 31 points. Allen pumped in 19 while Everett Christian ended with nine. Kearney and Michael Owens each scored six followed by Justin Williams’ five, four each from Akrie and Donovan Gipson, and J.B. Berkley’s two.
Art Crow’s 29 points topped Lafayette.
In the JV contest, Lafayette led 23-13 after one quarter and held off New Kent from there to pick up a 64-52 win.
Matt Fultz’s nine points and Paul Robinson’s eight led New Kent. E.J. Gray scored six followed by five each from Zach Jacobs and Anthony Snipes, Neko Burson’s four, three apiece from Chris Sickal, Dominique Hilliard, and Eric Salmon, two each from Carter Gilland and Cory Dunn, and Justin Parsley’s one.