Panthers recover, blow past King & Queen in Region A

Digging themselves out of a 10-0 hole, Charles City’s host Panthers surged in front to stay in the second quarter on the way to turning back King & Queen’s Tigers 88-74 in the opening round of the Region A boys’ basketball tournament.

The Panthers missed their first six shots from the floor as King & Queen’s Deante Holmes scored eight of his team’s points during the Tigers’ game opening run.

“We came out lackadaisical,” Panther coach Brenner Carter said after the Feb. 25 contest. “We’ve got to play better than that in the first quarter.”

And his team improved, closing the gap to five at 18-13 heading into the second quarter. But it wasn’t until the second period that the Panthers caught fire behind Aaronde Williams who poured in 16 of his 21 first half points.

Antonio Tabb scored to open the period and Williams followed with a basket off a Tiger turnover to pull the hosts within one at 18-17.

The Tigers got two points back, but a pair of turnovers led to second chance baskets by Trevor Jones. Jones’ second field goal put Charles City in front for the first time at 21-20 with 6:11 left in the half.

A Williams free throw and Wade Wyatt’s basket for King & Queen created a 22-22 deadlock, but that was the only tie of the game. Randall Hopkins and Williams combined for the next nine points and a 31-22 Panther lead. By halftime, the hosts were in control 46-34.

Charles City extended its lead to 21 points in the third quarter and held a 66-47 advantage with one period left to play. King & Queen reduced the margin to eight at 82-74 with 1:25 left in the game, but could not get closer.

Williams finished with a game-high 34 points. Joining the senior in double figures were Jones with 13 points and Hopkins and Kevin Wallace with 11 each. Tabb ended with eight while Michael Jefferson scored five, Welton Smith added four, and Cody Stewart chipped in two.

Holmes topped King & Queen with 30 points.

The triumph earned Charles City a berth in the region quarterfinals at Chesterfield Community, but the Panthers fell, ending their season at 6-18.