Panthers overcome slow start to top K&Q

Despite hitting only 25 percent of their shots from the floor and a shade under 60 percent from the free throw stripe, Charles City’s host Panthers had more than enough firepower to turn back King & Queen’s invading Tigers in the basketball season opener for both.

After a slow start, Charles City pulled the Tigers out of their preferred zone defense, picked up the pace, and went on to a 53-45 triumph in the Dec. 4 contest.

Having to operate against a zone does not fit the Panthers’ style, first-year head coach Brenner Carter said afterward.

“Once we started playing defense, we were okay,” he said. “I told our kids they had a couple of shooters we have to square up on. Once we got that lead we went man-to-man and by the end of the second quarter, it looked like King & Queen’s legs were gone.”

Using its 2-3 zone to frustrate the Panthers in the early going, King & Queen stayed in control in the first quarter. When Tiger forward Deanie Holmes buried the second of his four treys on the night with just over two minutes gone in quarter two, the Tigers were up 16-10.

But the Panthers rallied behind forward Aaronde Williams who sank both ends of a bonus free throw situation with just over five minutes left before the half and followed with a trey after a Tiger turnover to narrow the gap to 16-15.

Guard Kevin Braxton’s steal and lay-in put the hosts in front 17-16.  Williams and guard Trevor Jones then added field goals to complete an 11-0 Charles City run for a 21-16 advantage. The five-point spread held up as the Panthers took a 26-21 halftime lead to the locker room.

King & Queen pulled within two early in quarter three, but an 11-2 Panther run pushed the hosts’ advantage into double figures at 37-26. Williams scored all but two of his team’s points during the surge.

Charles City went over the 10-foul limit early in quarter four, placing King & Queen in the double bonus. The Tigers’ Prince Graves sank one of two free throws with 3:40 to go, closing the gap to 43-37, but the visitors were unable to draw closer. Out of 20 trips to the foul stripe in the second half, the Tigers converted only seven.

The hosts, meanwhile, went 13 of 23 from the stripe in the second half including eight of 14 in the final period. Williams visited the foul line 13 times in the second half, sinking nine on the way to recording a game-high 25 points.

Jones scored 10 for the Panthers followed by Cetha Boone’s eight, six from Braxton, and Randall Hopkins’ four. Holmes led King & Queen with 12.

Carter attributed his team’s shooting struggles to lack of practice time. The high school was locked down for more than a week while police searched unsuccessfully for escaped convict Alonzo Logan who was spotted in Charles City. No after school team practices were allowed.

“Once we get more practice time, we’ll be able to play better team ball,” Carter said.

Charles City’s JV made it a sweep for the night with a 38-24 win in the preliminary.

Charles City led by only two at the half, but held King & Queen to a single third quarter field goal. The hosts’ lead reached 15 in the fourth quarter.

Wendell Jones’ 14 points topped the Panthers. Dominic Jones and Joe Tabb each scored seven followed by Jerron Woodley’s six and two apiece from Evan Adkins and Jamie Howard.