Jones leads Charles City over WP

Trevor Jones pumped in a team-high 21 points, including the basket that put Charles City ahead to stay late in the game, as the host Panthers turned back West Point’s Pointers 58-49 in non-district basketball.

The Dec. 6 victory kept the Panthers’ record unblemished at 3-0. Already the team has equaled half of its wins for the entire season a year ago. But topping the Pointers proved to be a stern test, especially after the visitors built an 11-point second quarter lead and threatened to put the game out of reach.

“We had to turn up the defensive pressure and go to man-to-man,” Panther coach Sharone Bailey said afterward. “[West Point] tried to play a slow pace game, and we try to get up and down the court.”

West Point opened the second quarter with a 9-1 run, extending a three-point advantage to 11 at 20-9 less than two minutes into the period. Bailey called time to settle his squad and combat a size disadvantage in the paint.

“We tried to counter that by going smaller and getting four guards out there,” Bailey said. “Speed-wise, they couldn’t catch up with us and they eventually got tired.”

Charles City responded with a 7-1 surge to get back in the game. By halftime, the hosts trailed by a field goal at 28-26 and Jones had reached double figures at 10 points.

“Everyone realizes it all revolves around Trevor,” said Bailey. “When Trevor gets going, everyone picks up. He’s got to understand he’s our leader on offense and defense.”

Jones opened the second half with a three-point shot to hand Charles City its first lead since the contest’s opening moments. Seven lead changes occurred over the next 10 minutes until Jones dropped in the second of two free throws with 4:51 left in the game to create the final deadlock at 44-44.

Seconds later following a Panther steal, Jones stuck back a teammate’s miss to put his team in front 46-44. Charles City never trailed the rest of the way.

Rodger Williams’ steal and lay-in upped the hosts’ advantage to four, and Vannie Spruill’s basket off an offensive rebound opened a 50-44 lead.

West Point crept back within four on Antonio Roane’s trey with just under a minute remaining, but Michael Jefferson sank three of four free throws to put the game out of reach at 55-48 with 48 seconds left.

Jefferson joined Jones in double figures with 12 points. Spruill finished with eight while Kevin Wallace scored seven, Williams added six, Mark Green chipped in three, and Welton Smith contributed one.

Roane’s 24 points led all scorers.