Fourth-ranked Northumberland eases past Panthers 104-60

Charles City's Ray Crump snaps Northumberland's opening run by converting a lay-up over Ky Thomas.

Andre' Jones photos

With three starters out due to injury and the fourth-ranked Group 1A team in the state Northumberland Indians stepping on the floor, Charles City’s Panthers knew they would be battle-tested in the contest. But with the visitors shooting lights out and rarely missing from the floor, the game quickly became a runaway.

Utilizing a 1-3-1 full court press on defense, Northumberland created easy baskets from turnovers, shooting 64 percent in the first half en route to a 104-60 drubbing of the Panthers in the Dec. 8 matchup.

Early pressure from the visitors right after the opening tip led to five Panther turnovers, resulting in a 12-0 Northumberland lead less than two minutes into the contest. After Panther guard Brian Hicks converted a lay-up at the six-minute mark, the guests retaliated, orchestrating an 11-0 run. Hamani Veney’s 11 points in the first quarter pushed the lead to 30-9. Charles City was able to halt the damage, with Rashawn Shine’s free throw and lay-in followed by a Ray Crump floater at the buzzer to cut the deficit to 16 (30-14).

The hosts calmed down in the second quarter, breaking Northumberland’s press to spark a Panther run. A Michael Callahan assist to Shine and a Crump trifecta started the run. After Northumberland’s Kevon Turner connected with a three-pointer, scores from Shine and Callahan accompanied by a Crump long distance shot capped off a 12-4 run to bring the hosts back within 11 (39-28).

But the deficit would never reach single digits, as Northumberland reinserted their starters, resulting in a 20-4 response and a 59-34 lead at intermission. The Indians’ lead reached the 30-point plateau after a Veney lay-in at the 5:28 mark in the third quarter (74-43) and saw it balloon to over 40 at the 6:04 mark after a Kameron Lee trifecta in the fourth (93-52). The visitors hit the triple-digit mark after a Markell Ball steal and lay-in with 3:02 showing on the clock (100-56) on their way to victory and remaining undefeated (4-0).

After the game, interim head coach Avery Jones spoke about the difficulties of preventing second chance opportunities.

“We weren’t rebounding,” said Jones, who takes over as coach after the resignation of Cullen Jenkins due to personal obligations. “In the first game they only made about two jumpers and got most of their scoring from lay-ups and steals.

“In this game, they would miss the first shot but we gave them second and third chances and they converted,” Jones continued. “And once they got hot, they wouldn’t miss.”

On the bright side, Jones praised his players, who usually were designated to reserve roles, for stepping up.

“Ray [Crump] and Rashawn [Shine] stepped up tonight and performed well,” the coach said, complementing two of the athletes who filled in for injured starters Noah Ragland, Tyler Allen, and Mason Jefferson. “Once we get healthier, we can be a complete team and be able to compete better.”

Crump led the Panthers (0-4) in scoring with 14 points. Brian Hicks and Shine also finished in double figures with 13 and 11, respectively. Michael Grubbs added nine, Kyle Jones tossed in six, Michael Callahan pumped in five, and Marvin Brown chipped in one to round out the scoring.

Veney led four Northumberland players in double figures with 21 points.

Panther senior forward Michael Grubbs cradles the ball to prevent a strip from a Northumberland defender.