Trojans awaken in second half to turn back Jamestown, 70-55

New Kent's Christian Block drives to the basket only to be stripped of the ball by Jamestown's Trey Neville.

Alan Chamberlain photos

Awakening from a first half slumber, New Kent’s Trojans nearly equaled their first half scoring output in the third quarter alone in tonight’s basketball encounter with Jamestown’s visiting Eagles. The Trojans took command in the third quarter, regaining the lead for good and going on from there to a 70-55 triumph.

For the hosts, the first half became one to forget. The Trojans got off only 18 shots from the floor, sinking just seven, while turning the ball over on 13 occasions.

“We weren’t very sharp and not very crisp,” said Trojan coach Ronnie Cox. “We seemed to be going through the motions and not executing on offense. Our timing was off, especially passing and you need to have that crispness. I’m just glad we found it in the second half.”

At the break, New Kent found itself down 30-23. Cox, meanwhile, credited Jamestown for dictating tempo, although New Kent remained in a 2-3 zone defense the entire first period. Resorting to man-to-man in the second quarter picked up the pace, but the Trojans couldn’t quite shake off the doldrums. Until the second half, that is.

Jamestown opened the third quarter with a steal and fast break basket to lead 32-23, the Eagles’ longest margin of the night. But New Kent answered with an 11-0 run triggered by back-to-back Christian Block threes. Tommy Hale added a free throw before Blake Kelley’s three handed the hosts their first lead (34-32) since the 7:11 mark of the second period.

The Trojans took a 45-40 advantage into the final quarter and began to put the game away. Trey Cox struck from three-point range, following that effort with a steal and lay-in to open a double-digit lead (50-40). Jamestown never got closer than nine the rest of the way.

The Trojans placed four in double figures led by Kelley’s 29 points. Cox finished with 13 while Block and Micah Scorsone each totaled 11. Hale chipped in three followed by two from Jason Whitlow and Ryan Lugg’s one. Connor Swain’s 15 points led Jamestown.

“After switching to man-to-man, we kind of scratched and clawed our way back,” coach Cox said. “We’re now 6-5 and get a little time off next week before we go to Grafton, so we’ll take it.”

New Kent’s Blake Kelley drives past Jamestown’s
Duncan McDevitt.

After grabbing a rebound Trojan Ryan Lugg looks for an outlet pass as the Eagles’ Chris Lansford (3), Logan Evans (22), and Connor Swain (20) close in.