In battle of unbeatens, Grafton uses third quarter run to upend New Kent

New Kent’s Jordon Howard lays the ball up and over a Grafton defender after receiving an assist from Dillon Mickles.

Robb Johnson photo

In the battle of unbeatens, both the New Kent Trojans and the visiting Grafton Clippers had little trouble handling opponents. In the Dec. 13 contest, a late third quarter run paired with the ability to knock down three-pointers throughout the night were favorable for the visitors.

Grafton defeated New Kent 53-45 in a game of what appears to be the top two teams in the Bay Rivers District this year.

In the first half alone, 24 of Grafton’s 26 points came from beyond the arc. On the other hand, New Kent grinded out in the paint and making the smart play, highlighted by Dillon Mickles dish to Jordan Howard to tie the contest at 26 all heading into the halftime.

In the second half, Grafton elected to shadow New Kent’s top scorer Will Ross. But that ploy failed, as Kemauri Palmer’s lay-in provided the hosts with their first lead of the night. Grafton regained the lead moments later before Kyle Diggs’ drive to the basket knotted the game at 30 apiece.

But after his score, the Clippers took advantage of what appeared to be a tired New Kent team who played the night before. Grafton’s defense ramped up, leading to sloppy turnovers by the Trojans. Meanwhile, the visitors went on an 11-2 run to take a 41-32 lead heading into the fourth frame.

In the beginning of the fourth, Diggs trimmed the lead down to four, dropping in five straight points for New Kent. But the visitors countered with an 8-4 run, resulting in a margin the hosts couldn’t overcome before the time ticked off the clock.

After the contest, New Kent Head Coach Garrett Ross said his team is still learning as they focus on the bigger picture.

“We want to play our best in February and it’s not about playing our best now,” he said after the game. “But it’s the lessons that we need to learn from this.

“We didn’t adjust to the tempo, we didn’t values shot selection, and we didn’t value possessions,” Ross continued. “We have to value possession better when we play good, defensive teams. You have to handle adversity.”

Diggs led New Kent (5-1) in the scoring column with 13 points. Mickles and Ross each contributed eight, Palmer pumped in four, Jordan Carr and Marty Wray tossed in three apiece, and the trio of Howard, Josiah Reedy, and Michael Hetzel chipped in with two.