Lafayette snaps New Kent’s seven-game winning streak with 88-73 victory

The Jan. 22 Bay Rivers match-up pitted the hosting New Kent Trojans against the other top team in their district as the visiting Lafayette Rams came to town. For the hosts, they ran up against a tall task, unable to slow down the Rams’ stampede.

Behind a dominant performance from 6’8” center Jordon Hampton, Lafayette used a strong second half as they defeated New Kent 88-73, snapping the Trojans seven-game winning streak.

Early in the contest, the Trojans seized control, utilizing trifectas from Marty Wray and Devon Bailey to jump ahead. The Rams counterpunched, with Hampton dropping back-to-back baskets and teammate Shamar Welsh long distance connection. The first quarter saw both teams’ offense shine as defense appeared optional, with Lafayette taking a 28-26 lead into the second stanza.

The Trojans’ bench sparked the team’s offense. Baskets by Caleb Marable and Jarred Hathaway returned the advantage to the home team. A three-pointer by William Wilson Jr. highlighted the 7-0 run for the Trojans as they held a 33-28 lead.

But the Rams used a momentum shift as they challenged more shots from New Kent. While the Trojans’ struggled offensively, Lafayette used a high-paced tempo, with a breakaway dunk from Zyhir Burton causing the visiting fans to go into a loud roar. The Trojans managed to stay within striking distance, but the home team found themselves trailing 42-37 at the halftime intermission.

In the third quarter, the Rams’ defense ramped up even more, keeping the home team scoreless for the first two minutes of the third quarter. Meanwhile, Lafayette’s offense became more successful with baskets by Hampton sparking what would result in the visitors outscoring New Kent 26-11 in the frame. And despite the Trojans scoring 25 points in the fourth quarter, the gap remained too wide for the home team to overcome, leading to Lafayette handing the Trojans their second loss of the season.

After the contest, New Kent Head Coach Garrett Ross talked about the visitors raising the level of competition against the hosts.

“Lafayette played an aggressive and physical game,” the head coach commented. “They shot the ball extremely well as a group.

“We need to do a better job of hitting the glass and pushing the other team out of their comfort areas on offense,” Ross continued. “We will learn from this though and get better as we move into our final stretch of the season.

Wray’s 27 points led New Kent (12-2) in the scoring column. Bailey also finished in double-figures with 17, Wilson tossed in nine, Marable pumped in eight, Hathaway contributed seven, and the duo of Kris Leeper and Jaron Collins each chipped in with three apiece.