Boys’ Basketball: Grafton 69, New Kent 54

New Kent defender Blake Kelly (24) has a tall order to fill as he works to keep the ball out of the hands of Grafton’s Elijah Moore, a 6-foot-7 Division 1 prospect.

Alan Chamberlain photo

Behind 6-foot-7 major college prospect Elijah Moore’s 32 points, Grafton’s invading Clippers ruined New Kent’s home Bay Rivers District basketball opener 69-54. But despite a slow start, the host Trojans had their moments.

Taking on last year’s Group AA Division 4 state runner-up and its three returning starters loomed as a formidable task for the Trojans in the Nov. 30 outing. And matters quickly got worse as Moore sank back-to-back threes and added a dunk for good measure to open the scoring for Grafton.

After one quarter, New Kent had double the turnovers (10) compared to points (5) while Grafton appeared in cruise control with a 10-point lead. Then with just over three minutes remaining in the half, a rout seemed to be on with the Clippers in command 28-12.

New Kent, however, battled back with a 9-0 run, four of that coming on consecutive Travis Claytor free throws following a Clipper personal foul and a technical. Blake Kelly’s basket in the lane pulled New Kent within seven at 28-21, and it remained a seven-point spread at the half.

When play resumed, Claytor scored from the perimeter and Parrish Braxton stuck back an offensive rebound. Just one minute into the third quarter, New Kent had turned the contest into a one-possession game, trailing 30-27.

Unfortunately for the hosts, they never got closer. Grafton responded with a 9-0 run, and the Trojans were unable to reduce the deficit below 10 the rest of the way.

“We got out of the gate very slow, but we were able to turn it around some and make a run at them,” said Trojan coach Ronnie Cox after his team fell to 0-2 in the district.
“But it’s really hard to close the deal on a team like Grafton. They have some very talented players.”

Cox sought to lessen Moore’s impact by utilizing Kelly, with relief help from Tommy Hale, to keep the Clipper star away from the basket in New Kent’s man-to-man defensive scheme.

“We thought if we could stay between him and the basket and not let him have his way penetrating, we could make it tough for him, but we just don’t match up very well,” Cox said.

Claytor led New Kent with 17 points while Braxton ended in double figures with 10. Kelly tossed in eight followed by Jamar Murray’s six, five each from Hale and Chase Dunn, Christian Block’s two, and C.J. Lee’s one.