Miscues in fourth quarter devastate New Kent’s chance to win

New Kent's Jared McCaughan (35) rises high over Bruton's Andrew McCurdy.

Robb Johnson photo

With senior guard Robb Kinder out with an ankle injury, New Kent’s Trojans looked to win its tenth game of the season as they faced a Bruton squad they had defeated earlier in the season. However, a hungry Panthers team that played with more heart and grit emerged as the victors.

Bruton’s Panthers conquered New Kent 72-64 in the Bay Rivers contest, putting the Trojans bid for a playoff berth in jeopardy.

Using a change of pace to speed up the game on the offensive end, New Kent rallied behind Jared McCaughan’s six points in an 8-0 run that saw the hosts jump out to a 14-4 advantage.

Bruton elected to be group to slow the pace down, moving the ball on offense against the Trojan’s 2-3 zone. The result saw Bruton wingman Ryan Vawter drain two trifectas, sparking an 11-3 run to bring the visitors within two (17-15) at the end of the first quarter.

With the score deadlocked at 21, Vawter’s third three ignited a 7-2 Panther spurt. But the Trojans retaliated, as Evan Branch’s three-pointer and Mitch Morse’s jumper tied the game before Bruton settled in with the halftime advantage.

The visitors opened up the third quarter with a 7-2 run, bolting out to a 39-30 lead with 6:34 remaining in the frame. New Kent bounced back, orchestrating a 15-6 counter-punch of their own that eventually led to both teams tied up at 48 apiece. However, the Panthers scored the final four points of the frame to give themselves a 52-48 lead.

The hosts climbed back into the contest, as both teams battled back-and-forth and knotted the game at 62 apiece with 2:20 showing on the clock. But panic set in with the Trojans over those waning moments in the game. Jalen Banks deep three clanked off the rim, resulting in teammate Dean Powell picking up a loose ball foul and sending Bruton to the line. After the Panthers converted the freebies, Powell traveled on his shot attempt at the rim, negating the basket and returning possession to Bruton.

New Kent’s next few trips saw back-to-back misses by Morse and a three-pointer fail to connect for Banks. Meanwhile, Bruton was able to draw fouls against New Kent and earning trips to the line. The result led to the visitors going a perfect with eight consecutive makes as part of a 10-2 run that sealed the victory.

After the game, New Kent head coach Ronnie Cox expressed disappointment in the loss.

“At the end of the game you have to make shots and you can’t turn the ball over,” he said. “The last few minutes we just did not knock them down.

“There is an art to this game and hopefully we can bounce back Wednesday on the road against Lafayette,” Cox continued. “We were constantly hitting one for two at the free throw line and they were making both every time.”

New Kent (9-10) received a game-high 20 points from McCaughan. Morse poured in 14, Powell contributed 10, Kevin Harris added seven, Evan Branch scored six, Banks finished with five, and J.J. Jacobs chipped in with two.