First quarter form deserts New Kent, Bruton owns second half for 44-22 win

Frequent turnovers helped account for a low scoring first half that saw Bruton’s Panthers hold a 14-13 lead over New Kent’s host Lady Trojans at the break. Unfortunately for the hosts, they suffered through another half of meager point production. The Panthers, however, did not. Bruton outscored New Kent 30-9 in the second half on the way to a 44-22 win. Tuesday night’s outcome dropped the Lady Trojans to 4-9. Connecting on five of nine first quarter shots from the floor, New Kent appeared firmly in control with a 10-3 lead midway through the first half. Bruton, meanwhile, missed nine…
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New Kent overcomes early hangover to keep Charles City winless

After Charles City and New Kent suffered setbacks the previous evening before their Saturday night rivalry clash, coaches expressed how numbers and tired legs could have an impact on the pace of the game. In the early going, it showed. But the host Trojans overcame a sluggish start and used the scoring of Kyle Claytor and Ryan Curle during a third quarter run to overpower the visiting Panthers 79-31, sweeping the season series. Charles City had an opportunity to go ahead before the tip-off, as New Kent received a pregame technical foul for grasping the rim. Instead, the Panthers clanked…
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Claytor eclipses 1,000 points

First win remains elusive as Charles City drops close contest at West Point

In a battle of teams searching for win number one on the season, Charles City had several opportunities to snap a losing skid dating back to January 23, 2015. But the visiting Panthers squandered several chances down the stretch against the host West Point Pointers. West Point orchestrated just enough offense to outlast Charles City 44-40 in Friday night’s matchup, sending the host Pointers to their first win and extending Charles City’s drought to 43 consecutive losses. Both teams engaged in a back-and-forth contest for one and a half quarters before West Point garnered some breathing room on the scoreboard….
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New Kent free throw misses in regulation prove costly, Tabb prevails 71-69 in overtime

Trailing by a single point with only :3.2 seconds showing on the clock, New Kent’s Trojans received a gift from Tabb’s visiting Tigers — five free throws resulting from a personal foul on the three-point shot attempt and subsequent technical foul. Sink one, and the contest is tied 57-57. Convert two, and New Kent is back in front. And if three, four, or all five fall, the game is in the bag. Thanks to the technical, New Kent would own the ball out of bounds with an opportunity to run out the clock. Chalk up another win while avenging an…
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Struggles continue as Lady Panthers drop contest at West Point

In December, Lady Panther head coach VaShaun Otey commented that he expects his team to improve throughout the season. However, the promise expected from the Charles City coach has yet to flourish, with Friday night’s visit to West Point being the latest setback. The host Pointers jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and went unchallenged for the remainder of the contest as they toppled the visiting Lady Panthers 61-22 in the Tidewater District clash. The visitors gained an early advantage in the contest, as Jaelah Wyatt knocked down a jumper on the first shot. However, a…
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Intense Trojans race away from York for 88-42 triumph

Less than five minutes into their basketball encounter with York’s Falcons, New Kent’s host Trojans owned a 10-point lead. That margin held up through the first quarter, and from there, the hosts pulled away for an easy 88-42 victory. Thursday night’s win upped the Trojans’ record to 7-5 and placed an exclamation point of the first of three consecutive home games on successive nights, thanks to last weekend’s snowstorm that moved the York contest back a day. The Trojans entertain Tabb on Friday and welcome neighborhood rival Charles City on Saturday. “Coming back from these snow breaks, I’m concerned because…
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Trojans struggle after first quarter, fall 77-69 to Lafayette

Lafayette’s Rams broke open a close contest behind 65 percent shooting from the floor in the third quarter on the way to upending New Kent’s host Trojans 77-69 in Friday night basketball. The Trojans allowed a first quarter lead to slip away, settling for a 29-29 tie at halftime. Lafayette then quickly broke the deadlock off a pair of steals to start the third quarter, and the Trojans could never recover. “We never really could get over the top,” said Trojan coach Ronnie Cox. “We’d scratch and claw our way back, but we weren’t really able to close the deal.”…
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New Kent starts fast, eases past Poquoson 79-50

Showing no ill effects from a long holiday layoff, New Kent’s Trojans wasted little time in asserting dominance during their return to the basketball court. The hosts opened Wednesday’s contest with a 9-0 run and never looked back in rolling over Poquoson’s Islanders 79-50. “Thankfully,” New Kent coach Ronnie Cox said over his team’s avoidance of a post-holiday letdown. “The first day back from the break, we couldn’t move the ball out of a wet paper bag, but tonight we were unselfish, moved the ball well, played good defense—everything a coach wants to see.” The Islanders, meanwhile, had no answer…
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Warhill presses New Kent into submission

Warhill’s Lions quickly stole away any chance that New Kent’s Lady Trojans could pull off a stunning basketball upset. Utilizing a trapping press, the visiting Lions converted 11 first quarter steals into 14 points on the way to blanking the hosts 20-0 in the opening period. New Kent recovered somewhat before the half ended, but there was no catching the visitors as they cruised to a 59-24 win. Monday night’s final game before the holiday break revealed that even though the Lady Trojans (3-6) are on the right path toward building a competitive program following back-to-back no-win seasons, catching up…
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