Senior scoring helps Charles City snap 49-game losing skid with 79-61 triumph

Charles City senior Ray Crump (second from right) snags the loose ball as classmate Steven Crewe (4) and Middlesex defenders attempt to gather possession.

Andre' Jones photo

It’s over.

After 738 days and 49 consecutive losses, Charles City’s boys’ basketball team returned to the win column Tuesday night behind the scoring of senior trio Kyle Jones, Ray Crump, and Conner Robbins. The trio combined for 61 points to lift the Panthers over the invading Middlesex Chargers 79-61 to the cheers of the crowd. The win is the first for Charles City since Jan. 23, 2015.

Utilizing a five-guard offense, Panther head coach Wayne Keys looked to force the visitors into turnovers through a modified press. The ploy worked, as the hosts gained balance scoring in the first quarter and raced out to a 17-7 lead to end the frame.

And when the second quarter rolled around, the hot shooting from the Panthers flustered the guests. Jones back-to-back lay-ins and Derome Chretien’s close range shot upped the lead to 16 (23-7). After Middlesex’s Carlos Marshall three-pointer put the visitors in double figures, it was Crump’s turn to shine. His fadeaway jump shot and subsequent spin and score extended the hosts’ lead. Robbins, not to be left out of the scoring column, was the recipient of a pass teammate from Charles Brown for an easy score. Moments later, he connected on a wing three-pointer. Two more scores by Jones gave the hosts a 20-point lead (36-16) at the 3:25 mark of the second stanza. Robbins would add two more long distance connections while Crump’s lay-up was enough to give Charles City a 44-22 halftime advantage.

With the Panthers leading comfortably midway through the third quarter (59-33), a questionable foul call led to a technical foul being assessed to Charles City head coach Wayne Keys. That technical foul swung momentum in the favor of the Chargers, closing the frame on a 15-4 run. Middlesex carried that momentum over into the fourth by adding five more points and as the Panther lead was reduced to a mere 13 points (66-53) with 6:19 remaining in the contest.

But the Panther seniors failed to deter from the scoring column. Two free throws by Robbins one each from Jones and Crump elevated the lead once again for the Panthers. A Jones floater along with his additional free throw would amount to what resulted in a 11-2 run for the hosts to return the lead back to 22 (77-55). The Panthers maintained that lead before concluding the contest with the 18-point victory.

After the contest, a pleased Keys spoke about finally breaking into the win column for the first time this season.

“The players finally bought in tonight,” the victorious coach said. “They trusted each other, passed the ball, and most importantly we hit open shots.”

Those shots fell often for the Panthers in the first half, knocking down 64 percent of their attempts from the field.

“We made open threes tonight, rebounded the ball, and won a lot of 50-50 possessions,” Keys continued. “We also hit our foul shots and that extra pass provided better shots for us and we hit them.”

The head coach also complimented the play of his senior trio tonight.

“The seniors started to takeover tonight and as a result, the underclassmen played well,” the head coach continued. “Conner shot the ball well tonight, Kyle was aggressive going to the hole and Ray made a lot of good decisions.

“Although we have to get better on defense, their leadership encouraged our younger guys to step up and that’s what happened. Now we will work at practice and hope to put another win on the board as we close out the season,” Keys concluded.

Crump and Jones shared team high honors in scoring for Charles City (1-15), dropping 22 points apiece, while Robbins also finished in double scoring with 17. Brown and Justis Crawley scored six apiece, Devante Johnson added four, and Chreiten chipped in with two.

Carnell Bagby contributed 17 points to lead Middlesex in the scoring column.