Strong second half in holiday tournament keeps New Kent undefeated

New Kent’s Kris Leeper makes a move to the basket for an easy lay-up.

Robb Johnson photo

New Kent’s stellar start to the season continued in the opening round of their home holiday Hoopville Tournament.

After only holding a two-point advantage heading into halftime, New Kent’s hot shooting emerged in the second half, resulting in the Trojans 94-76 victory over the visiting Thomas Jefferson Vikings.

Utilizing their strategy of draining three-pointers, New Kent sank five of them to kick off the contest, leading the Trojans to a 21-15 lead after the first quarter. The home team expanded that lead to 13 (37-24) before the Vikings used their physical presence to muscle their way back into the contest. Thomas Jefferson attacked the rim, using putbacks and aggressiveness to orchestrate a 13-2 run, cutting the Trojans’ lead to a mere two (39-37) heading into the halftime break.

In the second half, New Kent began to outclass the Vikings in all phases. Their ball movement led to open shots, including one that would push Will Ross’ over the 1,000-point career threshold in the scoring column. New Kent’s defense also began to pressure the visiting Vikings, leading to easy transition baskets and a win on the scoreboard.

After the contest, New Kent Head Coach Garrett Ross spoke about his team taking more accountability in the second half.

“We had spurts that we have to clean up,” he commented. “We had a good third quarter and we have to play better when we go against better teams, but I was proud of how we responded.”

Will Ross’ 26 led New Kent, whose record remains unblemished at 8-0. Marty Wray (12), Kris Leeper (11), and Kyle Diggs (11) all finished in double figures, Kingston Young tossed in nine, Josh Reedy pumped in eight, Ethan Smith contributed seven, Christian Joyner added six, and the duo of Thomas Moore and Michael Hetzel both chipped in with two apiece.