West Point scores first 21 points of contest as they dispose of Charles City’s Panthers

Charles City’s Gavin Stewart (4) tries to find his way around the pressure defense from West Point’s Ben Fulks.Robb Johnson photo
Sometimes there are lessons that are bigger than the game of basketball. That was the message Charles City Panthers Head Coach De’Quantae Mason sent to his players during a Jan. 14 contest against the visiting West Point Pointers.
Benching four of his normal starters for personal reasons, West Point took full advantage as they toppled Charles City 70-31 in the Tidewater District contest.
Charles City had no answer for West Point’s shooting from behind the arc. The visitors drained their first three buckets from behind the arc, with Andrew Sellers draining two of them. And from there, the points continued to pile on as West Point jumped out to a 21-0 lead before Charles City’s Ke’Vonta Meekins three-pointer finally put the Panthers on the board. However, West Point scored the final six points of the quarter to jump ahead of the hosts 27-3. That lead increased to 30 (45-15) by the intermission break.
In the second half, Mason hoped to see his starters respond to the deficit. But after a brief spurt, West Point dashed any comeback attempts, executing easy buckets and forcing the Panthers in an uncomfortable position of playing from behind. In the end, Sellers 29 points along with teammate Terrique Graham’s 20 led the Pointers to victory.
Gavin Stewart scored six points led Charles City (3-9) in the scoring column. Damian Barnes Jr., James Harris IV, and Ke’Vonta Meekins each added five, Joshua Harrell tossed in three, the trio of Joseph Simms, Shane Jones, and Damian Zuidema each added two, and Sherod Barnes chipped in with one.