New Hanover boys basketball coach Kirk Angel will tell you that it wasn’t the prettiest of wins and that he’s an eternal pessimist when it comes to giving an overview on what happened at the Eagles Nest on Tuesday night, but with that said, eight Wildcats were able to get into the scoring column in a 73-53 win over Ashley.
“It was sloppy. They did a good job of changing defensives on us constantly,” said Angel. “We weren’t very poised offensively and I thought we allowed them to get back into the game because of some breakdowns on defense.”
In a game where New Hanover’s leading scorer had an off night from the field, while still hitting 15 free-throws, the rest of the team picked up Ridell Camidge, who made his first appearance at Ashley since transferring cross-town late last year.
It took until the fourth quarter for Camidge to get a basket from the floor, but by that time, Shawn Robinson and Nykheinma Walker had done enough damage to give the Wildcats a comfortable lead heading into the final frame.
“Nykheinma had a great game. At times I had to leave him out on the floor because he was the only guy rebounding,” said Angel. “Shawn Robinson has been doing a great job running the point and he had another big game for us tonight.”
Ashley battled back with seven straight points after New Hanover went up 6-0 after the opening tip as Austin Henderson knocked down a three-ball in between baskets by Tyre Gathright and Jake Stinnett to give the Eagles a one-point lead midway through the first quarter.
Robinson answered the call with a step back jumper from the baseline to retake the lead and Camidge knocked down a pair of free throws to make it 15-9 until Gathright picked up a steal and fast break points to get Ashley to within four.
The junior guard for Ashley then came back to start the second quarter with a three-point play as both teams traded baskets over the next few minutes with New Hanover extending its lead to 34-19 after an 8-0 run heading into the break.
The Wildcats were able to build a 16-point cushion through the early part of the third quarter, but the Eagles continued to fight behind hustle plays by Gathright and Josh Smiley. Ashley closed the gap to 10 heading into the fourth quarter, but Walker’s presence down low and Robinson’s ability to facilitate proved to be too much to handle.
“We’ve got to get a lot better. We have to learn how to put games away,” said Angel. “They were able to cut into our lead when we should have jumped on the chance to put it away. We have a few days to practice before we go to play a good Pine Forest team on Saturday.”
Camidge finished with 15 points and five assists, while Robinson added 15 and Walker chipped in with 13 points. Gathright had a game-high 19 points to pace the Eagles.
New Hanover moved to 2-0 in conference and 7-0 overall heading into Saturday’s contest at Pine Forest.
Box score
NHHS 19-15-16-23=73
Ashley 13-6-21-13=53
Stats: NHHS- Ridell Camidge, 15 points, five assists; Shawn Robinson, (15); Nykheinma Walker, (13); Acchaeus Fields (9); Lawrence Williams (8); Tyree Johnson (6); Brad Hitchman (4); Garret Walston (2); Blake Smith (2)
Ashley– Tyre Gathright 19 points, four steals; Josh Smiley (9); Eli Prindable (6); Trey Williford (5); David Hicks (5); Jake Stinnett (4); Austin Henderson (3)
Hoggard 54 Pinecrest 42
Three different Vikings scored in double figures as Hoggard bounced back with a 54-42 win at Pinecrest on Tuesday night. Xavier Johnson scored a team-high 13 points, while Trevor Singleton added 12 and Trae Bryant finished with 11 points.
Hoggard evened up their record to 4-4 on the season as the Vikes get back on the floor Friday at Pamlico County.
Laney 74 Topsail 41
Laney improved to 6-2 overall and 2-0 in conference with a 74-41 win over Topsail on Tuesday. Tariq Lane dished out seven assists and added six points for the Bucs, while Kirby Kealon scored a game-high 14 points. C.J. Kirchoff chipped in with 13 for Laney.
West Brunswick 64 South Brunswick 32
Gray Cheers scored a game-high 14 points and O.J. Hill put in 10 as West Brunswick rolled past South Brunswick 64-32 in a Mideastern Conference boys basketball game in Shallotte. The Trojans jumped out to a 26-10 lead in the first quarter and allowed just 12 points over the next 16 minutes to record the victory. Davonte Pugh led South Brunswick with 13 points.
South 10-6-6-10=32
West 26-14-13-11=64
Stats: West- Gray Cheers (14); OJ Hill (10); Tony Clarida (8); Zarie Hankins (8); Alex Clarida (6), Nasir Murray (5); Demaria Evans (2); Saddiq Johnson (2); Ty Hill (2); Jon Jordan (4); Sherm Fullwood (3)
South- Davonte Pugh (13); Jeffrey Bryant (9); Malik Douglas (8); Trey Gilbert (2)
Trask 55 Wallace-Rose Hill 53
