PEMBROKE — The Purnell Swett girls basketball team was eight minutes away from its first Sandhills Athletic Conference victory, entering the fourth quarter with an 11-point lead over Hoke. Lady Bucks senior guard Kiya Locklear scored 12 of her game-high 21 points in the final period and single-handedly overpowered the young Lady Rams en route to a 37-35 comeback win on Tuesday.
After trailing for most of the game, Locklear and the Lady Bucks (8-9, 2-5 SAC) used a 20-7 advantage in the fourth to snatch the victory. They opened the period on a 10-0 run and got within one point, 28-27, on a Locklear 3-pointer from the corner with five minutes remaining.
Purnell Swett (4-12, 0-7 SAC) guard Haley Musselwhite is one of the few veterans for coach Jonathan Efird. Musselwhite dropped a team-high 14 points and was key to getting out to an early lead.
“I was extremely proud of her,” Efird said of Musselwhite. “When she has her confidence, she’s hard to stop. She hit her first three and after that, I knew it was on.”
The senior shooting guard converted a rare four-point play in the first quarter after getting fouled on a 3-point attempt. Musselwhite and the Lady Rams had a six-point advantage at the half, 16-10. In the third quarter, her corner jumper stretched the margin to its widest of the game, 22-12.
Musselwhite did her best to stave off the attack from Locklear and Co. and accounted for five of the group’s seven in the last frame.
“We tried to ride the hot hand and she delivered, she answered the call,” said Efird. “At the end of the day, though, I know she’d tell you she’d much more have a win than 14 points.”
The Lady Rams reverted back to old habits in the final moments of the game and Efird says a key stretch determined the outcome. After the Lady Bucks’ run to open the quarter, Musselwhite momentarily settled things with a triple that extended the lead to 32-27 with just under four minutes remaining.
But the Lady Bucks would force a series of turnovers and convert them into baskets. They tied the score at 34 with just under a minute to go, then, Lady Rams’ guard Emily Oxendine split a pair of free throws to take a one-point lead.
Locklear was fouled on the ensuing trip and knocked down two of her six foul shots in the period to go up 36-35 with just 30 seconds on the clock.
Efird says the propensity of his group to turn the ball over and commit fouls proved to be the difference in the outcome.
“It was almost like we were playing to hold on, instead of playing to win,” he said. “It was just tough. We fouled when we didn’t need to…and we turned it over when we needed a big bucket.”
Following the pair of free throws, Efird watched his team turn it over on the ensuing inbounds and then send Locklear to the line again where she split the pair and finished off the double-digit rally.
The Lady Rams take another crack at picking up a conference win on Friday when they travel to Richmond, looking to avenge a four-point loss last month.
Rams blow halftime lead and drop fifth straight conference game in loss to Hoke
The Purnell Swett boys basketball team struggles continued on Tuesday as it blew a three-point halftime lead and dropped its fifth straight Sandhills Athletic Conference game, losing 87-71 to Hoke at home.
Purnell Swett (8-8, 1-6 SAC) guard Darriante Parker scored a game-high 29 points and took over in the second quarter when his team trailed by four after the first eight minutes.
After Parker knocked down a triple to retake the lead, 18-17, in the opening minutes of the second, he ended the frame with four straight points as the Rams took a 35-32 advantage into the half.
Hoke (9-7, 2-4 SAC) guards Jaquantae Harris and Elijah Davis-Harris combined for 47 points and had a response for every Parker basket. Just before the halftime buzzer, Davis-Harris drilled a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to just three heading into the third.
Rams forward Rufus Harris finished with 22 points and eight rebounds. He proved a spark to start the second half, hitting two corner triples, the last of which gave his team back the lead 46-45, with 5:30 left.
Jauantae Harris and the Bucks responded by ending the quarter on an 8-1 run. And in the fourth, he came out firing. His steal and layup gave the team its largest lead, 68-52, as the Rams couldn’t take care of the ball in the crucial minutes of the last frame.
Bucks forward Arylle Bryant finished a fastbreak with a two-hand slam that put the finishing touches on the road win, giving the group an 85-71 advantage.
South Robeson wins in shootout with West Bladen
ROWLAND — Behind a huge night scoring and rebounding from Cameron Werrell, the South Robeson boys basketball team defeated West Bladen 84-72 at home on Tuesday.
Werrell posted 39 points and pulled down 17 rebounds for the Mustangs. Teammate Daniel Murray added 20 points.
West Bladen’s Tyre Boykin had 32 points to lead his team.
Leading 17-15 after the first quarter, South Robeson locked in on the defensive side of the ball to hold West Bladen to four made field goals in the second quarter.
The Mustangs travel to Whiteville on Friday.
There was no varsity girls contest on Tuesday following the suspensions of players involved in the altercation with St. Pauls on Friday. No word has come down from the state regarding playoff eligibility for the two teams involved.
Red Springs swept by South Columbus
TABOR CITY —Three players finished in double figures for the South Columbus boys basketball team as they took care of Red Springs 52-42 at home on Tuesday.
The Stallions were led by Shiquan Conyers, who finished with 16 points. Aveon Bellamy added 13, and Trequan Bellamy chipped in with 10.
The Red Devils had one player in double figures as Jordin Ferguson ended with 16 points. Keagan Brayboy added nine points, seven of which came in the first half.
In the girls game, South Columbus beat Red Springs 45-33. Lady Stallions’ Sarah Faulk led all scorers with 18.
Red Springs is back at home on Friday to host East Bladen.
