Southern Wayne upends rival Goldsboro

By Ryan Hanchett
Published in Sports on November 21, 2008 1:46 PM

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Southern Wayne fended off some hot shooting by the Goldsboro Cougars in the opening minutes, picked up the defensive intensity late and captured an early-season 63-57, non-conference victory on Thursday.

Coming off a close loss against New Hanover on Tuesday, the Saints knew exactly what they had to do to earn a win in the Cougars' den.

"We knew we had to get the ball inside, we had to pound the paint," said Southern Wayne head coach Russell Stephens. "Desmond Raiford scored for us, Javaris McMillan was strong and Brandon Anderson played well."

Despite missing offensive leader Keovanta McDuffie due to a leg injury, the Cougars started the game on fire from beyond the 3-point arc.

Donald Lewis scored all nine of his first-quarter points via the 3-point shot and Goldsboro opened a 19-14 lead. Resean Brewington added two 3-pointers in the opening eight minutes.

The Saints' depth presented problems for the undersized Cougars late in the half. Raiford tallied seven of his game high 21 points in the quarter and Southern Wayne battled back en route to a 30-30 tie at halftime.

The Cougars' offense also turned stagnant in the third period. The Saints used the cold stretch to their advantage and used a 22-7 run to take control of the game.

"Our defense was much better once we began to recognize their shooters," said Stephens. "We put some pressure on the ball and made the most of our opportunities in transition."

Goldsboro made an eight-point run midway through the fourth quarter, but could never close within one possession. Justin Artis sealed the victory for the Saints when he followed his own miss and collected a loose-ball rebound with one minute left in the game.

Southern Wayne sank its free throws to seal the win.

"I thought we played hard, the effort was fine, we just didn't play well," said first-year Goldsboro head coach Chris Cherry. "We fell in love with the three-point shot, and often times that turns into fool's gold. You make a few, then you think you are going to make them all."

Lewis led the Cougars (0-2 overall) with 17 points. Devonte White added 16 markers to go with five rebounds.

"Bill Parcels once said, 'you are what your record says you are'," said Cherry said. "Right now this team is 0-2 and we need to work every day to get better."

Southern Wayne (2-2) dominated the boards and was able to score points in bunches as a result. McMillan deposited 11 points for the Saints. Rashard Hill and Brandon Anderson each scored eight points respectively.

"We knew that (Goldsboro) was shorthanded with some guys out with injuries and others still playing football, and we knew we'd have to play well to get a win," said Stephens. "It will be a totally different team when we meet in Dudley."