SJ-EW boys game

By Ryan Hanchett
Published in Sports on February 16, 2010 1:47 PM

• Print
• Email

Maybe David Dewey knew exactly what he was doing.

With six minutes left in what could have possibly been his last team's final game, the South Johnston head coach lost his cool and was ejected.

The Trojans responded emotionally with an 11-0 run that put away Eastern Wayne 39-30 in the opening round of Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference boys' basketball tournament on Monday night.

"I don't know if it was planned or not, but I know that it lit a fire under my guys," assistant coach Eli Gurash said after the upset. "We just locked down in our man-to-man defense and played as hard as we could for the final six minutes."

After play had become increasingly physical throughout the third quarter, the Trojans tried to protect their 28-27 advantage by slowing the ball down. A no-call on an altercation under the basket led to Dewey, who will step down after this season, getting ejected from the gym.

Eastern Wayne forward Marvin Bowman Jr. sank three free throws to give his team a two-point lead, but the third-seeded Warriors turned the ball over on the ensuing possession.

The home team did not score the rest of the game.

"It seemed like we had two left feet out there most of the game," said Eastern Wayne head coach Marvin Bowman. "We just didn't play well, and we did not get the shots that we needed late in the game."

Will White led the Warriors' offense with 16 points and six rebounds. Bowman Jr. added five points and five boards.

Eastern Wayne (10-11 overall) gets a long break before the N.C. High School Athletic Association 3-A sectional playoffs begin either Monday or Tuesday of next week.

"That's the nice thing for us because there is a tomorrow," said Bowman. "We have to put this one behind us and get ready to go on the road for the state playoffs."

Dolton Bledsoe scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the sixth-seeded Trojans. South Johnston (10-13) travels to ECC regular-season, co-champion Charles B. Aycock for a semifinal-round game Wednesday.