Cougars hammer Wallace-Rose Hill

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on February 25, 2010 1:46 PM

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Trying to run for four quarters against Goldsboro is a bad idea regardless of where the game is being played. Do it inside Norvell T. Lee Gymnasium, and it can turn into a nightmare.

Perennial powerhouse Wallace-Rose Hill attempted to play at the Cougars' pace and nearly got run of the gym in a 76-52 loss in the second round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1-A boys' basketball playoffs on Wednesday evening.

The Cougars (20-7 overall) entertain West Columbus at 7 p.m. Friday. The winner advances to the eastern regionals at East Carolina University.

Goldsboro held a 35-31 lead at the half, and used an 11-2 run in the third quarter to push the margin to 53-43. Rasean Brewington's two free throws capped the surge.

The Cougars opened the fourth quarter with 10 unanswered points to break the game open and take control with a 65-47 advantage. The Bulldogs were outscored 21-7 in the fourth quarter and 41-21 in the second half.

"We've talked about how good it feels to play at home in this gym," said Goldsboro head coach Patrick Reynell. "I think we're 11-2 here this year. To get those runs it keeps the kids' confidence up, and one of the great things about playing here and coaching here is the support that we have."

The Cougars used suffocating full-court pressure and tight half-court defense to force 25 turnovers which led to numerous transition opportunities.

Wallace-Rose Hill (19-6) maintained Goldsboro's break-neck tempo for the better part of three quarters, but appeared to be out of gas as the final minutes ticked away.

"Our defense is going to create our offense," said Reynell. "We know that if we're not shooting well, that if our defense and if we follow our rules with our man-to-man that we're going to create a lot of turnovers and get easy baskets. Our half-court defense tonight, we executed that well."

Trailing 31-24 late in the second quarter, the Cougars reeled off 11 consecutive points to close the half and grab a 35-31 advantage at halftime.

Brewington led Goldsboro with 25 points, while James Williams finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Devonte White added 11 points.

"Could James have picked a better time?," said Reynell. "James is a hard kid to read. He's a good boy but he's never really emotional. He never gets too down or too up. I think he just sees the urgency right now.

"James seems really determined, and he's determined not to score but to rebound."

Teshaun Devonne scored 10 points for the Bulldogs.