Falcons continue to soar in postseason

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on February 28, 2013 1:47 PM

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PIKEVILLE -- Charles B. Aycock and D.H. Conley resembled two prize fighters dancing around the ring during first-half play Wednesday evening.

Each threw consistent jabs and nailed a solid body punch now and then.

The Golden Falcons, however, delivered a knee-rocking blow in the third quarter and pulled away for a 62-51 victory in second-round action of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A boys' basketball playoffs.

Aycock (15-12 overall) visits perennial Big East and eastern North Carolina powerhouse Rocky Mount on Friday. Tip-off is 7 p.m.

"We played them in a scrimmage early in the year, they've progressed and we've progressed, so we had to figure out how to play them again," CBA senior AJ Mundle said. "It started out tit-for-tat. In the second half, we came out strong with a quick run and just kept the fire going.

"We didn't let them get back in it."

The 12th-seeded Golden Falcons led 26-24 at halftime and started the third period with a 10-2 run. Michael Williams, who led all scorers with 21 points, buried a 3-pointer. Two possessions later, Williams turned a Viking turnover into a layup.

Neil Clark, who chipped in 13 points off the bench, capped the run with a short jumper in the paint. Aycock led 36-26.

"Neil's been playing really good the last couple of weeks and kind of found a confidence level," Golden Falcons head coach Steve Moats said. "He just hustles his butt off and it pays off for him.

"We made shots, which has kind of been an Achilles' heel earlier in the season during our losses because we didn't make shots."

D.H. Conley (16-12) closed to within 36-30, but Cameron Johnson followed with a 3-pointer -- his lone basket of the game. Aycock led 43-34 after three periods and kept a double-digit advantage for most of the fourth quarter.

Aycock advances to the third round since 2010 when it claimed a share of the Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference regular-season championship with David West as head coach. The Golden Falcons' playoff run ended at Rocky Mount.

"Our seniors, we're not ready to give up and go home. We want to play some more games because tomorrow isn't promised," Mundle said. "We're just trying to play our hardest."

Mundle just missed a double-double with 11 points and eight rebounds. Teammate Greg Williams provided four steals, four assists and three rebounds.