Missed free throws haunt SW boys

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on January 10, 2015 11:52 PM

• Print
• Email

DUDLEY -- A late fourth-quarter collapse by Southern Wayne helped New Bern claim a come-from-behind, 66-57 victory in Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A play Friday evening.

Despite holding a five-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Saints failed to protect the basketball and didn't take advantage of free throw opportunities in crunch time. They shot 3 of 10 from the line in the fourth quarter.

"Free throws killed us," Southern Wayne coach Dwight Smith said. "It's a mental thing with them. We have to get them to realize they need to take those more seriously in practice and knock them down."

Montrell Plummer kept the Saints in the game until the end with his 15 points -- all on 3-pointers.

The Saints (4-11 overall, 1-3 ECC) also got good backcourt play off the bench from Dequan McKinney and Terry Artis. Artis scored nine points and McKinney had seven assists and six steals. Xzavier Pearsall added 15 points for the Saints as well.

"Those guys could really start for us but we need to have energy coming off the bench to give us a spark and that's what those two give us," Smith said.