C.B. Aycock boys extend win streak to 6

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on December 18, 2015 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

PIKEVILLE -- Just when Southern Wayne seemed to gain momentum with its half-court and full-court pressure defense, Charles B. Aycock head coach David Elmore burned a timeout.

Each breather came at a perfect time.

The first stoppage squelched a 7-1 run.

Elmore reminded his team during its second break to slow down the tempo, work the ball around the perimeter and get open looks at the basket. The Golden Falcons extended their lead to 19 points and walked away with a 62-57 victory in their Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference opener Thursday evening.

CBA stretched its win streak to six.

"Every time they changed up the press, I made sure our guys knew what they were in and I felt like I needed to call timeouts at those crucial points to let them settle down and see what they were in, then go back out and execute," Elmore said.

Cameron Kornegay logged a double-double, 16 points and 12 rebounds, as the Golden Falcons won a conference opener for the first time in Elmore's tenure as head coach. Ian Best contributed 15 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Aycock opened the game with a 7-0 run and never trailed.

Kornegay and Semaj Yelverton combined for eight second-quarter points to push the Golden Falcons ahead 20-10. The Saints pulled to within a single possession due to their pressure defense, but entered halftime down 33-26.

"We've got to stay consistent in what we're doing," SW head coach Dwight Smith said of his team's 1-2-1-1 and 2-2-1 trapping schemes.

"Once we've caused the confusion, then we kind of have the tendency to relax. We've got to stay with that intensity. With a young team, we're going to have to coach that and instill it into these guys."

The Golden Falcons (6-4 overall, 1-0 ECC) pushed their advantage to double digits through three quarters. Once Aycock gained a sizable lead, Elmore gave his reserve players some time on the court.

The Saints never threatened and dropped their third consecutive game. Atwood provided 16 points off the bench and Rakilen Butler emerged as the lone starter in double figures with 12 points.

"Huge for us," Elmore said of the ECC-opening win. "That was a big key for us and really stressed to our guys how big that would be going into the break above .500."