Smith pleased that Saints finally erase ECC goose egg

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on January 29, 2016 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

DUDLEY -- Up by eight points with one quarter to play, Southern Wayne's players walked toward their bench.

"Keep playing," the coaching staff told them.

And this time the Saints closed out an opponent.

Southern Wayne used its 2-1-2 and 1-2-2 halfcourt pressure schemes to ignite a double-digit run and knock off county rival Charles B. Aycock, 47-39, on the Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A boys' basketball scene Thursday evening.

"We needed that win," SW head coach Dwight Smith said. "They're very excited and I'm so happy for them. They've worked hard and we've just been coming up short. I talk about closing games out, playing hard the entire game and they put one together tonight."

The Saints (3-16 overall, 1-7 ECC) snapped a six-game skid and claimed their first home win in eight tries this season. The Golden Falcons (1-6, 7-11) exited with their sixth consecutive defeat.

Tied at 20-20 with 4:09 left before halftime, Southern Wayne started a 12-1 run that carried over into the third period. The Saints' trapping scheme increased the tempo against the Golden Falcons, who prefer to play a deliberate style.

The turnovers piled up.

Southern Wayne's lead slowly increased to double digits, 34-23, on Josh Graham's offensive putback -- his only basket of the game. The Saints led 39-31 after three quarters.

"We can't let ourselves get sucked into their up-and-down floor game because we're not good at that and they are," second-year CBA head coach David Elmore said. "But we have to match the intensity that they play with as far as effort, diving on the ball for loose balls, boxing out and playing on defense ... things like that."

Aycock closed the gap to seven points on three occasions during the final period. However, costly turnovers -- bad passes right into the Saints' traps -- led to transition baskets by Rakilen Butler, Manny Walker and Bless Thomas.

"We told them we're killing our own runs, we have to continue to play smart basketball instead of playing selfish basketball," Smith said of his fourth-quarter advice to the team.

"We started sharing the ball again and that's what got us that run."

Southern Wayne coaxed the Golden Falcons into 23 turnovers. Thomas led all scorers with 14 points, while Butler chipped in 12.

Ian Best emerged the lone Aycock player in double figures with 12 points. Elijah Bryant added eight points in a reserve role. Cameron Kornegay (12 rebounds) and Eli Batts posted five points apiece.

"Credit to them," Elmore said. "Their effort like our game against Eastern Wayne, they wanted it more."