Kinston sound in victory over Goldsboro High School

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on February 3, 2016 1:48 PM

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What a difference a week makes.

Last Thursday, the Goldsboro Varsity boys' basketball team staged a frenetic, end-to-end speed show with North Lenoir, scoring 112 points en route to a 28 point victory.

On Tuesday night, they looked like a shell of that team.

Following a rough opening quarter - in which they shot poorly and scored just 17 points - the Cougars appeared dismayed and frustrated, ultimately falling to a hyper-efficient Kinston squad, 80-70, at Norvell T. Lee Gymnasium.

The loss moved the Cougars to 18-2 on the season, and 6-1 in Eastern Carolina 2A conference play.

From the start, it was the Dominic Williams show.

The Kinston senior scored in a variety of ways - layups, floating jumpers and from beyond the arc - en route to a 17 point first half.

He would finish with a team-high 21 points for the night.

When not busy terrorizing the Cougar backcourt, he busied himself about the task of pushing the basketball in transition, controlling the game's pace and creating easy opportunities for his teammates at the basket.

Carmon, however, typified Goldsboro's woes. Hampered by two early fouls, his night was a roller coaster. And although he twice connected from distance in the first quarter, it was a struggle for him - and the Cougars - to find any consistent offensive rythym.

A struggle coach Russell Stevens said they must be capable of enduring.

"We've got to be able to play through adversity," he said, "our shots weren't falling tonight... and our defense wasn't particularly great. We just could never get that big shot or big run that we needed to get us back in the game."

Kinston, bouyed by their leader's fearless play, lead 46-35 at the break.

The second half offered more of the same.

The Vikings were relentless at the outset of the third quarter, with Williams scoring or assisting on four consecutive buckets in the painted area, thus re-establishing the tone he authored in the first half. Kinston (14-5, 6-1 EC 2A) held a 65-47 advantage after three quarters.

The final period was testy, as both teams continued to impose a signature stamp on the evening. Fouls, free throws and more than a few contentious moments ruled the game's final six minutes.

Ultimately, however, Kinston silenced their hosts and prompted a question that just days ago would have been subject for laughter.

How will Goldsboro respond to a home loss?