BOYS' BASKETBALL: Rampants ease past Warriors

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on January 4, 2017 9:59 AM

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Freshman guard Creighton Lebo rang in the new year with a game-high 26 points as J.H. Rose defeated Eastern Wayne, 48-40, on Tuesday evening at New Hope.

The contest was a matchup between Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference rivals, and moved the Rampants to 8-4 overall and 2-2 in the ECC this season.

Eastern Wayne began the opening quarter in a hurry, knocking down four triples in short order to take a 16-11 advantage. Rose remained patient, however, steadily chipping away at the blue-and-gold lead in what proved to be a tightly-officiated contest.

At the break, the Warriors held a 23-20 lead.

Lebo and his mates broke matters open in a deafening third quarter that saw the shooter bury a pair of deep three-pointers and Rose limit the Warriors to just eight points in the stanza.

"We got away from our discipline offensively," said Eastern Wayne head coach Bill Manning. "(But) tonight was not about Greenville Rose -- it was about us. Until we get some of our lingering issues straight, the opponent really doesn't make a big difference."

The final eight minutes were an exercise in scramble mode, with Eastern Wayne struggling to recover its first-quarter offensive rhythm and Rose playing keep away with crisp passing.

In addition to Lebo's night -- which included five echos from distance -- the Rampants received a solid effort from forward Jonathan Timothy, who registered eight points and seven rebounds.

Eastern Wayne (5-9, 1-2) was led by Yeonte Royal, who scored 12 points and grabbed four rebounds. Eric Agee contributed 10 points and led all players with nine boards.

Weather permitting, Eastern Wayne is the guest of D.H. Conley on Friday evening.