BOYS' BASKETBALL: Kinston, Goldsboro stage another classic

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Published in Sports on January 12, 2017 7:49 AM

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Pacemaker optional.

That was the formed general consensus of a lingering post-game crowd Wednesday evening at venerable Norvell T. Lee Gymnasium, which was treated to a thrilling, edge-of-sanity Eastern Carolina 2-A Conference matchup between Highway 70 foes Kinston High and Goldsboro.

The end-to-end, red-line open run was eventually claimed in double overtime by Kinston, 88-80, but not without the type of high drama that easily qualified the matchup for an expanded chapter in the series' esteemed history.

It was Ali-Frazier. Duke-Carolina.

Brother versus brother.

And from the outset, the action was breathless.

Kinston sophomore Damian Dunn got the show started early, scoring with ease from anywhere on the floor and getting his mates involved en masse at the rim.

After one quarter, the Vikings led 16-13.

Goldsboro's Daryl Gaddis, however, was equally impressive.

The senior was electric all evening, pacing the Cougar attack on both ends and leveling matters no less than half a dozen times.

Big buckets in transition, check.

Stifling ball pressure on the Kinston back court, check.

Rock-solid handle in critical moments -- absolutely.

"They said the best game of the night was at Greene Central," the senior said afterwards with a smile. "But I don't think so."

At halftime, Kinston held a 36-32 advantage.

That edge increased slightly in a manic third stanza, one that saw both teams push the basketball relentlessly -- with mixed results. Turnovers and fouls defined the period, and when it was over, the Vikings held a 50-42 advantage and appeared poised to salt away a tough road triumph.

Cue Goldsboro senior Jaryan Hargis.

The lefty's 4-point play at the 4:15 mark -- which included a rainbow-inspired triple from 24 feet -- tied the affair at 60 and set the stage for a 25-point Cougar quarter that bordered on the unbelievable.

With just over a minute left in regulation, Hargis struck again from distance, giving the Cougars a 67-63 advantage and for the first time all evening, an express lane to victory.

But Dunn had other notions.

The sophomore scored on a silky pull-up jumper in the lane, then added a pair of free throws to tie matters at 67. When Goldsboro failed to score at the buzzer, the two titans marched to overtime.

"These are the settings you want to be in," Kinston head coach Perry Tyndall said of the tilt. "And he's (Dunn) a big-time player who sets the tone for us."

And Dunn continued that tone -- a smooth jazz eighth in a box full of chorused chaos -- in double overtime.

The sophomore's effort -- which included a combined 10 points, five boards and three steals in the extra sessions -- was simply too much for Goldsboro to counter, allowing the Vikings to escape as victors.

Goldsboro (4-6 overall, 0-2 ECC) was led by Hargis, who led all scoring with 28 points. Isaiah Wilder finished with 13 points and two rebounds, while Gaddis filed a 13-point night.

Dunn's official stat line included 23 points, 11 rebounds, six steals, a block and two charges taken. Cape optional.

"It was a game of runs, two different tales," Goldsboro head coach Russell Stephens said. "And we just couldn't cash in on our looks late... but we're getting better and our kids were out there to win."

Make no mistake, the Cougars didn't lose -- Kinston simply outlasted them.