Burgaw, North Carolina – It’s not hard to understand what drives Trask’s boys’ basketball team.
You just have to see what they do after a basket is made.
Defending all the way in an intense man-to-man press, the Titans may not be the greatest team in the Waccamaw conference, but they make up for that with their constant pressure.
That was demonstrated once again on Tuesday night in a 61-49 win over rival Pender. The victory not only puts Trask (10-7, 2-1) ahead of the Patriots in league standings, it also gives them two straight games in the series of rivalries.
Pender (3-7, 1-2) still owns seven of the last 11 contests, though the series is more balanced looking at the last 18 matchups — a perfect 9-9 split.
Summary of the first half
Trask led 28-14 at halftime, and that might have been it if Pender hadn’t blocked five Titans shots inside the paint.
However, Trask’s ball pressure greatly disrupted the Patriots. Pender was unable to get inside the paint, as shown by the fact that he only fired five free throws in the entire first half and gave up a handful of real ball turnovers. The Patriots scored just two field goals in the first quarter and three in the second.
Summary of the second half
Pender got close to 10 late in the third but each time Trask responded with a quick bucket (or two) to keep the Patriots at bay.
With Trask up 58-41 and 1:55 remaining, Pender reserve guard Jaden Lee collided with the padded wall behind the goal and was down for several minutes. It appeared that Lee had hit his neck and the back of his head against the wall and grabbed it as he lay down. He was able to get up and out of the gym under his own power and was checked by EMS who arrived after the game.
Both teams, players and coaches, came together to pray while Lee was down. Pender’s late flurry of buckets brought the score a little closer at the end.
Notes pending
The Patriots have size, but couldn’t use it on the boards or in half-court against Trask’s teeming defense. Pender hasn’t had as many total games under his belt as other teams in the state, in part because of his run in the football playoffs, and maybe the Patriots are still in good shape.
Although he started slow, rookie Dashawn McKoy led the way for Pender with 18 points (8 of 10 to the line), scoring 7 of them in the fourth quarter from tough angles. He also led the team in blocks. Kyrese Dye added 13 and was a positive with his own pressure on the ball.
Follow-up notes
Although it’s late January, COVID has upended the Waccamaw conference schedule. Trask started this week without having seen Columbus East or West. By the end of the week, he will have faced West Columbus twice in a matter of days. It will be the same next week in East Columbus.
The Titans got a balanced scoring act from Myron McKoy (15 points), Tyran Pickett (14 points), Sherrod Henderson (10 points), Jaylin Harvey (8 points) and Isaac Turner (7 points).
Games with league favorites West Columbus loom large.
girls game
The Trask girls picked up a 63-30 victory in which they led the Patriots 24-7 at halftime.
The Titans (4-9, 2-1) are now slipping past Pender (3-4, 1-2) in the Waccamaw conference standings, and did so thanks to early shooting prowess from Julia Plunk.
Plunk finished with a game-high 24 points, including five 3s. Madalyn White added 22 points, while Kenya Lewis’ contributions came in his assists and quick crosses that broke Pender’s defense.
Pender’s offense opened in the third quarter with 18 points, led by Jamiah Johnson, who led all Patriots with 12 on the night. However, Trask got to the line and wiped out any hope of a Pender comeback with every free throw made, going 14 of 25 in the game but 10 of 12 in the third quarter alone.
Brooke Dell’Ollio gave Trask one last reason to cheer, knocking down a 3 just before the game clock expired for the first points of the senior season.
