Jackets sting Corinth

CORINTH HOLDERS -- CORINTH HOLDERS The Corinth Holders’ boys’ basketball team had a chance to clinch no worse than second place in the Northern Carolina 2-A Conference Friday night.

Roanoke Rapids, however, had other plans.

The Yellow Jackets improved to 6-6 in the league with a 51-46 upset over the Pirates, handing Corinth just its second conference defeat of the season.

“I will take the blame for this loss,” said Corinth coach Chris Davis, whose squad fell to 10-2 in the NCC and 17-5 overall. “Our problem wasn’t execution on offense as far as what we were doing, the problem was how we were trying to do it. We were making lazy passes and habit passes, passes on the move, trying to throw lobs…we scored 16 points in the first quarter but we gave up 15. We gave up too many rebounds that extended possessions, and we should have gone to our trap defensively much earlier than with 1:45 left in the game, and that was my fault.”

Corinth Holders had trouble in the first half containing Roanoke Rapids’ 6-foot-6 inch center, Stephen Vassor. Vassor, whose strong hand is his left, had 10 of the Jackets’ 15 points in the first quarter and ended up with 16 of his squad’s 29 as the Jackets led 29-25 at the break. Vassoe finished with a game-high 23 points as the lone Jacket in double figures.

“He likes to set up on the right side and move to his left,” Davis said. “The first time we played them, he only scored six points. “He would get rebounds and then get the ball back in a lower position than he had originally. We got to take the scouting report and the things we discuss and put them to use. Maybe I needed to emphasize that a little more.”

Corinth was able to stay close behind eight points from Klilah Cox, seven from Kenny Collins and four apiece from Ethan Kersat and Ki-yon Walden.

A.J. Alston’s only bucket of the game – with 3:23 left in the second period – tied the score at 23. Vassor, DeAndre Solomon and Clay Lockamon tallied baskets in the remaining time to give the visitors a four-point halftime advantage.

Every time the Pirates would cut into the lead, Roanoke Rapids would come up with a key basket, either off a turnover or in transition.

Vassor had a pair of baskets in the third while Jackie Caudle added a big 3-pointer, while Kahlil Larry’s bucket off a nice pass from Cox made it a two-point game after 24 minutes.

Corinth fell behind by as many as six points in the fourth quarter but kept clawing, cutting the deficit to two points on three separate occasions, the final two, at 46-44 on a steal and coast-to-coast layup by Larry with 2:26 remaining, and at 48-46 at the two-minute mark on Cox’s basket.

After causing turnovers with its pressure defense, Corinth had two golden chances but missed a pair of close shots. Vassor then came through with a big block with 1:15 left.

The Pirates then forced another turnover but missed a layup and fouled Vassor, who made one of two at the line for a 49-46 lead.

Walden nearly had a chance for an old-fashioned three-point play when his layup rimmed out. But he missed both free throws with 29 seconds left, and five seconds later, Lockamon made two free throws for a five-point Jackets’ lead.

Caudle had nine points for Roanoke Rapids while Lockamon added eight.

Cox paced CHHS with 17 points. Collins and Larry provided nine and eight points, respectively.

Corinth still had a two-game lead over third-place North Johnston with games remaining on Tuesday against Louisburg and Thursday against Bunn.

“As athletes, you’ve got to have amnesia,” Davis said. “We have to forget this one and focus on the next one.”