CLAYTON -- Seniors Latesha Williams (22) and Vernessa Hinnant (11) sparked Clayton to a 58-44 Greater Neuse River 4-A Conference victory over Knightdale Friday on Senior Night. CHS finished in third place in the conference (9-5) and emerged 15-5 overall
Williams (six) and Hinnant (four) scored the first 10 points for the Comets, who trapped and forced several turnovers in the opening moments of the contest en route to a 10-4 lead.
Sophomore guard Jenna Harris got into the scoring act with a 3-pointer and a driving bucket and Hinnant, Williams and Tajah Clark added offense to help Clayton take a 21-7 lead after eight minutes.
“We always want to pressure and get out in transition,” Clayton coach Marlon Lee said. “We got that big lead and then got a little uncharacteristic with some of our shots, and defensively we let (Knightdale guard) Ajee (Smith) hit three 3s in the first half. We knew that she was quick, their primary ball handler and could shoot the ball. But we came out and won the third quarter and won the fourth quarter.”
Clayton held a 24-9 lead on a basket by Clark with five minutes remaining in the second quarter.
Knightdale earned a rare four-point play by Smith, who was fouled on a successful 3-pointer and then made the free throw) to cut the lead to 28-16. The Knights closed the half on an 8-4 run – five of those points came from Nicolette Neal – to pull within eight (32-24).
The closest the visitors were able to get was seven points – 34-27 – on a follow shot by Deanna Quatry with 5:40 left in the third quarter. But the Comets scored on their next three possessions – two baskets by Ashley Murphy and a driving bucket by Clark – to extend the advantage to 40-27.
The Knights managed to pull within nine at 44-35 on a basket by Smith with 5:30 left, but the rest of the game was a free throw contest (Knightdale made 4 of 10 at the charity stripe, while the Comets were 13 for 20.
Knightdale had little answer for Williams, who was able to drive to basket fairly easily. When she wasn’t hitting shots or dishing off to teammates, she was at the foul line, where she made 9 of 10 in the final quarter and finished 13-for-16 for the game.
Harris added all seven of her points in the first quarter and Murphy scored all of her points (six) in the second half and grabbed 11 rebounds, six of them on the offensive end.
Smith paced Knightdale with 13 points.
