Pirates’ first win is an easy one

Corinth Holders girls basketball team rolled to its first win of the season Monday night against Princeton. The Pirates, who fell to the Bulldogs three nights earlier, claimed a 51-17 victory.

“The biggest difference for us was our confidence,” said Corinth Holders coach Brandy Smith. “Our first couple of shots fell, we got a few steals and easy layups and you could see their confidence increasing.”

Cyarra Pierson led Corinth Holders with 16 points and five rebounds, while Maddy Gladwell had 15 points and five assists.

“We took care of the ball and had only nine turnovers,” Smith said. “Hopefully, this confidence will carry over into the rest of the season and we will have more consistent performances.”

Kris Neal had eight rebounds and eight points on the night for the Pirates. Savanna Massengill pulled down 13 rebounds for Princeton and scored nine points.

Cleveland girls steal a road win

Jasmine Richardson’s steal and ensuing layup with 11 seconds to play helped Cleveland grab a key early Eastern Carolina 3A Conference road win at C.B. Aycock. The Rams took a 48-47 decision.

Courtney and Monique Torres paced Cleveland’s scoring with 13 points each. The Rams led by seven entering the fourth quarter, but had scored just six points in the final frame until Richardson’s game-winning play.

Cleveland’s boys fell to Aycock, 70-56. Jesse Olmstead led the Rams with 14 points. The game’s wild fourth quarter featured the two teams combining for 55 points in the eight-minute frame.

Purpose Driven Baseball Camp set

The Sixth Annual Purpose Driven Baseball Camp for players and coaches will be held Saturday, Jan. 19, at Clayton High School. The camp runs from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The camp staff will include more than a dozen current college or pro players and coaches, including Trot Nixon, Adam Warren, Chris Archer, Corey Lee and more. The cost is $125 per person before Jan. 1 or $150 thereafter. Visit purposedrivenbaseball.com or email Jay Stott at jstott@paraleigh.com for more info.

Balanced scoring carries Corinth Holders boys

Corinth Holders’ boys basketball team scored 44 first-half points and rolled by Princeton 78-29 on Monday night to complete a season sweep. Five Pirates (6-1) finished with nine or more points, led by Klilah Cox’s 16 points.

Kenneth Collins finished with 14, while Butler Collins had 11. Kiyon Walden (10) and Jaylyn Neal (nine) also helped out with the Pirates’ big offensive effort.

Tanner Woodard led Princeton (4-4) with eight points.

Neuse Charter drops to 5-4

Neuse Charter School fell to Neuse Christian Academy of Raleigh in boys basketball Monday night, 85-56. Neuse Charter dressed only six players due to injuries.

Jourdan Sanders had 23 points and five assists in the loss, while Jarrod Sealey contributed 16 points and seven rebounds.

“The kids are getting a lesson of handling adversity and being asked to expand their roles, in some cases play out of position, until we get healthy again,” said Neuse Charter coach Jimmie Sanders. “This again provides an opportunity for our young guys to get some valuable experience, with will help us as we move forward.”

The Neuse Charter roster features no seniors in its first season of varsity play and four freshmen.