Local teams top summer hoops league
Published 11:15 pm Friday, July 9, 2010
Lakeland, King’s Fork and Nansemond River made it a 3-for-3 night for Suffolk schools during King’s Fork’s Summer Basketball League Thursday evening.
Lakeland (2-3) defeated previously perfect Kecoughtan (3-1) 51-46 led by Marichal Walden’s 19 points and 10 rebounds. Walden, at 6-foot-2, was giving up a couple inches to most of Kecoughtan’s post players, but was the most active player in the paint throughout the game.
Walden scored eight of Lakeland’s first 14 points and the Cavaliers led 18-15 at the 5:20 mark of the half. Kecoughtan blanked Lakeland the rest of the half and led 22-18 at halftime.
Games are two 20-minute halves, with running clocks except for the last two minutes of each half, in the King’s Fork Summer League. Schools bring teams made up mostly of varsity-age players.
The Cavaliers scored the first seven points of the second half, taking the lead on Trey Morris’s three-pointer. Morris and Josh Beck hit two three-pointers each in the second half to go with 11 points by Walden on a mix of mid-range jumpers and rebounding in the paint.
A three-point play by Walden put Lakeland up 34-27 and Samson Worrell’s three-pointer made it 40-29 Cavs as the clock neared seven minutes left.
Kecoughtan cut a 14-point margin down to 45-44 Lakeland before the Cavs broke Kecoughtan’s full-court pressing and Walden finished a lay-up to make it 47-44 with 0:42 remaining. Lakeland got a steal on the next Kecoughtan possession and Dwight Jefferson made 1-of-2 at the foul line. Lakeland kept a two-possession lead in the final seconds.
The Bulldogs (3-2) had no problem beating Churchland 50-27.
Straight from Zach Johnson winning the opening tip, C.J. Hailes went in for an easy lay-up. Another KF fast break seconds later ended with Tre Francisco scoring in the lane and making a three-point play. KF’s scoring slowed some from there, but the Bulldogs shutout the Truckers for nearly nine minutes and led 9-0 by that point.
The Bulldogs led 25-14 at halftime and went off on a 10-0 run to start the second half. Hailes led the run, mainly through his defense though. Hailes turned three steals into two lay-ups and a pair of free throws during KF’s 10 straight points.
Hailes led KF with 10 points. Johnson added eight points and six boards. Francisco scored seven points.
In the last game of the tripleheader in KF’s secondary gym, Nansemond River beat Heritage 50-44.
The Warriors (3-1) trailed for most of the first half, in which neither side gained momentum or a rhythm since both sides traded turnovers, hectic play and full-court defense.
NR’s lanky 6-foot-3 center John Joyce made the last two baskets of the half to give NR a 25-22 halftime lead. Michael Copeland led NR in the half with nine points.
Joyce’s rebounding was the one clear advantage for the Warriors. Reserve wing Jemal Cannon sparked NR with a three-pointer and a drive to the basket for a lay-in to stretch NR’s lead headed to the last couple minutes.
Cannon’s five points led NR in the second half. Copeland finished with 13 points. Joyce had eight points, 13 rebounds and four blocks.
The summer league continues Tuesday, July 13 with games at KF starting at 6 p.m. The league tournament starts on July 20.