WILLIAMSTON - Bring It!
No matter which group of fans gathered behind their team’s bench – Washington County or Riverside – they both were vocal and ready to spur on their teams in what was a Plymouth-vs.-Williamston rivalry.
In the end, the visiting Panthers shook off a sluggish second quarter thanks to a second-half hot start and posted a 20-point Four-Rivers 1A Conference win, 79-59, here Thursday night over the home-team Knights.
Washington County didn’t score a field goal until the 3:28 mark of the first quarter, but still had a 9-2 lead thanks to opening the game by sinking seven straight free throws in what became a highly physical game (38 total fouls whistled, including three technicals: 18 for the Panthers, 20 on Riverside).
With Washington County ahead 9-4, Riverside picked up their seventh foul, putting the Panthers into the 1-and-1 free-throw bonus with 2:56 left in the quarter, the first quarter. Washington County went on to finish the period on a 10-2 run for a 20-6 first quarter lead.
With RHS Head Coach Bobby Williams exhorting them on, Riverside crawled back into the game in the second quarter thanks to 15 points from leading scorer Tyler Whitehurst. The junior sharpshooter finished with 29 points, the 15th game where he has scored 20 or more in a game.
A Whitehurst three-pointer with 2:10 left in the quarter brought Riverside within two, 26-24 – part of an 11-2 run. From there, Washington County pushed it out to a 30-26 lead before settling in for a similar four-point (35-31) advantage at halftime.
Whatever Panthers coach Lamont Gilliam said to his players at the intermission, it must have worked. Washington County opened on fire with an 18-0 run while holding the Knights scoreless for the first four-and-a-half minutes of the half and cruising to a 54-31 lead. Darius Lewis led with four of his 11 points – one of four Panthers who finished in double-figures. Washington County pushed their lead to 23 before a Whitehurst triple put the Panther edge at 20, 54-34.
Thanks to a 9-6 push to end the period, Riverside was only down by 17 by the end of the quarter, 60-43.
A pair of three-point plays in a 6-1 run to open the fourth placed the Knights’ deficit at an even dozen, 61-49, but they would get no closer.
The Panthers made an 18-2 run thanks to Riverside turnovers that became easy lay-ups. It was one such steal and lay-up by Ke’Vontae Lucas that gave Washington County their largest lead, 79-51. Le’Shaun Jackson collected six of his team-leading 23 points before the Knights settled for a 21-point loss at the final buzzer. It dropped Riverside into third place in the league behind the Panthers and first-place unbeaten Bertie.
WASHINGTON COUNTY (79): Le’Shaun Jackson-23, Amari Chesson-16, Ke’Vontae Lucas-12, Darius Lewis-11, Brandon Carter-8, Michaiah Smith-7, Jah’vier Ford-2.
RIVERSIDE (59): Tyler Whitehurst-29, Shamir Basnight-12, Jaysen Shepard-7, Terrell Burns-6, Jayden Ransom-2, Tyquan Bunch-3.
