Boys Middle School Basketball
Hamlet edges Rohanen, 45-38
By Kevin Spradlin
PeeDeePost.com
Photo gallery: 300 snapshots
HAMLET — When Tony Smith hit three straight 3-pointers to close out the first quarter and help Rohanen take an eight-point lead over Hamlet, the Red Rams hardly seemed worried. After all, there was plenty of time left on the clock. But considering the home team recorded only three field goals in the first half, things didn’t look so good early on.
Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
Joraile White goes for the jumper to help lead Hamlet past Rohanen.
Hamlet needed nearly every second to finish off a comeback and put away the visiting Rebels 45-38 in both teams’ regular season finale. The Red Rams finish with a 5-5 record while Rohanen dropped to 2-8.
The Rebels led 14-6 after the first six minutes and broke the team huddle to be on the court early for the start of the second quarter. It might have been an attempt to build on the momentum. If so, it didn’t work, as Hamlet scored seven of the next nine points of the game.
Micah White hit a bucket 45 seconds into the second quarter and Jarvis Tillman hit the first of two free throws to pull the Red Rams to within 14-9. C.J. Cougar’s field goal pulled the Red Rams to within 14-12. Hamlet still led 16-13 at halftime.
Jada Edwards scored 10 seconds into the third period for an 18-13 Rohanen lead, but that advantage had a short shelf life. Joraile White followed with a field goal and Wilson hit a breakaway layup with 5:14 to play in the third to cut the Rebels’ lead to 18-17. Malik Crowder, who finished with 14 points for Rohanen, hit the second of two free throws for a 19-17 lead. But Cougar led the Ram Rams’ response with two layups — the first with 4:39 left in the third quarter to knot the game at 19 points apiece and the second 31 seconds later to put Hamlet up 21-19.
Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
Tony Smith’s three 3-pointers to close out the first quarter weren’t enough as the Rebels fell to the Red Rams on Thursday in Hamlet.
Bailey Clark hit two free throws as the lead changed again, this time with Rohanen on top 22-21 with 3:19 left in the third. Cougar’s free throw tied things up again 11 seconds later. White scored again and then Jarvis Tillman pushed his way through traffic for a cutback and a 26-22 Hamlet advantage.
The Red Rams closed out the third quarter when Johan Jones took an inbounds pass and hit an easy layup for a 28-24 lead with six minutes to play.
Cougar hit another free throw to start the fourth quarter and give Hamlet a five-point lead, its largest of the game. Larry Williams hit two free throws for a 31-28 Hamlet lead and Rohanen pulled to within two when Keith Brewington hit the front end of a one-and-one.
The Red Rams tried pulled away after that. Cougar scored five straight points, including a 3-pointer, and gave Hamlet a 36-29 lead. White recorded a steal and the layup for a 38-32 advantage after a 3-pointer by Tashawn Wall. Brewington hit a bucket with 2:12 to play to cut Hamlet’s lead to four points and Crowder hit two free throws to pull Rohanen to within 38-36.
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Tillman, though, put Hamlet on the right track with a layup with 1:14 to play and Larry Williams hit a layup 22 seconds after that for a 42-36 advantage.
Cougar finished with 16 points to lead the Red Rams. Williams and Tillman added eight points apiece in the win. Crowder led Rohanen with 16 points and Smith added nine points. Brewington finished with six points in the loss.
Playoff brackets for the Southeastern Middle School Conference tournament, which begins Monday, will be announced on Friday.
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