FAYETTEVILLE — Kinston senior Josh Dawson has always played for an Eastern Regional championship yet each year it’s like he’s never been.
That kid-in-a-candy-story enthusiasm comes from loving his teammates and the way they work together, and it was evident following the Vikings’ 63-44 win over Bunn in the semifinals on Thursday.
“Man, I love my teammates!” Dawson exclaimed. “When we’re all making plays and we’re all going in there and rebounding, we’re a hard team to beat.”
It’s been that way all season — a group of guys who play well together and love doing it — and it’s a big reason why Kinston (26-2) is one win away from playing for back-to-back state championships.
The Vikings will face Fairmont, which rallied from 16 down in the fourth quarter to knock off Jacksonville Northside 65-62, at 4 p.m. today in the regional championship.
Balance on both ends of the floor has been Kinston’s recipe for success and it worked yet again against the Wildcats (23-7).
Sophomore Brandon Ingram had a team-high 17 points while Dawson filled up the stat sheet with 14 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. Jeremy Taylor added 12 points and Denzel Keyes had an off-night shooting with only nine points but he grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
That scoring balance outshined Bunn offensively, which had only one player in double figures — DeShawn High, who scored a game-high 24 points. No other Bunn player scored more than six.
“We shot over 50 percent and had only eight turnovers, so I’m proud of my guys,” Kinston coach Perry Tyndall said. “Overall, we were extremely efficient on the offensive end. … We got stops and took high-efficient shots, which helped us out a lot.”
Kinston faces a team today in Fairmont (25-5) that trailed by as many as 21, was down 57-41 to start the fourth quarter yet scored the game’s final 19 points, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Kwinton Hinson to stun the Monarchs.
Ryan Herman can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Ryan.Herman@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter: @KFPSports.