CHAPEL HILL — Kinston’s boys and girls basketball teams may have owned Chapel Hill and the Dean E. Smith Center on Saturday, but it was home that motivated them to victory.
Following its girls’ 51-40 win over Canton Pisgah and its boys’ 56-53 win over Waxhaw Cuthbertson in the state 2A title game sweep, both head coaches were quick to heap praise on a town that doesn’t get enough of it.
Roughly 1,200 fans clad in green showed up to see Kinston’s girls win the first girls basketball championship in county history, then about 800 more showed up to see the boys cap the sweep and win their second state title in a row.
“When you think about Kinston basketball and the tradition, there’s no better place,” boys coach Perry Tyndall said. “And to be able to come home and bring two to the community, and the community rally around us, it’s pretty special.”
Girls coach Hubert Quinerly has seen the spectators at his girls games go from a handful of fans to a half-packed gym.
To the town, girls basketball is no longer just a bridge between the junior varsity and varsity boys.
“We’re so happy for our city. They’ve been there to support us throughout the whole year. This is not just them showing up today. This has been an entire year’s worth of dedication to our program,” Quinerly said.
“Our motto is, ‘Kinston tough.’ That’s what we are. That’s what our city is.”
Summer heat
For years Kinston’s boys have held voluntary summer workouts, and they always participate in their former coach Wells Gulledge’s East Coast Invitational team camp. But with the girls, that hasn’t always been the case.
The Vikings have improved in each of the last four years, and each season began with voluntary summer workouts and scrimmages. Junior Brittany Drumgoole may have rather wanted to enjoy the beach or sleep in, but she and her teammates gave that up to work towards a state title.
“I feel like it’s the best feeling in the world. We used to tell coach that we didn’t want to come to workouts in the summertime, but we had to come work out,” she said. “We weren’t forced to do it, it was a choice. And it all paid off in the long run.”
No more curse
During the post game press conference, Denzel Keyes was asked what it means to play for such a prestigious and accomplished high school basketball program, and the only thing the senior could think of was ridding the Vikings of some rare bad luck.
Until Saturday, Kinston’s boys had never won a state championship in an odd-numbered year. Their previous three titles each came two years apart, beginning in 2008.
The Vikings entered Saturday’s title game 0-2 in state championship games ending in odd years (2001, 2007).
“We’re just all happy that we broke the curse, and won a state championship in an odd year because we’ve only won state championships in even years,” said Keyes, who had a team-best 18 points and 10 rebounds.
“I’m just glad we did that. No more curse.”
Too close for comfort
In most of Kinston’s wins this season, both boys and girls, the outcomes were decided by halftime. But such wasn’t the case on Saturday.
Although the girls pulled away late for an 11-point win, the game featured three ties and five lead changes. The boys’ game was much closer, having six ties and six lead changes, and it came down to the final possession — just like the previous two between the state’s top two 2A teams.
Cold then hot
In the girls championship game neither Canton Pisgah nor Kinston could get much going on offense in the first half.
The Vikings had been deadly from 3-point range all season, but found themselves heading into the locker room after missing all five of their attempts in the first half. But in the second, they hit 4 of 6 on their way to their first state championship.
“It was a little bit of us and it was a little bit of Pisgah — they put some pressure on us,” Quinerly said. “I thought we had some nerves, which was normal. … Our offense is going to work. We weren’t going to change anything that we did all year just to get here to the state championship — that got us here.”
Ultimate team player
Josh Dawson walked off the Dean Dome floor Saturday as the most accomplished high school basketball player to ever walk Kinston’s halls. No, he’s not a McDonald’s All American and committed to play at a major Division I school like Reggie Bullock was in 2010, but from a team aspect, Dawson’s three state titles in four years are the most any one individual has received in the sport since the school opened in 1970.
The senior guard was also named the MVP of the regionals and in Saturday’s title game, sending him out with a bang. But with sophomore Brandon Ingram earning two state championship rings in two years, there is a chance he could best Dawson in the jewelry department.
And Dawson hopes he does.
“The fact that Brandon has two rings and I’ve got three, I want him to get four,” Dawson said, “just so he can be better than me.”
Having the runs
Both of Kinston’s state championship wins were decided by one big run — a 9-0 streak in the third quarter for the girls and a 13-2 spurt midway through the second half for the boys.
Cuthbertson coach Mike Helms didn’t know what to say about his team coming up on the short end of the game-deciding run, other than he knew one of the teams was going to do it.
“Gosh, I don’t know. We had said over on the bench that somebody’s going to make a run right here, and it’s probably going to be the difference in the game. And unfortunately it was the team in white. I don’t really have the answer, I really don’t,” he said.
“In a game like that usually there’s some runs that take place and you’ve just got to weather it. We had some runs in the first half that weren’t quite that big. You’ve just got to weather it and try to keep playing. Unfortunately that was just big enough.”
A 2A three-peat?
Now that Kinston and Cuthbertson have met in the state finals for two consecutive years, there’s already talk about it happening a third time next season, but it will be tough.
The Cavaliers are losing nine seniors and Kinston is losing eight — and each team is losing four starters.
“Coach Tyndall and I talked before the game and both of us agreed that the one thing we wanted was a great high school basketball game, and I think we got that,” Helms said. “The two teams have played three times now and all three times it’s been a one-possession game. There’s not much difference in (the teams). It’s a matter of having the lead at the right time in these games.
“Hat’s off to them. They’re a great basketball team and well coached. We have really enjoyed competing with them.”
Oops
In Sunday’s Cuthbertson-Kinston game story, The Free Press incorrectly said the Vikings had won four state titles in five years. It’s actually a six-year stretch — 2008-13 — and they plan on working towards making it five of seven in 2014.
“I’m just going back into the gym and working hard and staying humble,” said super sophomore Ingram, the only one who played all 32 minutes for Kinston on Saturday.
“I still want to get to the state championship next year. I’m looking forward to it.”
Correspondent Keith Spence and Managing Editor Bryan C. Hanks contributed to this notebook. Ryan Herman can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Ryan.Herman@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter: @KFPSports.