If coach Hubert Quinerly can get the entire group of girls to match the effort Brittany Drumgoole and Jada Faison, he believes the Vikings would be even better.
Taking down Jacksonville in an aggressive 73-33 season-opening win, the intense pair combined for 17 points and 12 rebounds Thursday at Viking Gym.
“I knew they were going to have that,” Quinerly said about the two.
Kinston played physical, and it was tough for either team to score early in the game. The Vikings led just 3-0 with 3:29 left in the opening quarter. The teams entered the second quarter with Kinston leading 9-2, with the Cardinals only have gotten off five shots.
Kinston stretched the lead to 35-8 at halftime.
Drumgoole led the game with seven assists and Faison recorded five steals. Ashonee Addison scored a game-high 16 points Tuesday.
The Cardinals limited the Vikings’ access inside, forcing them to take hurried jumpers at times. Kinston shot 40 percent from the field.
“We’ve definitely got to get better at taking the right shots,” Quinerly said. “I think we’re taking some quick shots; I think the wrong people are taking those shots. Once we get that corrected, we’ll be fine.”
The Cardinals’ margin of loss was not easy to overcome. Kinston’s lead elevated in the third, as a nifty no-look pass from Shike Mason to Shannon Mayo made the score 44-10. Mason finished with 13 points and Mayo, who finished with 11, was perfect on her five shots of the second half. Mason and Addison each scored three 3-pointers.
Takerian Harper had eight points and led all with 10 rebounds.
Kinston travels to UNC-Asheville on Nov. 30 to play McDowell in the Coaches vs. Cancer event.
Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 and Jessika.Morgan@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.
