DEEP RUN — Jeremy Barnett didn’t have to say much to his South Lenoir boys basketball team following its narrow victory against Richlands on Tuesday.
His body language spoke for him.
Jonte Midgette scored 19 points but the league-leading Blue Devils struggled mightily against the Wildcats until pulling away in the final minutes for a 49-43 win that left Barnett scratching his head and searching for answers.
“We had no energy, we had no enthusiasm,” he said, after his team had to overcome yet another second-half deficit — this time to a team that was in sixth place entering Tuesday’s play. “Besides the scoreboard there was not a lot to be happy about.
“It’s nothing that they don’t know. They know it’s unacceptable the way we played. I didn’t say a whole to them after the game, they know.”
Outside of the rebounding edge — South Lenoir outrebounded Richlands 50-40 — and the scoreboard, the Wildcats (7-11, 2-7 East Central 2A) fought their way to more loose balls, played with more heart, Barnett felt, and turned a nine-point halftime deficit into a five-point lead before the Blue Devils (11-5, 8-1) could put the ball through the basket in the third quarter.
Barnett subbed five-for-five on several occasions, trying to find a spark for a team that had suffered its first league loss of the season Saturday at East Duplin on a late 3-pointer.
But it wasn’t until South Lenoir found itself on the losing end again in the second half that it began to turn things around.
Richlands, playing without its go-to player Tyree Best, hit its first four field goals of the third quarter on its way to a 14-0 run that turned a 24-15 South Lenoir lead into a 29-24 Wildcats advantage.
The Blue Devils couldn’t find the net or hold on to the basketball during the stretch, committing seven turnovers and missing their first 12 shots before Midgette finally connected on a layup with an even 3 minutes remaining in the period.
The layup sparked a 10-0 run for the home team, which put it ahead for good. But the Wildcats didn’t go away quietly.
Richlands answered with a little run, and a pair of free throws by Antwan Thompson with 2:29 to play pulled his team into a tie at 41. But a 3-pointer by reserve Wyatt Janning — South Lenoir’s only made 3 of the game — put the Blue Devils out of reach.
“If it wasn’t for (the reserves) we don’t win that game tonight,” Barnett said.
Dion Jones added 10 points, six rebounds and five steals for South Lenoir, which rebounded from a 56-55 loss to the Panthers on Saturday. Jaquan Wooten had 12 rebounds and Ishmael Baldwin grabbed nine boards and added four steals but the individual performances weren’t enough.
Barnett is searching for more of a group effort from a team that shot 28 percent (16 for 57) and got outhustled in the second half.
“If what happened to them on Saturday night had happened to me, I’d been spitting nails to get back on that court,” he said. “We weren’t.
“It’s a conference win, we’re 8-1 (in conference) and we took care of home court so I’m happy about that. But this will hopefully be a wakeup call.”
SOUTH LENOIR 57, RICHLANDS 31
In contrast to the boys game, South Lenoir’s girls didn’t disappoint.
Heather West had 16 points, seven rebounds and five steals and Hanna Meready added 11 points for a Blue Devils team that continued to win in league play and remained in a three-way tie with East Duplin and Jacksonville Northside, also winners Tuesday, for second place in the league.
The Blue Devils (13-4, 7-2) outscored the Wildcats (5-13, 1-8) 15-4 in the first 8 minutes and led 28-8 at the break.
Demeiya Adams had eight points, seven rebounds and three steals and Marquia Suddeth scored 10 points and grabbed four rebounds for South Lenoir, which hosts Topsail on Friday.
Ryan Herman can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Ryan.Herman@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter: @KFPSports.
BOYS
Richlands 9 6 14 14—43
South Lenoir 10 14 10 15—49
WILDCATS (7-11, 2-7) — Antwan Thompson 14, KaDarius McQueen 12, Cottle 8, Thomas 7, Marshall 2, Carson, Hayes, Brown.
BLUE DEVILS (12-5, 8-1) — Jonte Midgette 19, Dion Jones 10, Wooten 6, Baldwin 5, Whaley 4, Janning 3, Garner 2, Cooper, Davis, Turner, Ezzell.
GIRLS
Richlands 4 4 11 12—31
South Lenoir 15 13 16 13—57
WILDCATS (5-13, 1-8) — Toudle 8, Petteway 6, Kornegay 6, Taylor 4, Batchelor 3, White 2, Meisberger 2.
BLUE DEVILS (13-4, 7-2) — Heather West 16, Hanna Meready 11, Marquia Suddeth 10, Adams 8, Franklin 4, Stapleford 4, Combs 3, Jones 1, Pelletier, Ha. West, Williams, Epps.