AYDEN — Numbers can tell interesting stories. Friday night’s Carolina 1A Conference clash between Ayden-Grifton and Goldsboro Rosewood had plenty.
Six ties. Eight lead changes. One length-of-the-floor buzzer beater. One potentially momentum-shifting technical foul. And, finally, one decisive 10-0 second-half run.
It all added up to a 60-52 win for Ayden-Grifton that put the Chargers in a tie for second place in the league with the Eagles.
The Chargers (8-9, 4-2) traded buckets and leads for much of the first half with the Eagles despite a horrendous half of shooting for both squads. While Ayden-Grifton found the bottom of the net only 32 percent of the time (9 of 28) in the half, Rosewood (13-4, 4-2) was nearly as bad, going just 11 of 29 (38 percent) from the field. But the Eagles hit what was the most improbable shot of the night by a wide margin to end the half.
Clinging to a 23-21 lead, Rosewood gave up a long outlet pass to Ayden-Grifton for what looked to be a game-tying layup. Instead, an Eagles defender hustled back and blocked Rondell Bell’s layup attempt. With just over 2 seconds left on the clock, Jyvonte Raynor heaved the ball nearly the length of the court and banked in a 3-pointer — a five point swing in the score that gave the Eagles a 26-21 lead.
The buzzer beater apparently served as a wake-up call for the Chargers, who stormed back in the third quarter to reclaim the lead. Trailing 38-30, Ayden-Grifton connected on its last four trips for a 10-0 run and a 40-38 lead heading into the final period.
The Chargers were 8 of 11 (73 percent) from the field in the quarter.
“When we were down 38-30, we battled hard,” Chargers coach John Moye said. “From that point on, Khalil (Harper) was playing defense first; then, he hit those four big shots in a row.”
Harper led the Chargers with 16 points, followed by 15 from Brandon Larry and 12 from Bell. Meanwhile, the Eagles had two players notch double figures in the scoring column: Raynor with 25 points and Dennis Mitchell with 10.
But it was defense that made the ultimate difference in the fourth quarter. The Chargers turned up the defensive intensity in the final frame, and the Chargers’ full court pressure won the turnover battle 22-10 on the evening.
“Our defensive pressure really picked up,” Moye said.
With the outcome still very much in question, things got chippy around the four-minute mark, and Harper picked up a technical foul after he was fouled while shooting.
He converted both of his free throws, while the Eagles hit one of two at their end and followed up with a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession for a four-point play that cut the Chargers’ lead to one.
The Chargers responded by scoring the next seven points to put the game away.
“We showed a lot of heart,” Moye said. “We just need to keep our composure. We went through a lot at Rosewood, losing that game. … So this game meant a lot to us.”
Ayden-Grifton travels to Spring Creek on Tuesday.
ROSEWOOD 52, AYDEN-GRIFTON 41
In the girls game, a slow start and a disastrous second quarter doomed Ayden-Grifton, as the Chargers lost to Rosewood.
The Chargers (4-11, 2-4) fell behind 15-8 after a quarter and watched as Rosewood raced to a 35-12 halftime lead on the strength of a quarter-long 20-4 run.
The Eagles (12-5, 5-1) led by 20 going into the fourth quarter before the Chargers came charging back.
A 15-0 run trimmed the deficit to six points at 45-39, as Destiny Dixon scored seven of her nine points during that stretch, but the valiant comeback effort fell just short.
“I thought we responded really well (in the fourth quarter),” Chargers coach Jeff Dufour said. “We got in there, and we worked as hard as we could as a team.”
Rosewood’s Lexi Mercer led all scorers with 21 points, 17 of which came in the first half. Krystal Yelverton chipped in with nine points for the Eagles, while Alicia Burns added eight more.
The Chargers were led by 12 points from Ashley Dillahunt, followed by Alexis and Destiny Dixon (no relation), who each had nine.
GIRLS
Rosewood 15 20 9 8—52
Ayden-Grifton 8 4 12 17—41
EAGLES (12-5, 5-1) — Lexi Mercer 21, Yelverton 9, Burns 8, Heath 6, Baker 5, C. Thornton 2, H. Mercer 1.
CHARGERS (4-11, 2-4) — Ashley Dillahunt 12, A. Dixon 9, D. Dixon 9, Jones 7, Worthington 2, Ennis 2.
BOYS
Rosewood 11 15 12 14—52
Ayden-Grifton 13 8 19 20—60
EAGLES (13-4, 4-2) — Jyvonte Raynor 25, Dennis Mitchell 10, Davis 7, Mabry 7, Jenkins 2, Hair 1.
CHARGERS (8-9, 4-2) — Khalif Harper 16, Brandon Larry 15, Rondell Bell 12, Joyner 6, Dixon 4, Squires 3, Wright 2, Preston 2.