DEEP RUN — South Lenoir has made a habit of getting off to slow starts this season.
There was nothing slow about the way the Blue Devils played Friday night.
Ishmael Baldwin scored 28 points and South Lenoir had its most proficient night of offense this season in its 71-41 blowout win over Swansboro during Senior Night at Munn Gymnasium.
The Blue Devils (13-7, 9-3 East Central 2A) hit their first 11 shots, went 10-for-10 from the field in the first quarter and finished shooting better than 50 percent for the first time this season.
Swansboro (5-17, 0-12) scored the game’s first four points before South Lenoir rattled off the next 14 to take a double-digit lead that grew and grew and grew.
“I hope we’re back on the upswing of things,” said Blue Devils coach Jeremy Barnett, whose team had dropped three of its last four games. “I hope we’re getting a little bit of that momentum (back) at the right time.”
Dion Jones and Jonte Midgette scored 10 points each and Jaquan Wooten grabbed 12 rebounds on a night when all 14 of South Lenoir’s available players entered the stat book in one fashion or the other.
The Blue Devils outrebounded the Pirates 43-29, forced them into 23 turnovers, and shot a season-best 54.5 percent — 65.5 percent in the first half — on 30 of 55 made field goals.
They didn’t miss until Baldwin’s 3-point attempt sailed long at the 7:14 mark of the second quarter.
They led 29-9 at that point.
“We’ve got guys that can shoot the ball, we just hadn’t done it for whatever reason,” Barnett said.
The win allowed the tied-for-second-place Blue Devils to keep pace with league-leading Clinton, which defeated East Duplin Friday, in the race for the league crown.
South Lenoir’s final two games are on the road — at Croatan on Tuesday then at Clinton in the regular season finale next Friday.
SOUTH LENOIR 58, SWANSBORO 33
The Blue Devils bounced back from their loss at Jacksonville Northside to win big over the Pirates on Senior Night.
Heather West had 16 points, six steals and five assists and Demeyia Adams had 14 points and 14 rebounds and South Lenoir (15-5, 9-3 East Central 2A) used a 14-0 spurt in the second quarter to pull away.
Marquia Suddeth scored 11 points and had 10 rebounds and Caroline Jones added 12 points and three assists for the Blue Devils.
South Lenoir travels to Croatan on Tuesday.
Ryan Herman can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Ryan.Herman@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter: @KFPSports.
BOYS
Swansboro 7 15 10 9—41
South Lenoir 27 18 14 12—71
PIRATES (5-17, 0-12) — Anfernee Ashley 14, Morton 9, Thorton 6, Oswalt 5, Barton 3, Hill 2, Pace 1, Foy 1, Taylor, Jude, Mattocks.
BLUE DEVILS (13-7, 9-3) — Ishmael Baldwin 28, Dion Jones 10, Jonte Midgette 10, Janning 9, Whaley 5, Smith 5, Davis 2, Wooten 2, Graves, Garner, Cooper, Kennedy, Turner, Ezzell.
GIRLS
Swansboro 10 7 5 11—33
South Lenoir 13 20 14 11—58
PIRATES (4-17, 2-10) — Kylie Cuve 14, Alex Watkins 12, Johnson 4, McTassart 2, Sheehan 1, Yingling, Taylor, Heredia, Oriol, Freeman.
BLUE DEVILS (15-5, 9-3) — Heather West 16, Demeyia Adams 14, Caroline Jones 12, Marquia Suddeth 11, Meready 3, Pelletier 2, Ha. West, Franklin, Combs, Williams, Epps, Stapleford, Braxton.