Following its 60-44 win over Elizabeth City Northeastern on Friday Kinston’s boys basketball team celebrated in its locker room like it was going to the regionals for the first time.
In actuality it’s the seventh straight year the Vikings have been. But the feeling never gets old.
Josh Dawson had 12 points and Brandon Ingram 11 in yet another balanced offensive attack that was predicated on hard-nosed defense and an owning of the boards in Kinston’s third-round win over the Eagles on Friday at Viking Gym.
The win puts the Vikings (25-2) into the Eastern Regionals for the seventh straight year. They will face Bunn, a 55-45 winner over Farmville Central, at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Fayetteville’s Crown Arena.
“Gosh, I’m so happy for our kids. It’s been a great run but our kids celebrated in that locker room like they’ve never been,” first-year Kinston coach Perry Tyndall said.
“That’s good, because I don’t want this feeling to ever get old.”
The game started out physical between the Vikings and Eagles (23-5), with both teams waiting until near the 4-minute mark of the first quarter to record their first field goals.
The score stood 9-8 with 2 minutes left in the first, then Kinston went on one of its patented runs — an 18-2 spurt that all but decided the outcome.
“We just played so hard,” Dawson said. “Man, I love my teammates. We just kept fighting and kept playing hard.”
Kinston led 31-15 at the break but Northeastern methodically crept back in, thanks in part to six third-quarter Vikings turnovers.
Eagles leading scorer Trey Carver, who finished with 11 points, threw down a dunk that sent their fans into a frenzy and forced Tyndall to call a timeout to refocus his group.
The score read 43-32 and was tied moments later, but another big run in the final period — Kinston hit its first six shots of the quarter — sent it to the regionals yet again.
The Vikings outrebounded the Eagles 38-27 and held them to 32 percent shooting (16 for 50).
“This feels good,” said Kinston senior Denzel Keyes, who had 10 points and eight rebounds. “This was a total team effort.
“We all played hard, and are ready for next week.”
Ryan Herman can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Ryan.Herman@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter: @KFPSports.
Northeastern 10 5 17 12—44
Kinston 16 15 12 17—60
EAGLES (23-5) — Trey Carver 11, Liverman 8, McWilliams 6, Nelson 6, A. Carver 4, Barnhill 3, Kellogg 3, Ferguson 2, Melton 1, Hopson, Monola, Widbee.
VIKINGS (25-2) — Josh Dawson 12, Brandon Ingram 11, Denzel Keyes 10, Joyner 9, Dunn 8, Taylor 4, Ham 2, Hart 2, Lopez 2, White, Jones, Williams, Canady.