HAMLET — Overcoming a halftime deficit and using a late-game free throw, the Hamlet Middle School boys’ basketball team escaped with a conference win on Thursday.
The Red Rams and head coach Keith Parsons welcomed in the Carver Middle School Eagles, and using a JV Drake free throw with 11 seconds left in regulation, Hamlet held on to win 43-42.
Drake would finish as the Red Rams’ leading scorer with 14 points, but none more important than his final one. He notched the game-winning point on the front end of a one-and-one opportunity.
Adding to the win was Jamerson Walton with eight points, along with four points each from David McNair and Tristan Wall. Zay Cephas scored three points, while Jordan Bostic, Zach Gardner, Jacoby Martin, Toby McInnis and Amer Morrison all added two points.
On defense, Hamlet forced 39 turnovers, which helped slow the Eagles from scoring.
Carver got out to an early lead, outscoring Hamlet 9-4 in the first quarter. Morrison and Walton would each net a field goal in the opening 10 minutes of the game.
A 13-point second stanza by Hamlet saw six different players score to help close the deficit and enter the locker room down 23-17.
Cephas dropped a triple to lead the team in scoring during the second, while Drake got his scoring started with a field goal. Also netting two points were Martin, McInnis, McNair and Wall.
The Red Rams inched closer to the lead in the third, putting 11 points on the board to Carver’s eight. Drake found a grove with five more points, as Bostic, Gardner and Walton combined for the other six points.
Hamlet trailed by as many as seven points in the third, and even held a one-point lead, but went into the fourth down 31-28.
Taking over in the final 10 minutes was Drake, who scored his last seven points, using three buckets before the free throw. Hamlet would muster enough offense to outscore Carver 15-11 to earn the win.
Contributing late was Walton with four points, Wall hit a bucket and McNair converted on both of his free throws.
Now 4-1 on the season, the Red Rams will contest rival Rockingham Middle School (4-1) on the road next Tuesday. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m.
