ROCKINGHAM — The third time was a charm for the Hamlet Middle School boys’ basketball team when it faced rival Rockingham in the conference championship on Wednesday.
After losing two regular-season meetings against the Rockets, the Red Rams won the 2021 title 49-41 on the Rockets’ home court.
“I’m happy for our 12 students who did what they needed to do in the classroom to be eligible to play, then gave us their all on the court during this shortened season,” Hamlet head coach Keith Parsons said.
“I need to thank coach John Ware for his invaluable insight and help. Very little about our season was ordinary, and playing Rockingham for a third time certainly is unique,” he added. “They have a great team and beat us twice in the regular season. Today, we played well enough to come out on top.”
Jordan Bostic had himself a game, netting a team-high 18 points while shooting 6-of-12 from the field. He also added three triples in the win, knocking down 50% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Gage Stewart chipped in nine points in the win, draining a pair of three pointers to help the Red Rams. Teammates Jay Hamilton and Jason Walker combined for 15 points, adding eight and seven points, respectively.
Rounding out Hamlet’s scoring were Ali West (four points) and Chamaure Shaw (three points). Hamlet forced 24 turnovers en route to their title win.
Hamlet finished the season with a 3-2 record, and used a strong first quarter to control the game’s tempo. The Red Rams outscored Rockingham 27-13 in the first 10 minutes of play.
Bostic scored his first seven points, while Hamilton added three field goals. Stewart landed a three-ball and added a field goal for five points early. Keyonta Davis had three field goals and three free throws for the Rockets.
Rockingham, which finished the season 4-1, was led by a game-high 28 points from Davis. He scored 15 points in the first half, before adding 13 points in the final two quarters.
Kedrion Crump netted six points for the Rockets, scoring all of them in the fourth quarter. Keonta Pegues scored four points and Joe Parson added three points.
“It was a great season,” Julius Bowden, Rockingham’s coach, said. “My guys played hard every game, but unfortunately we lost the one that mattered.
“Coach Parsons did a great job preparing his guys for (the championship) game.”
