ELLERBE – Entering its game with Ellerbe Middle School with a 5-3 record, the Hamlet Middle School boys’ basketball team had most likely already punched their ticket to the post season.
However, the Red Rams needed to take care of business against the 2-6 Wildcats on Thursday to guarantee a conference playoff berth. Hamlet wasted no time, stringing together one long run after another, en route to a 62-32 road victory.
Ellerbe’s Jh’Kwon Covington got the scoring started quickly. Teammate Emoni McBride swatted the opening jump ball to Covington who took it untouched the hoop for an easy layup just five seconds into the game. That would be the Wildcats only lead in the game and they were only able to keep it for 45 seconds.
After McBride’s attempt rimmed out on Ellerbe’s next possession, Hamlet’s Xavier Wall collected the rebound, dribbled it coast-to-coast, and laid it in to tie the game at two with 5:10 on the clock. That basket started a 15-0 Red Ram run that ended with back-to-back baskets by Covington with 2:34 left in the quarter.
Covington nearly scored another one seconds later, but his shot circled the iron and rolled out. Z’Yion Baldwin hauled in the rebound, dribbled the length of the court, and delivered it to the net on the other end putting Hamlet up 17-6 with 1:55 left in the opening quarter.
Moments later, Xavier Wall intercepted a Wildcat pass, but this time he found CC Wall all alone in the paint for an easy score. McBride temporarily stopped the bleeding with a huge three-pointer from the left wing. That was his only points of the first quarter, but he would go on to score a team-high 16 points for the Wildcats.
Xavier Wall scored once more with a layup just before the first quarter came to a close giving his Red Rams a 21-9 lead.
Both teams scored on their first two possessions of the second quarter, but after that Hamlet converted several Ellerbe turnovers into quick points. The Red Rams closed out the half on an 11-3 run and had all but put the game out of reach with a 36-16 lead at the break.
McBride and Connor Utley combined to score 14 points in the third quarter for the Wildcats and actually outscored Hamlet in the third period by one point. In the first 2:30 of the fourth quarter, the Red Rams answered with a 15-2 run. The quick scoring spurt gave Hamlet a 30-point lead at 62-32 triggering a running clock. No one scored in the final three minutes.
CC Wall had a big day for the Red Rams, scoring a game-high 17 points. Paul McNeil, who was a huge defensive presence in the game for Hamlet, followed with 15 points. Xavier Wall finished with 12, Baldwin netted eight, David McNair had five, JV Drake scored three, and Toby McInnis added two.
Utley and Covington each had six for Ellerbe in the loss. Freddy Hill contributed four points.
Hamlet improves to 6-3 and will now wait for the post season brackets to be finalized.
