HAMLET – The last two times that the Rockingham Middle School Rockets and the Hamlet Middle School Red Rams squared off in boys basketball, the games came down to the final shot to determine the winner. The outcome of Monday’s first round playoff game between the two rivals was decided much sooner. Hamlet put together an 18-2 run in the first half to pull away from the Rockets and never looked back en route to a 57-44 victory.
It took the Red Rams almost an entire quarter to find their rhythm. With only a minute and-a-half remaining in the opening quarter, Hamlet was only 1-of-9 shooting. That lone field goal was a floater delivered by Jaleak Gates just seconds into the game, and even it hit nearly every part of the rim before finally deciding to fall through the net.
The Red Rams, who were trailing 6-3 at that time, recovered by connecting on their next four consecutive shots. After a Rocket turnover with 1:35 left on the first quarter clock, Hamlet Coach Grover McDonald sent Jamari Broady into the game to give Dakota Chavis a break. Broady made his presence known quickly. Gates found Broady wide open just inside the right wing and Broady’s mid-range jumper swished through beginning the aforementioned Red Ram run with 1:27 on the clock.
KeSean Ingram followed with back-to-back buckets for the Red Rams. The first was a jump shot from the right corner just inside the arc giving Hamlet its first lead at 7-6 with 49 seconds remaining. Hamlet led from that point on. Twenty seconds later, Ingram took a pass from Cameron Way, found a gap, and took it straight to the basket for an easy layup. Jaiden Covington then got into the action delivering a smooth pass to Gates under the net who laid it up and in for two with only seven seconds remaining. A last second shot by the Rockets rimmed out and the Red Rams took an 11-6 lead into the second quarter.
Hamlet added one more to its lead with an Ingram free throw just seconds in the second quarter. Kellan Hood finally broke through for the Rockets when he was able to rebound his own miss and return it to the hoop for his second bucket of the game.
The Red Rams responded by scoring the next four field goals. Way, Gates, and Covington each scored giving Hamlet its first double-digit lead at 18-8 with 3:02 remaining in the half. Ingram then took a pass from Covington and connected on a beautiful 3-pointer from the right wing extended the lead to 13 with 2:22 left in the second.
The Rockets were not quite ready for their season to end just yet. Hood responded to Ingram’s trey with one of his own just 12 seconds later. Noah Hogan added two free throws for Rockingham before Will Dawkins ended the first half scoring with a layup. The 7-point run cut the Red Ram lead to 6 and Hamlet went into the locker room with a 21-15 advantage.
The Rockets were only 6-of-19 shooting in the first half and had 11 turnovers, but they finished strong hoping to carry that momentum into the second half. Unfortunately, the home team had different plans.
The Red Rams dominated the third quarter outscoring the Rockets 20-6. Chavis, who was scoreless in the first half, caught fire. He drained a three, connected on a couple of really long two-pointers and even added a free throw in the quarter.
Way added a 3-pointer and Gates continued to play well adding 2 baskets in the third.
Harley Honeycutt also added to the third quarter run. He hit 3 out of 4 from the free throw line and recorded his first field goal of the game when Way delivered a perfect bounce pass to him between two Rocket defenders. Honeycutt laid it in with just 2 seconds remaining in the third giving the Red Rams a 41-21 lead heading into the final period.
The two teams traded baskets throughout the first half of the final quarter. With Hamlet leading 50-30 and only 2:53 remaining in the game, both teams began substituting players.
With the win, Hamlet will advance to round 2 of the playoffs where they will face the Carver Eagles in Laurel Hill. The Red Rams fell to the Eagles 53-38 a month ago, but have played much better the past few weeks and are looking for some payback. That game is scheduled for today (Wednesday) at 4:00pm.
