PEMBROKE — The Purnell Swett boys basketball team hit the hardwood for the first time on Monday in front of a raucous home audience. It trailed for most of a hotly-contested game and couldn’t complete a late rally, falling 68-60 to Pine Forest.
Purnell Swett showed energy and grit from the opening whistle, jump-started by point guard Darriante Parker who finished with a game-high 24 points. Parker pushed the pace throughout an uptempo game and hit down key shots from deep, as well as in the paint, when the visitors tried to pull away.
Pine Forest (1-0) senior Jordan Gladney finished with 20 points before picking up his second technical foul in the opening moments of the fourth quarter, forcing an ejection after throwing a quick elbow. The other technical came in the first quarter when he was penalized for hanging on the rim after one of his three high-flying dunks in the first half. Gladney paced the Trojans who had four players reach double figures.
Rams forward Xavier Jones matched the athleticism of Gladney and the other Trojans, finishing with 18 points and a game-high 17 rebounds. Jones had a dunk in the first half as well, bringing the crowd to their feet after a slam on a breakaway in the second quarter. The Rams (0-1) would only score two more points in the quarter, however, trailing 35-23 at the half.
The lead swelled to as much as 16 points in the third quarter, but the stubborn Rams fought back on multiple occasions to keep within distance. With 6:04 left in the game, the team managed to get within single-digits, 59-50. But even without the services of Gladney, the Trojans were able to get stops down the stretch and knock down clutch free throws to secure the win.
Purnell Swett continues the early season with an in-county matchup with St. Pauls next Tuesday.
Purnell Swett girls basketball drops home opener
In the first game of Monday’s doubleheader, the Purnell Swett girls basketball team was overmatched by a senior-laden Pine Forest. They were plagued by turnovers and could never get into a rhythm, losing 66-27 at home.
Pine Forest (1-0) senior guard Kendal Moore posed a tough matchup with her elite quickness and ball handling. The NC State commit scored a game-high 24 points, including outpacing the Lady Rams 9-5 after one quarter. She was helped by fellow senior Claresha Pruitt who benefited from easy points off turnovers and finished with 17.
Purnell Swett (0-1) guard Jada Coward knocked down a pair of threes to lead the team with six points. Haleigh Musselwhite ended added five points as the team fell behind early and couldn’t catch up. They trailed 33-11 after two quarters.
Moore put her final stamp on the game at the end of the third quarter with a 30-foot shot just as time expired to stretch the lead to 52-18 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Lady Rams are back in action next Tuesday when they travel to St. Pauls to take on the Lady Bulldogs.
