Halifax sweeps Eagles
Published 12:00 am Monday, January 1, 2007
ROANOKE RAPIDS – Halifax Academy took a pair of wins from neighboring Northeast Academy Friday night.
The games, played at Halifax Academy, were originally part of a Holiday Tournament but due to the dropping out of a school the Vikings were forced to play Ridgecroft Thursday and the Eagles on Friday. On Thursday night Ridgecroft split with the Vikings with the Halifax girls and Ridgecroft boys picking up wins.
The girls contest was over almost before it began as Halifax vaulted to a 23-2 1st quarter lead and never looked back.
The Vikings’ Brittany Hamill hit a three-pointer in the first minute of play and after Northeast’s Callie Burgess scored inside. Halifax proceeded to roll off the next 21 points to take a commanding 23-2 lead at period’s end.
The Vikes’ Jody Williams scored nine points and Hamill eight during their opening quarter surge.
The second period saw the Eagles regain their shooting eye as well as their defense as they outscored Halifax by a 10-7 margin, but still went into the locker room at the half down by a 30-12 deficit.
In the third quarter NEA made a brief run as they cut the Viking lead to 33-18 on a pair of Jeanie Hargrove steals and layups along with a London Harrell basket, but Halifax’s Brittany Traylor went on a personal tear scoring the next eight points for the Vikes’ as they took a 43-24 lead into the fourth quarter.
Both coaches used reserves the majority of the final period as Halifax held on to take a 53-32 win. Both teams also showed the effects of the holiday layover committing numerous turnovers with the Eagles guilty of 30 miscues.
Williams led the Vikings charge with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Hamill had 13 points including three treys and Traylor chipped in with 12.
Jeannie Hargrove paced Northeast with eight points and seven rebounds while London Harrell added six boards. Halifax out rebounded Northeast on the night by a 36-30 margin.
In the boys contest, Northeast came out smoking rolling off 10 straight first quarter points to take an early 14-5 lead.
But Halifax sophomore Corey Garvey was soon to make his presence known as he proceeded to nail six three-pointers over the next final two minutes of the opening quarter and first four minutes of the second stanza to stake the Vikings to a 26-19 lead and they would never again trail.
Halifax exploded for 27 second quarter points as six different players tallied to give them a 35-24 halftime lead.
Halifax padded their lead to 52-34 after three periods as Northeast went ice cold from the floor with Brent Caudle leading the charge with seven third period points.
The Eagles made a fourth quarter run keyed by reserve Hunter Deloatch who came off the bench to score six straight points and cut the Viking lead to 54-43.
A Ryan Davis trey, combined with poor Halifax free throw shooting in which they missed nine straight charity tosses, brought the Eagles with eight at 54-46 at the 2:33 mark.
Halifax was able to finally convert at the charity line as Corey Garvey hit four straight down the stretch.
Northeast coach John Brown, who was displeased with the officiating, was hit with a technical foul with 44 seconds remaining and Halifax converted at the line to take the 66-49 victory.
Halifax was led by Corey Garvey who had 22 points and seven rebounds.
Senior guard Brent Caudle was the only other Viking in double figures with 17.
John Pope led Northeast with 14 and Ryan Davis chipped in with 12.
Halifax out rebounded Northeast on the night by a 30-19 count with Garvey snaring seven and Jeremy Wells to lead the way. Arch Harrell had five caroms to pace the Eagles.