WILSON – Last Tuesday night, the Warriors travelled to Wilson to take on the number five team in the 1-A ranks of the North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association, Greenfield School.

The Knights of Greenfield have been a consistent top five team for the past 10 years, and bring an up-tempo trapping defense to every game, every season.

Last year’s squad featured three top recruits, and this year’s squad features a 6’-8” point guard surrounded by a strong supporting cast of players that range from 6’-1” to 6’-8”.

Needless to say, the LA squad was facing its best competition of the season.

Still, the Warriors were 2-0 on the season, not including very strong performances in a series of scrimmages against Riverside High School, Pasquotank County High School and East Carteret High School.

So, on a warm, rainy evening in a hot, humid gym filled with college coaches and scouts the Warriors took to the floor against the Knights.  And, bang, bang, bang, the Knights turned three quick turnovers into three quick baskets and led 8 – 0 with only 1:50 gone off the clock.

A quick timeout calmed the Warriors down, and they began doing a better job of looking under, over and around the tremendous wingspans of the Knights.

For the next 12 minutes or so the LA squad played its best ball in three years against the Knights and kept the score within eight to 10 points.

But, an ill-advised timeout in order to rest the leg weary Warriors gave the Knights an opportunity to regroup and up their defensive pressure.

And, boom, the Greenfield squad ripped off 10 straight points to pull away from the Warriors for good.  Down 45-20 at the half, the LA squad came out in the second half determined to play the last two quarters one minute at a time rather than trying to get all 25 points back at once.

And, despite some losses in the third quarter, the Warriors did a pretty good job of staying within the game plan.

Down 64-31 going into the fourth the Warriors continued to work on their own game and did a nice job as both teams gave their second five players extensive playing time.

The LA squad won the fourth quarter 21-14, but took its first loss of the season by a score of 78-52.

The Warriors will be back in action on tonight (November 30) at Bethel Christian and then on Saturday, December 4 against the NCISAA 1-A #4 team Flora McDonald Academy (6-4) at the Mercedes Showcase at Forsyth Country Day School.