Phenom Hoops was looking to check out the action Monday night, as we had a chance to check out New Bern High School as they welcomed in West Carteret. We were hoping to find a few new prospects to check out, as it was an exciting game throughout. It was a tight one early on in the first quarter, with New Bern clinging to a 2-point lead at the end of the first. 2024 Zymari Buck led the way for New Bern, who was able to increase their lead to eight by halftime.
New Bern didn’t slow down; they continued to knock down shots and score the ball effectively. Going up by double-digits, West Carteret made a second-half run to cut it down to as many as three points late in the game (had chances to regain the lead at times). But New Bern quickly answered with timely threes to push their lead back to a comfortable margin and secure the 72-59 victory at home.
Final: New Bern 72 – West Carteret 59
Stats:
New Bern: Zymari Buck 25pts/ Alexandar Martinez 16pts/ Brewer Simmons 8pts
West Carteret: Nehemiah Hester 13pts/ Jaylen Hewitt 12pts/ Larry Tootle 12pts
Standouts:
2024 Zymari Buck (NB): Buck impressively led the charge, attacking and scoring out in transition, creating well off the dribble, but also finding the open spots from behind the arc to knock down shots with confidence. He did a great job mixing it up offensively, scoring from multiple levels on his way to 25 points.
2024 Alexandar Martinez (NB): Martinez was another player who stood out, as this is a senior guard who has a smooth, confident, and fluid release on his jumper. Gets to his spots from behind the arc, and can let it fly with ease, knocking down multiple big threes throughout the game.
2025 Nehemiah Hester (WC): Hester did his damage in the open court, constantly attacking the defense, getting downhill, getting out in transition, and using his length and athleticism to finish strong at the basket. He was aggressive and always looking to get paint touches and push in transition for easy baskets.
2025 Jaylen Hewitt (WC): His blend of size and versatility grabbed our attention. Hewitt showed that he is comfortable being an offensive threat from outside with decent size, but is more than willing to battle it down low in the paint and on the boards, creating multiple opportunities for his team.