Phenom tuned in Friday night on the eastern part of North Carolina as there was an enticing matchup between Lumberton and Seventy-First.' Lumberton came in undefeated, while Seventy-First was looking for their first win on the season.'

Lumberton came out strong to help build a double-digit lead in the first quarter behind the outside shooting of senior Charlie Miller and the Pirates were able to hold that lead all the way to halftime, holding a fifteen-point lead 37-22.  Seventy-First though started to play extremely well on both ends in the second half, chipping away at the lead.  The Falcons only gave up nine points in the third quarter, while they used a balanced attack on offense to trim the lead eventually to single digits in the fourth.

Eventually, it was down to a four-point game late but the play senior Matt Locklear for Lumberton along with critical free throws down the stretch helped Lumberton secure the hard-fought 67-57 win on the road Friday night.

Stats:
Lumberton:
Charlie Miller: 23 points
Angel Bowie: 12 points
Matt Locklear: 13 points

Seventy-First:
Jakoi Hassell: 13 points
Jared Davis: 10 points
Cameron Shelton: 6 points

Takeaways/Notes from the Game:

  • Senior Charlie Miller played extremely well, especially in the first half.  The guard has a quick trigger and isn't bashful with his outside shooting, only needing a small space to get his shot off.  But he also did a terrific job in creating for himself, penetrating the defense, and showing touch on his release. Moved extremely well without the ball to create open spots and plays with an aggressive mindset. Also stepped up big late at the line to help seal the deal.
  • Senior Matt Locklear and junior Angel Bowie also captured our eyes with their play. Locklear moved well without the ball, finding the open spots around the basket to get easy buckets and come up huge in the fourth when needed (scored eight points in the fourth).  Bowie is an intriguing 6'4 prospect that brings athleticism to the table but also a tremendous motor; just seems to have a knack for always being around the ball, getting on the boards, and always active on offense.
  • Seventy-First has a lot of intriguing, young talent that will make this team one to watch down the road.  Jakoi Hassell played well as a sophomore, scoring from outside and in, using his speed to his advantage. Stepped up big on both ends in the fourth to cut the lead down and gave his team a chance in the end. Jared Davis also played strong around the paint, moving well, and being crafty in how to get around defenders to score at the basket. Both only sophomores.
  • Two other sophomores that grab your interest when they step on the floor'. 6'8 James Scott and 6'7 Derrick Green.  Scott is an extremely long prospect that moves well inside and out and uses his length well to get over defenders.  Green brings more of the big frame and carves out space, but shows good hands and has a chance to be a real force down low.