Saints’ Kairell Evans finds is surrounded by defenders as he tries to make a pass through the triple-team. (Robert Taylor|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Ivory Moore, #23, goes in for a layup amid East Wake defenders Wednesday night as teammate Demetrius Elliot, #11, awaits a possible rebound. (Robert Taylor|mountolivetribune.com)
The East Wake Warriors showcased a strong offensive game and defensive intensity as they defeated the Southern Wayne Saints 83-63 Wednesday night. Despite moments of resilience and standout performances from Southern Wayne, East Wake maintained control from start to finish, securing a commanding victory.
The game opened with a competitive start as East Wake won the toss-up and immediately pushed the tempo. Southern Wayne’s Jeremiah Armwood found himself locked in a battle for possession with an opposing player, but the Warriors ultimately came away with the ball and knocked down a quick 3-pointer to set the tone. They followed that up with a layup on their next possession, jumping out to a 7-0 lead by the 6:09 mark.
Southern Wayne responded with a pair of back-to-back 3-pointers. Demetrius Elliot sank the first one to get the Saints on the board, and Kairell Evans followed with another deep shot, cutting the deficit to 7-6. East Wake briefly struggled to find their rhythm, missing consecutive attempts from both inside and beyond the arc. However, they quickly regrouped and hit another 3-pointer, pulling ahead 10-7.
The Warriors kept up the pressure, converting two consecutive layups to extend their lead to 14-7. Southern Wayne’s Douglas Wynn answered with a strong drive to the basket, finishing with a layup to bring the Saints closer. The Warriors responded with yet another 3-pointer, stretching their lead to 17-9.
In the final minute of the first quarter, Evans missed a contested rebound opportunity, allowing East Wake to capitalize with a quick layup. Coach Brian West called a timeout with just 27.2 seconds left, hoping to settle his team down. Coming out of the break, Wynn made a key defensive stop, blocking a shot and recovering the ball to ignite the Saints’ fast break. Evans closed the quarter with a clutch three, narrowing East Wake’s lead to 19-12 at the buzzer.
The second quarter saw both teams trading baskets in a high-energy back-and-forth. East Wake opened with a layup to push their lead to 21-12, but Wynn drove hard to the basket for a layup of his own. The Warriors answered with two more layups, stretching the lead to 25-14. Despite the growing gap, Southern Wayne refused to back down. Wynn scored again, drawing a foul and converting the free throw for a three-point play that cut the deficit to 25-17.
Wynn remained aggressive, driving to the hoop for another layup. Moments later, he stepped to the free-throw line and calmly knocked down two foul shots, bringing the Saints within six at 25-19. Elliot followed with a mid-range jumper, and Evans added a layup to continue chipping away at the lead.
However, East Wake responded with a trey to stop the Saints’ run, then converted a layup after a missed shot by Jaylen Carr. East Wake’s quick 5-0 run prompted another Southern Wayne timeout with 2:40 left in the half. After the timeout, both teams continued to attack the basket. Carr went to the free-throw line and hit both shots to make it 34-29, but East Wake hit another 3-pointer to close the half, holding a 37-32 lead at the break.
“We battled hard in the first half and had some good moments,” Coach West said. “We just couldn’t finish off some plays, and they took advantage of that. You’ve got to give credit to East Wake for how they capitalized.”
The third quarter began with East Wake extending their lead once again. They opened with a quick layup and kept the Saints on their heels. Elliot had an early scoring opportunity but missed a contested layup, and the Warriors quickly turned it into points on the other end. Southern Wayne tried to answer with a couple of three-point attempts, but neither shot fell, allowing East Wake to maintain their momentum.
Wynn finally broke the drought with a layup, followed by another trip to the free-throw line where he hit one of two shots. Despite Wynn’s efforts, the Saints struggled to contain East Wake’s transition game. The Warriors capitalized on turnovers and missed shots, scoring back-to-back layups to push the lead to 48-35.
Armwood found himself in a tough spot when an East Wake player stole the ball midcourt, leading to another layup. Elliot gave the Saints a spark with a 3-pointer, but the Warriors responded with a layup and a converted foul shot to extend their lead to 53-40. Carr made a nice steal and pulled up for a jumper late in the quarter, bringing the score to 53-42, but East Wake closed the quarter strong and carried a 58-40 lead into the final frame.
In the fourth quarter, the Warriors put the game out of reach. Wynn hit one of two free throws early in the period, but East Wake buried a three and followed it with a layup, stretching their lead to 64-41. Southern Wayne called a timeout at 7:09 to regroup, but East Wake came out of the break with more intensity, scoring another quick basket to go up 67-41.
The Saints refused to quit, with Evans driving to the hoop for a layup and Elliot adding another 3-pointer. Carr hustled to secure a tough rebound and followed it with a layup, bringing the Saints’ score to 50-74.
Elliot remained aggressive, adding another layup and a three in the closing minutes. Evans stepped to the free-throw line and converted two more foul shots, and Wynn capped off the Saints’ late push with a strong drive to the hoop, drawing contact and converting a layup. Despite their efforts, the deficit proved too large to overcome. East Wake punctuated their victory with back-to-back dunks in the final minute, sealing the 83-63 win.
Elliot led Southern Wayne’s offense with multiple threes and key defensive plays throughout the game. Wynn was equally impressive, showing his versatility by driving to the basket, grabbing rebounds, and playing tight defense. Armwood and Carr added valuable contributions, each playing physical defense and making hustle plays to keep the Saints in contention.
Coach West remained optimistic despite the loss. “We’ve got to keep our heads up and learn from this one,” he said. “There’s no quit in these guys, and I know we’ll bounce back stronger next game.”
The Saints will look to regroup and build on their strong individual performances when they take the court again next week. Meanwhile, East Wake’s victory showcased their depth and ability to execute under pressure, further solidifying their position as a tough opponent.
