PERRYVILLE — The Trojans’ inability to finish strong was exploited in the opening round of the Class 1A East Region I high school boys basketball tournament.
They drove away from Perryville with a 65-55 loss on Feb. 27, unable to hold on to a halftime lead.
Closing the second quarter on a 17-10 run, led by Kiyan Hynson’s six points and threes from Tyrie Wright, Jayden Miller and junior varsity call-up Ki’Tray Jackson, Kent County pulled ahead at intermission, 30-24.
“The first half we played with nothing to lose, and our energy was high,” coach Vontrell Coles told The Evening Enterprise in a text message.
“We were actually playing good team basketball,” he said.
But a technical foul on the Trojans late in the third quarter changed the trajectory — “the momentum switched,” Coles said — and they were unable to recover.
No. 3 seed Perryville outscored No. 6 seed Kent County by a 2-to-1 margin in the third quarter to pull ahead for good, 44-40.
When the clock was no longer their ally over the last couple of minutes, the Trojans intentionally fouled their opponents in an attempt to get the ball back.
The strategy backfired.
Perryville made 11 of 12 free throws in the final frame as part of a 21-15 game-ending run.
In the second half, the Panthers made 13 of 16 attempts from the stripe.
Wright finished with 17 points to tie for game-high honors. Miller [12 points] and Hynson [13 points] also scored in double figures for KCHS.
Elijah Wilson and Thomas Moore each contributed four points, with Zayvion Brown and Jackson combining for the remaining five points.
The Trojans finished 1-19 in a season defined by what coach Coles described as “adversity” — injuries, a shrinking roster and one academic casualty.
Despite that, “I thought it was a decent year,” said their first-year head coach.
“Of course the wins didn’t add up,” Coles told The Evening Enterprise.
On the plus side, however, he noted that almost every player remaining eligible per the school’s grading policy and “the players having passion for the game was a success.”
And, Coles said, “trust was built from players and the coaches.”
No. 2 seed Bo Manor [13-10] defeated Perryville [11-10] in the region semifinals, 78-77, on the way to an improbable title — the first in program history — with a 62-56 upset of No. 1 seed and Bayside Conference champion Colonel Richardson [20-2] in the finals March 4.
