Bruins escape Panthers on late Howard drive

KENLY — The possessor of a 38-29 lead going into the fourth quarter of Friday's 2-A Neuse 6 Conference varsity boys basketball game at North Johnston High, Beddingfield was limited to a mere 4 points in the final period.

Yet, the two field goals were just enough to enable the Bruins to escape with a 42-40 victory before a modest turnout in the spacious North Johnston gym.

Junior guard Jamauris Howard, clutch throughout the evening, scored on a drive with 7.6 seconds remaining to snap a 40-40 standoff.

The Panthers got a time-out with 4.2 seconds remaining. When play resumed, North Johnston attempted a lengthy pass into the front-court, which Beddingfield sophomore Monquavius Riggins intercepted and held the basketball until the final horn sounded.

The Bruins, displaying strange lineups throughout, emerged 1-1 in the conference and 5-8 overall. A different starting lineup was necessary because of Howard, junior Darrian Jones and 6-foot-4 sophomore Sam Finch being subjected to team discipline. Howard and Jones did not start and Finch did not see action.

Beddingfield returns to conference action on the road against Eastern Wayne on Tuesday.

The tough-to-take loss left the Panthers at 0-3 in the league and 4-11 against all foes. North Johnston lost seven of nine of its top players and all starters from the 2023-24 team that notched 20-plus wins. However, third-year head coach Matt Cuddington pointed out that most of this season's top players were members of last year's team.

The Panthers go against defending conference champion Goldsboro on Tuesday. Goldsboro topped Beddingfield by nine points this past Tuesday.

Howard took a pass from Jones to drive in for the winning basket.

"I reckon I needed to make it," Howard declared. "That's what I am supposed to do. It felt good. I knew I had made it. It feels great to come back with a win."

Earlier, Howard was clutch by sinking a pair of free throws.

"I told my (teammates): Trust me, I got it." the senior guard clamored.

The Bruins benefited from Panthers misfortune after Bruins senior Jhion Ashby drew a cheap foul on a 3-point shot attempt with 14-plus seconds remaining and the score knotted 40-40. Junior Kaleb Pone, the game's leading scorer with 14 points, missed all three free throws.

Head coach Matt Cuddington said Pone is "up and down" as a free-throw shooter, but declared "That's not why we lost."

He explained: "We didn't execute the second quarter. We didn't execute the third quarter. And we didn't execute down the stretch in the fourth quarter."

And about Beddingfield's game-winning basket, he noted: "It hurt our feelings about the free throws, and we didn't get back (on defense."

The Bruins did not score until Riggins sank a free throw with 2:40 left in the opening quarter. But at that point, North Johnston had managed only three points. The offensive tempo suddenly picked up and Ashby's bucket with 34 seconds showing allowed the Bruins to salvage an 8-8 first-quarter deadlock.

Beddingfield claimed its first lead at 10-8 on junior Jaden Sauls' 2-pointer. But North Johnston, behind Pone and senior Cameron Cuddington, netted the next seven points en route to a 24-20 halftime edge. Junior Keontae Allen sparked the Bruins with his scoring and rebounding.

A pair of field goals from Allen and Howard's first 3-pointer lifted the Bruins to their 38-29 cushion, the game's largest, after three quarters.

Howcer, North Johnston, with junior Charlie Barnes nailing a 3-point shot, threatened to dominate the last quarter with a 9-0 start. Yet Sauls came off the bench for Beddingfield to snap the 38-38 tie with a 2-pointer. Pone answered for the Panthers. From there, the turnovers and the drama mounted.

Beddingfield's starting quintet in the final quarter failed to click and the Panthers surged to a 38-38 tie before Bruins head coach Dave Elmore could get a time-out and substitute. Howard delivered.

"I wanted to give the guys that I wanted to start the fourth quarter enough of a break so they could finish the game," Elmore explained.

Howard, Allen and Ashby each tossed in 10 points for the balanced Bruins. Allen led with six rebounds.

Only Pone scored in double figures for the Panthers. Junior Amari Dunston was the top rebounder with seven.

NORTH JOHNSTON (40)

Dunston 7, Pone 14, B. Cuddington 5, Barnes 3, Fields 2, Hicks 2, C. Cuddington 3, Gachuz 3, Jones 1.

BEDDINGFIELD (42)

Lucas, Mangum, Ashby 10, Riggins 4, Sauls 6, Allen 10, Jones 2, Howard 10.

Score by quarters:

Beddingfield 8 16 14 4 — 42

N. Johnston 8 12 9 11 — 40