by Lisa Hinton-Valdrighi
Lancaster got by a tenacious Northumberland, 63-59, last Thursday then fell by three to Essex, 54-51, last Friday to stand at 3-2 in Northern Neck District boys basketball.
The varsity Devils are 8-3 overall after a win over Mathews Monday in a make-up game.
Lancaster led by as much as 11 in the waning minutes of last week’s game in Claraville but couldn’t shake the Indians, who got a three-pointer at the buzzer to cut the final margin to four. Northumberland rattled off five three pointers in the fourth quarter when they outran the Devils, 23-17.
Lancaster took a 21-13 lead in the first quarter with four points from Martez Davis and Darius Reed and contributions from eight different scorers.
Northumberland held Lancaster’s offense to seven points in a low-scoring, 9-7, second quarter but trailed, 28-22, at the half and couldn’t catch up.
Jay Dillon and James Coleman scored 16 points each to lead Lancaster, while Delvin Palmer scored 17 to lead three double digit scorers for the Indians. Joseth Tarleton scored 14 and Christian Rich 13.
Essex 54
Lancaster 51
Kevin Dameron scored 17 points, including 10 in the second half, as Essex overcame a halftime deficit to beat Lancaster by three last Friday night, 54-51.
Dameron and Kavonte Moore scored six points each and Alex Peterson scored five points in the third quarter when Essex outran Lancaster by 13, 23-10, in the third quarter.
Peterson finished with 12 points and Moore 11.
Davis was the only double digit scorer for Lancaster with 11 points, while Calvin Henderson and Coleman had nine each.
Lancaster 65
Mathews 49
Coleman scored 16 points in the first three quarters to lead Lancaster over Mathews, 65-49, Monday.
Lancaster opened with a 22-point first quarter for an eight-point lead that they built to 12 by the half.
Davis finished with 12 points.
Lancaster will travel to Colonial Beach tomorrow, January 27, and host Northumberland Wednesday, February 1.
