By By KEVIN TRAVIS
Sports Editor
BELHAVEN — Melanie Sawyer was waiting for her post player to step up big. Allison Armstrong certainly delivered for her Pungo coach, pouring in 18 points and hauling down 14 rebounds to lead the Raiders to a 55-38 win over Terra Ceia in Tuesday’s Tarheel Independent Conference action.
“We needed Allison to come up big tonight,” Sawyer said. “She did that. She has been struggling of late. Tonight she really worked hard for us.”
Armstrong scored seven of her points during an 11-2 run for the Raiders (8-11) to start the game. She was able to control the paint for much of the game.
Armstrong got some support from her teammates. Tess Smithwick scored 11 points, Jordan Dunbar had 10, Jenna Sadler added nine and Jodi Rose chipped in seven.
“Everybody contributed tonight,” Sawyer said. “It was definitely a team effort. That was just what we needed.
“Tonight it just seemed like everything clicked. We needed this win to get us going in our conference.”
Katie Jackson did all she could to keep the Knights (4-13, 1-4) close, scoring 18 points.
“Katie did a great job,” Sawyer said. “She about killed us (by herself).”
Jackson’s solid shooting helped pull the Knights within 27-21 at the half after the team had trailed by double digits.
Armstrong got inside for a layup to cap a 7-0 spurt to start the third, as the Raiders led 34-21. Pungo pushed its lead to 43-27 heading into the fourth.
Jackson’s triple capped a 9-2 Terra Ceia run, pulling the Knights within 45-36 in the fourth. However, Dunbar’s layup and Armstrong’s free throw shooting down the stretch kept Terra Ceia at bay.
“We got behind and then we had to catch up,” Terra Ceia coach Ken Leis said. “We would throw the ball away and we missed some easy shots. That’s the frustrating thing, but the girls never give up. They keep fighting.
“We need to get more girls involved in the offense. That will come.”
Hollie McDonald and Paige Roberson had six points apiece for the Knights. Kelsey Van Staalduinen added five points and nine rebounds.
BOEREMA SHINES
Kiam Boerema proved to be a big force in the middle for the Knights, scoring 16 points to lead Terra Ceia to a 39-33 win.
The victory snapped a nine-game skid for the Knights (7-9, 2-3), and stopped a six-game winning streak for the Raiders (6-8).
“This feels so good,” Terra Ceia coach Roger Klaassen said. “The kids work so hard and give it their all every game. We’ve just been struggling for nine games. To get a win is so big for their confidence.”
Boerema is a big reason behind that.
“When (the Raiders) started spreading their defense out, we just ran (Boerema) to the high post and he controlled the ball there,” Klaassen said. “He made some critical shots for us. He played an outstanding game.”
Pungo, which got 12 points from Zack Credle and 11 from Joseph Braddy, held an 8-6 lead after the first quarter. The Raiders then suffered a scoring drought that lasted nearly seven minutes in the second quarter. Terra Ceia capitalized, using a 10-0 run to take a 16-8 advantage.
Pungo got as close as 19-17 on a trey by Credle early in the third, but an 8-0 run by the Knights pushed the lead to 27-17.
The Knights, which got 10 points from Justin Lilley and six from Jacob Latham, went up 33-23 early in the fourth. A 7-0 spurt by the Raiders cut their deficit to 33-30, but Boerema got inside again for a layup to help Terra Ceia hold off the late charge.
“We haven’t played like this in a while,” Pungo coach Jason Blanton said. “We had been on quite a roll, but the shots weren’t falling. If we make some free throws, we win this game. But give Terra Ceia credit.”
The Pungo junior varsity boys won 46-15 and the Raider junior varsity girls posted a 31-13 victory.
The Raiders play host to Ridgecroft on Thursday. Terra Ceia is at home Thursday against Calvary Baptist.
GIRLS
Terra Ceia 7 14 6 11 — 38
Pungo 16 11 16 12 — 55
TERRA CEIA (38)
Katie Jackson 18, McDonald 6, Roberson 6, Van Staalduinen 5, Boyd 3.
PUNGO (55)
Allison Armstrong 18, Tess Smithwick 11, Jordan Dunbar 10, Sadler 9, Rose 7.
BOYS
Terra Ceia 6 10 15 8 — 39
Pungo 8 5 10 10 — 33
TERRA CEIA (39)
Kiam Boerema 16, Justin Lilley 10, Latham 6, Chesson 4, Van Essendelft 2, Van Staalduinen 1.
PUNGO (33)
Zack Credle 12, Joseph Braddy 11, Mann 5, Armstrong 5.