Pack takes title, Smith earns MVP

Published 3:00 pm Monday, January 1, 2024

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The Washington High School boys basketball team won a tournament championship in Goldsboro to end the 2023 portion of their schedule on a positive note.

The Pam Pack (7-3) won the Jordan Cooper bracket of the Coach Terry Wall Invitational Tournament at Goldsboro High School with a 77-62 victory over Wayne Country Day of Goldsboro Friday night.

12 teams from the Triangle eastward competed in the event that was split into three divisions.

Pack sophomore guard Chaise Smith won the tournament Most Valuable Player award after scoring 80 points in the three games and shooting 60 percent from the floor. He was 10-16 and hit five 3-pointers on the way to 29 points and added six assists in four steals in the championship game.

“He just continues to get better and better,” coach David Allewalt said. “He shot the ball very well in all three games and did a great job dictating tempo. He is understanding more and more about the point guard position and how to control the game.”

Washington opened the tournament with a 67-55 loss to Southern Wake Academy of Fuquay-Varina before a 70-67 victory over Word of God of Raleigh and the title-clinching win over Wayne Country Day.

Smith had over 20 points in each game, while Davenport totaled 12, 11 and 11 points to make the All-Tournament team.

Junior Javon Williams led the Pack on the boards with 28 for the tournament and guarded the opponents best player according to Allewalt.

“He did a great job for us in whatever we needed him to do,” Allewalt said. “He’s proven that he can score, but we had other guys with the hot hand, so he rebounded, played defense and did other little things to help us win.”

Jacob Daniels added 13 points against Wayne Country Day while senior post player Gary Payne had 11 points and 10 rebounds against Word of God.

The Pam Pack starts Eastern Plains 2A Conference action Wednesday night at home against West Craven, then hosts powerhouse Farmville Central Friday.

“We’ve played a tough non-conference schedule with difficult road games, which should prove to us that we can handle anything,” Allewalt said. “Our chemistry is better; we are trusting each other more and the players are holding each other accountable. Farmville will be huge for us, but we have to focus on West Craven first.”