The East Duplin Panthers came tearing into Friday's game with six straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 38.7 points) and they left with even more momentum. They rang in the new year with a 42-29 win over Kinston. Given East Duplin's advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 106th, while Kinston is ranked 229th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
East Duplin's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Kinsey Cave led the charge by scoring eight points along with eight assists and six rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Sallie Hatcher, who scored ten points along with six rebounds.
East Duplin pushed their record up to 9-1 with that win, which was their fourth straight at home. As for Kinston, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-5.
East Duplin will be playing in front of their home fans against Richlands at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Kinston is on the road again on Tuesday and play against Southwest Onslow at 6:30 p.m. on January 9th. Southwest Onslow will be coming into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.
