Kinston Erupts Early, Downs Greene Central 71-56 to Set Up Conference Showdown with Farmville Central

Kinston didn’t just start fast Tuesday night. The Vikings came out blazing.

Behind a scorching first half from Keyshawn Herring and a dominant second quarter, Kinston rolled past Greene Central 71-56 on the road, improving to 17-2 overall and 8-1 in conference play. The win keeps the Vikings right on the heels of unbeaten Farmville Central (9-0), with a share of the conference title hanging in the balance when the two meet Friday night.

Greene Central drops to 13-9 overall and 5-4 in league play, currently sitting third in the standings.

For Herring, the tone was set early.

“I had to just let the game come to me, hit the first shot and keep shooting,” Herring said after the win. “When I seen it go in I was feeling really good.”

Feeling good turned into 18 first-half points and 30 for the night.

Kinston edged Greene Central 15-10 in the opening quarter before completely taking control in the second. The Vikings poured in 26 points in the period while holding the Rams to just 11, building a 20-point halftime cushion that proved too much to overcome.

The focus, Herring said, was no accident.

“Yesterday coach sat us down and told us we needed to lock in. We had a great practice.”

That practice translated directly to execution. Kinston attacked in transition, finished above the rim, and found balance across the lineup.

Genesis Wiggins added 6 points, Jamarion Washington chipped in 11, and Jhayier Koonce scored 10. Brennan Chambers brought the crowd to life with two emphatic dunks on his way to 12 points, punctuating a first half that felt like a statement.

Greene Central never fully recovered from the second-quarter surge, though the Rams had their moments offensively.

Trey Bynum led Greene Central with 12 points on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting, including 2-of-3 from three-point range. D. Williams added 11 points, while Matthew Sanders finished with 9 on 3-of-5 shooting and a perfect 3-for-3 from the free-throw line. Josh Cetnar and Justin Mitchell each scored 7.

As a team, Greene Central shot 46 percent from the field (21-of-46) and an impressive 90 percent from the free-throw line (9-of-10). However, 19 turnovers limited the Rams’ ability to mount a serious comeback, and Kinston’s early separation kept the pressure squarely on the home side.

Now, the focus shifts to Friday night — and a rematch that could decide the top of the conference standings.

“If we win this game it will be big for us,” Herring said of the Farmville Central matchup. “We lost to them the first time, so this is get back.”

With Farmville Central traveling to Kinston, the stakes are clear: a Vikings win would create co-conference champions.

Greene Central will look to regroup on the road at Ayden-Grifton on Friday as both teams await Sunday’s playoff bracket release.

But for now, the message out of Kinston is simple — they’re locked in, and they’re not done yet.