Kinston girls pull away early, roll past 6A J.H. Rose
Kinston girls pull away early, roll past 6A J.H. Rose
KINSTON — Kinston continued its strong start to the season and its recent dominance in the series, defeating 6A J.H. Rose 55-25 on Tuesday night.
With the win, Kinston improved to 3-0 on the season and secured its fifth straight victory over J.H. Rose, which entered the matchup at 3-1 riding a three-game win streak.
Kinston set the tone early, taking an 11-7 lead after the first quarter before opening things up in the second. The Tigers outscored Rose 16-6 in the period to build a 27-13 halftime advantage.
The defensive pressure only intensified after the break. Kinston limited Rose to just four points in the third quarter while scoring 15, extending the lead to 42-17. A 13-8 fourth quarter sealed the 30-point win.
Kinston finished 14-of-21 from the free throw line, while Rose struggled, going 6-of-15.
Aleah Hill led Kinston with 17 points. Nasheyla Mason followed with nine points, including two three-pointers. Madison Green added six points, while J’Riyana Edwards and Kiarah Pearson each scored five.
Kinston’s defense held J.H. Rose sophomore Kahrin Highsmith — who came in averaging 19.3 points per game and 16.7 rebounds — to nine points. Alaya Clemons led Rose with seven.
After the game, head coach Bradshaw credited his team’s conditioning and steady progression.
“The girls are playing in shape,” Bradshaw said. “I think we have kinda of being working towards this from October to November to now, to be where we need to be at when we get to the heart of our season.”
On Edwards’ performance in the post, Bradshaw added, “There is no question she played great. J can be even better in the middle, her ceiling is way higher than what you see now.”
Looking ahead, Bradshaw emphasized a one-day-at-a-time mindset.
“One girl at a time forget about the game we just played and get ready to play tomorrow,” he said.
Kinston will return to action at home on Wednesday against North Lenoir, with tipoff scheduled for approximately 4 p.m.
