Kinston girls roll past Tarboro 96-11, improve to 16-1

Kinston girls roll past Tarboro 96-11, improve to 16-1

KINSTON — The Kinston girls basketball team put together a night for the history books Tuesday, overwhelming Tarboro 96-11 to move to 16-1 overall and 6-0 in conference play.

The 96 points are the most ever scored by the Kinston girls program since records began in 2005, surpassing the previous high of 76 points in a 2017 playoff win over Graham. The 85-point margin of victory is also the largest by either the boys or girls program in Kinston High School history.

Kinston wasted no time setting the tone. The Vikings exploded for 31 points in the first quarter and followed with 28 more in the second, holding Tarboro to just three total points at halftime — all from the free throw line. Tarboro managed only two points in the first quarter and one in the second.

The Vikings continued to pour it on after the break, scoring 23 points in the third quarter and 14 more in the fourth. Tarboro’s only field goals came in the third quarter, when Janiyah Ivey knocked down a three-pointer and Natalia Parker added a two-point basket. Parker finished with six points to lead Tarboro.

Five different Kinston players connected from beyond the arc, combining for seven made three-pointers as the Vikings shot the ball efficiently while applying relentless defensive pressure.

Aleah Hill led Kinston with 20 points, while America Lloyd added 17. K. Whitfield and J. Edwards each scored 14 points, and Nasheyla Mason chipped in 12. Kiarah Pearson finished with eight points as nine different Vikings found the scoring column.

The defensive numbers were just as staggering. Kinston finished with 37 steals, with four players recording six or more. Mason and Ariyona Willis controlled the offense, combining for 14 assists — seven each — as the Vikings consistently turned defense into easy offense.

Kinston also dominated the glass and the passing lanes, finishing with 21 assists and 20 rebounds as a team.

The win continues Kinston’s long-running dominance over Tarboro. Since 2010, the Vikings are now 10-0 against the Tigers. It also marked the first time Kinston has held an opponent to 11 points since a 67-11 win over Greene Central on Jan. 20, 2020.

With the victory, the Vikings remain unbeaten in conference play and continue to add to what is shaping up to be a special season in Kinston.