Kinston JV boys pull away late to defeat Ayden-Grifton

Kinston JV boys pull away late to defeat Ayden-Grifton

For the second time this season, Kinston’s JV boys came out on top against Ayden-Grifton, following up a narrow 59–58 win earlier in the year with a more decisive performance Monday night.

Kinston set the tone early, building a 12-point halftime lead behind what head coach Jackson Fink described as “aggressive man defense creating points off turnovers and great ball movement in the halfcourt.”

The Vikings jumped out quickly, scoring 20 points in the first quarter and adding 12 more in the second to take control heading into the break.

Ayden-Grifton made a push coming out of halftime, cutting the deficit to 32–28 with five minutes remaining in the third quarter. From there, Kinston’s defense took over. The Chargers managed just four points over the final 13 minutes as the Vikings pulled away.

Fink noted it was the second meeting between the teams this season after “a tough 59–58 victory several weeks ago,” and Kinston responded by finishing strong on both ends of the floor.

Kinston closed the game with 22 points in the fourth quarter to secure the win.

Jamario Hall led the Vikings with 13 points, including three made three-pointers. Taylin Small added 12 points, while Jayden Herring and KyReion O’Neal finished with eight points each. Kinston hit seven three-pointers as a team and went 8-for-13 from the free-throw line.

Ayden-Grifton falls to 12–4 on the season, while Kinston improves to 9–5.