By BY OWEN A. HASSELL, Outer Banks Sentinel
MANTEO -- The trap created turnovers, but the turnovers did not create many points for the Washington boys basketball team Monday night.
As the Pam Pack began to struggle from the foul line, host Manteo used the charity stripe to its advantage, hitting 18-of-22 attempts en route to a 57-49 win against Washington in the first round of the state 3-A playoffs.
The loss ended the Pam Pack's season, while the Redskins earned a Wednesday date at Kinston, the Eastern Carolina Conference's No. 2 seed, in the second round.
Washington coach Sam Leggett noticed his team could go out and frustrate Manteo on throw-ins, so he made his team trap and press often, which forced the Redskins (20-7) to 19 second half turnovers. What was a 37-30 Manteo lead dwindled with the defensive setup until the Pam Pack (11-14), off of a steal from the trap, led 39-37 on a Sedrick Cobb basket.
Lindsay Ebron later hit two free throws, and Washington took command at 41-37 into the final quarter.
Ebron led the Pam Pack with 17 points, but his and the team's made baskets became rare throughout the rest of the game.
The Pam Pack went 5-for-15 from the charity stripe in the final 16 minutes, while Manteo inched back into contention down 41-39 with 6:28 in the game. After Ebron missed two from the line, the Redskins' Lewis Ball sank both of his free throws and tied it at 41.
When Washington went ahead 44-43 off of another steal and bucket by Ebron, the chance was again available to spread the lead, but Calvin Daniels, who substituted Cobb on the line after he was hurt on the foul, missed both attempts.
Still, the Pam Pack stayed alive with the trap, and kept up with the Redskins despite the horrid foul shooting.
And Manteo did, but on the line. The Redskins made just two shots from the field in the fourth quarter, but took the lead for good at 49-48 as the second foul shot fell through for Ralph Cleaver, his lone point on the night.
The Redskins' top scorer, Catlin Pruitt, then finished off Washington with six points in the last 2:38 as he scored Manteo's last basket and went 4-for-4 from the line in the win.
NCHSAA Playoffs
Class 3-A
Washington (49)
Satterwaite 4, Banks 4, Daniels 0, Lindsay Ebron 17, Burnette 0, Cobb 7, Guilford 7, Spencer 0, Proctor 6, Corey 0, McKinney 0, Angeles 4, Leggett 0, Moore 0, Wiggins 0, Brown 0, Davis 0.
Manteo (57)
Jacobson 4, Pierce 0, Catlin Pruitt 25, Cleaver 0, D. Banks 0, K. Banks 0, Jackson 0, Winstead 12, B. Twyne 0, Ball 9, J. Twyne 0, Jones 6.
Washington 11 16 14 8 -- 49
Manteo 14 17 6 20 -- 57