Win over Northwood just what the Pam Pack needed

Published 1:52 am Monday, January 6, 2025

By Jason O. Boyd

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Right place. Right time. Just in time.

It was all that for the Washington boys basketball team in a 65-62 win over Northwood on Saturday as the host team in the BTW 252 vs. 919 Winter Classic. The win ended a five-game losing streak for the Pam Pack (8-5) against some of the top teams in the state, including a hard-fought 86-81 loss at Farmville Central a day before in the Pam Pack’s Eastern Plains Conference opener.

The win was also the Pack’s 10th straight at home, dating back to last season, and ended Northwood’s 11-game win streak.

“I didn’t feel we played our cleanest game right, but we also came out of our most emotional game (Friday) night,” Washington coach David Allewalt said. “So we expended a lot of energy there and that was a road game, and for those guys to come in here and just sit right there, to come into the gym today and watch a lot of basketball with the build-up to their game.

“You know it was tough to kind of get charged up, but the end of the game, when we talked last about situational basketball, they handled the situational basketball.”

Washington is regarded as one of the top Class 2A teams in the state. The Pam Pack have had a brutal schedule over the past month, losing games in showcase events to Peninsula Catholic (68-66), Garner (63-57) and Halifax Christian Academy (68-67, OT) along with Farmville Central.

But there’s no place like home.

The Pam Pack showed some true grit down the stretch in the fourth quarter. Fans have come to expect junior guard Chaise Smith to come up big when needed. At other times, one of the other members of the team has risen to the occasion.

This time around, it was junior Jarryn Payne’s turn along with some good fortune with a defensive switch.

Northwood 6-foot-9 junior center Chad Graves fouled out with 3:51 left, the game tied at 49. Graves, considered a Division I prospect, picked up his third foul on a charge created by Washington’s Anderson Thomas with 7:41 left. Graves got his fourth foul with 405 left and, before he could be taken off the court, fouled out seconds later when he hit Smith on what ended up being a three-point play.

“Getting done the little teeny things like that to win basketball games is really so important, so taking three or four charges, taking three or four scores off the board for them, you know, running certain sets at certain times and having enough patience and had enough trust and confidence in what we do and having success you know, it goes a long way,” Allewalt said. “Hopefully it’s another building block.”

Northwood (11-2) bounced back and grabbed the lead again on a putback by Beau Harvey with 1:34 left. Then Payne stepped up on three big plays.

Smith drove off balance to the basket and passed off to Payne, who laid it up to give Washington the lead for good at 58-57 with 1:19 left. The Pack called a quick timeout and pulled away.

Payne had a dunk on a loose ball with 49 seconds left and Thomas converted a free throw. When Northwood tried to press the Pack, Payne was all alone on the baseline, got a pass and stuffed it for a 63-59 Washington lead with 22 seconds left.

“You know I just wanted to end the game with emphasis and, you know, I felt like that was the right way to do it and seal the game,” Payne said.

“I know I’ve got the teammates to be able to break the press, and when they break the press, the base man has got to step up. So I’m right there for the dunk and makes it easy for them.”

Now is the next step in Washington’s season, EPC play. That started Tuesday with a home game with Greene Central. It may be just what the Pack need to build more momentum.

“I feel like it gave us a little reset, you know, because we were on a five-game losing streak,” Payne said. “We’ve got to be confident about that. I think it’s good.”

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