Box Score WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The King University men's basketball team took their first win of the season on Monday night, defeating Carolina University.
Mikhail Pocknett led the Tornado with 19 points as King held on to take the 67-67 victory.
THE BASICS
FINAL: King 67, Carolina 61
LOCATION: Williams Gymnasium in the Pope Activities Center
RECORDS: King 1-3; Carolina 1-6
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
- King scored four straight and took an 8-5 lead with a 6-1 run capped by a pair of Amarius Beasley layups.
- Following a Carolina triple that evened the score, King scored 13 straight points to take a 21-8 lead with six minutes remaining until halftime.
- Myles McCrary converted a three-point play while Almando Cyrius and Abdel-Majid Dylan Gory posted dunks around an Eli Elston triple on the spurt.
- However, the Bruins chipped away at the deficit down the stretch, scoring eight straight points to pull within 26-25.
- The Tornado made a pair of free throws and a McCrary layup gave King a 29-26 lead at the half.
Second Half
- Satchel Love started the half with a dunk before a Carolina basket and later a free throw cut the King lead to two points.
- Pocknett then scored five straight points to extend the King lead to 36-29 before the Bruins worked their way back again.
- Carolina cut their deficit to three twice, the second at 38-35 before King scored seven straight points.
- Seth Cullen started the spurt with a layup before a McCrary three-point play gave King a 45-35 lead with nine minutes remaining.
- King then extended their lead to 55-42 on a McCrary dunk with five minutes remaining before the teams started to trade points.
- The Bruins pulled within six multiple times over the final five minutes, but King closed out the 67-61 win at the free throw line.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Pocknett led the Tornado with 19 points and six rebounds while McCrary followed with 10 points and three rebounds.
- King shot a season-best 42.4 percent from the floor.
- Dami Farinloye led the Tornado with eight rebounds and three assists.
FOR THE FOES
- Cameron Parker led Carolina with 16 points while Ethan Bell followed with 13 points, five rebounds and four assists.
UP NEXT
- King plays their home opener on Saturday against perennial national power Lincoln Memorial University at 4:00 p.m. The Railplitters are ranked sixth in the NABC poll and fifth in the D2CSC poll.
- Carolina travels to Greensboro College on Saturday.
