Goldsboro knocked down nine three-pointers to beat Spring Creek 63-49 in Neuse Six 2A Conference play on Thursday evening.
Ta’Korrie Faison scored a game-high 27 points and drained five three-pointers. The Cougars improved to 9-4 overall, while Spring Creek dropped to 9-8.
“In the second half, we had shots falling, and stuff like but, but defensively we did a better in the second half, Goldsboro head coach Jamal Croom said.
At the end of the first quarter, Goldsboro held a 12-8 lead behind six points from Justice Wooten, who hit two three-pointers and finished the game with 13 points.
The Cougars led by 27-19 midway through the second quarter, but Deyjhon Leonard and the Gators fought back.
Leonard went to the foul line four times scored eight of his 10 points in the period, and Spring Creek cut the deficit to four points, but a basket from Zion Dickens gave the Cougars a 31-25 lead at halftime.
“They’re tough,” Croom said about Spring Creek. “Those guys run hard. They set really hard screens, and they really made our guys work on the defensive end,” Croom said.
Goldsboro sprinted out to a double-digit lead in the third quarter. Faison scored nine points in the quarter, including two three-pointers, as the Cougars led 48-35 at the end of the third quarter.
But once again, Spring Creek fought back using a 6-2 run at the start of the fourth quarter that cut Goldsboro’s lead down to 50-41.
It looked like the momentum was shifting toward the Gators, but on the Cougars’ next possession, Faison drained a three-pointer while getting fouled.
Faison had no problems knocking down the free throw, and the Cougars maintained a double-digit for the rest of the game.
“That shot he right there was big for us, Croom said. “He was feeling it all night.”
Jamill Burrell paced the Gators with 17 points.
Goldsboro entertains Eastern Wayne (6-10) on Tuesday, while Spring Creek hosts Beddingfield (1-13).
