Strong Second Half Powers Skippers Past Vikings

PROVIDENCE—The North Kingstown High School boys’ basketball team outscored Rogers High 16-2 to start the second half en route to its 65-47 victory Saturday at the Providence Career and Technical Academy.

“I’m just happy for us that in the second half we finally came to play,” North Kingstown head coach Aaron Thomas said.  “You never know what you’re going to get playing in your first playoff game.”

The win propels the Skippers to the quarterfinals of the Rhode Island State Boys Basketball Tournament, where they will face Central High Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the PCTA.

“They’re an extremely athletic team, so they’re going to create problems for us athletically and we’re going to have to play a real smart basketball game,” Thomas said.

The two teams played an even first half with the Skippers, who had not played in over two weeks after bowing out in the first round of the Division-I tournament, clinging to a 27-25 lead. 

“Our shooting percentages in the first half weren’t good,” Thomas said.  “We got through the rust though, and I thought we came out in the second and played really well.”

It was apparent from the start of the second half that North Kingstown was not willing to suffer another first-round playoff upset.

“At halftime we just kind of put the whole entire gym and all the people aside, and just focused on the game,” North Kingstown sophomore Matt Quainoo said.

The strong stretch was keyed by the Skippers’ back court of Quainoo and senior Rob Hazard.

“Matt can create for us and what I like about Matt is that not only can he create, but he will also set us in our offense,” Thomas said.  “This makes him [Hazard] very dangerous, because now I can run him off a screen and get him open in any direction that I want.”

Quainoo, who has emerged at the lead guard position over the last month after seeing limited action at the start of the year, was effective at both ends of the floor.

“I feel a lot more comfortable, coach has done a good job of really preparing me for situations,” Quainoo said.  

“At time it was frustrating, I’ll be honest, but I think it was for the better because they wanted me to be out there and be effective, rather than just be out to there and make turnovers and make mistakes.”

On defense he seemed to constantly have a hand on the ball, tipping passes and stripping the ball out of the post when Rogers tried to go inside.

At the offensive end of the floor it was Quainoo who set up the offense, which allowed Rob Hazard to do what he does best, score the basketball.

“Matt is stepping up, in the beginning of the season he wasn’t playing like this,” Hazard said.  “He’s making a name for himself, and that’s what we need.”

Hazard scored a game-high 29 points for the Skippers, including a stretch where he poured in 10 straight points between the 13 and nine minute marks.

“When I’m open I can shoot, and that’s when I feel the best,” Hazard said.  “I was feeling good, so I just kept shooting and shooting.”

Sophomore Chris Hess and senior Derryck Kilgore also played well for North Kingstown, finishing with 12 and nine points, respectively.

Junior Divon Bailey scored a team-high 16 points for Rogers, while junior Cody Platt connected on five 3-pointers for 15 points. 

The Vikings had to rely on Bailey and Platt for the game as they were without junior Reeyon Watts, sophomore Marc Washington, senior Royce Rogers and junior Parrish Perry for varying reasons. 

Rogers also lost junior Trevor Morgera early in the second half, who injured his wrist blocking a Hazard fast break layup and tumbled into the basket support.

The Skippers will look to continue their quest to return to the Ryan Center when they face Central on Tuesday, in what is essentially a home game for the Knights as Central High School is only across the street.

“Our team is pissed off, we’re pissed off, all of this stuff in the newspapers saying that we don’t deserve to be in there, Cranston East beat us, stuff like that, so we’re trying to make a run and make a statement for ourselves,” Hazard said.

“We can’t let them play how they want to play, I know that this is their gym, and we’ve got to bring their momentum down.”

BOYS BASKETBALL

North Kingstown 65, Rogers 47

NORTH KINGSTOWN (65): Hazard 11 1-2 29, Hess 5 0-2 12, Kilgore 4 1-2 9, E. Scott 1 2-2 4, M. Scott 2 1-3 5, Quainoo 1 2-2 4, Martino 1 0-0 2; totals 25 7-13 65.

ROGERS (47): Bailey 5 6-11 16, Platt 5 0-0 15, Cancel 2 5-6 7, Sizeland 2 1-2 5, Butler 0 1-2 1, Moreino 1 1-3 3; totals 15 14-24 47.

Halftime: NK 27-25.  3-pointers: NK 8 (Hazard 6, Hess 2); R 5 (Platt 5).  Fouled out: none.