Walkertown’s boys basketball team ended its season with a loss to Kinston in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 3A state championship game at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem on Friday night.
A 25-10 run in the third quarter helped give Kinston all the separation it needed to take an 80-54 win over Walkertown.
Kinston’s interior presence proved to be the difference. The Vikings outscored Walkertown 64-34 in the paint and outrebounded the Wolfpack 38-27.
Both Keyshawn Herring and Jamarion Washington scored 21 points for Kinston, leading all scorers in the game. Washington was named the Most Valuable Player of the state championship game.
Jhayeri Koonce scored 14 points for the Vikings, while Brennan Chambers posted a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Chambers won the Most Outstanding Player award for the East team.
Walkertown was led by Kenan Grady’s 17 points and Ricco Daniels’ 14 points. Grady was named the Most Outstanding Player for the West team.
This was Walkertown’s first appearance in a boys basketball state championship game.
The championship win was the 12th in school history for Kinston. The last championship for the Vikings came in 2015.
Prior to the game, the NCHSAA awarded Walkertown’s Kenan Grady and Kinston’s Jaylen Hawkins the Sportsmanship Award.
SCORING SUMMARY
KINS — 12 – 16 – 25 – 27 — 80
WALK — 4 – 13 – 10 – 27 — 54
KINSTON: Keyshawn Herring 21 , Jamarion Washington 21, Jhayeir Koonce 14, Brennan Chambers 10 (13 rebounds), Genesis Wiggins 7, Keyshawn Kenner 3, Justin Gooding 2, Jayden Herring 2.
WALKERTOWN: Kenan Grady 17, Ricco Daniels 14, Jaden McCandies 7, Jordan Autry 6, Eric Wiley 4, A.J. Durant 4, Braylon Lowe 2.
