KING COTTON 2024: Westminster cruises past Pine Bluff

A big second-quarter run was too much for Pine Bluff High School to overcome Monday night despite some heroics off the bench.

Westminster Academy from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., defeated the Zebras 74-57 at the Pine Bluff Convention Center on the final day of the King Cotton Holiday Classic.

Pine Bluff senior Deriyon Graydon scored 19 points with 21 rebounds, but Pine Bluff’s scoring leader was a surprise. Sophomore Trenton Darrough came off the bench and scored 21 points. He made four 3-pointers in the third quarter. Christopher Hinton Jr. followed with 10 points, all coming in the fourth.

Zebra coach Billy Dixon said Darrough recently returned to the court after fracturing a bone in his foot before the season.

“He’s been out for over two months with a cast on his foot,” Dixon said. “He had to work his way back. When we started playing the other day, he was just getting back in. Really hasn’t had a chance to practice. We’ve been gradually working him in, trying to get him there. Tonight, opportunity presented itself, and he actually played the way we think he’s capable of playing.”

Westminster (6-5) opened the game on a 10-3 run, but the Zebras (3-13) fought back to tie it at 10, with Graydon finishing the run with a 3-point play. The Lions led 17-13 after the first quarter.

Pine Bluff senior Braylon Morden cut it to a one-possession game with a 3-pointer in the second quarter, then Graydon tied the game at 20.

Westminster responded by finishing the half on a 20-4 run which included four dunks, two each by Florida signee Alex Lloyd and junior Alex Constanza. The Lions led 40-24 at halftime.

Dixon said the Zebras started well, but turnovers cost them in the second quarter.

“The good thing is we talked about it at halftime,” Dixon said. “For the first time, we corrected the turnovers in the second half. I think we had about 14 at halftime, and then we end up with two in the second half. It was a huge improvement, especially with the new kids that we put into the mix trying to get some of the things that we hadn’t done.”

That second quarter was the difference. The other three quarters were 51-46 in the Lions’ favor (Pine Bluff outscored Westminster 16-14 in the fourth), but the halftime deficit was too much to make up.

Lloyd led Westminster with 28 points, while Constanza scored 27 points with 10 rebounds. No other Lion scored more than 9.

Westminster finished King Cotton 2-1, while the Zebras went 0-3.

Dixon said despite the losses, the high level of competition at King Cotton made the Zebras better ahead of conference play, as did playing in other tournaments such as the Charles Ripley Classic and Rumble on the Ridge.

“We played a lot of basketball over the last month … forcing guys to play long minutes a lot of times,” Dixon said. “That’s what we talked about, how this tournament has helped us in the past to get prepared for our conference play. So, we’re excited about where we are. We’re excited about some of the development, some of the new guys that’s gotten an opportunity to get out there on that court and develop their game.”