Charleston runs through NMCC, ending rivalry slide

CHARLESTON, Mo. — In a season marked by steady progress, Charleston hit a new high with a definitive dismantling of New Madrid County Central on Tuesday, Jan. 14.

The 88-35 victory over the Eagles (2-10, 0-3 SEMO Conference) stands as the largest in the rivalry for at least two decades and may very well be the dominant ever —  a statement that underscores just how far the Blue Jays (7-6, 3-1 SEMO Conference) have come this season.

"We did everything right and it was a complete team effort," said Charleston coach Jamarcus Williams. “We made it tough on their guards and limited their bigs' touches as much as we could, knowing they’re the offensive focal point. We made shots, and our guys were fired up. For our seniors, this was their last chance to beat New Madrid, and they took full advantage of it.”

This victory not only marked a dominant win but also snapped a four-game losing streak for Charleston in the rivalry. Historically, such blowouts have been rare. Since 2009, the two teams have met 34 times, with the Blue Jays holding a 24-10 advantage.

The average margin of victory for the winning team in those matchups has been just 14.6 points, and the biggest previous win was a 37-point margin in 2011.

“We played four complete quarters,” Williams said. “Even the reserves at the end. They kept the intensity up. They proved they can earn some minutes.”

The game opened with a back-and-forth battle, as both teams traded punches early. Deshaun Henderson and KK McFerren each found the basket in the opening seconds before JG Harris knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to give NMCC an 11-10 lead with 1:51 left in the first quarter.

But Charleston quickly regained control. A 3-pointer from Trenez Lane put the home team back on top, and the squad went on a 10-0 run over the final 90 seconds of the quarter. The stretch included an offensive rebound and putback from Da’Kyrious Williams and a slick Eurostep finish by Lane, helping extend the lead to 20-11 by the buzzer.

“It felt good because last year, they put us out,” Lane said. “This means a lot because people doubted us this year, and we wanted to show everyone what we can do.”

Momentum carried into the second quarter, as the advantage swelled to 20 points midway through the period on another 3-pointer by Da’Kyrious Williams. A timeout couldn’t stem the tide, and the home side took a commanding 40-19 lead into halftime.

Coming out of the break, the run continued. Treshaun Schandon sparked a key stretch in the third quarter, knocking down two 3-pointers and cleaning up an offensive rebound as part of a 16-7 run that stretched the advantage to 30 points with 3:21 remaining. By the time the quarter ended, the margin stood at 68-28.

‘I liked our energy and how we stayed positive the whole time, even when some shots didn’t go in,” Schandon said.

In the fourth, the Blue Jays’ reserves played the entire period, but the lead only grew.

Chase Kearby’s basket with 1:21 left stretched the lead past 50 points, a fitting punctuation to a game that had been decided well before. Charleston’s complete control of the contest left the Eagles with little response in the final period, and the margin only increased as the Blue Jays never let up.

“Our guards were the key defensively, creating chaos at the top and setting up easy transition opportunities,” Williams concluded “Our forwards and bigs also played a huge role, dominating the boards and preventing them from scoring. It was a total defensive effort — both elements working together to secure such a big win.”

Charleston was led by Schandon, who finished with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting, adding five rebounds, two steals, and an assist. Da'Kyrious Williams followed with 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting while contributing seven rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block.

Deshaun Henderson chipped in 12 points, three assists, two rebounds, and a steal, and A'Jah-rae Wells added 11 points, two steals, and one rebound. As a team, the Blue Jays shot 35-of-62 from the field.

For NMCC, Harris and Ja'Kwon Jones each scored nine points to lead the Eagles.

Charleston travels to Scott County Central (3-8, 2-3 Scott-Mississippi Conference) while NMCC is on the road at Hayti (8-2, 1-1 Bootheel Conference) on Thursday, Jan. 16.

__ Charleston 88, NMCC 35__

NMCC 11 8 9 7 — 35

Charleston 20 20 28 20 — 88

NMCC (35) — JG Harris 9, Ja’Kwon Jones 9, Ra’Mond Brooks 7, KK McFerren 4, Marvion Cranford 4, Ryleigh Hardin 2. FG: 15. FT: 2-4. F: 11. (3-pointers: Harris 3. Fouled out: None.)

Charleston (88) — Treshaun Schandon 19, Da’Kyrious Williams 16, Deshaun Hendeson 12, A’Jah-rae Wells 11, Trenez Lane 9, Martavious Biles 5, Chase Kearby 5, Shilyn Henderson 5, Timothy Frazier 4, Adrian Rodgers 2. FG: 35-62. FT: 4-9. F: 15. (3-pointers: Schandon 3-5, Williams 2-2, Lane 1-1, Keabry 1-2, Wells 1-2, Biles 0-2, Frazier 0-1. Fouled out: None.)