Finally, Ben L. Smith can put an end to their competition with rival Dudley during the 2023-24 period.

The 5th round of the Greensboro competition concluded with a familiar result, as the Golden Eagles emerged victorious for the 3rd time in the last 4 showdowns. With a score of 73-64, Smith will move on to the second round on Friday, facing Central Davidson away from home.

From the very start, there was a competitive exchange. C.J. Jones and LiShawn Speller made successful three-point shots and were among five Panthers who scored in the first quarter.

Despite scoring 14 points in the first quarter, it was not sufficient for them to maintain their lead against the Golden Eagles in the opening eight minutes. The Golden Eagles, with a combined 10 points from Gage Lattimore and Kenny Miller Jr., were able to take a 17-14 lead.

Ben L. Smith consistently held onto its lead during the game without being able to establish a significant margin of separation.

In the second quarter, Miller Jr. of the Golden Eagles scored 8 out of his team-leading 19 points. In addition, Kendrick Johnson contributed 5 points to help counter two three-pointers from Speller and 7 points from Jones in the period.

After being ahead 37-31 during halftime, Ben L. Smith was able to secure another point in the third quarter, resulting in a 47-40 lead going into the last quarter of the game.

At that moment, Miller Jr. and Johnson were performing at their peak. The audience witnessed the two junior guards score a combined total of 17 points in the fourth quarter to secure the win. Jaylon Bumpass, who ended with 13 points, contributed 8 of those points in the last two quarters.

Even though C.J. Neely and Jerron Blackwell combined for 22 out of Dudley’s 24 points in the fourth quarter, it was not sufficient to make a full comeback.

Ben L. Smith was victorious in the initial encounter against the opposing team at the HAECO Invitational in December. However, Dudley bounced back in late January, winning by a score of 53-48. The Golden Eagles then edged out a thrilling triple overtime victory against Smith just one week later, with a score of 83-75. Most recently, in the conference tournament semi-finals, Smith emerged triumphant over Dudley with a score of 89-74 on Thursday.

The victory will result in the Golden Eagles traveling to face 3-seed Central Davidson on Friday evening.

Source: highschoolot.com