Raleigh News & Observer Logo

Apex boys basketball defeats Northern Durham | Raleigh News & Observer

×
  • E-edition
    • Customer Service
    • Support
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Sponsorships
    • Stay connected
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Facebook
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • Social Media Directory
    • N&O Store
    • Buy Photos
    • Databases
    • Archives
    • Newsletters

    • Blogs
    • Columnists
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Health
    • Local
    • North Carolina
    • Nation/World
    • Science
    • Thumbs Up
    • Traffic
    • Weather
    • Weird News
    • All News
    • Counties
    • Durham County
    • Johnston County
    • Orange County
    • Wake County
    • All Sports
    • Baseball
    • Canes
    • College
    • Columns & Blogs
    • High Schools
    • NASCAR & Auto Racing
    • NBA
    • NFL
    • NHL
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Panthers
    • Soccer
    • Schools
    • Duke
    • East Carolina
    • NC State
    • North Carolina
    • All Politics
    • The North Carolina Influencer Series
    • State Politics
    • Blogs
    • Columnists
    • PolitiFact
    • PolitiFact NC
    • Rob Christensen
    • Under the Dome
    • All Business
    • Blogs
    • Columnists
    • Health Care
    • Personal Finance
    • Real Estate
    • Shop Talk
    • Stocks Center
    • Technology
    • All Living
    • Video Now
    • Best-Kept Secrets
    • Blogs
    • Celebrations
    • Comics
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Fitness
    • Food
    • Games and Puzzles
    • Home and Garden
    • Horoscopes
    • Mouthful
    • Past Times
    • Pets
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Video Now
    • Arts News
    • ArtsNow
    • Books
    • Contests
    • Dining
    • Entertainment
    • Games
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Television
    • On the Beat
    • Happiness is a Warm TV
    • All Opinion
    • Columnists
    • Dwane Powell
    • Editorials
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Letters
    • Opinion Shop Blog
    • Other Views
    • Submit a Letter
  • Obituaries

    • Advertise with us
    • Place Ad
    • Apartments
    • Cars
    • Homes
    • Jobs
    • Legals
    • Obits/In Memoriams
    • Weddings
    • Today's Daily Deal
    • Special Sections
    • Today's Circulars
    • Rewards
    • Photo Store
  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Legals

Cary News: Sports

Apex boys basketball defeats Northern Durham

By J. Mike Blake - mblake@newsobserver.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

January 19, 2015 11:43 PM

Without the services of East Carolina recruit Kentrell Barkley, Northern Durham’s boys basketball team couldn’t avenge last year’s season-ending loss to Apex.

Instead, the Cougars didn’t trail in the second half en route to a 57-42 victory during the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Classic at the Durham School of Arts. Barkley was injured in a fall during an 81-73 loss to Panther Creek on Saturday as part of the MLK showcase, bruising his back.

“It throws off quite a bit because he kind of gets us going,” Northern coach Ronnie Russell said. “He does a lot of good things. He’s got several double-doubles. He can get on the boards and get it out for us, he can handle the ball real well. It made a big difference. We weren’t the same team.”

But on Monday, Apex (10-6, 6-0) avoided the dramatics by playing arguably its best defense of the season. The Cougars changed the game in the second quarter by getting points off turnovers.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The News & Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

“It’s certainly better than what we’ve been giving up. They had their best player out and I’m sure he’s averaging at least 20 – and there’s your difference for what we’ve been giving up,” Apex coach David Neal said.

Apex has yet to lose in three years of play at the MLK event. A halftime fix in the rebound department helped out.

“I asked them at halftime how many offensive rebounds we had – ‘raise your hand if you had one’ – and nobody raised their hand,” Neal said. “We were just getting destroyed on the glass.”

Without Barkley, no Northern (13-4, 3-0) players got more than T.J. Crutchfield’s eight points. Those who tried to attack the basket were often met by Apex center Jon Jones, who had seven blocks.

“They missed a lot of shots in the paint and I think he was the reason why,” Neal said.

“They didn’t seem to be a shooting team. They liked to drive it, and that made it easier to block shots,” Jones said.

Apex’s Ian Boyd had 18 points followed by Jones (11), Colin Molden (10 with 10 assists) and John Kitoko (10). Apex will play at Holly Springs on Wednesday before hosting Middle Creek.

Northern Durham will travel to Jordan (15-1, 3-0) with first place in the PAC-6 on the line Friday. Russell said he hopes Barkley will be back.

“I hope we learned a little something,” Russell said of his team’s 0-2 mark at the event. “At any time, we can have people out for injury or illness, and we’ve got to have people step up.”

Apex defeated Northern in the third round of last year’s playoffs on a buzzer-beater to win 64-63. It was the first of four nail-biters as Apex went on to win the state championship, and it was one of just two Northern losses.

  Comments  

Videos

Quinn Dunphy: "we started believing in ourselves and believing we could make a run at this."

Cardinal Gibbons takes doubles win in PAC-6

View More Video

Trending Stories

‘An angry customer shot me.’ 911 calls reveal panic at Walgreens in Garner.

February 14, 2019 10:38 AM

NC State basketball player Eric Lockett charged with assaulting a woman

February 14, 2019 06:34 AM

What’s with NC State’s basketball roster? Update on 3 players who missed Syracuse game.

February 14, 2019 10:45 AM

Wake County commissioner accuses board member of lying, taking credit for park plan

February 14, 2019 12:40 PM

UNC will have two players out against Wake Forest, possibly three, depending on Nassir Little

February 15, 2019 03:40 PM

Read Next

Southwest Wake all-conference spring sports teams

High School Sports

Southwest Wake all-conference spring sports teams

By J. Mike Blake

mblake@newsobserver.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

May 30, 2017 04:39 PM

The SWAC has announced its all-conference lists and player and coach of the year awards in baseball, softball, girls soccer, boys lacrosse and girls lacrosse.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The News & Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE CARY NEWS: SPORTS

PAC-6 all-conference teams spring sports teams

High School Sports

PAC-6 all-conference teams spring sports teams

May 30, 2017 02:59 PM
Cardinal Gibbons falls in heartbreaker to West Forsyth in NCHSAA 4A girls soccer championship

High School Sports

Cardinal Gibbons falls in heartbreaker to West Forsyth in NCHSAA 4A girls soccer championship

May 27, 2017 11:45 PM
Cardinal Gibbons girls soccer enters title match motivated

High School Sports

Cardinal Gibbons girls soccer enters title match motivated

May 26, 2017 11:57 AM
Cardinal Gibbons blanks Hoggard girls soccer to reach title game

High School Sports

Cardinal Gibbons blanks Hoggard girls soccer to reach title game

May 23, 2017 10:18 PM
Cary Christian girls take second at NCISAA 1A/2A track and field championships

High School Sports

Cary Christian girls take second at NCISAA 1A/2A track and field championships

May 21, 2017 12:49 PM
Cardinal Gibbons girls soccer rallies by Middle Creek in 4th round

High School Sports

Cardinal Gibbons girls soccer rallies by Middle Creek in 4th round

May 21, 2017 01:25 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Raleigh News & Observer App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Triangletoday.com
  • Legal Notices
Advertising
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Our Ads
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • N&O Store
  • N&O Photos
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Report News
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use


Back to Story