Apex boys basketball dismantles streaking Athens Drive

Last week, Ian Boyd moved into first place on Apex’s all-time scoring list in a heartbreaking loss to Southwest Wake Athletic Conference rival Middle Creek. This week, his accomplishment was honored at halftime of a home win against Athens Drive.

“The goal coming in as a freshman was to just get wins. I never thought I would get close to breaking the record,” Boyd said. “It feels pretty good.”

The Apex boys basketball team got off to a great start and never looked back, racing to an 88-56 victory. Nine different players scored a basket for the Cougars. Senior Colin Molden had a solid all-around game, finishing with 17 points, six assists, five rebounds, and a pair of steals.

Boyd paced Apex (10-6, 7-2) with a game-high 32 points, pushing his total to 1,816 points for his career. The senior missed a couple of easy shots early but was able to turn up the intensity after two big dunks in the second quarter. He hit four of the team’s 13 3-pointers on the night.

“It’s not just Ian that kills you,” Athens head coach Robbie St. John explained. “It’s a combination of them hitting every 3 they shoot and Ian. There’s nothing you can do about that.”

Athens (7-10, 2-7) had won four games in a row before dropping this one at Apex. The Jaguars began to pick up some momentum after starting off 3-9, but exams may have taken some of the power out of their punch.

“It’s been a long week of exams and you never know what you’re going to get when the schedule’s different for the kids,” St. John said. “We’re just looking forward to getting back into a routine.”

Joseph Sykes had the hot hand for Athens (7-10, 2-7). After only scoring three points in the first two quarters, Sykes knocked down four 3-pointers in the second half. He ended the game with five made 3-pointers and a team-high 17 points.

Freshman Derrick Robertson pitched in 11 points for the Jaguars, while Jordan Johnson added 10.

Apex’s next contest will be at Cary (16-0, 9-0) on Wednesday. St. John and his Jaguars will turn their attention to Bengals of Fuquay-Varina (5-10, 3-7).

This story was originally published January 15, 2016 at 11:53 PM with the headline "Apex boys basketball dismantles streaking Athens Drive."