Hendrick of Durham 89 Team Jamison 78

By Mark Carroll - Blog Coordinator

Led by incoming freshman phenom Kyrie Irving, Hendrick of Durham was able to defeat Seth Curry and Team Jamison in the third contest on Tuesday night.

Irving and teammate Josh Hairston were the stars of the game, combining for 47 of their team's 89 points. NCCU's Nick Chasten also stepped up to set the tone early, helping Hendrick of Durham to an immediate six point advantage.

Thanks to some of the young talent, Team Jamison was able to find some first quarter buckets. Jalen Jones nailed a three ball and Quincy Miller added a lay-up and a baseline jam to close the gap, but Hairston's turn-around jumper at the buzzer boosted Hendrick of Durham to a 19-14 lead after the first period.

Team Jamison roared back at the start of the second quarter, as a pair of Seth Curry treys earned the squad its first lead of the game at 23-22. Irving demonstrated excellent versatility, slamming in an alley-oop and later knocking down a three of his own. Hendrick of Durham led by eight, but Miller's sensational play led to eight straight points as his old-fashioned three point play knotted the score at 35-35.

Just as Team Jamison seemed to be gaining the momentum, Irving reminded everyone once again of why he is so dangerous. Irving scored a quick six points, leading to a Team Jamison timeout with 14.9 seconds remaining. His three baskets would prove to be the final field goals of the half, and Hendrick of Durham led by six at the half.

The highlight of the third quarter came in the opening minutes when Hairston slammed in a thundering dunk over Duke teammate Miles Plumlee. The jam contributed to a Hendrick of Durham run that resulted in an 11 point lead, but Curry's perimeter play for Team Jamison cut the deficit to three just before the fourth quarter.

Curry continued to be a headache for the opposition in the final quarter, but the outstanding performances on the other end of Irving (game-high 31 points) and VMI's Stanley Okoye ultimately made the difference. With just minutes remaining, Okoye's lay-up stretched the advantage to 16. Plumlee found some points down low in the final seconds, but it was too late for Team Jamison. Hendrick of Durham came away with the win, 89-78.