The Midway High School basketball season tipped off in exciting fashion Wednesday night in Spivey’s Corner, as both the girls’ and boys’ varsity teams welcomed the South Johnston Trojans for a pair of non-conference matchups. Fans packed the gym to see the Raiders and the Trojans duke it out on the court. Unfortunately for the home team, they each took a loss to visitors from out of town as the Midway girls fell 38-27 and the Raider boys 56-47.
Girls
This battle turned into a gritty, hard-fought contest right from the opening tip — the kind of game where every possession felt like a struggle and points came at a premium. Both teams brought intensity on defense, but neither could find much rhythm offensively, resulting in a sluggish, low-scoring start. With bodies diving for loose balls and shots rattling off the rim, the score was deadlocked at 8-8 early in the second quarter.
Then, Midway began to slowly separate. The Lady Raiders pieced together a 10-0 run — not the kind marked by fast breaks or flashy plays, but a slow, methodical run that spanned the duration of the second quarter. The Lady Trojans simply couldn’t buy a basket during what proved to be a scoreless second period for the visitors. Despite their defensive effort, Midway’s own struggles on offense kept the margin modest, and by halftime, they held an 18-8 advantage heading into the locker room.
The game took a turn after halftime as South Johnston came out with renewed energy and a sense of urgency. The Lady Trojans began to find their rhythm on offense, knocking down shots that had eluded them in the first half, while tightening up their defense to limit Midway’s scoring opportunities. Slowly but surely, the momentum shifted. What had once been a decent Lady Raiders lead began to evaporate, and early in the third quarter, South Johnston had rallied to reclaim the advantage. Once they pulled ahead, the Lady Trojans never looked back. South Johnston maintained control down the stretch, closing out the night with a 38-27 victory — a hard-earned win that capped off a tale of two halves to start Midway’s season.
Scoring leaders for the Lady Raiders were Peyton Herring with eight points, Aubrey Williams with six points, and Kyleigh Stonerock with five points.
Boys
The finale of the night saw the Midway and South Johnston boys take the floor, and unfortunately for the home crowd, the Raiders didn’t fare much better. Once again, the difference came in the third quarter. After a tightly contested first half, Midway headed into the locker room with a slim 21-20 advantage and feeling pretty good about their first half effort. However, that spark quickly faded after the break. South Johnston emerged from halftime with a different look, appearing much sharper and on a mission. They ratcheted up their defensive pressure and found their rhythm offensively. The Trojans began to dictate the pace and bit by bit, the game’s balance shifted firmly in South Johnston’s favor. By the end of the third quarter, the Trojans had outscored Midway decisively, building a 40-31 lead and putting the Raiders on their heels heading into the final frame.
In the fourth quarter, things were a little more balanced but Midway couldn’t quite gain the upper hand. Offensive output from both teams was balanced and the Trojans would hold on to their nine point advantage to claim the 56-47 victory.
Scoring leaders for the Raiders were Tanner Williams with 16 points and Colin Woods with 11 points. The rest of Midway’s scoring was fairly evenly spread across the remainder of their lineup.
Now at 0-1 overall, both teams will look to get into the win column when they travel to take on Triton on Tuesday.