Staff photo by Robin Rudd / Tyner boys’ basketball coach E’Jay Ward yells instructions to his Rams during the season opener for both teams Tuesday night at East Hamilton.
Kobe Smith knew the basketball was coming his way in crunch time. Most everyone in the gym did, too. Still, the Tyner senior could not be stopped when it mattered most as he hit turnaround bank shots, criss-crossed defenders and scored against double teams.
With a killer instinct, Smith scored 13 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter as his drive to the rim helped the Rams open a new season with a 54-50 win at East Hamilton in a Hall of Fame game Tuesday night.
Playing with foul trouble and picking up a technical in the third quarter of a tie game, Smith kept his cool down the stretch and was focused on closing.
“I listened to my coaches who told me to calm down and take what I have,” said Smith, who was a big part of last season’s District 6-AA championship team. “I have a great group of guys who are looking for me, and I look for them. When they fed it to me, I knew I had to get the job done. I know we have a lot of work to do, but I love how we played tonight.”
The Rams built a 23-9 lead after their fifth steal midway through the second quarter, but the Hurricanes’ Darwin Randolph provided a major spark for the hosts scoring seven of his 19 points in an 11-0 run.