Gaston College falls after game-long battle with Region 10 leader

Visiting Gaston College took defending Region 10 champion and current leader Caldwell Tech to the wire Saturday before dropping a tough 93-87 decision to the Cobras.

Led by 6-foot-8 freshman Caleb McCarty's 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting, the Rhinos (12-6, 2-3) played at an optimum level in the first half and took 37-31 lead into the locker room.

Gaston College extended its lead to 13 points in the first five minutes of the second half, but foul trouble plagued the Rhinos and Caldwell Tech stormed back. Three Gaston players fouled out of the contest, and Caldwell Tech cashed in at the line.

For the game, the Cobras (18-2, 6-0) shot 82 percent at the stripe, making 32 of 39 attempts. In contrast, the Rhinos made 13 of 17 free throw attempts.

Five players reached double figures for Caldwell Tech, topped by Toyaz Solomon's 22 points, 15 of them coming in the second half.

Guard DaMarco Watson topped the Rhinos with 22 points before fouling out with just over a minute to play in the game. Caldwell Tech led 85-80 when Watson was forced to exit.

Freshman Asil Hoyle added 16 points for Gaston College and made key baskets in the final minute to keep his team within range.

McCarty continued to display a hot hand to open the second half, making his first two shots on midrange jumpers. However, he picked up his third foul at the 15:28 mark of the period and had to sit down.

It was after McCarty's exit that the Cobras made their run, outscoring the Rhinos 27-12 over a seven-minute stretch that saw Caldwell Tech go from a 50-37 deficit to a 64-62 lead.

The Cobras opened up a nine-point advantage at 76-67 with just under four minutes left, but Gaston College stayed in the game behind clutch scoring from Watson and Hoyle.

Hoyle's runner in the lane pulled the Rhinos within 89-87 with 29 seconds remaining, but they could get no closer.

"It's very difficult to win on the road, especially against the top dogs of the league," Gaston College coach Jamie Rosser said. "But we can walk away from a game like this with our heads high knowing we fought every second. Even though we didn't win and took a loss I think we're getting closer to winning basketball."

Rosser said his team, "put together two quality halves of basketball but didn't quite benefit from the fruits of their labor today. All we can do know is try to get ready for the next opponent and build on this. It was a great learning experience.

The Rhinos, who are in the middle of a six-game run of Region 10 games, travel to Cape Fear Community College Wednesday for a 6 p.m. game. Gaston College's next home game is Feb. 12 against Denmark Technical College at 3 p.m.