When both coaches for the Purnell Swett and Lumberton boys basketball teams went to describe what senior leaders Matthias Carter and Tyleik Brown had that left an impact on the teams’ performances in Tuesday night’s game, they both had the same word come to mind.

Heart.

In the latest episode of the rivalry game between the Pirates and the Rams played on the hardwood at Purnell Swett, it was those two guys that left big impacts on their team, playing beyond their height among the trees in the paint. Although they aren’t the tallest guys on their teams, Purnell Swett’s Carter and Lumberton’s Brown made up for it in their will and desire.

Carter is listed as the second shortest guy for Purnell Swett at 5-foot-9, but is one of the top rebounders on the team due to his toughness and fearlessness going after missed shots.

And when his team needing an offensive lift in the second and third quarters, he stepped up and took drive after drive to the basket and that’s when his toughness started to show. Carter went to the line and attempted 14 free throws after taking several hard hits, hacks on the arm and a few tough landings, but each time he got up, shrugged it off and went straight to the line.

Just before halftime, Carter threw an errant pass that was intercepted by Lumberton’s Josh Smith, who took it for what more times than not would’ve been a clear layup on the other end. Carter made a beeline for the Pirate’s goal and met Smith at the peak of his jump to pin his shot against the backboard, and was called for a foul. Nonetheless, he gave the quiet student section that had been virtually silent to that point in the game a jolt of energy and Smith missed both free throws.

Brown’s team came away with the victory in the contest after building a first-half lead thanks in part to his play as one of the forwards, even though he’s 5-foot-11.

He finished with nine rebounds while going up against the frontline of the Rams. When there were rebounds he didn’t grab, he stayed persistent to poke free the ball from the Purnell Swett big guys for quick baskets right under the rim. On several loose balls that were bouncing out of bounds, Brown was there to jump, turn and save the ball to a teammate to keep the Pirates’ possessions in the second half.

After the game, Purnell Swett coach Jeremy Sampson compared the two guys saying Brown was “like their Matthias Carter.”

Those plays were just a few that stood out in a game that showed the determination both of those players bring, and serves as a reminder to anyone that if you put your whole heart into something you can make a difference.

Bym
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By Jonathan Bym

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Jonathan Bym can be reached at 910-816-1977. Follow him on Twitter @Jonathan_Bym.