Which of the issues at stake carried the most importance — protecting a tidy varsity boys basketball winning streak against the archrival or seizing the championship of the annual holiday basketball tournament in the community?
The Hunt High varsity boys emerged with a two-for-one payoff, decking Fike, 73-71, in the championship game of the 48th Eastern Carolina Classic in the Hunt gym Saturday evening.
With the score knotted at 71-71 and 3.7 seconds remaining, Hunt junior Austin Joyner, proclaimed the tournament most valuable player, swished both of his free throws for the final margin.
The Golden Demons (8-2) quickly requested a time-out to set up a last-gasp play. As planned, the basketball was inbounded to 6-foot-5 senior William Monk, who was supposed to tear toward the Fike basket and launch the shot before time expired. .But after a few steps, Hunt defenders Ny’sir Hines, a sophomore, and freshman Tyler Pridgen knocked the ball away from Monk and the game-ending horn sounded…