Southern Wayne rallies from 16 down to beat North Pitt in Hood’s debut
DUDLEY - Southern Wayne opened the 2026-27 boys basketball season with a comeback victory Friday, defeating North Pitt 58-54 in Austin Hood’s debut as the Saints’ head coach.
The Saints (1-0) rallied from a 16-point deficit after North Pitt jumped ahead 21-8 in the opening quarter.
Doug Wynn and Jayden Moore paced Southern Wayne with 14 points apiece. Zymeer Vick scored 12, Yakir Williams added 11 and Jeremiah Armwood finished with six.
North Pitt (0-1) built a 13-point lead through the first eight minutes and at one stage extended its advantage to 16. Southern Wayne began to chip away in the second quarter, outscoring the Panthers 19-13 to narrow the halftime margin to 34-27.
Southern Wayne’s defense changed the game after halftime. The Saints held North Pitt to eight third-quarter points while scoring 13, pulling within 42-40 entering the fourth.
The Saints completed their rally with an 18-12 advantage in the final quarter, finishing off the four-point victory.
“They never quit! Got down by 16 early and battled back,” Hood said after the game.
The win marked a successful first game for Hood, a Southern Wayne alumnus who took over the program following a 4-17 season in 2025-26. It also reversed the result of the teams’ previous meeting, which North Pitt won 60-54 last season.
Southern Wayne scoring leaders
- Doug Wynn — 14 points
- Jayden Moore — 14
- Zymeer Vick — 12
- Yakir Williams — 11
- Jeremiah Armwood — 6
Quarter-by-quarter scoring
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Wayne | 8 | 19 | 13 | 18 | 58 |
| North Pitt | 21 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 54 |
Follow Southern Wayne athletics on Neuse News Sports.
