GRAHAM — Chatham Charter needed a win here Friday night to remain tied for the league in the 1A Central Tar Heel Conference standings with Chatham Central and Research Triangle.
The Knights were up to the challenge.
Behind a monster game of 34 points and 13 rebounds from junior forward Jordan Hamilton, Chatham Charter distanced themselves in the middle quarters before pulling away for a high-scoring 88-74 victory over a determined River Mill squad.
With the win, Chatham Charter improved to 10-2 in the league and to 23-2 overall heading into the final week of the regular season. The Knights hope to clinch at least a tie for the CTH title, and to do so they will have to pull out a tough game at Raleigh Charter in a game set for Tuesday, before hosting Cornerstone Academy in Siler City Friday evening on Senior Night.
Chatham Charter coach Jason Messier was excited about how his club performed, especially on the offensive end.
“We moved the ball around well tonight, were unselfish, and really attacked the basket,” Messier said. “Our plan coming in was to feed the ball down to Jordan on the low post and to get him as many looks as possible. We were successful in that and he had a huge game.”
Hamilton was 11-of-14 from the floor while also going 12-of-16 from the charity stripe.
Messier said the success by Hamilton down low opened things up for others.
“They had to try and double team Jordan, and that created some lanes and kickouts for his teammates,” Messier continued. “We made 3-of-6 from behind the arc tonight, and Connor Murphy had a great game driving the lane and scoring the ball.”
Murphy chipped in 23 points in the win for the Knights while Cole Milholen added 12 points, including a trey, and A.J. Alston 11 more. Alston was 2-for-4 from behind the arc while dishing out an assist while Milholen added three rebounds, five assists, and three steals, and Murphy four boards, two assists and a steal.
River Mill traded blow for blow with the favored Chatham Charter bunch in the opening period and led 22-21 after one. Chris Cannon had 11 points in the stanza, including a trey, and Antonio Bowden added five and another three-pointer, and Justin Lutterloh four points.
Hamilton kept the Knights in the game with nine opening quarter points while Milholen added four, including a trey, Murphy three, and Alston a three-pointer.
In the second, Hamilton pumped in 11 as Chatham Charter used a 17-11 run to take a 38-33 lead at the intermission. Murphy chipped in four points for the Knights in the second while the Jaguars were led by six from Chase Mebane, including a trey, and Lutterloh a trey.
Chatham Charter erupted for 30 points in the third as Murphy collected 10 points, Hamilton and Alston eight apiece, and Milholen four more to send the Knights up 68-53.
Bowden had seven, including a trey, Mebane six, and Lutterloh five but it was far from enough as the Jaguars simply lost pace.
Lutterloh would can a pair of treys in the fourth on the way to 15 points for River Mill in the stanza but it was far from enough as Chatham Charter went on to claim the 88-74 win.
Hamilton had six points for the Knights in the final period while Murphy added five, and Ryan White four.
Lutterloh closed with 27 points to lead River Mill offensively while Cannon added 15, Mebane 14, and Bowden 12.