There were signs that the Pinecrest boys had a big problem after Red Springs guard Glenn Patterson Jr. rained 20 points on them in the first half of Tuesday’s basketball game.

Knotted up at 29-29 at that point, Faronte Drakeford, Antonio Jones and Phillip Wallace provided much of the Patriot offense in the second half. That coupled with tight guarding by Wallace on Patterson helped secure a 59-51 home victory.

Drakeford put together a double-double that included 14 points and 15 rebounds. Jones scored a team-high 15 points, and Wallace finished with 12. Patterson matched his season average with 31, but made only one field goal in the fourth quarter.

The Patriots and Red Springs are both 2-1. An obvious concern for coach Mike Apple going into Thursday’s home contest against Southern Lee was his team’s 25 turnovers.

“I think they were getting in a hurry with some of those passes,” the Patriot coach said. “I think what has to happen is, the game has to slow down a little bit for the kids.”

The Patriots have seen plenty of Patterson, the son of the Red Devil coach, over the last four years. Wallace and the 5-foot-9 guard played together all summer on the N.C. Athletics team that Patterson Sr. also coaches.

Patterson had four points in the first quarter with Wallace on duty. But the Patriot senior relinquished the assignment after picking up two early fouls. The Devil star was 6-for 7 from the field in the second period, including three treys. He scored 16 of his team’s 19 points.

“Patterson did a great job in the first half,” Apple said. “He’s a heady, kid and he knows how to adjust to what defenses are doing to him.”

Wallace sank a three and made a pair at the foul line moments later, as the Patriots scored the first eight points of the second half. Patterson added nine points in the third period before Damion Pride set up Marshall Smith for the basket that made it 46-41 Patriots going into the final quarter.

A three by the Devils’ Jeremy McDowell cut the margin to two, but the Pats responded with a 7-0 run capped by a Smith steal that set up a transition basket by Drakeford.

Patterson scored his only points of the quarter with about six minutes remaining in the game. Drakeford grabbed seven rebounds on the defensive board in the period to limit second chances for the Devils.

The 6-1 Wallace used about a four-inch size advantage, and help from teammates, to slow Patterson down.

“It’s a tough job,” he said. “I didn’t want to give him an open look, so I tried to keep my hands up. I know if he gets a look at the basket, it is probably going to go in.”

The Patriots enjoyed a big edge on free throws, making 21 of 29 (72.4 per cent). The visitors went 6-for-18. Jones is the only Patriot to score in double figures in all three games (16.3 per game average).

The two teams will meet again in two weeks at Red Springs.

Contact Charlie Bergmann at cbergmann@nc.rr.com.

Red Springs 10 19 12 10 51

Pinecrest 9 20 17 13 59

Red Springs — Hawkins 2 1-2 5, Brown 0 0-2 0, Taylor 1 1-2 3, Patterson 12 3-7 31, McDowell 3 0-1 7, Bethea 0 1-2 1, Lowery 2 0-2 4. Totals 20 6-18 51; Pinecrest — Wallace 2 7-10 12, McLaughlin 2 0-0 4, Drakeford 4 5-6 14, Smith 3 0-0 7, Jones 6 2-2 15, Wilson 0 0-0 0, Pride 0 4-7 4, Painter 0 2-2 2, Tolson 0 1-2 1, McPhaul 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 21-29 59. Three-point goals: (RS) 5 (Patterson 4, McDowell); (PC) 4 (Wallace, Drakeford, Smith, Jones).