The Pinecrest girls’ basketball team remained unbeaten by defeating visiting Jack Britt 50-34 Tuesday evening.

The Patriots were led by Jennie Joy with a game-high 12 points and a double-double by Janea Williams that included 11 points and 16 rebounds. In a battle between two 5-0 teams, coach Mike Loutzenheiser’s squad entertains Western Harnett tonight in a 6 p.m. start.

In the second meeting between the teams this season, Shaniqua Collins provided the early spark for Pinecrest after Britt scored the first five points of the game. She fed Joy twice for threes in a 10-0 run that put the Patriots in front 10-5. The Buccaneers knotted it up at 10-10, but Collins scored the next four points from the free throw line.

The Patriot guard was on a roll. She passed to Keegan Lynch for another trey that made it 17-13. Joy’s third three of the half gave the Pats a 22-18 lead at the intermission.

A first-year varsity player as a senior, Collins is making the most of it. She is a niece of former Pinecrest star Bobby Collins, the head men’s basketball coach at Winston-Salem State.

“I’m trying to be a big help to my team and step it up with this being my last year,” she said.

Following an early season trend, the Patriots played better in the second half than the first.

“At halftime, the coaches tell us what we have to do and we pick it up and execute well,” Collins said.

Still leading by only four points late in the third period, Collins found Felicia Painter open for a long two and then drove for two more, making it 32-24.

The last gasp for the Bucs came on two threes in a row by Jayla Bryant at the start of the fourth quarter that cut the margin to 34-30.

But a basket by Collins, off a pass from Keegan Lynch, launched a closing 16-4 run by the Pats. Williams powered her way for a basket inside and Lynch went 4-for-4 from the foul line during the rally.

Impacting the game at both ends of the court throughout was Williams, who was more aggressive offensively than in any previous game this season.

“She really does have the potential to be unstoppable,” Loutzenheiser said. “She’s 6-2 or 6-3 and can jump out of the gym. The light is starting to come on and she’s realizing that when she’s aggressive good things happen.”

Britt fell to 1-4 with the loss. Western Harnett is led by senior Ariel Bursey, who averaged 27 points and 12 rebounds per game last season, and earned all-state recognition. She is scoring at a 19.2 per game pace this year.

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

Jack Britt 10 8 6 10 34

Pinecrest 14 8 12 16 50

Jack Britt — J. Bryant 3 0-0 9, Wylie 2 3-3 7, Jones 3 0-0 6, Slaughter 1 0-0 2, B. Bryant 4 0-0 8, Taylor 1 0-6 2. Totals 14 3-9 34. Pinecrest — Joy 4 1-2 12, Painter 2 0-0 4, Lynch 1 4-4 7, Smith 1 0-2 2, Williams 4 3-5 11, Collins 2 4-8 8, McKenzie 3 0-0 6, Little 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 12-21 50. Three-point goals: (JB) 3 ( J. Bryant 3); (PC) 4 (Joy 3, Lynch).