By Charlie Bergmann

Special to The Pilot

The Pinecrest boys' basketball team needed just one solid half to establish a comfortable cushion and cruise by Purnell Swett 89-72 at James Moore Gym Friday night.

James Baldwin scored 15 of his game-high 24 points before halftime as the Patriots took a 47-27 lead. The two teams were content to trade baskets the rest of the way.

The Patriots improved to 3-0 in Southeastern Conference play and 14-2 overall. They sit alone atop the conference standings.

The Rams, now 0-3 and 2-9, were led by Juwan Jones with 19 points.

Baldwin put the first points on the board with a three. He increased his total to seven as the Pats jumped out to a 9-2 lead. Daquain Towns, who finished with 18 points, whirled his way to eight in the second period. His last two baskets came on a baseline drive followed by an emphatic flush of a teammate's miss, making it 45-20.

A 6-0 run by the hustling Rams closed the Patriot lead to 56-42 midway through a loosely played third quarter by both teams. Julian Brewer helped get the Patriots back on track with a steal and dunk. Cedrick Threadgill fed him for two more baskets over the next three minutes, extending the home team's advantage to 66-47.

The Pats' Phillip Wallace scored nine of his 12 points in the fourth, helping balance the combined second-half total of 27 scored by the Rams' Juwan and Jarquez Jones.

Brewer was also in double figures with 12 points. Baldwin grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, and Harron Carson was the assist leader with four, all in the first half.

Pinecrest is idle because of exams until next Friday when it entertains Richmond Senior.

Purnell Swett 10 17 26 19 - 72

Pinecrest 24 23 21 21 - 89

Purnell Swett - Harrington 1 2-4 5, Juwan Jones 5 9-14 19, M. Bullard 0 4-6 4, J. Locklear 1 0-0 2, Eddings 3 0-2 6, Z. Z. Locklear 2 0-0 4, T. Bullard 3 3-4 9, B. Jones 1 4-8 6, Jarquez Jones 8 1-1 17. Totals 24 23-39 72. Pinecrest - McLaughlin 0 0-0 0, Wallace 4 3-5 12, Towns 9 0-1 18, Brewer 5 2-2 12, Baldwin 10 3-4 24, Threadgill 2 1-2 6, Drakeford 0 1-2 1, Carson 4 0-2 8, Smith 0 3-4 3, Collins 1 1-1 3, Jones 1 0-0 2, McPhaul 0 0-0 0, Pride 0 0-0 0, Russ 0 0-0 0, Peterkin 0 0-0 0. Totals 36 14-23 89. Three-point goals: (S) 1 (Harrington); (P) 3 (Baldwin, Threadgill, Wallace).