After taking only a handful of shots in Pinecrest’s basketball opener at Southern Lee about two weeks ago, Adam Cummings talked about not having confidence in his shot.

“It will come back,” he said at the time. “I’m just waiting for the moment it comes back.”

The light came on for the 6-foot-3 senior at Jack Britt on Tuesday where the Patriots had won only one time since that school began playing varsity basketball in 2002. He poured in 33 points, including four treys, and went 13-for-15 at the free throw line, as the Pats bested the Buccaneers 65-58.

The win came at a good time for the Patriots, now 3-1.

Coach Andrew Lacey’s squad was scheduled to board a bus on Thursday for a four-team weekend tournament in Berwick, Pa.

Cummings scored the second most points by a Patriot player since at least 2000. Phillip Moultrie, now a senior at Limestone College by way of Sandhills Community College, scored 37 in an overtime victory over Seventy-First on Senior Night in 2008.

Lacey described Cummings’ performance in the first three games of the season as solid even though he was not scoring at the 12.3 per game pace that led the team last season when he also drained a team-high 58 threes.

“We told Adam to be hard to guard,” Lacey said. “He started hitting his outside shot early and then got to the basket for layups, hit short jump shots and got to the free throw line. It was tough for them to figure out how to guard him. He gave them matchup problems all night.”

Cummings had only one field goal and four points in the Patriots’ 54-42 loss to Jack Britt at home in the second game of the season. The Patriots led 36-32 at halftime in this one. They increased the margin to eight points going into the fourth quarter.

The Bucs closed to within four before the Patriots put it away with defensive stops and good free throw shooting.

Cummings scored 19 of his points in the second half. Brendan Ortiz was also in double figures with 10 points. Justin Ray and Kardashian Ragin contributed seven apiece. K. J. McGrew scored 20 for the Bucs, now 1-2.

“When it was crunch time, Adam wanted the ball, he demanded the ball,” Lacey said. “And he was up to the occasion. But he wasn’t selfish. We still had points throughout the lineup.”

The Patriots are scheduled to meet Wyoming Seminary Prep of Kingston, Pa., on Friday in Berwick.

Championship and consolation games follow on Saturday.

Lacey looks at the trip north as a valuable one experientially for the Patriot players. The host school is taking care of the lodging expenses.

“I say it all the time, this is a great bunch of guys,” the coach said. “This was a big win for the kids’ confidence. We have an opportunity to put Pinecrest on the map.”

Other Patriot players to score 30 or more points in a game since 2000 are Hilary McLaurin and Faronte Drakeford with 31 in 2005 and 2010 games, respectively.

Pinecrest 20 16 13 16 — 65

Jack Britt 14 18 8 18 — 58

Pinecrest: Martin-Calhoun 0 1-2 1, Ray 1 4-6 7, Calhoun 0 1-2 1, Brower 1 0-3 2, Winter-McRae 1 2-2 4, Ragin 2 2-2 7, Ortiz 4 2-3 10, Wooten 0 0-0 0,Cummings 8 13-15 33, Painter 0 0-0 0, McGriff 0 0-2 0, Justice 0 0-0 0. Totals - 17 25-37 65.

Jack Britt: Keisker 6 2-3 14, McMiller 2 0-0 4, Young 3 2-3 10, McAllister 2 0-1 6, Snead 1 2-6 4, McGrew 6 8-10 20. Totals - 20 14-23 58.

Three-point goals: PC 6 (Cummings 4, Ragin, Ray); JB 4 (Young 2, McAllister 2).