Terrell starts in style as Cummings rolls

J.T. Terrell says he still deals with touches of nerves in situations like Tuesday night.

    After all, it was the season opener for the Cummings High School boys' basketball team.

    By the end, there was evidence that it could be another nerve-wracking season for Cummings' opponents after the Cavaliers ran away from visiting Orange 79-49.

    Terrell, a junior guard who has made a verbal commitment to play for Wake Forest, began his third varsity season with 34 points.

    "I was a little nervous - first game, always," he said. "I think that I came out ready."

    The opening minutes weren't exactly smooth for Terrell, who missed his first three shots (one was blocked) and had two turnovers. His first basket came slightly more than five minutes into the game on a drive to the basket.

    Then he hit a couple of jumpers and supplied two crowd-pleasing dunks - and a scowl - early in the second quarter.

    "That's when I'm in the zone," he said.

    Coach George Robinson of Cummings said Terrell hasn't been content to rest on past achievements.

    "I think he has taken his game to another level, and so have a few of the other guys," Robinson said. "I liked the way we competed."

    Starting guards Quinton Morrow and Chris Richmond scored 10 points apiece. Richmond scored six of the team's first 10 points. Steven Crisp spearheaded a couple of well-executed fast breaks.

    Terrell scored eight of the Cavaliers' points during a 14-0 run that wiped out a 12-10 deficit.

    "It looked like we're a lot quicker getting the ball down the court," said Terrell, who said doesn't mind the attention he'll receive from opposing teams.

    Not only was it the Cavaliers' season opener, it was the start of the Mid-State 2-A Conference schedule as well. The start of the game was delayed 50 minutes because of an overtime boys' junior varsity game and a foul-infested girls' varsity game that preceded it.

    "It wasn't always pretty, but it wasn't supposed to be all pretty (this time of the year)," Robinson said. "One down and hopefully a lot more to go."

    Orange (1-2, 0-1), which didn't attempt a free throw until the fourth quarter, received 16 points from Tremel Brown and 12 from Donald McIvery.