} The Mathews High School varsity boys’ basketball team improved to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in conference play with a pair of victories this past week, including a big win on Friday over the previously unbeaten King William Cavaliers.

King William

In front of a boisterous home crowd Friday night, Mathews took on King William. And the Blue Devils didn’t disappoint the Mathews faithful, scoring an 82-61 victory.

Mathews set the tempo from the opening tipoff, playing a fast-paced game on both sides of the ball, giving them an early first-quarter lead. They continued to force turnovers and play in transition which created easy shots on offense. This style of play gave them a 25-point lead going into halftime.

Despite the Blue Devils’ big lead, they refused to let up and kept playing solid basketball. And the star performance of the night came from Nasir Thomas, who scored 29 points and contributed seven assists. Other key performers included Caleb Thomas with 16 points a...