Gaston College preps for Region 10 play with one more non-league game on Thursday

Gaston College's return to basketball has been successful as the Rhinos have fashioned a 7-2 record through their first nine games in the school's first season in 50 years.

But coach David "Dickey" Nutt and his players know that the competition will soon get more challenging - and that starts with Thursday's return game at Lincolnton's Combine Academy.

The contest against a team that Gaston College edged 95-92 in overtime on Nov. 10 at Gaston Christian School also is the Rhinos' final contest before a 14-game National Junior College Athletic Association Region 10 schedule begins on Saturday at Wilmington's Cape Fear Community College.

"They feel like they owe us one," Nutt said of Combine Academy. "They're very talented. But we need a game like them to get us ready for conference play."

Gaston College has relied on extraordinary balance throughout the restart of its program for the first time since the 1971-72 season as 10 players are averaging 6.2 points or more per game.

The Rhinos also have had spectacular individual performances like sophomore center Zavion Jackson's 23-point, 17-rebound, 3-blocked shot effort in Sunday's 122-77 win over Blue Lights College at North Gaston High School.

Though Nutt and Jackson both felt Gaston College was sluggish in playing its first game in eight days, Jackson established an inside presence Nutt wants the team to have moving forward this season.

"We have been trying to get him some confidence and maybe this will be a boost because he'll face a lot more size and much better talent," Nutt said of Jackson, a 6-foot-7 sophomore from Little Rock, Ark. "But 23 and 17 is no easy chore and we are most proud of his efforts"

The big rebounding game has Jackson leading the Rhinos in rebounding (6.7 average).

"It was really fun, but it was a bad game for all of us because we were a little slow after the break," Jackson said. "This week is very important. We play Combine which will be a good test for us and then we get right into conference. So it's a huge week for us."

Damon Davis, a 6-4 sophomore guard from Atlanta, leads the Rhinos in scoring (16.0 average), assists (5.6) and steals (2.0) and is third in rebounding (6.2).

Other top contributors for Gaston College so far this season have been freshman guard Da'marco Watson (12.3 points, 3.6 assists), freshman guard Dee Merriweather (11.4 points), sophomore forward Jaylen Bates (10.7 points, 6.3 rebounds), sophomore forward Kalil Camara (9.3 points, 6.1 rebounds), freshman forward Dedrick Givens (8.8 points, 5.8 rebounds), freshman guard Naysean Baisy (8.8 points), freshman guard Jared Funderburk (7.5 points) and freshman forward Joshua Johnson (6.2 points).