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After two steps forward in the week leading up to the Slam Dunk to the Beach Holiday Invitational, Sussex Central High School's boys' basketball team took a major step backward in a Mayor's Cup semifinal game against St. John Neumann Monday, Dec. 28, 1998.

The Golden Knights turned the ball over 30 times and shot just 35 percent from the field in suffering a disappointing 71-38 loss. Central (2-5) trailed by double digits less than six minutes into the game and never recovered.

"It showed we still have a lot of work to do," Central coach Tim Slade said. "The hunger wasn't there."

The loss put Central in the Mayor's Cup consolation Tuesday, Nov. 29, against Cardinal Gibbons. Game time is 8 a.m.

The Knights were thrown off balance early by Neumann's pressure defense and never got big man Travis Leonard involved in the offense. Seventeen first-half turnovers resulted in a 21-point halftime deficit.

"Teams who press us to death will have a lot of success until we learn to control the ball," Slade said. "I'm hoping they are going to take something away from this."

Neumann raced to an early 18-6 lead behind 10 first-quarter pionts from Charles Bailey, who drained a pair of 3-pointers. The Pirates then reeled off 10 straight points to open the second period, building a commanding 30-8 advantage.

Central, meanwhile, was plagued by sloppy ball handling and wasn't able to score from underneath against Neumann's taller front line. Leonard, a key contributor in victories over Salesianum and Cape Henlopen entering the tournament, played just 15 minutes and finished with three points.

"We're going to live and die by Travis Leonard," Slade said. "He said he couldn't get it going. His head wasn't in the game."

John Gordy led the Golden Knights with 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Central trailed by 21 at halftime before Neumann opened the third quarter with a 10-0 run that made it 47-16. Despite playing its reserves most of the second half, Neumann extended its lead to as many as 37 points.

Bailey led the Pirates with 14 points on 6 of 8 shooting. Cantrell Fletcher was a pefect 6-for-6 from the field and finished with 12 points. Al Greeman added 11 points and Hakim Haynes 8 points and 11 rebounds.