By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Four girls’ basketball teams from Alamance County won first-round games in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state playoffs Tuesday night.
Southern Alamance, Western Alamance, Williams, and Clover Garden advanced.
The Burlington School kept its hopes alive for a repeat in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association, but other area boys’ team weren’t as successful.
In the NCHSAA, second-round games are set for Thursday night with the higher-seeded teams at home. Third-round games will be Saturday.
Here’s a look at recent results:
- In Class 4-A girls, MeiLani Patterson scored 23 points to go with 10 rebounds, and Shaniya Paylor had 16 points as No. 14 seed Southern Alamance toppled No. 19 seed Wilmington Ashley 48-29. Clara LaChapelle added nine points.
Southern led 20-14 at halftime before extending the margin with an 18-8 edge in the third quarter.
That sets up the Patriots (20-8) for Thursday’s 6:00 p.m. second-round game at third-seeded Panther Creek.
Southern entered the state playoffs after winning a special tiebreaker game with Chapel Hill by 49-27 on Friday to determine the DAC-VII Conference’s third-place team for seeding purposes.
- In Class 3-A girls, No. 12 seed Western Alamance ran past No. 21 seed Wilson Hunt 86-47.
Now, the Warriors (20-8) have their fourth matchup of the season with Central Carolina 3-A Conference member Northwood (23-4), the No. 5 seed.
Northwood defeated visiting Western Alamance 61-49 in the Central Carolina 3-A Conference Tournament final Friday night. The Chargers, who are the defending state champions, have won the first three meetings between the teams.
Western’s record is a combined 1-5 in games against Northwood and Williams, but the Warriors are 19-3 against all other competition.
- No. 14 seed Williams survived a threat from No. 19 seed C.B. Aycock, winning 58-52. The Lady Bulldogs held on after leading 41-35 going to the fourth quarter.
That sets up the Bulldogs (20-6) to head to third-seeded South Central in the second round.
- No. 22 seed Eastern Alamance’s season ended with a 64-33 loss at No. 11 seed Fayetteville Sanford. The Eagles, who trailed 26-13 at halftime, lost their final four games and are done for the season with a 13-13 record.
- In Class 2-A girls, No. 2 seed North Pitt drilled No. 31 seed Cummings 60-26. The Cavaliers finished the season with a 8-14 record.
- In Class 1-A girls, No. 11 seed Clover Garden defeated No. 22 seed Gates County 48-37. Clover Garden (22-8) faces either Vance Charter or North Edgecombe in the second round.
Boys’ teams – Cummings and Williams fall
- In Class 2-A boys, No. 18 Cummings lost 61-55 at No. 15 St. Pauls for a disappointing result following a three-win week and the Mid-Carolina Conference Tournament championship.
The Cavaliers (17-9) held an eight-game winning streak entering the state playoffs.
In the Mid-Carolina Conference Tournament final, Cummings knocked off regular-season champion and host Seaforth 62-52 on Friday night, avenging two losses in the process. The Cavaliers won three games in four nights as the No. 2 seed in the league tournament.
Johnniyus Sharpe poured in 22 points in the championship game, while Ja’kari Dobbins and Ramael Warren both posted 14 points. A.J. Gillespie added nine points and a team-high seven rebounds.
- In Class 3-A boys, No. 12 seed Rocky Mount defeated No. 21 seed Williams 75-61. The Bulldogs lost three of their last four games and ended up with a 14-12 record.
North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association
The Burlington School beat Trinity Academy of Fayetteville 79-62 on Tuesday night in the fourth round of the Class 2-A state playoffs.
Top-seeded TBS (21-15), the defending state champion, moves on to the semifinals Thursday night against visiting Gaston Day School (18-9). The winner plays in the title game at 3:00 p.m. Saturday at Forsyth Country Day School against either Greenfield School or Wayne Country Day School.
After two byes, TBS opened its playoff run with Saturday’s 98-42 third-round thumping of visiting Hickory Christian. Savion Taylor’s 18 points and Zion Walker’s 15 points were tops.
- Burlington Christian Academy, after a first-round bye, defeated visiting Friendship Christian 68-37 last Thursday. That was followed by a 75-54 loss Saturday to Trinity Academy of Raleigh, with the Royals falling into a 27-8 hole. BCA finished with a 17-8 record.
- On the girls’ side, The Burlington School had a first-round bye before defeating visiting Davidson Day School 40-36. Next came Saturday’s 52-46 loss at Fayetteville Christian, leaving TBS with a 7-21 record despite Kiya Shavers’ 18 points.
