By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Southeast Alamance’s dream season was dented with a nightmarish final 10 seconds in the Class 5-A state championship.
Despite the outcome, the Stallions weren’t ready to dismiss what has been accomplished.
“Great season, just didn’t end our way,” Southeast coach Amy Sarratt said.
North Lincoln broke a tie with a pair of free throws with 9.4 seconds remaining and held on for a 59-56 victory Saturday afternoon at Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem.
Southeast (29-1) was bidding for a second straight state title. The Stallions had won 35 consecutive games, beginning with six victories in the state playoffs last year.
“I want to focus on the positive things because they’ve done so much,” Sarratt said, “and not let one game kind of control how we feel. It’s obviously sad, a special group very dear to my heart. … I know there’s a lot of teams that would have liked to have been in our shoes today.”
After Lydia Cipriano’s two free throws gave North Lincoln a 58-56 lead, Southeast nearly lost the ball before it went out of bounds near the North Lincoln bench with 6.1 seconds left. The Stallions were out of timeouts, but the Knights used a timeout to set up their defense.
A turnover on the inbounds pass led to Ally Smith’s free throw at the 2.0-second mark on the second of her two attempts. Soon, the Knights were celebrating and Southeast was stuck with its first loss in almost 13 months.
“Couldn’t ask for a better game,” North Lincoln coach Kristin Karr said. “That was a great matchup.”
Sarratt hugged senior guard Shaniya Paylor, who was named the Most Outstanding Player from the East Region, near the team’s bench.
“I’m just happy we got the first one (last year),” Paylor said. “Two would have been great.”
Paylor scored 23 points and made six steals. Clara LaChapelle and Inysia McIver also finished their high school careers.
“These three seniors have been kind of the foundation,” Sarratt said. “As the years have gone on, we’ve brought more people in. They’re the foundation. They started this whole thing three years ago when the school opened up. Their commitment level to getting better each and every day, I think, is the key to our success.”
Southeast beat North Lincoln 65-62 in a neutral-site meeting the day after Thanksgiving. The Knights officially finished with a 9-21 record, but they ended at 26-4 in contested games aside from forfeits that were factored in this winter stemming from a case of an ineligible player.
So North Lincoln navigated the postseason without a home game.
“This was redemption,” Karr of the playoff run.
Saturday’s difference came at the foul line, with North Lincoln going 17-for-20 and Southeast at 10-for-18.
“That happens,” Sarratt said. “It’s part of the game.”
The Knights also were 8-for-17 on 3-pointers and the Stallions hit only two of 12 – both by Dalyse Edwards.
Southeast collected 22 of its 41 rebounds at the offensive end, but 31.9 percent shooting was too much to overcome. The Stallions forced 19 North Lincoln turnovers, nearly twice the 10 they committed.
Southeast took its first lead at 14-13 early in the second quarter. The Knights scored the next nine points, with the Stallions shooting 5-for-23 from the field at that juncture.
But Southeast finished the first half on a 9-0 run across a 2½-minute stretch for a 24-23 lead. North Lincoln was 6-for-25 with 10 turnovers in the first half.
The Stallions scored the first four points of the second half off North Lincoln turnovers. Then Paylor’s steal and drive for a basket made it 33-27.
It was tied 41-41 going to the fourth quarter.
“We would go on a run and then would come right back at us,” Karr said. “. . . I’m super happy that we could make free throws and pull it out.”
North Lincoln’s Ashlyn Black fouled out with 10 points at the 3:32 mark. Cipriano’s 3-pointer on the next North Lincoln possession made it 50-46.
Paylor countered with a three-point play. Southeast was up 52-51 after Paylor’s drive for a bucket, but Cipriano’s 3 changed the lead again.
McIver’s offensive foul away from the ball at the 1:23 mark came before North Lincoln built a 56-52 edge. Southeast’s Rreanna Johnson, who finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds, made a basket and, following a turnover, Paylor’s tying shot from the lane came with 21 seconds to play.
Cipriano was fouled going to the basket and her foul shots gave the Knights the lead for keeps. Southeast never got the ball past midcourt.
“We work on that in practice, last-second opportunities and things like that,” Sarratt said. “Again, it just wasn’t our day. It doesn’t take away anything these (players) have done. It’s just hard.”
- In the Class 5-A boys’ championship, Gastonia Huss rolled in the second half of a 103-69 victory against Wilson Fike in Saturday’s second game.
Wilson Fike defeated Southeast Alamance boys a week earlier in the East Regional final.
Other basketball notables
Saturday marked the fourth and final day of state championship games.
Northern Nash’s boys’ team won the Class 6-A state championship, defeating Kings Mountain 61-60 in overtime Thursday. Northern Nash’s playoff route included topping Southern Alamance in the second round and eliminating Williams in the East Regional semifinals.
• Reidsville’s boys’ team made it to the Class 4-A final, falling 83-68 to Salisbury on Friday night.
