By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Girls’ basketball teams from Eastern Alamance and Southeast Alamance will face each other for the fourth time this season when they meet in the state playoffs Monday night.
This will be the biggest one yet.
Those two teams along with the Southeast boys and Williams boys all won Saturday in third-round games. The Western Alamance girls, who fell in overtime, and Eastern boys were eliminated Saturday.
The Eastern/Southeast girls’ game in Class 5-A will be held at Southeast prior to a boys’ matchup between Southeast and Wilson Hunt.
Also Monday, the Williams boys head to Northern Nash in Class 6-A.
The Eastern and Southeast girls have played three tight meetings, each won by Southeast. The Eagles led in the final minute of the first matchup at home prior to Southeast pulling away in the regular-season rematch. Southeast prevailed in overtime in the Mid-Carolina Conference Tournament championship game February 20 in a neutral-site clash at Roxboro Person.
Monday’s winners will play later in the week in East Regional finals at East Carolina University in Greenville.
The Eastern/Southeast girls’ survivor will face either sixth-seeded Rockingham County or second-seeded Rocky Mount.
How Southeast’s girls advanced
The top-seeded Stallions drubbed ninth-seeded Pikeville Aycock by 56-30 on Saturday. Clara LaChapelle scored 22 points and Rreanna Johnson provided 11 points.
Southeast (27-0) is aiming for its second consecutive state championship. Pikeville Aycock finished 18-6.
Southeast cruised past No. 17 seed St. Pauls 65-36 in Thursday’s second round. LaChapelle scored 22 points.
How Eastern’s girls advanced
The fourth-seeded Eagles socked fifth-seeded Seaforth 70-43 on Saturday.
Eastern (21-5), which defeated Seaforth for the second time this season, hasn’t lost to a team other than Southeast since Dec. 10. Seaforth ended up 20-4.
Eastern overwhelmed No. 13 seed West Carteret 73-37 in Thursday’s second round with 23 points from Aliya Trollinger, 15 points from Rihanna Gregory and 11 points from Makayla Scott.
Western’s path ends
No. 10 seed Western Alamance took second-seeded Rocky Mount to overtime before falling 67-59 on Saturday.
Western (17-9), a state champion a year ago, was attempting to win its third game in five days. The Warriors rallied from a 49-39 deficit through three quarters to force overtime at 56-56. Kira Jones poured in 29 points for Rocky Mount (21-2).
The Warriors claimed a 60-38 road victory against seventh-seeded Currituck County on Thursday in the second round.
Cummings girls ousted in Class 4-A
No. 16 seed Cummings couldn’t keep up with top-seeded High Point Andrews in Thursday’s 55-31 loss in the second round of the East Region.
The Cavaliers, who received 10 points from Alaiyah Mitchell and nine points apiece from LaNiya Johnson and Emmerie Maye, ended the season at 13-9.
Clover Garden girls bounced in Class 1-A
Clover Garden lost 59-38 at home to No. 12 seed Highlands School in the West Region last Thursday.
The fifth-seeded Grizzlies finished with a 17-7 record.
BOYS
How Southeast boys advanced
The top-seeded Stallions handled eighth-seeded Fayetteville Byrd 85-68 on Saturday, setting up the home game with fourth-seeded Wilson Hunt (18-4), which was an 80-55 winner against No. 5 seed Currituck County.
Southeast (24-4) led by only three points in the third quarter Saturday before pulling away. Fayetteville Byrd finished at 18-8.
Southeast defeated Roxboro Person for the fourth time this season with Thursday’s 66-52 second-round game.
How Eastern boys were eliminated
Also in Class 5-A, third-seeded Eastern came up short in a 71-59 home loss to No. 11 seed Northeast Guilford (20-9) on Saturday.
The Eagles ended the season with a 20-7 record.
With Hunter Eichmann providing 27 points, Eastern topped No. 14 seed South Brunswick 73-63 in the second round Thursday. Mason Murphy’s 16 points, Kamaal Smith’s 15 points and Christian Hester’s 12 points also boosted the Eagles. Eichmann made five 3-point shots.
How Williams boys advanced
In Class 6-A, fifth-seeded Williams went on the road to conquer fourth-seeded Fayetteville Seventy-First 68-52 on Saturday.
Colby Elliott racked up 30 points and 15 rebounds for the Bulldogs (21-5). Bubba Sims had 16 points and Isaiah Long supplied 12 points.
“One of, if not our best, defensive games and rebounding games,” Williams coach Jimmy Lloyd said.
Northern Nash (22-3) advanced by whipping eighth-seeded West Johnston 67-29.
Fayetteville Seventy-First nipped Harnett Central 53-51 in the second round.
After a bye, Williams opened play in the state playoffs with a 72-54 home victory against No. 12 seed Lee County on Thursday as Elliott scored 27 points, Sims posted 16 points and Long added 11 points.
That came a day after former University of North Carolina and NBA player David Noel, an assistant coach with the G League’s Greensboro Swarm, spoke to the Bulldogs at practice. Lloyd said Noel provided a good message.
With eight seniors, Lloyd liked the sense of urgency.
“For a lot of kids, this is their last basketball game (if you lose),” he said.
Sims picked up his second foul 1:34 into the game, so he spent time on the bench but the Bulldogs went on to build a 25-15 lead. Lee County (17-8) was within 52-42 going to the fourth quarter. Freshman DJ Brown finished with 26 points for the Yellow Jackets.
Southern boys tumble in Class 6-A
Southern Alamance lost 69-53 in the second round at top-seeded Northern Nash in an East Region game Thursday.
The No. 17 seed Patriots (10-15) fell into a 30-20 halftime hole. Quantay James had 18 points for Northern Nash.
