Dominant Bruins roll past C.B. Aycock girls

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on February 19, 2006 2:16 AM

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DUDLEY -- When you're 24-0 and ranked No. 4 among the state's best Class 3-A basketball teams, it's easy to become complacent and go through the motions each time you're on the court.

Not Wilson Beddingfield.

Determined to prevent an overconfident attitude among her players, veteran women's basketball coach Debra Pegram changed practice tactics this week. Since the junior varsity boys were done, she invited a few guys to suit up and physically challenge her team.

"It was perfect," said Pegram, a former standout at N.C. Wesleyan College. "It made a big difference. When I was in college, my coach used to bring in five guys to play against us at least two times a week. It makes you tough, but I wish I could have had this all year long.

"I'll take it now."

The strategy proved effective Friday evening.

Senior Jacobia Lucas led four players in double figures with 21 points and Beddingfield throttled Charles B. Aycock 78-31 in the Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference tournament final. The Bruins, who competed in the Big 8 North last season, seized their second consecutive tournament crown.

October Harris pumped in 19 points and Monique Spry added 11 for top-seeded Beddingfield, which remained perfect in 25 outings. Six-foot-4 sophomore Jean Best provided 10 points. Senior point guard Jacquia Winstead contributed six assists, seven rebounds and four steals.

"Everybody contributes something," said a modest Winstead.

Meanwhile, Aycock (16-9) struggled to find any offensive consistency. The Golden Falcons connected on just three of 20 field goals in the opening half and finished with 10 field goals overall in the 32-minute contest.

Senior center Emily Stewart emerged Aycock's top scorer with 12 points -- six in each half. Jazzmine Lee added seven.

"We did not get off on the right foot and that's part my fault," said assistant coach Rick Smith, who filled in for head coach Luke Vail, who left due to a family emergency.

"Nothing fell for us. We couldn't complain about the looks we got at the basket. Defensively, they were handling us physically."

Beddingfield constantly harrassed Aycock with a variety of trapping schemes. Instead of pushing the ball up the middle, the Golden Falcon guards dribbled down the sidelines and stayed in trouble the entire evening.

Winstead collected two first-quarter steals and two assists, which wound up in the hands of Lucas and Harris.

2006 Class 3-A

Eastern Carolina Conference

Women's Basketball Tournament

(at So. Wayne HS, Dudley)

Championship

C.B. Aycock 6 2 13 10 -- 31

Beddingfield 19 14 21 24 -- 78

C.B. AYCOCK (16-9)

Jasmine Dobbin 1 0 2-2 4, Quaneisha Milner 0 0 0-0 0, Quita Broadie 0 0 1-2 1, Jazzmine Lee 1 1 2-3 7, Chantel Gaines 2 0 1-2 5, Emily Stewart 5 0 2-4 12, Erin Medford 0 0 2-2 2, Rusti Talton 0 0 0-1 0, Chelsey Jackson 0 0 0-0 0, Meagan Yelverton 0 0 0-0 0, Lauren Pratt 0 0 0-0 0. TOTALS -- 9 1 10-16 31.

WILSON BEDDINGFIELD (25-0)

Shaniqua Clay 0 0 0-0 0, Jacobia Lucas 8 1 2-4 21, Kiara Simms 0 0 0-0 0, LaToya Farmer 2 0 0-0 4, Monique Spry 1 2 3-4 11, October Harris 7 0 5-12 19, Jessica Johnson 2 0 1-2 5, Jacquia Winstead 0 0 0-0 0, Jean Best 5 0 0-0 10, LaTroya Pope 3 0 2-2 8. TOTALS -- 28 3 13-24 78.

3-point goals -- C.B. Aycock 1 (Lee), Beddingfield 3 (Spry 2, Lucas). Turnovers -- C.B. Aycock 37, Beddingfield 25. Total fouls -- C.B. Aycock 17, Beddingfield 17. Fouled out -- none. Technical fouls -- none.